# data[].attributes.body
Arranging students in small groups, or clusters, around the classroom promotes student-centered learning. Different clusters could be equipped with various technology resources for the students to use. Additional consideration should be made for the students' line-of-sight to the teacher or other visuals needed around the classroom.

Source: https://www.learningliftoff.com/how-a-creative-classroom-design-benefits-students/

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Student center-learning approach & technology to reading  

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Student center-learning approach & technology to reading  

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What are some of the general approaches to student-centered teaching for reading?

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. (Acquavita, 2016).

Variety is the key

Keep records of the student’s progress

Allow time for independent reading

Plan units that are product-driven in nature and have an essential question which instruction seeks to answer.

Use an effective pre-reading strategy to build schema.  One good strategy is “What I know, what I want to know, and what I learned (KWL).  This is useful for tapping into students’ prior knowledge while helping them make connections in learning (Mansaray, 2013).

Provide instruction in basic reading strategies by using reciprocal teaching practice which includes; predicting, visualizing, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing (Mansaray, 2013).

What are some of the benefits of student-centered teaching for reading?

Students are able to significantly enhance their communication and collaboration skills through increased group work and team work.

Students learn how to manage, initiate, and control their own learning by completing tasks independently and at their own pace.

Students become more interested in education through participating in learning activities where they can interact and collaborate with their peers.

What is the overall objective of student-centered teaching for reading?

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

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

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

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

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

https://sites.google.com/view/student-centered-learning/question-6-student-centered-reading-writing-listening

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Focus On Teaching The Skill Of Listening (yes those A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.S do help).

Break the skill into identifiable components for students and then practice, role play, make posters and dramatize scenarios.

Use positive reinforcement to help with this and/or reward students for using the skill appropriately.

2. Model Good Listening For Your Students.

So often we are thinking about our response to a student rather than really listening to them.

Use the 'counselling' skill of rephrasing or restating what students say to enhance your own listening.

Ask students to restate yours or others points of view.

Insist on one person speaking at a time either in whole class discussions, paired or group work.

Demonstrate the skill to the class by drawing their attention to your listening with younger grades, having older grades deconstruct what effective listening looks like, sounds like, feels like.

3. Get To Know Your Students.

Find out about their interests, hobbies, music and sport, families etc. Kids will listen more to teachers they feel are interested in them and know them.

In high school, where you may teach up to 150 students use memory tricks, refer to school photos or take notes so you can use the knowledge in your conversations with students.

See some of our articles on how to build relationships with students.

4. Use Reflective Listening...

to defuse tricky situations.

Saying 'Joey I can see you are upset (disappointed, frustrated, sad) validates a student's feelings, provides the language to describe the feelings and can help to reduce the intensity of the feelings allowing the student to move forward.

Listening to students can give you insight into their state of mind.

5. Give Students A Voice...

...about the issues that impact them, i.e. their learning, their assessment, their classroom, their school values students need to feel heard and understood.

They will more readily accept the status quo if they feel they have been heard. What About Student Voice?

6. Get Everyone's 'Voice In The Room'.

Give students an opportunity to speak at the beginning of class by having a "check in".

You could use this as an orientation to the lesson e.g in Maths, everyone thinks of the highest number they have seen today or as an emotional check in e.g.use a colour to describe how you are feeling.

7. Talk Less.

As a general rule, kids can effectively listen for about half their age in minutes, so for a child of 10 that's about 5 minutes, for a 15 yr old, that's about 7.5 minutes!

Mix up the activities in the classroom so that they are talking, writing, moving and listening in a variety of ways.

Here are more ideas on how to use variety in the classroom.

8. Use 'Cold Calling'.

Have you noticed that it is usually the same 4 or 5 students who answer questions?

Introduce cold calling (no hands up), where any student may be expected to answer a question or explain a concept to the class.

Dylan William has a simple strategy of writing students' names on paddle pop sticks and then randomly drawing out the name of the lucky person who gets to answer.

If you would prefer a more high tech system, find a list of randomize apps here.

To ensure students feel safe to 'have a go', develop a culture of risk-taking in your class by encouraging thinking rather than expecting the 'correct' answer.

Not sure about how to develop a positive class culture? See 6 Ways to build a positive classroom culture.

(Teaching Strategies to Increase Your Student's Listening Skills)

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Student Centered Learning - Question 6 - (Student Centered Reading, Writing, Listening)

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Student Centered Approaches/Techniques for Reading: Questioning - Good readers ask purposeful questions before, during, and after reading to determine meaning or further understanding. Imaging (Visualizing) - Readers use a variety of sensory and conceptual processes (mental mapping) to

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Approaches to student-centred learning that includes differentiated approaches (Galaletsang "Hali")

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Approaches to student-centred learning that includes differentiated approaches (Galaletsang "Hali")

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- Teacher's should ensure these four areas (content, process, product and environment) are considered when planning to take on a differentiated approach to student-centred learning.

- The use of UDL strategies helps teachers ensure that students are exposed to activities that both support and challenge them.

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The 6 Signs of a Student-Centered Classroom

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Collaboration and active learning are just two signs of a student-centered classroom. How many of these six signs are present in your classroom?

