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The term student-centered learning refers to a wide variety of:

educational programs,

learning experiences

instructional approaches

academic-support strategies

that are intended to address the:

distinct learning needs

interests

aspirations

cultural backgrounds

of individual students and groups of students, and makes the student heavily involved tailoring their eduction.

However, student centered learning, starts with the teacher. Planning lessons carefully to target specific student learning objectives, allowing differentiation for multiple leveled learners and creating an equitable and inclusive classroom. This can only happen through careful planning.

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General Approaches in Student Centered Learning for Reading

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General Approaches in Student Centered Learning for Reading

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Reading should be taught both individually and in small groups.

Make reflection an important part of the process.  This phase allows the student to review the lesson objectives and reflect on things that worked as well as what did not work.

Students should be encouraged to browse the books and make choices on which books to read

Use the “saturation” approach to reading by encouraging students to read for pleasure as well as for information, but also to read a variety of formats such as; paperback books, textbooks, magazines, catalogues, comic books, literary novels, plays, poems, etc.

Keep records of the student’s progress

Allow time for independent reading

Use pre-reading methods to build student schema.  E.g. KWL (What I know, what I want to know, and what I learned), for making connections in learning.

Provide classroom spaces specifically for reading, especially independent reading.

Have students create their own reading goals.

Students are granted freedom of choice about what kind of books and topics they want to read.

Give students the opportunity to discover their own learning pace for reading.

Have students collaborate with others and learn from peers in small groups or pair work.

Encourage discussions about the text as much as possible.

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How to create effective Student Centered Reading in students.

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How to create effective Student Centered Reading in students.

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1. Questioning – Good readers ask purposeful questions before, during, and after reading to determine meaning or further understanding. Develop the practice of making questions about the text on their own, and answering questions from classmates and the teacher.

2. Imaging (Visualizing) - Readers use a variety of sensory and conceptual processes (mental mapping) to understand texts. They imagine the sights, sounds, smells, see motion, hear dialogue and develop meaningful ways to develop their understanding. Let students draw out, or voice different roles to develop this.

3. Predicting – Predicting involves the use of text clues and the students’ prior knowledge as they make logical forecasts about what will occur next in the text. Get students into the habit of recalling their prior knowledge and personal experiences relevant to the topic.

4. Inferring - Inferring is a difficult strategy that separates good readers from poor readers. High-level thinking is needed when students use text clues and prior knowledge to draw conclusions about past and present events. Get students to think about what the text says, what it doesn't say, and what they personally know, to get a better understanding of the context and draw conclusions.

5. Making Connections – Good readers use their schema or prior knowledge to help them understand the text. When reading, they make connections to text, experiences or general world knowledge. Students start gathering information to answer questions, define key words and solve problems.

6. Monitoring – Keeping track of comprehension is what monitoring is all about. When students monitor their comprehension, they check to make sure they are visualizing, pay attention to unknown words, and notice when they do not understand text or are even not paying attention to what they are reading. Get students to ask themselves if they understood the text, and if they had struggles, how they could solve them?

7. Summarizing – Summarizing is a difficult and complex strategy for many students. They need to separate the important parts of the text from the unimportant details as they tell the text in sequence. Summarizing is also the big picture, author’s message, theme and main idea all rolled into one. Students develop the habit of finding the purpose and meaning of the text using their own words.

8. Evaluating – Good readers are like little judges, weighing and evaluating before, during, and after reading. They evaluate whether they liked the text or not and how they did as readers. Students ask themselves how they did reading the text. They self-grade.

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Learner Centered Literacy:  Owning Their Own Reading

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"CAFE" for student centered reading strategy

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"CAFE" for student centered reading strategy

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Comprehension
Accuracy
Fluency
Expand vocabulary

CAFE is the literacy system that compliments the Daily 5 structure. Posted on the classroom wall and built throughout the year, the CAFE Menu serves as a visual reminder of whole-class instruction as well as individual student goals. By focusing on the four key components of successful reading: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary, and providing strategies to support each goal, the CAFE System is an efficient and effective way to assess, instruct, and monitor student progress.

References: https://www.thedailycafe.com/cafe

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[Learn to read]
1. Starfall.com :Fun and engaging learn-to-read site.
https://www.starfall.com/h/

2. Word World :Engaging, simple phonics games
https://www.wordworld.com/about/parent-teacher-resources/printable-activities

[Can Read]
1. Bookopolis: Writing a book review and it will lead to another fun reading experience
https://www.bookopolis.com/#/

2. Raz-kids: Anytime reading, listening, and recording
https://www.raz-kids.com/

3. Accelerated Reader: eBook with fun comprehension quizzes
https://www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader/

4. Whooo’s reading: Writing about what students read
https://www.whooosreading.org/teachers?a_src=bg&t_gid=4148

5. ReadWorks: An ELA teacher’s superstore for reading-comprehension resources.
https://www.readworks.org/

<Physical Classroom Student-centered Reading Activities>
1. Book club
2. 5-Center rotation: Read to self, Read to a friend, Listening, Writing, Word work
3. Book Theater
4. Recommending my book

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Sarah and I worked on introducing various collaborative student centered approaches and techniques. We were able to cover a wide range of students. 

