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Assessment is key to creating a more student-centered classroom.

“The student-centered assessment focuses on learning and growth. That means it does more than measure and report student learning or the lack thereof—although it does those things as well. Student-centered assessment promotes learning and growth by providing useful feedback to the students themselves, their teachers, and others about what the students need in order to progress toward the learning target. This quality of student-centered assessment echoes modern conceptions of formative assessment in that assessment is a moment of learning, not just grading, ranking, or sorting”

Ministry of Education “Student-Centered Classroom Assessment” 2016.

One keyway to creating a more student-centered classroom is by assessing students for their passions and interests. We can use a variety of assessment tools like one-on-one conversations, journals, and graphic organizers to learn more about our students and what drives them to learn. Tools like learning profile cards can allow us to differentiate appropriately, leverage our students' strengths, and push them to learn in different ways. Assess learners in areas that are more than simply content knowledge or skills but rather assessing the 21st-century/success Skills.

Teachers can use rubrics and other assessment tools to let students know what these success skills look, sound, and feel like. In addition, they can use these assessment tools for self, teacher, and expert assessment. While some students may really know math content, for example, they may need support in building their grit, and we can make the classroom meet their needs in a targeted way.

Formative Assessment of Content and Skills that I used in class:

Those kinds of assessments are conducted to learn more about the level of the students. It is only for the teachers to know where the students are, and which areas need more support. The students should not be stressed out by knowing that this is something like an exam rather they should complete it casually and stress-free. In our school, we conduct benchmarking twice a year. Once at the beginning and once at the end of the school year. Those bench markings help us learn about the students’ level in reading, and writing. Spelling, and math. The teacher then will compare the students’ levels and the difference between their results at the beginning and at the end of the year to see the amount of progress they made. Another kind of assessment that I used in the classroom is google forms through which I introduced a survey and put questions related to the unit to check for understanding.

Another example of a student-centred assessment that I use in class is reflection. After every field trip, students are asked to write a reflection about how the field trip was and what they have learned.

Examples of assessments that I haven’t used yet:

Seesaw: Students can keep a record of their work. It is easy for teachers to see student work and comments. Free for basic use but has a fee for more advanced programming

Wheel decider: you can use this app to randomly call on students. What I like about this app is that you can pick a student to be “randomly” selected by the app so that you have a say in who gets a chance in case you really want to hear from a particular student. Also, students can use it in small groups to assess each other and learn from each other’s answers. (Georgia)

References:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jwx6JiFNc5los27ZOYq221s-0v9UFpr5mFZZPrLxs9M/edit

https://www.moe.edu.kw/teacher/Documents/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A9/learner%20centered%20teaching/5-Assessment%20in%20LCT%20.pdf

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'Student-centered learning builds on students' intuitive understanding of what they need out of their education, creating meaningful learning environments where, research shows, students are engaged and motivated.'

https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-is-student-centered-learning/#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20the%20Student%2DCentered%20Approach&text=Student%2Dcentered%20learning%20builds%20on,students%20are%20engaged%20and%20motivated.

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When high school student Andres first arrived at Círculos, an XQ school in Santa Ana, CA, he wasn't sure what to think. "I was skeptical when I first looked at it because it was so different from traditional high schools," he said. "It was a classroom without walls."

It's true that Círculos does class differently: at school, students sit in circles instead of typical rows of desks, and have significant flexibility in their schedules. And like Andres noticed, a large portion of learning takes place through projects in the community, outside the traditional classroom. These structural features are all part of Círculos's commitment to empowering and engaging students through student-centered learning.

Like the name implies, student-centered learning (SCL) makes students co-creators of their own education, engaging them in decisions about what, when, and how they learn. In doing so, SCL helps high schools prepare students not only with academic knowledge, but also with the skills of self-direction, curiosity, creativity, and collaboration they'll need for future success. As Andres described the end of his time at Círculos: "They were always so open. 'You want to do this? OK, let's do it.' They really taught me to be flexible and adaptable. That helped me grow beyond the classroom."

Defining Student-Centered Learning

Students succeed when what they're learning matters to them. In student-centered learning, students' interest drives education. Student-centered learning gives students the opportunity to decide two things: what material they learn and how they learn it. (This concept is also sometimes referred to as personalized learning.) In contrast to teacher-centered approaches, SCL engages students as leaders and decision-makers in their own learning. For example, at Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis, IN, students engage in SCL in their Foundations class, as they solve real-world challenges posed by community partners -for example, how students would support a future world with 9.5 billion people living on it. Students plan their own research, propose a solution, communicate their ideas to teachers and community members, and evaluate their own progress as they go. Teachers help guide this process, but the content, timing, and motivation is down to students themselves.

Because SCL is so personalized for each student and community, it can take many different forms. However, successful SCL programs share some common features:

Emphasis on project-based, interdisciplinary learning

Deep connection between curriculum and student interests

Assessment as a tool to measure learning and help students grow

Meaningful feedback platforms for students and families

Learning plans tailored to individual students

Flexibility and adaptability-especially evident during the shift to virtual learning

What does student-centered learning actually feel like to students? Jada Johnson, a graduating senior from Brooklyn Laboratory High School, offered this reflection: "Teachers viewed scholars as more than students. ... We were treated as individuals with our own ideas and viewpoints, and that were incorporated into classes and school governance. Brooklyn Lab gave me the strength to use my voice. Now, I'm not afraid to stand up and speak my opinion."

How Educators Approach Student-Centered Learning

Classroom roles shift in SCL, as students take on leadership and teachers move away from being the sole deliverers of content. So how do educators experience this shift?