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Assessment should allow students reflect on their learning. In my teaching I use formative assessment to show me where the students are but also to show students where they are with their learning. Using resources such as Kognity or IXL allows students to get instant feedback on their performance. IXL also adjust questions to the student ability / progress. This is a great way to assess students progress without discouraging weaker students. Quizizzes are also great as students love to compete with each other. These assessments help students identify their strengths (areas of progress) and weaknesses without being too discouraging.

Tips on creating Student-Centered Assessment:

1. Make your objectives clear and share them with the students - make sure you and your students know what they should know at the end of the unit or course.

2. Create assessments that measure what you value most - if you value creative thinking and problem solving, make sure your assessment measure these. Make sure your assessments are challenging and interesting. They do not have to be a boring set of questions to solve but instead you can use an interesting, challenging and relevant project. Utilize peer collaboration and group work if and when possible.

3. Share the objectives you have for the course with the students (as in point 1) but also ask them what their expectations and objectives are.

4. Make your instructions very clear and easy to understand. Make sure students know what is expected of them.

Source:
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/assessing-student-work/grading-and-feedback/learner-centred-assessment

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Assessment is an integral part of your course design. Carefully planned assessments ensure that the time your students spend on assessments is meaningful in terms of enhancing their learning and/or providing them with an opportunity to receive feedback; and that the time you spend reviewing and responding to their assessments provides you with a meaningful measure of their learning.

Here are five suggestions to help you when planning assessment:

Consider what you want your students to learn and tell them

Effective assessment practices begin when you can complete the following sentence: "By the end of the course, I want my students to be able to ..." Concrete verbs such as "define," "argue," "solve," and "create" are more helpful for course planning than vague verbs such as "know" or "understand" or passive verbs such as "be exposed to." If you write, "I want students to think like kinesiologists," elaborate on what that means. How does a kinesiologist think? Which aspects of that thinking do you want to cultivate in your students? Be as specific as possible and the students will be much more likely to reach the intended learning outcomes of the course. And remember to put these learning outcomes on your course outline and assignments. For ideas on wording your learning outcomes, see the CTE Teaching Tips " Matching Assignments to the Level of Study" and " Writing Learning Outcomes."

Select assignments and tests that measure what you value most

Because grading is perhaps one of the most labour-intensive things that instructors do, why spend time grading work that does not address your most important goals? Try to ensure that your tests, exams, and assignments will teach and test the knowledge and skills that you most want students to learn. And throughout your course, teach students how to answer the kinds of questions that you will ask on tests and assignments. Help them prepare by asking them exam-type questions in class and encouraging them to answer by saying, "If I asked you this question on an exam, could you answer it?" Other main ideas to consider are as follows:

Choose assessment methods that elicit from your students the kind of learning that you want to measure. A combination of careful forethought, knowledge of your own students, and analysis of their work are the keys here. For example, if you teach math problems, you may want students to demonstrate their ability to solve problems and explain the process. Putting too much emphasis on getting the right answers can take away from the goals. So consider adding the following requirement to some of your assignments and exams: have students draw a vertical line down the centre of their page, dividing it into two columns. In one column they solve the problem, and in the other, they write sentences for each step to explain what they did and why.

Also consider carefully how you label assignments and tests and how your students may interpret those labels. If you ask for a "term paper" but really want a literature review, your students will not complete the assignment you had hoped for. Make your assumptions clear in classes and on your course outline and/or assignment description. And be sure to teach students how to complete the task at hand; if a literature review is new to them, spend some time teaching them how to write one.

Finally, think about your use of "traditional" assessment methods and ask yourself how much students really need to do in order to achieve your goals. For exampl, an instructor of political science has his students construct a set of research questions, compile an annotated bibliography, and write the introduction, but they never write the whole paper. For him, this abbreviated version of a traditional assignment helps students learn what he most wants them to learn.

The most important point is that a test or an assignment is a valid measurement only if it will elicit from your students the kind of learning you want to measure.

Choose assessment methods that are interesting and challenging to your students. The type of assignments and tests that you administer will influence your students' motivation (Baird, 1987; Lowman 1995, 1996). Consider creative kinds of assignments without being carried away by something "flashy" or "trendy" that doesn't really meet your needs. For example, an American historian might ask her students to write diary entries for a hypothetical Nebraska farm woman in the 1890s. He likes this assignment because it requires that students know about economics, social class, transportation, gender roles, technology, family relations, religion, diet, and so on, yet it also gives students a chance to exercise their imaginations. He finds that if he is explicit that they use the diary to display the breadth of their historical knowledge, the assignment achieves his learning goals in an enjoyable way. See the CTE teaching tip on "Types of Assignments and Tests."