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Content Check (Information Processing: Organizing and Integrating)
-Distribute 1-4 cards, each one allocating a different role
-1. Knowing what to do
-2. Reason for doing a task
-3. Expected results
-4. Next steps after task is complete

I can see potential challenges to instill this into a young classroom, but it is great practice to assign roles and ensuring that each student understands the task at hand allowing them to collaborate each other and providing proper assistance. I love that this gives young students responsibilities and roles that they must upkeep in order to work together to accomplish the task at hand.

Is/Is Not Decisions (Decision Making)
-Two columns displayed
-One column focuses on facts of a problem, its effects, when/how they are relevant, and so on
-Another column focuses on facts that are NOT to be relevant to the problem

This opens the discussion for students to voice their opinions and thoughts  to which statements are appropriate for each column and explaining their reasoning. This approach may work to increase their confidence in expressing their thoughts and using critical thinking to explain their reasonings.

Resources:
Strategies: A Process Toolkit for Facilitators and Teams
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=16a6b3dc1d&attid=0.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1732822901063055549&th=180c393f648678bd&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=f_l362oiie0

4 myths about student centered learning
https://www.iste.org/explore/ISTE-blog/4-myths-about-student-centered-learning?articleid=47

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Collaborative Student Centered Approaches and Techniques

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1. Psychological benefits for collaborative learning:

1. Reduces anxiety in students

2. Increases self-esteem

3. Helps develop a positive attitude towards teachers

2.  Social benefits for collaborative learning:

1. Helps to develop communities

2. Helps to develop a support system for learners

3. Promotes diversity

3.  Academic benefits for collaborative learning:

1. Students learn more actively

2. Models appropriate problem solving for students

3. Helps develop critical thinking skills

Source: https://sites.google.com/view/student-centered-learning/question-2-student-centered-collaboration

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Learning designed for the student [Overall objectives of student-centered learning for reading]

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Learning designed for the student [Overall objectives of student-centered learning for reading]

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[Overall objectives of student-centered learning for reading]

In charge of what they are learning

: Students become stakeholders when they know the instructional objectives and the desired outcome of learning.

Actively Engaging

: To actively engage students and give them some control over the learning process, thus keeping them interested.

Reflecting on "what and how"

: To encourage students to reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it.

Collaborating

: To encourage increased collaboration in the classroom by creating a small community of learners.

Digital literacy

To integrate computers and new modes of technology into the learning process.

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Activities and tasks that encourage Student Centered Learning in Reading

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Activities and tasks that encourage Student Centered Learning in Reading

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1. Questioning Activities

Literature Circles
In Literature Circles students are in small groups assuming one of the roles, Discussion Director (chooses a topic to discuss from the text), Literary Luminary (chooses a passage or quote to discuss from the text), Vocabulary Enricher (chooses 5 new words to discuss and find the definition and usage of each word), Summarizer (summarizes the story or part of the story and shares it with the group), Illustrator (illustrates a section from the story and captions it), and Connector (connecter choose an event or events from the text and draws comparison to the students' lives). They use the jigsaw method to break into specialized groups of the same role. Discuss and create connections to the text and then return to their small group as a specialist, teaching and leading their own discussions.
* Due to the different roles, Literature Circles could be used in almost any phase.

Fishbowl Discussion
Students seperates into two groups. One will be the inner circle (the fish bowl) and the other group will stand around them as the outer circle. The fishbowl group asks and answers questions based off the text. Students can come up with the questions beforehand as well. Students in the outer circle listen to the discussion. Then they switch places and the new fishbowl can have a reflection discussion.

2. Visualizing Activities

Comic Strip
Students draw a comic strip that summarizes the story. Lower level students can do a simple beginning, middle, and end. Higher level students can do the plot structure with introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. This helps them to focus on the narrative and comprehension. They only write out any distinct phrase of dialogue that might be needed for clarity.

Color, Symbol, Image
This activity requires paper and any type of drawing materials. Students have to reflect on a piece of text and think about what the most important theme, idea, or emotion is. They then have to choose a color, a symbol, and an image that represents that idea. This activity allows students to express themselves in a non-verbal and artistic way, along with attaching a visualization to their thoughts.

3. Predicting Activities

Pause and Predict
This activity requires a handout. Students read in choral or in small groups. On the handout the teacher has given certain pages or paragraphs where students PAUSE. They write down what the text says. They then PREDICT what will happen. The first pause is done as a whole group, then small groups, then pairs, and finally individually.