A 2018 study published in the International Journal of STEM Education asked this question, examining the experiences of a group of STEM educators transitioning to a student-centered approach. The study found that moving to SCL requires an identity-level shift in what it means to be a teacher. As one educator in the study put it, teachers move from being "content dispensers" to "content resources."

Like any pedagogical approach, that shift in identity was more intuitive for some educators in the study than others. But almost all participating teachers-those who immediately embraced SCL and those who found it more challenging-ultimately reported benefits. They built better relationships with students, felt more attuned to classroom dynamics, and tailored learning to individual needs.

At XQ schools, which have a student-centered approach and emphasis on youth voice and choice, teachers describe the special pride that comes from seeing students succeed at goals they've set for themselves. In New Orleans, New Harmony High Director of Community and Partnership Anthony Burrell explained, "Regardless of what my students want to do, I just want to see them grow. And see how far they can go with it."

What Is the Role of Curriculum in Student-Centered Learning?

School curriculum plays a central role in SCL. But instead of the traditional model, where students and teachers follow the same script, SCL schools use their curriculum as a resource to spark student interest and guide rigorous inquiry. Vera, a student at XQ school Crosstown High in Memphis, TN, explained, "Everything's open for discussion: what we do and what we don't do and how we approach it. It gives us the opportunity to pick our projects as long as it has this standard in it, and you master this competency within it."

This relationship between curriculum and student interest stands out in a project completed by 9th graders at New Harmony High. To learn about the Great Migration, students completed student-driven, interdisciplinary projects, combining resources from their teacher, like readings from Langston Hughes and a trip to the Mississippi Delta, with their own historical research. Then, students came up with creative projects to synthesize their learning and relate to their community. Two students, Kira Tonikin and Sofia Olexia-Dangle, created artwork that won first and second place, respectively, in the New Orleans Public Library's 2019 Black History Month poster contest for teenagers.

This project is just one example of how SCL teaches academic content alongside crucial life skills, like critical thinking, synthesis of multiple kinds of resources, and creativity. New Harmony teacher Burrell explained, "[Students] learn to engage with adults and speak in front of a diverse audience. This makes them more comfortable sharing their work, better speakers, and more confident. It challenges them in terms of critical thinking and analysis."

Teacher Involvement in Student-Centered Learning

Teachers can put student-centered learning to use in their classrooms to increase students' motivation, help students take ownership over their learning, and build strong relationships. Three ways to think about the role of teachers in SCL are: resources, mentors, and guides.

Resources
In student-centered learning, teachers serve as experts and key sources of knowledge, and students share responsibility for accessing that knowledge. This approach is embodied at Brooklyn Lab, where during the pandemic, students engaged with tutorial sessions held by InnovateEDU Fellows. In these sessions, students were responsible for taking the lead in communicating what they understood and what they didn't, learning vital skills of self-advocacy while benefiting from teachers' knowledge and expertise.

Teachers are also resources for connecting students with partnerships outside of the classroom. For example, at Iowa BIG, an XQ school in Cedar Rapids, IA, students work with peers from across the city to complete projects designed by businesses and community partners. This kind of connection is a powerful way to implement SCL by connecting students with out-of-school interests, engaging them in work settings, and fostering career connections.

Mentors
Relationships are crucial to learning, and that's especially true in SCL. Strong relationships with trusted adults give students the confidence and motivation they need to take leadership in their learning. At Círculos, this emphasis on relationships is built into the school's mission: to provide a "circle" of support for students. And it's paid off-as student Alexies explained, "The difference, at this school, is community. When I first came to this country, I felt very alone. But this school was like a family. They really accepted me for who I am. Everyone was so nice and accepting, it gave me a real sense of belonging."

Guides
Teachers provide the structure and guidance that enables students to overcome challenges and see how their classwork connects to larger interests and goals. For example, at XQ school PSI High in Sanford, Florida, teachers create visual content maps that students and parents can access to see the big picture of the student learning journey in any particular unit. Understanding how their day-to-day work translates to future goals activates students' intrinsic motivation, allowing them to take the lead.

Student Pedagogy

The pedagogy used in SCL environments is designed with students at the core -it activates prior student knowledge, connects to students' experiences, and adapts to their needs. To create this kind of pedagogy, schools need to understand the experiences of students and their backgrounds.

During the pandemic, Brooklyn Lab built a powerful tool to do just that: their "Student Personas for Empathy-Building," is an interactive website featuring five student personas and the counselors, teachers, and other adults who support them. This tool helps educators, families, and school community members understand the most vulnerable students and make a plan for their success, and is a fantastic resource for any school looking to develop SCL pedagogy.

Once teachers and administrators take the time to understand individual student needs, they can guide students toward meaningful engagement by:

Helping students adjust to a new and different learning environment

Helping students envision how successful learning looks

Giving students the chance to express their ideas in their terms

Helping to set the goals of student-centered classes

Helping students learn how to set and achieve their personal, educational goals

Giving students enough room to fail and learn from their missteps

Helping students develop their critical-thinking and self-reflection skills

Giving students the space to act as their advocates in the learning process

Showing students specific techniques for accessing the information relevant to their interests

Benefits of the Student-Centered Approach

More schools are moving to an SCL approach because of the benefits it yields for students. Student-centered learning builds on students' intuitive understanding of what they need out of their education, creating meaningful learning environments where, research shows, students are engaged and motivated.