Use peer collaboration. One obvious advantage of group assignments is that you have fewer assignments to grade, but collaborative assignments can also have strong pedagogical and motivational advantages. One benefit is the power of peer instruction. Astin (1996) summarizes his comprehensive study of factors that influence college students' learning: "The strongest single source of influence on cognitive and affective development (in college) is the student's peer group ... the study strongly suggests that the peer group is powerful because it has the capacity to involve the student more intensely in the educational experience" (pg. 126). Assignments that encourage student involvement with one another and with you as the instructor may draw on this powerful force. Further, when well managed, collaborative work can increase students' sense of their own control and power in the classroom (Perry, Menec, and Struthers, 1996). When poorly managed, however, collaborative assignments can decrease students' sense of control and increase their anxiety and anger. Careful planning and guidance of students is crucial to success. The most important principle to remember is that successful group assignments are those that can be better done by a group than by an individual student. It is crucial that students understand why they are participating in a group project rather than completing the assignment on their own. If you do that, the group's motivation to work together, solve group tensions, and deal effectively with non-participating members will be strong.

Don't be hyper-corrective. Instead, focus on key content when you are evaluating work, and circle mistakes rather than fix them. If you really want students to learn from their mistakes, help them identify one problem at a time.

Construct an assessment skeleton

Once you have chosen assessment methods and their general features, the next step is to combine all your tests and assignments into a bare-bones assessment "skeleton." This skeleton helps you see whether your assignments and tests fit both yours and your students' course goals and whether they are manageable in terms of workload. Ask yourself: "Is the workload reasonable, strategically placed, and sustainable?" The rest of the course outline can then be structured to help students learn what they need to know if they are to do well on the tests and assignments. For more information about course design, refer to the CTE teaching tip, " Course Design Heuristic".

Collaborate with your students to set and achieve goals

Your goals as an instructor are not the only ones in your classroom. Your students' goals are also very powerful. An understanding of those goals is crucial to designing effective assessment methods because if the instructor and students are on different wavelengths, the students might not complete the assignments in the way the instructor planned.

Student input can come in varying degrees. Try asking the students on the first day you meet with them what they think the purpose of the course is and what they want to learn from it. You may ask them to record their personal learning goals for the course and some strategies by which they can accomplish those goals. Alternatively, ask them to recall the most successful course they've had in the past. What assessment methods worked for them there? Can they use or adapt these strategies for your class? Some instructors even wait to finalize their goals and course outline until after meeting with their students once or twice so that the students can help set the course goals. However, the input that you allow the students can also be somewhat minimal, for example, allowing them to decide whether they would like an assignment to be worth 10% or 20%. If you take the liberty of establishing the goals without direct student input, you should still be somewhat flexible because each cohort of students will be different: do not assume that the same goals and methods will work equally well with any group. The degree of collaboration that is acceptable will vary across disciplines and institutions, but the bottom line is that it is very important to know the types of goals your students have in order to create assessment methods that will motivate them to learn.

Make assignment and test instructions clear to students.

How can we assess learning when students define the task in different ways? Once you have assignments and tests that assess what you most want your students to learn, you need to ensure that your instructions for the assignment are clear to your students. Tell the students what you are looking for by means of a rubric or by providing examples. Sometimes it is also useful to ask for stages of the assignment along the way (for example, an essay proposal/outline or a scientific hypothesis) to ensure that students are on the right track. Remember that with sketchy or ambiguous instructions, you risk having students draw on previous learning that may not be relevant or desirable in your situation. Help them to succeed by being as clear as possible and limit both student and instructor frustrations.

These suggestions will help you to create learner-centred assessment methods and are applicable to all disciplines. Remember that the most important thing is to choose assessment methods that will assess the type of learning you are trying to achieve in your course. That means that the methods that other instructors before you have used are not necessarily the only way or the best way to assess. It is all right to step outside your own comfort zone and outside what has traditionally been done if you feel that an alternative assessment method will serve your students' and your interests and goals better. Even if you are a new instructor, remember that you have spent many years as a student and therefore have information and experiences that will guide you in this process. Reflect on those experiences and decide if you want to do what you experienced and use those experiences in your own assessment design or whether you want to change the way you assess. If you do think change is necessary, ask yourself why and how you will change things.
(Adapted in part from Barbara E. Walvoord and Virginia Johnson Anderson, Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment.)
Support

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the CTE Support page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

References

McMillan, James H (ed.), New Directions For Teaching and Learning: Assessing Student's Learning, 34 (Summer, 1988).

Miller, Allen H., Bradford W. Imrie and Kevin Cox, Student Assessment in Higher Education: A Handbook for Assessing Performance, London: Kogan Page, 1998, LB 3060.32.C74M54x 1998.

Neff, Rose Ann and Maryellen Weimer (eds.), Teaching College: Collected Readings for the New Instructor, Madison, Wisconsin: Magna Publications Inc., 1990, LB 2331.T33 1990.

Newble, David and Robert Cannon, A Handbook for Teachers in Universities and Colleges: A Guide to Improving Teaching Methods (Third Edition), London: Kogan Page, 1995, LB 2331.N43 1995.

Walvoord, Barbara E., and Virginia Johnson Anderson, Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998, LB 2368.W35 1998.

This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Learner centred-assessment. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.

Assessment is an integral part of your course design. Carefully planned assessments ensure that the time your students spend on assessments is meaningful in terms of enhancing their learning and/or providing them with an opportunity to receive feedback; and that the time you spend reviewing and responding to their assessments provides you with a meaningful measure of their learning.