Thinking Stems

A popular and powerful strategy is Thinking Stems. Offering two part thinking stems (i.e. “I think___because___”) is important with making predictions since they require students to have a clear reason to support their prediction.
“I think_____ will happen, because___”
“Next, I think the characters will___because___”
“I can predict that___because___”
“Since____ happened, I think___”
“Based on clues from the story, my guess is___”
These stems can be on anchor charts, handouts or bookmarks.

4. Inferring Activities

Picture Task Cards
Picture task cards is an image. The first set of cards have a couple of scenarios or inferences on them. Students are then tasked to choose the inference they think is most likely and then explain why they do so.  This first step is done in discussion. The next step is a picture card without any inference, the student are tasked to make an inference drawing upon what they can see and their schema (what they know, background knowledge). Then finally we use an image from the text and ask students to make an inference.

YouTube Shorts
Don't shy away from film, because it isn't reading. The same skill can be developed and it helps students who are not yet used to visualizing the text. Here the story itself is presented visually.
Find 1-5 minute age appropriate shorts. (Pixar works well). The teacher previews these ahead of time, in order to know the plot of the story, and be able to figure out when to pause the film to have the students make some inferences. When pausing do a think aloud (e.g. The man is putting on his helmet i wonder what he will ride? A horse, a bicycle, a scooter? Well, it looks like the city? What else can you see? What do you think he will do next? Why?)  As this is with the whole group, everyone can benefit from it, as the type of thinking is modeled.

5. Making Connection Activities

Posters / Worksheets
Students reflect on the text with these three questions:

Text-to-self: What does this remind me of? How was this similar/different to my life? How do I relate to this character?

Text-to-text: How is this similar/different to another book I’ve read? What book does this remind me of and why?

Text-to-world: How does this remind me of what’s going on in the real world or the news? How is this similar to something that’s happened in history?

It is important to model these. So the teacher should prepare multiple questions in these three categories which pertains to a specific text and then demonstrate it to the students with a think aloud.

Student Boards / Scribble Boards / Graffiti Boards
Essentially the same thing. The teacher puts a large poster with the text centered in the middle. Each student is handed a marker. They then write comment about the text,  drawing lines connecting comments and / or questions. After ten minutes, the students start a group discussion about the comments and questions that were written down. Each students gets to raise their impression and arguement. This helps to assess comprehension as well.

6. Monitoring Activities

Reader's Theatre (RT)
The teacher selects an RT script relevant to the topic of the day or week, and assigns students in class to read it out loud.  Students are encouraged to add intonation, inflection, emotion, and even humor to their readings.  It is a great way to start and build discussions.
This method is used often in elementary schools to encourage new readers to improve their reading confidence, fluency, and comprehension. It encourages participation, especially from quiet shy students.

7. Summarizing Activities

Post-It Paraphrasing
Students are in groups up to four. Each students is assigned a different paragraph or page. Students get to highlight the key details in their selection of text. Each student is also assigned a different color and a set of post-it in different sizes but the same given color.  The sizes range from Large (5x8), medium (4x4) and small (3x3). After highlighting the key details, they leave everything at their seat and rotate clockwise.  Students now paraphrase their peer's highlighted details onto the large paper. Once finished they rotate again. The student now reads their peer's parahrased notes on the large paper and simplify and paraphrase it onto the medium paper. The rotate again, this time from the medium to small paper. The final rotation should bring them back to their desk. They have a set of post-its and higlighted text. They read it from small to large and back down.  They then write a summary based of of the small paper. Then using only the small paper, they present their summaries.

8. Evaluation Activities

Debates (teams or forum)

In order to increase post-reading discussion, increased reading comprehension, and thesis composition, students are grouped into teams of 2 or 3, and debate one another on an assigned thesis related to their recent reading. This provides students with the ability to collaborate with their team to develop an argument based on their learning and to additionally provide supplementary evidence to justify their argument. For bigger topics this can also be opened as a forum debate.
Aside from reading comprehension, this activity also helps with presentation and oral communication skills, which are vital skills for students.

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Glossary of Education Reform, May 7, 2014, Student-Centered Learning Definition, Great Schools Partnership, 5/15/2022 {https://www.edglossary.org/student-centered-learning/}

Navalo, J. , April 9, 2018, What Does Exemplary Co-Teaching Look Like in Today’s Progressive Classrooms?, Learning Ally, 5/15/2022, {https://learningally.org/Solutions-for-School/Educator-Blog/what-does-exemplary-co-teaching-look-like-in-todays-progressive-classrooms}

Mansaray, H., 2013,  Nine Strategies for Reaching all Learners in English Language Arts, Edutopia., 5/14/2022, {https://www.edutopia.org/blog/stw-expanded-learning-time-individualized-learning-hassan-mansaray}

Lom, B. ,2012, Classroom Activities:  Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered Activities.  Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 5/14/2022, {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3592730/}

Mentzer, Stacy, April 26, 2016 , Student-Centered Learning, Iowa Central Education,5/13/2022 {https://www.iowacentral.edu/ie/documents/planning/StudentCenteredLearning.pdf}

Acquavita, F. ,2016,  A Language Arts Program with a Student-centered Approach, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 5/13/2022, {http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1978/1/78.01.01.x.html}.