In April of 2020, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation reported a large-scale review of SCL-related studies. This review linked specific principles of SCL to observable benefits, showing that:

Personalization improves students' attitudes towards learning;

Service and project-based learning increases student engagement

Teaching students how to self-regulate improves academic performance

Additional benefits of using a student-centered approach, identified through a subset of the Nellie Mae study focusing on 73 New England high schools, include:

ImpStronger relationships between students and teachers through shared experiencesrovements in students' communication and collaboration skills

Advances in students' ability to think and work independently

Increased student interest in school activities and education in general

Stronger relationships between students and teachers through shared experiences

More quantitative data backs up a student-centered approach, too. A study from the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education examined the academic outcomes of students at four SCL schools in California. The schools surveyed were non-selective in their admissions process, and served primarily low-income students of color. The study found that students in these SCL schools:

Outperformed their peers in terms of achievement gains on standardized English Language Arts and math exams

Graduated at higher rates than district and state averages

Had a higher percentage of graduates completing college-admissions required coursework compared to state averages

We see this kind of success in XQ schools implementing SCL as well. 75 percent of the students in Brooklyn Lab's first graduating class, which consists of students from low-income families who predominantly identify as Black and Latinx, and a relatively high percentage of immigrants and students with special needs, graduated in spring of 2021 with plans to attend a four-year college in the fall. Círculos, serving in a district where more than 80 percent of students are English Language Learners and all students participate in the free and reduced lunch program, sent 100 percent of its first class of graduates to college in spring of 2021.

Potential Challenges of the Student-Centered Approach (and How to Solve Them)

Even though the benefits of SCL are high, it's not always easy to envision how student-centered learning will work in practice, especially for schools that are structured more traditionally. However, the success of many schools in transitioning to SCL shows that the initial difficulties of SCL can be overcome. Below is a summary of common challenges of a student-centered approach, paired with actionable solutions.

Noisier, more chaotic learning space

Embracing the idea that noisier learning spaces are an acceptable and manageable trade-off for schools filled with engaged, productive students

The possible need to devote more time to classroom management

Establishing norms that allow students to take responsibility for managing their in-class projects and activities

Uneven distribution of knowledge among students taking the same classes

Providing individual students enough time to learn at their own pace, and empowering students as peer mentors

Students who don't adapt well to the switch to an SCL-based environment

Adopting SCL techniques gradually rather than all at once

How to Create Student-Centered Classes

After understanding all of the high-level benefits of student-centered learning, how do you actually create SCL classes? First, you have to get input from students themselves. We built this student self assessment tool during hybrid learning, and it continues to support conversations with students around educational goals. You can use it to make sure any changes you make support key design principles like caring, trusting relationships, meaningful, engaged learning, and youth voice and choice.

Once you've gathered input from students and other stakeholders, a sequential list of some of the most critical steps to take to implement SCL includes:

Giving students introductory autonomous assignments and helping them set their goals for those assignments

Helping students become acquainted with their preferred ways of learning new material

Becoming more responsive to students' areas of interest and passion

Gradually increasing the amount of control students have to set their assignments and learning agendas

Having teachers shift from a leading role to a facilitating and resource role for student-selected activities

Creating a physical (or virtual) class layout that makes it easy for students to collaborate

Asking students to start gauging their learning accomplishments rather than relying solely on the results of standardized tests

For examples of SCL projects and lesson ideas, explore:

Finally, as you work to create lessons that meet the personalized needs of students, it's crucial to keep in mind how each student's experience and capacity at school is impacted by their individual circumstances. Understanding-and having empathy for-every student is crucial to building a learning plan that works for them. To that end, Brooklyn Lab created a tool during the pandemic to help educators do just that: Student Personas for Empathy-Building. This interactive website focuses on five student personas, along with the counselors, teachers, and other adults who support them. Educators can explore each persona to see how that student's school experience is impacted by other life circumstances-and in doing so, consider what accommodations to lessons could help those students succeed.

Make Student Centered Learning Part of High School Improvement

SCL is collaborative by design, and the most effective SCL implementations are driven by feedback from students, parents, teachers, and other community members (see how Brooklyn Lab gathered large-scale feedback to guide a successful pivot during virtual learning.)

Additionally, the Nellie Mae review of SCL studies study shows that schools that were most successful in implementing SCL did so at a systems level-reorganizing how time and relationships functioned throughout the whole school, and providing teachers with structural support the whole way through.

Not sure how to start having these big conversations? We created our rigorous, interactive XQ In A Box tool to help school communities tackle redesign at this level. This tool can help your school think through every piece of SCL-focused design, including:

Next, at the level of development, XQ In A Box guides communities in thinking through:

Talent and training - Giving teachers the resources they need to make the SCL shift

Student assessment - Keeping assessment focused on growth and mastery

Time, space, and technology - Reorganizing the school schedule and layout to promote project-based learning, and leveraging technology to support access to learning for all students

A Student's Take on Student Centered Learning

The ultimate job of high school today is to graduate students who have the confidence and skills to adapt to a changing world. Student-centered learning is an effective way to achieve that, empowering students not just with academic knowledge, but with the skills to pursue their goals and make a difference in their communities. The impact of the pandemic and remote learning has made it particularly clear: high school for the future must be personal, adaptable, and driven by students.

Crosstown High student Vera described how one of the biggest challenges of student-centered learning is finding the motivation to approach difficult challenges, challenges that may not have a clear answer. She explained, "It forces you to learn more about yourself and learn what's best for me and ask myself what environments do I learn best in. Leading your own learning-that's very difficult." Difficult, yes-but also exactly what high school is all about.