Here are five suggestions to help you when planning assessment:

Consider what you want your students to learn and tell them

Effective assessment practices begin when you can complete the following sentence: "By the end of the course, I want my students to be able to ..." Concrete verbs such as "define," "argue," "solve," and "create" are more helpful for course planning than vague verbs such as "know" or "understand" or passive verbs such as "be exposed to." If you write, "I want students to think like kinesiologists," elaborate on what that means. How does a kinesiologist think? Which aspects of that thinking do you want to cultivate in your students? Be as specific as possible and the students will be much more likely to reach the intended learning outcomes of the course. And remember to put these learning outcomes on your course outline and assignments. For ideas on wording your learning outcomes, see the CTE Teaching Tips " Matching Assignments to the Level of Study" and " Writing Learning Outcomes."

Select assignments and tests that measure what you value most

Because grading is perhaps one of the most labour-intensive things that instructors do, why spend time grading work that does not address your most important goals? Try to ensure that your tests, exams, and assignments will teach and test the knowledge and skills that you most want students to learn. And throughout your course, teach students how to answer the kinds of questions that you will ask on tests and assignments. Help them prepare by asking them exam-type questions in class and encouraging them to answer by saying, "If I asked you this question on an exam, could you answer it?" Other main ideas to consider are as follows:

Choose assessment methods that elicit from your students the kind of learning that you want to measure. A combination of careful forethought, knowledge of your own students, and analysis of their work are the keys here. For example, if you teach math problems, you may want students to demonstrate their ability to solve problems and explain the process. Putting too much emphasis on getting the right answers can take away from the goals. So consider adding the following requirement to some of your assignments and exams: have students draw a vertical line down the centre of their page, dividing it into two columns. In one column they solve the problem, and in the other, they write sentences for each step to explain what they did and why.

Also consider carefully how you label assignments and tests and how your students may interpret those labels. If you ask for a "term paper" but really want a literature review, your students will not complete the assignment you had hoped for. Make your assumptions clear in classes and on your course outline and/or assignment description. And be sure to teach students how to complete the task at hand; if a literature review is new to them, spend some time teaching them how to write one.

Finally, think about your use of "traditional" assessment methods and ask yourself how much students really need to do in order to achieve your goals. For exampl, an instructor of political science has his students construct a set of research questions, compile an annotated bibliography, and write the introduction, but they never write the whole paper. For him, this abbreviated version of a traditional assignment helps students learn what he most wants them to learn.

The most important point is that a test or an assignment is a valid measurement only if it will elicit from your students the kind of learning you want to measure.

Choose assessment methods that are interesting and challenging to your students. The type of assignments and tests that you administer will influence your students' motivation (Baird, 1987; Lowman 1995, 1996). Consider creative kinds of assignments without being carried away by something "flashy" or "trendy" that doesn't really meet your needs. For example, an American historian might ask her students to write diary entries for a hypothetical Nebraska farm woman in the 1890s. He likes this assignment because it requires that students know about economics, social class, transportation, gender roles, technology, family relations, religion, diet, and so on, yet it also gives students a chance to exercise their imaginations. He finds that if he is explicit that they use the diary to display the breadth of their historical knowledge, the assignment achieves his learning goals in an enjoyable way. See the CTE teaching tip on "Types of Assignments and Tests."

Use peer collaboration. One obvious advantage of group assignments is that you have fewer assignments to grade, but collaborative assignments can also have strong pedagogical and motivational advantages. One benefit is the power of peer instruction. Astin (1996) summarizes his comprehensive study of factors that influence college students' learning: "The strongest single source of influence on cognitive and affective development (in college) is the student's peer group ... the study strongly suggests that the peer group is powerful because it has the capacity to involve the student more intensely in the educational experience" (pg. 126). Assignments that encourage student involvement with one another and with you as the instructor may draw on this powerful force. Further, when well managed, collaborative work can increase students' sense of their own control and power in the classroom (Perry, Menec, and Struthers, 1996). When poorly managed, however, collaborative assignments can decrease students' sense of control and increase their anxiety and anger. Careful planning and guidance of students is crucial to success. The most important principle to remember is that successful group assignments are those that can be better done by a group than by an individual student. It is crucial that students understand why they are participating in a group project rather than completing the assignment on their own. If you do that, the group's motivation to work together, solve group tensions, and deal effectively with non-participating members will be strong.

Don't be hyper-corrective. Instead, focus on key content when you are evaluating work, and circle mistakes rather than fix them. If you really want students to learn from their mistakes, help them identify one problem at a time.

Construct an assessment skeleton

Once you have chosen assessment methods and their general features, the next step is to combine all your tests and assignments into a bare-bones assessment "skeleton." This skeleton helps you see whether your assignments and tests fit both yours and your students' course goals and whether they are manageable in terms of workload. Ask yourself: "Is the workload reasonable, strategically placed, and sustainable?" The rest of the course outline can then be structured to help students learn what they need to know if they are to do well on the tests and assignments. For more information about course design, refer to the CTE teaching tip, " Course Design Heuristic".

Collaborate with your students to set and achieve goals

Your goals as an instructor are not the only ones in your classroom. Your students' goals are also very powerful. An understanding of those goals is crucial to designing effective assessment methods because if the instructor and students are on different wavelengths, the students might not complete the assignments in the way the instructor planned.