MacMeekin, M. , 2017,  28 Student-Centered Instructional Strategies, Teachthought, 5/13/2022, {http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/28-student-centered-instructional-strategies/}

Weimer, M. ,2012,  Five Characteristics of Learner-Centered Teaching, Facultyfocus, 5/13/2022, {https://home.miracosta.edu/rfrench/documents/effective-teaching-strateg.pdf}

Cranage, S.,May 24, 2008, Student-Centered Reading Strategies, 5/13/2022, {https://old.ed.psu.edu/pds/teacher-inquiry/2008/cranages.pdf}

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Approach: Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

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Approach: Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

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Purpose: Engage students to collectively find solutions to thorny challenges

Procedure:
1. Divide class into groups of 4-5
2. Facilitator has a set of 7 questions to ask about a challenge (or inquiry):
a. How do you know when problem X is present?
b. How to contribute effectively to solving problem X....
3. Each group has a chance to orally answer and there is a scribe writing these answers on a large poster
4. After all groups have contributed, the whole class comes together again to identify common feedback, potential mental barriers, and any previous misconceived notion--->
5. Potential Solutions

Source: Keith McCandless, Henri Lipmanowicz. “Liberating Structures.” Introduction, https://www.liberatingstructures.com/.

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Purpose: Improve listening, tuning, and empathy among group members

Procedure:
1. Introduce the purpose of the activity, then break up the class into partners
2. Each person has 7 minutes to share a story about NOT being heard, seen or respected
3. Partners then share with one another the experiences of listening and storytelling (What did it feel like to tell my story? What did it feel like to listen to your story?)
4. In groups of 4, participants share reflections using 1-2-4 asking, "What patterns are revealed in your stories?" "What importance do you assign to the pattern?"
5. How can this help in addressing challenges presented through patterns?

Estimated total time: 45 min.

Source: Keith McCandless, Henri Lipmanowicz. “Liberating Structures.” Introduction, https://www.liberatingstructures.com/.

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Purpose: To improve listening, communication, and problem-solving skills.
To build comprehension

Procedure:

1. Introduce the strategy and the topic to be studied.

2. Assign each student to a "home group" of 3-5 students with a range of reading abilities.

3. Determine a set of reading selections and assign one selection to each student.

4. Create "expert groups" that consist of students across "home groups" who will read the same selection.

5. Give all students a framework for managing their time on the various parts of the jigsaw task.

6. Provide key questions to help the "expert groups" gather information in their particular area.

7. Provide materials and resources necessary for all students to learn about their topics and become "experts."

8. Discuss the rules for reconvening into "home groups" and provide guidelines as each "expert" reports the information learned.

9. Prepare a summary chart or graphic organizer for each "home group" as a guide for organizing the experts' information report.

10. Remind students that "home group" members are responsible to learn all content from one another.

Source: https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw

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A short video on the fishbowl method which is also a very popular collaboration method of learning

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ALWAYS SET GOALS BEFORE BEGINNING ANY COLLABORATIVE METHOD!!
Students need to know where they are and where they need to head to in order to get a broader picture of the purpose and meaning behind it all.

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In teacher centered learning, the teacher is in the center of learning and takes the active part while students have more passive, receiving role. Often, the teacher’s desk is in the from of the classroom and students are facing it.

In student centered learning, students’ interests are the core of learning; they are active members of learning process and have a voice. The teacher is focusing on what students value, and student tables are variable and placed in space. The teacher, as well as the students, are moving around.

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What does designing a physical environment look like?

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What does designing a physical environment look like?

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The classroom dynamics are balanced, the teacher’s table is not in the front of the classroom.

There are bulletin boards presenting students work, reminding class agreements, giving mindful reminders and ideas, collecting words for a word wall, etc.

Tables are in groups to easily differentiate students.

Hands on learning - students use different materials, manipulatives, etc.

There are small desks/tables that can be put together to create a big workspace or they can be shaped into circles, rows or used independently.

There are movable chairs and desks to let students vary their own workspaces, depending on what they require that day.

Students can choose an outcome medium and the classroom accompanies that - some students might be working online, some might be drawing a poster and some might be creating a model.

Students know how to responsibly use technology and be responsible citizens.

The layout of the classroom can be changing throughout the day.

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The students speak, the teacher listens.

Students share their ideas and thinking in smaller or bigger groups.

The teacher is part of the learning group, not in the center of it.

Students are not afraid to ask question, share their thinking and take risks.

Students discuss their work and give each other feedback.

Students are recording vlogs.

Students are quietly, independently thinking and working.

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Same as a modern workplace, like Google, Apple, Pixar; creative work environment motivates and inspires innovation.

It feels like community because it involves students to the educational process.

Students feel like they are the center of their learning.