If you are interested in how meaningful and engaged learning leads to a more equitable and effective educational environment, explore our deep dive on the integral XQ Design Principle.

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What Is Student Centered Learning and Why Is It Important? | Rethink Together

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When high school student Andres first arrived at Círculos, an XQ school in Santa Ana, CA, he wasn't sure what to think. "I was skeptical when I first looked at it because it was so different from traditional high schools," he said. "It was a classroom without walls."

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A number of ideas/principles of design kept coming up in the literature about designing classrooms, regardless of the level of education. Whether the classroom arrangement is for a kindergarten, a primary school, a middle school or a high school, classrooms need to have flexible seating arrangements to encourage student-centered learning. The seating useful for a class discussion is different from that required for a presentation, and yet again different from the arrangement needed for group work. The seating arrangement and in fact the whole organization of the classroom is indicative of whether the students are at the center of the learning process or the teacher. Another principle that emerges is that of having areas dedicated to more particular activities, such as an art corner, a presentation area, or space for collaborative work. A third idea agreed to by most is student access to technology. A fourth principle requires that the students have input in how the classroom and indeed how the entire school is designed. Finally come environmental issues such as access to natural light, sufficient room, and a quiet enough environment so as not to distract students and teachers alike.
In the following sections, we will provide more specific details about how to design classrooms at the various levels of K-12 education.

Sources:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1152568.pdf

http://teachingonpurpose.org/journal/the-importance-of-classroom-design/

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/how-student-centered-your-classroom-rebecca-alber

https://sweetnsauerfirsties.com/2021/07/18/5-steps-for-building-a-student-centered-classroom/

https://www.workspaceinteriorsod.com/blog/front-and-center-to-student-centered-defront-your-classroom/

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‘ With differentiated instruction, learning goals remain the same for groups of students, but the materials they are working on, and the methods being used to instruct, are tailored for their unique learning needs. Content, process, or environment can be differentiated, and ongoing assessment and adjustment are crucial aspects of differentiated instruction in the student-centered classroom.’ How to customize learning for a student-centered experience in the classroom or virtually. (2020, October 27). Writable. https://www.writable.com/2020/09/06/how-to-customize-learning-for-a-student-centered-experience-in-the-classroom-or-virtually

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 Instruction Strategies that Support Differentiated Learning.

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 Instruction Strategies that Support Differentiated Learning.

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Learning Stations:

Different types of content can be provided by learning stations in which groups of students can rotate, students can rotate between stations that involve:

Watching a video

Creating artwork

Reading an article

Completing puzzles

Listening to you teach

To help students process the content after they've been through the stations, you can hold a class discussion or assign questions to answer

Use Task Cards:

Answering task cards can also be part of a small-group activity, different questions are based on their different levels, and pair the students to rotate through the questions.

Interview Students

Collect information about learning and studying styles by asking your students can help you pinpoint the kinds of content that will meet your class’s needs.

Ask about:

Their favorite types of lessons, in-class activities, projects they’re most proud of, exercises help them remember key lesson points

Use the results to identify and determine the methods of instructions that suit their abilities.

Target Different Senses Within Lessons:

A lesson should have variable activities to target visual, tactile, auditory and kinesthetic senses, instead of only one. Different learning styles

Playing videos, Using infographics, Providing audiobooks

Role playing and acting out a scene,

Giving both spoken and written directions to tasks

Using relevant physical objects, such as money when teaching math skills

Allotting time for students to create artistic reflections and interpretations of lessons

20 differentiated instruction strategies and examples [+ Downloadable list]. (n.d.). https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/differentiated-instruction-strategies-examples-download/

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Offer Different Types of Free Study Time

Free study time will generally benefit students who prefer to learn individually, but can be slightly altered to also help their classmates process your lessons. Divide the class into solo and group activities, and consider the visual, auditory, kinesthetic learning styles,

This can be done by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned solo and team activities. Provide a variety of audio books, a station for games related to the lesson, a quiet space to complete work

Assign Open-Ended Projects

give students a list of projects to find one that lets them effectively demonstrate their knowledge.

Include a clear rubric or have their students co-create the rubric to work and learn at their own paces, engage actively with content they must understand, demonstrate their knowledge as effectively as possible, as well as benefiting students, this differentiated instruction strategy will clearly showcase distinct work and learning styles.
20 differentiated instruction strategies and examples [+ Downloadable list]. (n.d.). https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/differentiated-instruction-strategies-examples-download/

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" Assessment practices that provide opportunities for open-ended responses and that enable youngsters to play to their strengths fly in the face of assumptions about uniformity. . . . The good school . . . does not diminish individual differences; it increases them. It raises the mean and increases the variance.”  —Elliot W. Eisner in “The Uses and Limits of Performance Assessment,” 1999

Assessing for Instruction

The instruction assessment is driven primarily by the formative assessment. A well-planned formative assessment leads the instructions and creates learning activities to meet the students’ needs. This way, we can find out whether the students need a think-aloud model, or if they are ready for independent practice and implementation. Instruction assessment also indicates whether the students need more collaborative learning. Another advantage of instruction assessment is that it is changeable, and we use it to make an immediate decision for instruction and use it to develop future instructions. Therefore, spot-on instruction could increase students’ engagement in a student-centered classroom.

Assessment can be an effective technique for understanding our students and creating a classroom that can meet their needs. Assessment is not used only for the content and skills, but also for knowing the student’s passions, interests, and success skills, and helps to give the right instruction at the right time.