Student input can come in varying degrees. Try asking the students on the first day you meet with them what they think the purpose of the course is and what they want to learn from it. You may ask them to record their personal learning goals for the course and some strategies by which they can accomplish those goals. Alternatively, ask them to recall the most successful course they've had in the past. What assessment methods worked for them there? Can they use or adapt these strategies for your class? Some instructors even wait to finalize their goals and course outline until after meeting with their students once or twice so that the students can help set the course goals. However, the input that you allow the students can also be somewhat minimal, for example, allowing them to decide whether they would like an assignment to be worth 10% or 20%. If you take the liberty of establishing the goals without direct student input, you should still be somewhat flexible because each cohort of students will be different: do not assume that the same goals and methods will work equally well with any group. The degree of collaboration that is acceptable will vary across disciplines and institutions, but the bottom line is that it is very important to know the types of goals your students have in order to create assessment methods that will motivate them to learn.

Make assignment and test instructions clear to students.

How can we assess learning when students define the task in different ways? Once you have assignments and tests that assess what you most want your students to learn, you need to ensure that your instructions for the assignment are clear to your students. Tell the students what you are looking for by means of a rubric or by providing examples. Sometimes it is also useful to ask for stages of the assignment along the way (for example, an essay proposal/outline or a scientific hypothesis) to ensure that students are on the right track. Remember that with sketchy or ambiguous instructions, you risk having students draw on previous learning that may not be relevant or desirable in your situation. Help them to succeed by being as clear as possible and limit both student and instructor frustrations.

These suggestions will help you to create learner-centred assessment methods and are applicable to all disciplines. Remember that the most important thing is to choose assessment methods that will assess the type of learning you are trying to achieve in your course. That means that the methods that other instructors before you have used are not necessarily the only way or the best way to assess. It is all right to step outside your own comfort zone and outside what has traditionally been done if you feel that an alternative assessment method will serve your students' and your interests and goals better. Even if you are a new instructor, remember that you have spent many years as a student and therefore have information and experiences that will guide you in this process. Reflect on those experiences and decide if you want to do what you experienced and use those experiences in your own assessment design or whether you want to change the way you assess. If you do think change is necessary, ask yourself why and how you will change things.
(Adapted in part from Barbara E. Walvoord and Virginia Johnson Anderson, Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment.)
Support

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the CTE Support page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

References

McMillan, James H (ed.), New Directions For Teaching and Learning: Assessing Student's Learning, 34 (Summer, 1988).

Miller, Allen H., Bradford W. Imrie and Kevin Cox, Student Assessment in Higher Education: A Handbook for Assessing Performance, London: Kogan Page, 1998, LB 3060.32.C74M54x 1998.

Neff, Rose Ann and Maryellen Weimer (eds.), Teaching College: Collected Readings for the New Instructor, Madison, Wisconsin: Magna Publications Inc., 1990, LB 2331.T33 1990.

Newble, David and Robert Cannon, A Handbook for Teachers in Universities and Colleges: A Guide to Improving Teaching Methods (Third Edition), London: Kogan Page, 1995, LB 2331.N43 1995.

Walvoord, Barbara E., and Virginia Johnson Anderson, Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998, LB 2368.W35 1998.

This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Learner centred-assessment. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learner-Centred Assessment | Centre for Teaching Excellence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Assessment is an integral part of your course design.

# data[].attributes.headline
Approaches to student-centered teaching for reading (Liang Pu Tao- Amber) 

# data[].attributes.subject
Approaches to student-centered teaching for reading (Liang Pu Tao- Amber) 

# data[].attributes.body
What is the overall objective of student-centered teaching for reading?

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

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

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

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

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

What are some of the general approaches to student-centered teaching for reading?

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. (Acquavita, 2016).

Variety is the key

Keep records of the student’s progress

Allow time for independent reading

Plan units that are product-driven in nature and have an essential question which instruction seeks to answer.

Use an effective pre-reading strategy to build schema.  One good strategy is “What I know, what I want to know, and what I learned (KWL).  This is useful for tapping into students’ prior knowledge while helping them make connections in learning (Mansaray, 2013).

Provide instruction in basic reading strategies by using reciprocal teaching practice which includes; predicting, visualizing, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing (Mansaray, 2013).

https://sites.google.com/view/student-centered-learning/question-6-student-centered-reading-writing-listening

http://tnjune17cohort3.pbworks.com/w/page/119008734/Student-Centered%20Approaches%20and%20Techniques%20for%20Reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Focus On Teaching The Skill Of Listening (yes those A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.S do help).

Break the skill into identifiable components for students and then practice, role play, make posters and dramatize scenarios.

Use positive reinforcement to help with this and/or reward students for using the skill appropriately.

2. Model Good Listening For Your Students.

So often we are thinking about our response to a student rather than really listening to them.

Use the 'counselling' skill of rephrasing or restating what students say to enhance your own listening.

Ask students to restate yours or others points of view.

Insist on one person speaking at a time either in whole class discussions, paired or group work.