It is a safe space to collaborate, move around and communicate.

Students have a choice - different table heights, flexible seating, tables for smaller/bigger groups.

Students know what tools and devices they have available and when and how to use them.

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How can we include students into the process of designing a classroom?

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How can we include students into the process of designing a classroom?

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Let students make a plan of their classroom space, ask how they would place the furniture, where what boards should be, etc.

Collect cards with ideas about what they would like to have in the classroom.

Create a survey about how often they would like to use technology.

Survey students’ tech skills. Create a list and let students learn from each other.

Implement class jobs to have collective responsibility.

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Students centred learning and the use of technology

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Students centred learning and the use of technology

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Differentiated reading levels (RazKids)

Differentiated research materials (Newsela)

Surveys that students created to gather information

Students create vlogs to record their learning/thinking

Students share their work online and collaborate online (Padlet, Google Suite)

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Physical activity enhances the ability to learn, and students who are engaged are more excited to learn and more willing to take ownership of their learning. Creating active, student-centered classrooms is two-fold, meaning a focus on both incorporating movement into the classroom as well as assuring instructional practices place students at the center of learning.

In general, people learn better when information is presented in more than one way. In other words, if we take in information through more than one sense, we’re more likely to encode it in long-term memory. This would include visual, verbal, and kinesthetic modes of learning.

Specifically, the use of gestures results in more enduring learning than learning without gestures. So even the addition of a few small hand gestures can have an impact on how well students remember material.

Study after study shows that physical activity activates the brain, improves cognitive function, and is correlated with improved academic performance. This means any kind of physical activity, not just movement associated with the material we’re learning, can benefit students academically.

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1. Total Physical Response (TPR)Developed for use with second-language learners in the 1960’s, Total Physical Response simply has students act out physical gestures to represent vocabulary words. Shown to be highly effective with both children and adults TPR can also be used to help learners remember new vocabulary terms in their native language. In other words, it can be used in any content area, with any student.

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This video shows a teacher using TPR with his third grade students, who are English learners.

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Teacher Toolkit: Total Physical Response

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And here is another teacher who teaches AP Human Geography, demonstrating how he uses TPR to teach three different models of diffusion.

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Total Physical Response (movement) in AP Human Geography

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In this strategy, students create a physical “snapshot” with their bodies, a still picture that represents an idea.

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Here is an example demonstrated by a fourth grade teacher.

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In these, students demonstrate a concept with some kind of motion or interactivity. They could represent non-human components, like in the examples below, or they might actually take on the role of humans in a re-enactment of an event.

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This example shows how the teacher has students simulate the difference between linear growth and exponential growth.

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Student Simulation of Exponential Growth

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Here’s a different kind of simulation where participants show fractions by placing different body parts on the floor, Twister-style.

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The experiences offered by virtual and augmented reality allow students to move around in and interact with virtual objects and spaces in ways that would be difficult if not impossible to pull off in the real world.

Augmented Reality layers digital enhancements on top of objects in the real, physical world. Using a device, like a smartphone, loaded with AR software, users point it at a picture or physical object, and the software brings up some kind of digital element like a 3D animation, text, or a video.

Virtual Reality immerses the user in a 360-degree environment, a computer-generated simulation, viewable through a VR headset, and allows them to move through and interact with that environment. A great source for VR experiences is Google Expeditions, which offers tours to over 500 different locations: historical landmarks, national and state parks, underwater sites, and up-close studies of scientific phenomena.

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This the easiest to implement.  A brain break is a short mental break that is taken during regular intervals during classroom instruction. Brain breaks are usually limited to five minutes and work best when they incorporate physical activities.

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Here is a great guide to brain breaks.

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Brain break videos are really easy to find on YouTube, especially for younger children.

Here’s an example:

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Tooty Ta: A Dance for All Ages - Tooty Ta, a great ice breaker

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Don’t overdo it. Attempting to add a movement component to every concept students learn would not only be too time-consuming, it could also get old, shifting from a fun novelty to something that causes students to slump over in their seats and say, Not THAT again!!

Get input from students. When coming up with gestures or movements, you don’t have to rely solely on your own brain. Ask students to help you come up with ideas. Involving students in the process will help them remember concepts better and will increase the likelihood that you’ll end up with really effective movements.

Know what works for your students. Some of your students may not be comfortable with or physically able to do certain movements, so keep that in mind and make modifications based on ability and need.

Use movement for retrieval practice. Rather than using movement in a single lesson, apply the principles of retrieval practice by repeating the movements in short practice sessions, spacing them out over time, and interleaving concepts with one another.

For younger students, meaningful gestures matter more. While adults learn from both iconic gestures (those that have some meaning in relation to the concept they are connected to) and beat gestures (those that have no inherent meaning but are just tied to particular “beats” in a sentence or phrase), younger children tend to learn more from iconic gestures. So when working with younger students, try to make the gestures match the concepts in some way.