End of the unit assessment

Assessment in the IB system is conducted at the end of each inquiry unit. The teacher gives the students task to finish. Throughout this task, the students complete an assignment or a project. It could be any type of activity. The students start by reading a story and recording themselves reading the story and uploading it on the class dojo.

Self-assessment

This assessment allows the students to evaluate their own understanding of the unit by asking them to answer survey questions and ticking the answers to whether they understood or not the concept they have learned.

References:

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

https://www.moe.edu.kw/teacher/Documents/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A9/learner%20centered%20teaching/5-Assessment%20in%20LCT%20.pdf

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Creating activities that give students agency are essential to teaching reading in a student centered manner.

Choice Boards
Choice boards give students the opportunity to choose how they want to design their own learning. For example, students can choose to read aloud to a pet/stuffed animal, record themselves reading or rearrange the story and give it a different ending.

Stations
Stations normally include 4 different activities. The students can choose where to start and who they work with.

Jigsaw approach
Students read different parts of the text or short story and tell their classmates about it. With this approach they can also make predictions about what happened in the story previously and what will happen next.

Flipped Classrooms
Students read a story or text at home before the lesson and prepare a poster/PowerPoint to tell their friends about it when they get to school.

Action Reading
Students assign actions to various words in the story, as they read along they do those actions. For example, everyone stands up when the main characters name is read.

Reading Eggs
Reading Eggs is an online platform with activities that are levels for each student. Students take a short quiz when they first log in and then proceed through the levels at their own pace. There are several areas of the platform with different types of activities so students can direct their own learning based on their interests.

Read and draw
The students read a paragraph and illustrate it. While doing the activity they check their comprehension and also choose what parts of the paragraph are most important to highlight.

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Here is an article for how to implement and use Newsela with students in Elementary School. The article lays out comprehensive strategies for using the paid service.

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Reading Comprehension Metacognition using Newsela with Elementary Students | BetterLesson Coaching

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https://www.commonlit.org/ looks like a great free resource for adding student choice and differentiation into literacy curriculum for grades 6-10.

Round Robin quiz
Students create a short quiz based on a text that they read and then exchange it with another person in the class.

Board Games
Students work in groups to write questions and create a board game about the story they read.

Trade Book Poster Activity
The poster project asked students to work together in their teams to reflect back on what they had read. Each student was assigned a specific job for the poster.

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CommonLit | Free Online Reading Passages and Literacy Resources

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CommonLit is a comprehensive literacy program with thousands of reading lessons, full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and standards-based data for teachers.

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Here are a few strategies and approaches for teaching reading to high school readers whose reading level may vary. Some examples include:

Word walls

paired readings

Choral Reading:
Students either read in pairs or as a class. They read aloud following the pace and matching the pronunciation set by the teacher.

Self-Fluency Assessment

1. Create a Fluency Self-Evaluation Assessment chart or rubric for students to use as they assess their own fluency. See the resource section below for an example.

2. Begin by explaining the four areas of reading fluency and why they are important:

Accuracy - Did I read the words correctly?

Rate - Did I read the words at a rate that sounds like speech?

Expression - Did I read with emotion and not sound rehearsed or robotic?

Punctuation - Did I follow all of the punctuation marks as I read the text?

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DIT Labs - Fairfax County Public Schools

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Best Practices: High School Reading Strategies

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This video shows an elementary school who had poor literacy rates implement student choice approaches into their curriculum which had a lot of success.

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Learner Centered Literacy:  Owning Their Own Reading

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This is a great tool for all levels and ages including students with LD, students of ELL, or any student falling behind expectations. It helps with differentiation in the classroom and can really empower a student to have more control over his/her learning. Some functions include:

text-to-speech

speech-to-text

picture dictionary

dictionary

removes ads and simplifies text to help with distraction

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Boost reading and writing confidence across all types of content and devices, in class, at work, and at home.

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Research showing how best to approach teaching reading skills to students with LDs.

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Effective Reading Interventions for Kids with Learning Disabilities

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Research-based information and advice for sizing up reading programs and finding the right one for your child with a learning disability.

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

https://www.commonlit.org/

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/student-centered-methods/

https://roomtodiscover.com/student-centered-classroom/

https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies/2020/07/student-centered-learning-strategies/

https://old.ed.psu.edu/pds/teacher-inquiry/2008/cranages.pdf

https://teaching.betterlesson.com/strategy/197/practicing-and-self-evaluating-reading-fluency?_gl=1*1gvhsn9*_ga*MTI5MTE2MzAxLjE2NTAyODA4MTY.*_ga_59EGWMTTME*MTY1MDI4MDgxNS4xLjAuMTY1MDI4MDgxNS4w

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The educational system as a whole is one which has experienced significant changes over the last 50 years or so. Traditional educational models have been very teacher-centered, with teachers providing direct instruction with little to no room for student engagement opportunities or empowerment in their own learning.

Over the last ten years, the traditional classroom model has changed dramatically with a shift in the model of content delivery. One of the most prominent themes in K-12 education currently is student-centered instruction, and teachers today utilize a myriad of student-centered learning strategies to equip, prepare, and produce students capable of success after graduation.

Benefits of a Student-Centered Approach to Learning

A student-centered approach varies greatly from the traditional teacher-centered instructional model. In a student-centered approach to learning, classrooms move from direct instruction to a more community-driven environment, one which supports student empowerment, conversations, critical thinking skills, independence, and problem-solving techniques. In student-centered classrooms, the change begins with the teacher. Student-centered learning strategies do require and involve students in the overall planning process, implementation, and assessments. As educators continue to refine and hone their instructional practices, here are several strategies for implementing a student-centered classroom:

Student-Centered Teaching Strategies

Choice Boards

Choice boards allow students to select activities they will complete to practice a skill or demonstrate understanding. In this approach to learning, students are given ownership and empowerment opportunities while teachers differentiate their instruction. Choice boards can be utilized not just for assessment purposes, but also to introduce new material, for supplemental practice, or as a combination of multiple parts of a lesson or unit.