Demonstrate the skill to the class by drawing their attention to your listening with younger grades, having older grades deconstruct what effective listening looks like, sounds like, feels like.

3. Get To Know Your Students.

Find out about their interests, hobbies, music and sport, families etc. Kids will listen more to teachers they feel are interested in them and know them.

In high school, where you may teach up to 150 students use memory tricks, refer to school photos or take notes so you can use the knowledge in your conversations with students.

See some of our articles on how to build relationships with students.

4. Use Reflective Listening...

to defuse tricky situations.

Saying 'Joey I can see you are upset (disappointed, frustrated, sad) validates a student's feelings, provides the language to describe the feelings and can help to reduce the intensity of the feelings allowing the student to move forward.

Listening to students can give you insight into their state of mind.

5. Give Students A Voice...

...about the issues that impact them, i.e. their learning, their assessment, their classroom, their school values students need to feel heard and understood.

They will more readily accept the status quo if they feel they have been heard. What About Student Voice?

6. Get Everyone's 'Voice In The Room'.

Give students an opportunity to speak at the beginning of class by having a "check in".

You could use this as an orientation to the lesson e.g in Maths, everyone thinks of the highest number they have seen today or as an emotional check in e.g.use a colour to describe how you are feeling.

7. Talk Less.

As a general rule, kids can effectively listen for about half their age in minutes, so for a child of 10 that's about 5 minutes, for a 15 yr old, that's about 7.5 minutes!

Mix up the activities in the classroom so that they are talking, writing, moving and listening in a variety of ways.

Here are more ideas on how to use variety in the classroom.

8. Use 'Cold Calling'.

Have you noticed that it is usually the same 4 or 5 students who answer questions?

Introduce cold calling (no hands up), where any student may be expected to answer a question or explain a concept to the class.

Dylan William has a simple strategy of writing students' names on paddle pop sticks and then randomly drawing out the name of the lucky person who gets to answer.

If you would prefer a more high tech system, find a list of randomize apps here.

To ensure students feel safe to 'have a go', develop a culture of risk-taking in your class by encouraging thinking rather than expecting the 'correct' answer.

Not sure about how to develop a positive class culture? See 6 Ways to build a positive classroom culture.

(Teaching Strategies to Increase Your Student's Listening Skills)

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Student Centered Learning - Question 6 - (Student Centered Reading, Writing, Listening)

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Student Centered Approaches/Techniques for Reading: Questioning - Good readers ask purposeful questions before, during, and after reading to determine meaning or further understanding. Imaging (Visualizing) - Readers use a variety of sensory and conceptual processes (mental mapping) to

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Not technology, but some good pointers on what to consider when designing your classroom environment to support student learning. It is crucial classrooms are 'inviting' and student friendly. They should be a place students feel 'good' as it will encourage them to learn. It is, however, crucial, that decorations are not too disruptive.

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Classroom Management - Organize the Physical Classroom

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Differentiation of Instruction - Galaletsang "Hali"

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Differentiation of Instruction - Galaletsang "Hali"

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Student-Centered World: A Student-Centered Learning Resource

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Click above to listen to Episode 37 of the Student-Centered World Podcast: Simplifying Classroom Differentiation (Transcript at the bottom of this page)

Differentiation of instruction shouldn't be the bane of a teacher's existence. Though there are many ideas for differentiated instruction out there, it seems overwhelming to attempt to do this for every single one of your students, and often, the question " what is differentiation " still lingers.

Differentiation of instruction means meeting every student where they are in their learning so they can master the most content. Often it is not a question of "what", but a question of "how"?

It is not as difficult as it seems and differentiation of instruction will meet each of your students on his or her level and you will be so excited to watch them excel. The "magic bullet"? Student-centered learning.

When defining differentiation of instruction and explaining the creation of a student-centered environment, there is one thing that I have heard a number of times from the naysayers of student-centered learning:

"My students would NEVER do that!"

It saddens me every time to hear this since it simply isn't accurate. Student-centered learning can work in any classroom and is a perfect way to implement naturally occurring differentiation of instruction. I know there are a number of reasons to think this way. A group of students could be particularly challenging, or apathetic, or maybe it's just simply a fear of trying something "outside of the box".

It might seem impossible to differentiate for each and everyone one of them with such varying personalities and learning styles. What most of these educators don't realize, is that in most cases, this type of classroom approach appeals to the more difficult students even more.

Differentiation of Instruction and Student-Centered Learning

Will you definitely reach every single student 100%? I cannot promise that. Just as a more traditional method does not reach every student, this method may not either. I offer no false platitudes here. However, I can promise you that once you have student buy-in, you will be able to reach more of them than with any other method of instruction.

Student-centered activities in the classroom naturally lend themselves to a level of differentiation that helps reach each child more than traditional methods of instruction.

What do I mean by "buy-in"? When I am explaining this method of instruction to others, I always joke that getting the students to sign on to it is like going through the stages of grief. For my high school students, I open on the first day of school explaining that I will never show them one PowerPoint, nor will they take notes on lectures.

They think this is the most amazing thing they have ever heard; what kind of a history class is this?!