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Carruthers, the total physical response method and its compatibility with Adult ESL learners

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Effectiveness of total physical response

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Engaging students in through multimodal learning environments the journey continues

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J Donnely Classroom-based physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement

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James J Asher,  1969 The total physical response approach to second language learning.

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Mnemonic effect of iconic gesture and beat gesture in adults and children Is meaning in gesture important for memory recall

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https://literacyandlanguagecenter.com/the-benefits-of-movement-in-the-classroom/

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-physical-activities/

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-eight-ways-to-use-movement-in-teaching-learning/2020/07

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/movement/

https://athlosacademies.org/student-centered-classrooms/

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Physical Movement in Learning - A Recipe for Success?

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Physical Movement as a Central Element of Student-centered Approaches or Techniques

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Physical Movement as a Central Element of Student-centered Approaches or Techniques

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Does motion create emotion and increase learning capabilities and memory retention? We certainly think so, but does the research support our claims? Please see our extensive research below!

References:
Bower, Tabitha. 'The Impact of Active, Student-Centered Classrooms on Student Success.' https://athlosacademies.org/student-centered-classrooms/

August 10 2017. Accessed May 14 2022.
Edutopia. More Than a Dozen Ways to Build Movement into Learning. Google Images. Accessed May 14 2022.
Gonser, Sarah and Stephen Merrill. 'More Than a Dozen Ways to Build Movement into Learning.' https://www.edutopia.org/article/more-dozen-ways-build-movement-learninghttps://www.edutopia.org/article/more-dozen-ways-build-movement-learning October 8 2021. Accessed May 14 2022.

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Assessing Passions and Learning Styles

To create more student centered learning, teachers should aim to assess the passions and interests of their students. Every student has a different background, different interests, different life experiences. Assessment tools can be used to gauge what students are interested in, and they can help educators figure out what motivates students to learn.

Some assessment tools that can help gauge student passions and learning styles include:

·         One-on-one conversations – By speaking directly with a student, teachers can ask questions about what the student is interested in and how they can help the student best learn.

·         Learning Preference/Profile cards – Students use cards to list their interests. The teacher can then use expressed student interests to tailor lessons or activities, to differentiate. This assessment promotes Social Emotional Learning because it helps promote self-awareness.
·         Anticipation Guides – Students write their opinions about ideas before they encounter them for the first time. Teachers can use this tool to gauge student foreknowledge on topics and anticipation guides help students to better recognize and connect to themes that appear in their learning. This assessment also promotes self-awareness.

Assessing Collaborative Skills, Emotional Wellbeing,  Personal Expression

To help show students the value of collaboration (a key 21st century skill) and measure their emotional wellbeing and personal expression, teachers can likewise employ a number of different assessments, such as:

·         Rubrics – Rubrics show students what skills are required to succeed on a particular assignment. Teachers can tailor rubrics to focus on issues relating to collaboration, such as a metric where an individual grades their contribution to a group project and the contributions of their group members. The rubric can describe what is ideal group behavior, and this gives students a model of what behavior they should exhibit when working together with others. The group rubric assessment promotes Social Emotional Learning by requiring students to work on self-management, to assess their relationship skills and social awareness, it promotes responsible decision-making, and it increases the self-awareness of students.

·         Writing about loss – during this problematic time when school disturbances due to COVID are common, students are experiencing added stress. Taking the time to get to know your students helps you connect with them and helps them to feel seen.  An assignment where students are asked to write about how COVID has personally affected them can help teachers to better understand and cater to the needs of their students. The assessment promotes Social Emotional Learning by helping students to assess their self-awareness.
·         Barometer: taking a stand on a controversial issue – To help empower students to express themselves (and even opinions they do not agree with, which can help to build empathy) and evaluate information, classes can be designed where students express opinions along a continuum. By evaluating the validity of information, Social Emotional Learning is promoted because students engage in responsible decision-making, and their relationship and social skills are also nurtured through the exchange of information with classmates.

Formative Assessments

Although less valuable than originally thought, formative assessments can still provide teachers with information that lets them know if students are learning skills and content. To best capture where students are at during the learning process, here are three potential types of formative assessments to consider:

·         Low-stakes formative assessments – These are non-graded assessments and can help teachers and students learn if material/skills needs to be retaught and which knowledge/skills students have grasped. By making these formative assessments non-graded, they help to better build a student-centered environment by shifting the focus from “grades” to student development. This assessment promotes Social Emotional Learning by increasing the self-awareness of students.

·         Explain to another student – To test mastery, stations can be set up in a classroom where each station requires a student to explain a different topic. For example, in a classroom where students are being tested on the water cycle, different stations can be set up where one person explains a different aspect of the water cycle (condensation, precipitation, etc.). The students rotate to a different station at set periods of time, thus ensuring that all aspects of what is being tested are covered, and the teacher assesses students by moving between the stations to monitor the proceedings. This type of activity helps to empower students because it turns them into teachers. This assessment promotes Social Emotional Learning, because it encourages self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills.
·         3-2-1 – After completing a text or a lecture, etc. you can gauge students understanding and interest by having them write down takeaways, questions, and one thing they enjoyed about a text, lecture, activity, etc. This helps teachers gauge interest and measure what students have taken away. This assessment promotes Social Emotional Learning by promoting self-awareness.