Jigsaw/Stations/Centers

Although an older concept, the Jigsaw method has evolved and been combined into a center/station approach. In its most basic form, this strategy involves students utilizing cooperative learning as they seek to put the "puzzle" together. Each student takes responsibility for an individual component of knowledge, then takes knowledge learned and gained and applies it to the larger body of work (puzzle). I have seen this concept used at the elementary, middle, and high school level with teachers establishing stations and centers in their classroom to help facilitate the individual or small-group knowledge piece of the Jigsaw strategy, leading to some type of presentation, discussion, competition, or other strategy used to demonstrate learning.

Inquiry-Based Learning

In this learning strategy, student questions, ideas, and analysis are highlighted and fostered, focusing on the student perspective regarding a particular open question or problem. This strategy is particularly useful for initial student engagement, leading students to move beyond basic knowledge to a deeper understanding of critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and creative problem solving. Within inquiry-based learning, various components of a lesson can include case studies, group projects, and research projects, among others. More in-depth connections to the material provide opportunities for students to hone skills that are highly valuable in the world in which we now live.

Project-Based Learning and Problem-Based Learning

Teachers have their own educational jargon, and often-times, you will hear "PBL" used in teacher discussions. Two learning strategies being implemented more often are project-based learning and problem-based learning. In project-based learning, students work on longer tasks that culminate in the creation of an original presentation or product. This learning strategy depends heavily on student collaboration, communication, and creativity, with the teacher serving as a facilitator student work and progress.

Problem-based learning includes shorter projects that examine a current problem, and through definition, research, and causes of the problem, students collaboratively evaluate solutions to the chosen problem, solve the problem, or report potential solutions and/or findings. Both of these learning strategies utilize relevant, real-life connections to the outside world, providing students valuable experience with problem solving and critical thinking opportunities that will behoove them after graduation.

Flipped Classrooms

Teachers continuously seek ways to maximize instructional time within the classroom. A learning strategy that takes this into account is the use of a flipped classroom. In this learning format, new or introductory content is delivered to students outside of the classroom, with teachers incorporating many of the strategies already discussed such as choice boards or jigsawing to allow student choice in their learning. Learning material can include readings, videos, pre-recorded presentations or direct instruction, or research assignments.

In this model, classroom time is used by the teacher to facilitate learning and help students gain practice applying knowledge learned outside of the classroom. Instead of the typical " exit ticket," in which students hand in a ticket showing mastery or further questions about understanding, students use "entrance tickets," in which they enter the classroom with a completed assignment, written response, quiz, or blog post serving as their "ticket." Ultimately, the flipped classroom model can incorporate multiple student-centered learning strategies, making it very popular in schools today.

The educational model of content delivery as we know it is changing. Now more than ever, student-centered approaches to learning are critical. Just as school leaders seek to build capacity in their teachers, we must seek to build capacity, leadership, critical thinking skills, and complex problem solving in our students. Student-centered learning strategies provide empowerment opportunities that allow a deep dive into more than just mandated assessments or canned, standards-based curriculum. Utilizing the strategies discussed can set you on a path to producing students ready to make a difference in an ever-changing, global society.

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Student-Centered Learning Strategies - TeachHUB

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Want to empower your students with real-world skills and experiences? Then explore these fantastic student-centered learning strategies in your classroom.

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Ideally, a kindergarten classroom should have an open structure layout and not look much like a 'room' at all. It should provide some private spaces as well as dedicated areas to explore and be creative- for art, science, reading, drama, games, and the like. We should keep in mind that kindergartners are 'little people' and therefore need everything from storage to seating to be arranged at their height. While a lot of kindergarten classrooms tend to be painted in very bright colors, the architects who design them often forget that classrooms display a lot of educational visuals and student work, so sometimes "less is more" and it is not necessary to have a deluge of bright colors on the walls. Kindergarten classrooms should be and look comfortable and should definitely have rugs/mats for students to feel comfortable lying on them, and they should have tables that allow for group work/stations, considering that one of the important skills taught in them is working well with others rather than keeping the teacher at the center of learning. Finally, just like classrooms for older students, kindergarten classes also need access to technology such as smart boards and a sufficient number of tablets that the students can use with supervision.

https://www.childcarerenovation.com/kindergarten-classroom-design/

https://www.weareteachers.com/kindergarten-classrooms/

https://designwud.com/blogs/how-to-interior-design-kindergarten-classroom/

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The principles that guide primary school design are in some ways similar to that of those described above for the kindergarten level, except that of course, having grown up somewhat, students need classrooms designed with consideration for the students' greater need for agency and the ability to do more on their own. Table rearrangements should be doable for the students themselves (flexible seating), and work spaces should be adaptable. Greater access to technology should be provided. In general, increasing student choice regarding the learning environment is necessary.