Then, as the days move forward, I almost always receive some backlash in the form of "Why do we have to DO something every day in this class?!" Once students realize that student-centered learning is an active learning process, not a passive one, older students will often buck the system a bit.

My response at this point? I generally just smile. I know what's coming.

In the next few days and weeks, the entire energy of the classroom changes. You can actually see Bloom's Taxonomy in action right before your eyes. As students start going through the motions, they become more and more engaged in the activities.

The differentiation starts happening naturally and on each student's own personal terms.

Suddenly, they're "learning by accident" as I like to call it.

They're living the content and becoming more deeply involved in learning about it than if they were passively trying to absorb the information. On teacher appreciation day this year, I received an email from a student that included this:

I just want you to know that I appreciate you as a teacher because the methods you use to execute information are brilliant. I have already learned so much in your class without even realizing it. You taught me how to teach myself and have lots of fun while doing so. If I look back in years of my education your class definitely stands out.

Nothing summarizes student-centered learning as eloquently as this. The students become immersed in their choices so much, they forget they're learning as they do it. I say choices for a reason.

It is important to give students a bit of choice when laying out their assignments or projects. This straight-up naturally lends the class as a model of differentiation for each one of them.

I may give them some general guidelines, but then every question that comes across to me I usually answer with "whatever works best for you".

This method of student-centered classroom management helps everyone involved. Who wants to see cookie-cutter work over and over again when grading?

Though we may wish to see consistent concepts, it is a breath of fresh air to see the student creativity come forth with the understanding of those concepts. They get an idea and run with it without the restraints of what their work "has" to look like.

When each student is completing their own work within the boundaries of the same content, it is differentiation at its finest.

This is honestly one piece that teachers have a tendency not to think about. We have had it beat into our heads for so long to make sure our students are on target and are learning the curriculum that we forget that there isn't one set way to do that. We are told to differentiate all the time, but we know how impossible that can seem.

Student-centered learning not only naturally differentiates, but also allows us to get into the heads of our students a bit more. What makes them tick? What do they enjoy? What interests them?

By learning these little tidbits, it helps us to shape how the classroom functions and there is more student buy-in. They, in turn, will give better work and you get to see different assignments come rolling in that the students actually have pride in completing, not just something they put together because they were told they had to (or, even worse, didn't complete at all because they didn't see why it was important).

Thinking about giving your students that much power can seem downright scary. What if it doesn't work and the class runs amuck?

Yes, that is a valid fear, but guess what?

Chances are that is NOT what is going to happen and you will be pleasantly surprised. Imagine coming into work each day and not knowing what awaits you....but in a positive way.

Instead of spending time lesson planning out for your students, they begin planning the lesson outcomes based on their own needs in the classroom. Wouldn't it be fantastic to have a classroom that runs itself in a way that benefits each student's individual learning style and strengths, while also helping them improve their weaknesses?

Below is the transcript from the Student-Centered World Podcast Episode 37 "Simplifying Classroom Differentiation":

I think the hardest part about wrapping your head around differentiation of instruction is how we are all taught what it is. So, we're taught that differentiation of instruction in your classroom means making sure that every student's needs are met in a way that works for them. The way that we are taught to do that is to amend our assignments, chunk this, add more time for that.

Even if a student isn't classified, it doesn't have any type of accommodations, we're still expected to kind of see where we might be able to help them and to do that through the differentiation of instruction. If you're in the younger grades and you have a couple less students, it might be a little bit easier than say in high school where you might be teaching upwards of 150 students.

But it's still not easy, especially again, if you're in the younger grades, you have all the subject areas to worry about. It just becomes really, really overwhelming.

I think it's such a disservice to everybody in education to not understand how easy differentiation of instruction is without driving yourself crazy and truly the key to all of this is student-centered learning. There is a reason why the data out there says that we should be teaching in a student-centered manner that has a natural element of the differentiation of instruction.

But alas, as I've mentioned so many times, there's so much out there that explains what student-centered learning is, and that we should be doing it, but not really anything that explained how to be doing it. That's why I ended up creating a " Passion for Progress " and Student-Centered World to help teachers figure this out when you have a fully student-centered lesson with differentiation of instruction.

That doesn't mean that your students are running amok and it's chaotic and you're kicking back and reading the newspaper.

It means that it is a very well thought out planned lesson that has student choice, a flipped element to it, opportunities for children to have leadership roles and really show their strengths and also their weaknesses. But in doing all of that, which sounds overwhelming, but again, it's not when you know how to do it, you will find that the differentiation of instruction happens naturally for every single student in there.

I have not spoken with one person who has gone through " A Passion for Progress " and has implemented it in their classroom and is not in 100% agreement that not only is everything fully differentiated for literally every child that walks through the door, but it makes your life so much less stressful and you get to enjoy the time that you have with your student.

Especially in today's educational climate, I can't tell you how many teachers have reached out to me on Instagram or Facebook or sent me an email and said that they are drowning, that they are burning out, that they don't know if they can make it through this school year. I've had conversations with all of them about just some simple tweaks that they can make. So many teachers right now are just trying to keep their heads above water.