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REFERENCES

Learning Preference Cards

https://openingpaths.org/blog/2014/01/learning-profile-cards/

Using Assessment to Create Student-Centered Learning

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/assessment-create-student-centered-learning-andrew-miller

Empathy in the Classroom: Why Should I Care?

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/empathy-classroom-why-should-i-care-lauren-owen

Teaching Strategies

https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies

Social-Emotional Learning, Explained

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/video-social-emotional-learning-explained/2018/06?utm_source=eb&utm_medium=eml&utm_campaign=cte&utm_content=sel

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It’s quite interesting to note that as the world is evolving, human beings too evolve to embrace the beauty of difference and spreading the concept to the school under the student-centered learning culture. The more I learn about this culture, I wish I could be young again and start my education journey in a new slate.

Student-centered learning is an approach to education, which aims at overcoming some of the problems inherent to more traditional forms of education by focusing on the learner and their needs, rather than being centered on the teacher's input. In other words the teachers move from being content dispensers to content resources. It’s quite the opposite of the Victorian system I was educated in and also passed it to some of my students, but it’s changing now as I am taking on this new approach. This approach has many implications for the design and flexibility of curriculum, course content, and interactivity of the learning process and it’s spreading across the globe.

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What Is Differentiation Approach or Technique?

Differentiated approach is the process of tailoring lessons to meet each student’s individual interests, needs, and strengths. Larry Ferlazzo defined differentiation as making decisions in the moment based on this mind set. It’s recognizing that ‘fair’ doesn’t always mean treating everyone equally. It’s recognizing that all of our students bring different gifts and challenges, and that as educators, we need to recognize those differences and use our professional judgment to flexibly respond to them in our teaching. Teaching this way gives students choice and flexibility in how they learn, and helps teachers personalize learning. This method also requires instructional clarity and clearly defined goals for learning, better enabling students to meet those goals. One thing I like about being a teacher is that we continue to learn through our students and ourselves. I think in SCL the learning exchange is exciting. Students focus on learning the course content, while teachers tailor their instructional strategies to student learning styles

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What Are the Benefits of Differentiation Approach or Techniques?

Differentiated approaches are beneficial because they help educators connect with different learning styles. Not all students will respond to a class lecture; a game or a video may work better with other students. Some students may learn better by reading than they do using a computer. Giving students choices about how they learn enables them to meet learning objectives in the best way for them.

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Learner Centered Approach: Does It Really Matter In eLearning ...

elearningindustry.com

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Four areas of differentiated instruction (basic differentiation)

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Four areas of differentiated instruction (basic differentiation)

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How to Implement Differentiated Instruction

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How to Implement Differentiated Instruction

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While differentiation is key to ensure every student has tailored instruction, it is important for the teacher to use standards-based strategies (differentiation) in order to ensure all students understand the common core and outcomes of units. Teachers should start by using diagnostic testing, learn more about their students and create learning inventories, after which baselines should be set for individual students. Based off a student profile, differentiation tactics and correct paths can then be designed, and the teacher adjusts their curriculum delivery accordingly. Differentiated instruction is evident when teachers:

Offer students options to choose from assignments or lesson plans.

Provide multiple texts and types of learning materials.

Utilize a variety of personalized learning methods and student assessments.

Customize teaching to suit multiple forms of intelligence.

For differentiated instruction to be successful, teachers must clearly explain the learning goals and the criteria for success.Teachers must identify and be responsive to student needs, creating a supportive classroom culture where students embrace differentiation for themselves and their peers. Differentiated learning thrives in a classroom environment where students are working toward shared goals with a growth mindset.

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https://shaelynnfarnsworth.com/2018/02/05/4-edtech-ways-to-differentiate-in-a-student-centered-classroom/

http://teachnowaug15c2.pbworks.com/w/page/100864651/Student-centered%20approaches%20or%20techniques%20to%20address%20differentiation

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-student-centred-approaches-techniques-can-you-use-salleh-matta

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/classrooms/Pages/approacheshitsdifferentiation.aspx

https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/

https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-topics/differentiated-instruction

https://www.lessonplanet.com/article/elementary-science/differentiating-for-high-ability-students

https://www.proquest.com/openview/acb159485a636303e2b8f4e1b2f54474/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

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Remind students of technology routines and procedures.

Encourage teamwork and collaboration using breakout rooms.

Sharing work using sharing screen.

Teacher can migrate between rooms to facilitate and ask additional questions.

Implement mental health discussions and how-to tips, since an online environment might be stressful for some students.