Additional sources:

https://www.esri.ie/system/files?file=media/file-uploads/2016-03/RS16.pdf

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

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When designing middle school and high school classrooms, we should keep in mind that since in many ways they are adults in the making, the kind of environments they would find conducive to student-centered learning are the same as the ones we would wish for. Consulting the students themselves is a must. Virtually unfettered access to ICT is too. It is also a very good idea to have spaces for project-based learning and design thinking as well as creating writable collaborative spaces and to try to reduce what is called the "teacher footprint" in the classroom. In addition, it's important to have quiet areas and areas that showcase learning. One crucial factor that one should keep in mind is that as they grow up, students should not have to spend their entire day in the classroom. With online learning and collaboration, students require less time in an actual classroom, and more dedicated spaces to use for specific learning-related activities. A full-time "classroom" may not be needed anymore.

Sources:

High School Classroom Decorations: Fun Ideas for Your Classroom (weareteachers.com)

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/upgrade-classroom-design/

https://architecturequote.com/architecture-classroom-design/

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Student Collaboration is a vital part of creating a student centered learning environment. By allowing students more time to collaborate on lessons it will not only increase their autonomy and control of the subject they are studying, but it will also foster a community of learners in the classroom.

There are many different student centered approaches to collaborative learning. A classic example would be Group Work. The problem with Group Work is that generally one person will do a majority of the work while others might be reluctant or in the worst cases not really participate. This can be overcome by allowing the students to assign roles such as, facilitator, timekeeper, recorder, presenter, artist. This allows the students to be in control of their learning and thus centers them.

Another good technique is the Big Paper technique. This technique uses writing and silence as a way for students to explore a topic in depth. With this technique students are given a stimulus such as a quotation or historical document. The process slows student thinking and gives them the opportunity to focus on the views of others. After the students have written on their own Big Paper they go look at what other groups wrote and write their comments or questions on that groups paper. After this is completed you have a discussion about it as a class.

The last technique I'll discuss, but by no means the last one is a fun little way to discuss a topic; Café Conversations. This technique allows students to understand past events from different perspectives. You could for example select 5-10 different political attitudes and backgrounds during a specific time period that you are studying. Each student is assigned a role and then discusses their position on a certain historical matter/situation as they believe the person they are meant to be portraying would understand it.

These are just a few of many different student centered collaboration techniques that could be used in a classroom. I feel these collaboration techniques might work better in a humanities class than say a hard science or mathematics class, but I could see how they could be used there as well.

Works Citied

1. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/assigning-roles-group-work

2. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/big-paper-silent-conversation

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

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Student-centered learning has became more popular over the past few years, moving the focus away from the teacher and onto the learners. This new approach helps students cultivate a "can do" attitude and allows for more autonomous and active learning. Teachers have been implementing more student-centered activities in their own lessons, both offline as well as online. It is more complicated to engage the students in more meaningful activities than in a regular class, but it is still achievable.

In online education, you can provide students with multiple opportunities for interaction. One solution for to create more opportunities is to have the students prepare before the class, by reading the lesson content . This allows class time to be freed for more things like debates and discussions. This is called the flipped classroom method.

For more student on student interactions you can split the class into smaller groups and you can use breakout rooms. This will maximize participation in the class as it allows students more time to interact with one another. The teachers can monitor the students to make sure they are working together on the task at hand. The Jigsaw method is another way to allow student on student interactions. With students tasked on researching different parts of a topic in their group. They can then compare their work together and decide what they want to share to the larger group, this allows for more student on student interaction as it is needed for the task to be complete and they can listen and learn from each other.

Student-teacher interactions is still also used, calling students by their name, greeting them and saying goodbye to them and general rapport building. We can also interact with the students by more than just asking them questions, we can have debates and discussions, talk to them in smaller groups in the breakout rooms and really use the time and technology to make the most out of our classes.

1.
https://www.teacheracademy.eu/blog/student-centered-online-

2.
https://www.edelements.com/blog/distance-learning-requires-a-student-centered-approach

3.
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/support-teachers-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/taking-school-online-student-centered-approach

4.
https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/4/student-centered-remote-teaching-lessons-learned-from-online-education

5.
https://www.esu-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/100814-SCL.pdf

Carl

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The flipped classroom method can be used in online classes to allow for more student engagement and interaction with each other in the class. It frees up more time and the students can have more in-depth conversations and a greater exploration of the topic they are learning. Discussions and debates will be easier to conduct as there will be less time explaining the topic to the learners, allowing them to speak to each other and discuss what they think about the topic with each other.

Videos and extra materials can be sent to the students outside of class and teachers can accommodate to different learners needs. Things like pre-recorded content can be sent and learners can listen at their own pace, fast or slow and they can also listen to it over and over again if they so wish.

There can be negatives to this approach if students don't do the self learning, or their homework. As well as students who are used to the teacher-centered learning approach, it will take time for them to adjust to a new learning style. A major difficulty for can be making sure every student has a computer or internet access at home, if they are taking an online class though this wont be a problem, otherwise they wouldn't be in the class.

1.
https://www.teacheracademy.eu/course/flipped-classroom/

2.
https://www.teacheracademy.eu/blog/flipped-classroom/

3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdKzSq_t8k8

Carl

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The Jigsaw technique is another method to encourage student on student participation and allow for more student-centered learning offline and online.

With this technique the students will read/prepare their material on a certain topic before joining their "expert group". In this group the students would have looked at the same part of the topic and they will be given time to discuss and learn from each other. After some time of discussing with each other, (this can be achieved around the classroom or in break out rooms online) the children will switch their groups and join with other members who have looked at other parts of the topic. In this group they can discuss with each other what they have learned about their assigned role and all the students can learn from each other, maximising student on student interactions. This approach allows for peer learning.

With online learning the teacher can personalize the learners experience by packaging content into different formats using technology. They can use videos, graphs, quizzes, texts and charts etc. At the end of the class the students can share their material with the other members of their group so they can all see the material in full on the topic after learning from each other. They can have some time for self-reflection at the end of the class.

Jigsaw allows for students to learn on their own, learn from each other and then reflect to the teacher what they have learned at the end of class. It is a good technique teachers can implement into their classroom to make a more student-centered learning approach.

1.
https://www.teacheracademy.eu/blog/online-discussion-tools/

Carl

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Differentiated Instruction - a truly student centered approach

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Pros of differentiated instruction

The benefits of differentiation in the classroom are often accompanied by the drawback of an ever-increasing workload. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Pros

Research shows differentiated instruction is effective for high-ability students as well as students with mild to severe disabilities.

When students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning.

Students appear to be more engaged in learning, and there are reportedly fewer discipline problems in classrooms where teachers provide differentiated lessons.

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-differentiated-instruction

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Movement in the classroom (by Maegan and Laerke)

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Movement in the classroom (by Maegan and Laerke)

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A major part of student-centered learning is giving the students choices and letting them experience learning in a manner with which they are comfortable. Allowing them to be physical during the class and move around injects energy and fun into teaching. Here are some suggestions for student-centered activities that revolve around physical movement.

Elementary:

Learning Stations - changing locations with new content, tasks or questions. The activities can be on paper or with a QR code.  Can have new vocabulary words, math problems, poems etc..

Musical mingle - ask a question, turn on music and the students walk around the classroom and mingle with their peers to find the answers to the questions. When the music stops they must answer the question.

North and South Pole - students stand up and walk to the north pole if they understand the lesson or task, south if they don’t. Allows teachers to use differentiation to help students that might be struggling with that topic.

Breaks for stretching or taking a walk.

Middle:

Learning Stations - changing locations with new content, tasks or questions. The activities can be on paper or with a QR code.  Can have new vocabulary words, math problems, poems etc..

North and South Pole - students stand up and walk to the north pole if they understand the lesson or task, south if they don’t. Allows differentiation to help students that might be struggling with that topic.

Gallery Walks - if students need to analyze a text, post the texts on the walls and have them rotate them in small groups.Gallery walks can also have student created texts as well as digital texts. They can also use these for their gallery walk.

Chalk Talks - are where students respond to the texts they see on a gallery walk. They can talk about their processes of solving a math problem or write critiques.

White Board Meetings - Students have to research or solve a problem in a group. The group then shows their findings on a mini white board to the class. They should provide graphs, charts, pictures and text in their findings.

High:

Learning Stations - changing locations with new content, tasks or questions. The activities can be on paper or with a QR code.  Can have new vocabulary words, math problems, poems etc..

Musical mingle - ask a question, turn on music and the students walk around the classroom and mingle with their peers to find the answers to the questions. When the music stops they must answer the question.

Gallery Walks - if students need to analyze a text, post the texts on the walls and have them rotate them in small groups.Gallery walks can also have student created texts as well as digital texts. They can also use these for their gallery walk.

Chalk Talks - are where students respond to the texts they see on a gallery walk. They can talk about their processes of solving a math problem or write critiques.

White Board Meetings - Students have to research or solve a problem in a group. The group then shows their findings on a mini white board to the class. They should provide graphs, charts, pictures and text in their findings.

Allowing the students to choose their learning location. Maybe they want to do groupwork outside or in the library, instead of in the classroom.

Morning yoga with a short meditation to contemplate a shared topic relating to the subject at hand.

Sources:

https://kennycmckee.com/five-movement-strategies-in-the-high-school-classroom/

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/much-sitting-five-movement-strategies-get-students-thinking/

https://michiganvirtual.org/research/publications/student-centered-learning-in-principle-and-in-practice/#okay

https://blog.mimio.com/incorporating-movement-into-the-classroom

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Laerke and I took a different approach. We shared a google document and both contributed notes, ideas, and references. Laerke submitted on behalf of our collective work.

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Student Centered Learning and Collaboration

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Student Centered Learning and Collaboration

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Shifting learning to a student centered approach is required to further the growth of student education. Student collaboration is a key factor in student centered learning and can be put into practice in many forms. Group problem solving, concept mapping, and round table are a few examples of student centered approaches and techniques that require collaboration.

Group problem solving presents students with a problem, provides them with a structure to begin solving, and the students reaching a final outcome. This technique involves inquiry based learning, authentic learning, and discovery learning. This student centered technique allows students to group together and put their ideas in collectively to solve a given problem and challenge their ways of learning.

Concept mapping is an approach to student centered collaboration that allows students to illustrate the connections that exist between terms and concepts. These maps require students to organize information and make meaningful connections between otherwise unrelated concepts in course material. This technique is a great way for students to work with one another to brainstorm ideas to relate and understand concepts and how they intertwine to make larger concepts.

Another technique that is based on collaboration is round tables. This concept shows students how to access prior information, recall information, and practice their communication skills with one another. Students are given a topic and are them prompted to write on the topic, share with each group member, and then collectively summarize what they have concluded. This process encourages students to work together to collaborate through a process as individual thoughts and as a group thought.

There are so many ways of approaching teaching as a student centered idea and many of those techniques require collaboration between students. Teachers are becoming more and more of aids for learning and are there to provide direction for the students to move forward with each other to further their understanding of concepts and ideas. I think this movement toward student centered teaching is a great way to ensure that students are the focus of learning.

Works cited:
1. https://www.bates.edu/faculty-commons/files/2016/08/Collaborative-Learning-Techniques.pdf
2. https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/examples-collaborative-learning-or-group-work-activities