Suggest fun activities - spirit days, show and tells, etc. Collect student ideas about how they would like to socialize online. Don’t forget about birthdays.

Make sure students have time to “just chat” and be together.

Encourage students to take offline breaks, physical books to read and hands-on activities to take breaks from the screen.

Give students opportunity to have one-on-one time with teacher to address issues if necessary or celebrate a personal success.

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Top 10 Benefits of a Flexible-Seating Classroom

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"When preparing kids for the real world, we want students' learning environment to reflect the environment of the real world," said Manuel Herrera, a district tech coordinator for the Affton School District in Missouri, as he reflected on the flexible seating movement that began in the workplace. "This [flexible seating] isn't a fad.

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https://www.educationcorner.com/developing-a-student-centered-classroom.html

https://www.tetonscience.org/designing-learner-centered-classroom-environments-and-why-you-should-do-it/

https://blog.planbook.com/flexible-classroom-design/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv_6FwMBzD8

https://www.teacheracademy.eu/blog/student-centered-learning/

https://smithsystem.com/smithfiles/top-10-benefits-flexible-seating-classroom/

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What is a student-centered assessment?

Student-centered assessment involves the active engagement of students in setting goals for their learning and growth, monitoring their progress toward those goals, and determining how to address any gaps.

Me personally, I like to introduce the final learning outcome of any subject or topic at the start of the first lesson. Once the students understand what they are working towards, I allow them to reach that conclusion mostly on their own, through technology and collaboration. While they are working withing a time frame, I am there to help guide them towards the final outcome, and that is their formative assessments evaluation. They present their findings as they see fit, using any technological tool, and that is usually their summative assessment.

The Four Steps of the Assessment Cycle

1. Step 1: Clearly define and identify the learning outcomes. ...

2. Step 2: Select appropriate assessment measures and assess the learning outcomes. ...

3. Step 3: Analyze the results of the outcomes assessed. ...

4. Step 4: Adjust or improve programs following the results of the learning outcomes assessed.

https://www.missouristate.edu/Assessment/the-assessment-process.htm

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Differentiation in the classroom can be split into a few main areas, as it should be adaptable to culture, interest, learning ability, personality (learner profile) and cognitive development. Some approaches to differentiation:

Content - this can involve dividing the lesson into smaller chunks, with different resources. These may include video lessons, hand outs, presentations. Challenging high achieving students can help meet the general standard of the lesson outcome.

Process - some pupils may be visual learners, hands on learners, readers, or listeners, and instruction can be adjusted depending on this.

Product - the outcome of the learning process can take different form; a report, a physical project, taking a test, student-written report, or other project work.

Digital resources - By using interactive tools and digital applications, mixed-ability classes get the opportunity to approach a topic or subject from different angles. In some cases, the use of digital resources can also highlight a skill or passion in students with less academic ability, while others might work more effectively with non-traditional resources and mediums.

Learning Environment - Break out session, providing different learning space, and furniture are some of the examples. Learning processes are   affected by the learning environment. Thus differentiating and providing different learning environments helps the learner achieve their learning goals.

Flexible-pace learning - By using a flexible approach to time-based tasks, faster students are given the facility to complete extension tasks, and it gives other pupils an opportunity to complete their exercise at a more comfortable speed.

Collaborative learning - Facilitating group work is excellent for empowering introverted students to participate more in class. Forming mixed-ability groups of pupils gives high achievers a platform to vocalize their ideas, and lower ability students a way of collaborating with and learning from their peers. Allocating roles to each member of the group can also help pupils organize themselves according to their skills and capabilities. This gives less-able students a way to add value and generates more confidence.

Verbal support - Speaking with students individually while they work on tasks is the most basic and central form of differentiation. The technique is teacher-pupil interaction, in which the educator engages in dialog varying by the students academic needs.

Progressive tasks - It is possible for teachers to set separate work or exercises to different students based on their abilities. However, this approach can pose a few problems. Not only does it highlight student ability more publicly with potentially negative social implications, it also requires considerably more administrative work for the teacher. A progressive worksheet, however, that gets more complex as the student makes his or her way through is a more sensitive alternative. Allowing students with a slower pace of learning to work at their own speed, it also gives a vehicle for more academically able students to progress to the more challenging questions more quickly.

Variable outcomes - Rather than a right or wrong answer, an interpretive approach to a task gives students the flexibility to arrive at a more personal result.

Ongoing assessment - Regular assessment and feedback, allows teachers to adapt their teaching methods according to their various pupils’ needs and learning conditions. Assessment currently takes place both throughout the year and at the end, and is scope to entirely rethink the end of year reporting process. With an interactive front-of-class display like the ActivPanel, teachers can perform anonymous or open polls, end-of-class assessments and pop quizzes. Educators, therefore, can be informed in the moment about levels of understanding, interpretation and learning. This flexible method allows for all learning profiles to be catered for at the time it is most valuable, rather than retrospectively.