So many teachers right now are hitting levels of stress that no human being should have to go through. The support that they are receiving from the people that should be helping them is almost non-existent or it's making their life harder. So, when you're in an environment like this, and you're supposed to be differentiating for every student, in the way that we were all taught that differentiation of instruction should happen for every student, it seems impossible, and rightly so.

Teacher Stress

But let me tell you, the teachers that I was able to train prior to the pandemic, or over the summer of 2020 have said that they are not overly stressed out, just that they are tired.

Of course, teacher tired we know is a thing no matter what and they are rolling with the punches, just like we all are. But they don't have this dread and this overwhelming stress and this feeling like they can't do it anymore. They've all said that they're okay, that their students are engaged, that their lessons are naturally differentiating and if they are trying to teach through a screen, or they're trying to teach in a classroom with a mask on or whatever the case may be, they've got it covered and they're doing okay.

That's the pure beauty of student-centered learning and the differentiation of instruction. It doesn't make your life harder; it doesn't make it more stressful. As a matter of fact, it does the complete opposite of that and makes it, so you are reaching every single student.

Not only are you reaching them in curriculum and ability, but it gives you the opportunity to get to know each one of them on a personal level. It gives you the opportunity to talk to every single one of them every single class period.

No longer are you only focusing on the kids that are struggling. You don't have the high-flying kids that barely get your time because you don't have a chance. We're just assuming that they are doing what they need to be doing. You don't have students that are hiding it and are falling through the cracks because of the way it's structured, and the way that you have the ability to almost be teaching every student on a personal level.

I know there are some people out there that just don't believe it because it seems like it's not possible. But again, I was a high school history teacher that didn't lecture, and I have trained teachers from pre-K, all the way up to 12th grade with the same techniques. Obviously, it's a little bit different for grade level or for the subject area but it works. It differentiates and it's not more work for you.

That is EXACTLY what student-centered learning does every single day. Give it a shot and watch the differentiation of instruction happen naturally... you have NOTHING to lose!

Differentiation of Instruction with the 4 Keys

The differentiation of instruction in your classroom isn't difficult, it just needs to ebb and flow with the students and where they are (physically, mentally, and emotionally). Being flexible is the key to making all of this work. The key is engagement. There are four keys to student engagement that I discuss in my video training challenge called "Finding Your Student Engagement Formula" and it walks you through those four keys and how to implement them in the classroom.

If you are interested in registering (it's totally free), visit the Finding Your Student Engagement Formula Challenge registration page and you will be notified the next time the series is available.

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An Easy Path to Differentiated Instruction | Student-Centered World

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Differentiation of instruction shouldn't be the bane of a teacher's existence. Though there are many ideas for differentiated instruction out there, it seems overwhelming to attempt to do this for every single one of your students, and often, the question " what is differentiation " still lingers.

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Students doing activities out of their desks, moving around class, investigating, talking to peers, etc. These kinds of activities make lessons more engaging and exciting for the students. Students, instead of sitting at their desks (and often times getting bored) have the opportunity to interact with their peers.

As one student says: 'It is hard to stay focused when sitting at your desk. When you move, it sticks with you longer and it is easier to remember.'

As the lessons involving movement are more engaging and interesting, students are more willing to participate in those lessons. This in turn 'activates' students who would normally just sit at their desks unengaged to also participate in the lessons. More students participating in the lesson make the lesson more interesting to all.

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8Vx35Lym-8

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Student-Centered Learning – In the Middle School

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Movement is something we do naturally, so it should be a part of our lessons. Movement engages students and, therefore, makes them active learners. Sometimes, students need to sit and learn but they should be given breaks to move, to stretch. Sitting for an extended length of time affects their attention so giving movement breaks is perfectly fine (it can be and should be done with even older students).

Incorporating movement makes lessons more retainable. While movement makes lessons more engaging and interesting, just like with everything, students can get bored if the same movement activity is repeated over and over again. Therefore, switching between different movement activities is a key to keeping the students engaged and interested in the lesson.

Types of movement:

1. Independent, discrete movement - individual activities that include movement of students.

2. Collaborative movement - students participate in activities together, as a class.

3. Immersive movement - immersing students in a story, working together finding clues and then working with those clues together as a group to solve a problem. This is a great activity for reading as students can create a movement that is happening in the story they are reading.

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpYoZublP5g

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Student Collaboration - Galaletsang "Hali"

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Student Collaboration - Galaletsang "Hali"

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Students in this video share how they learn more when they collaborate with their peers - they find out more about what they didn't think about before.

Teachers also aim to ensure that students are grouped with people that can help them succeed more, and where they are more likely to feel comfortable to have a voice.

Reference:
https://youtu.be/bXS5FnaWyDk

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Student-Centered Learning: Building Agency and Engagement

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I think applications such as 'Teach my Monster to Read' and 'Epic' for example are amazing at making reading student centered. Students can reflect on their progress while reading books on topics they are interested in. In the same time the applications make sure that the selection of books students have at a given includes books that are at the level students can comprehend and in the same time challenging but not overwhelming.

Students should own their reading. Students should be able to pick books that are on topics they are interested in. Some of the strategies include:

1. The Daily 5: Read to self, Read to someone, Listen to reading, Work on writing and Word work.

2. Literacy CAFE: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary.

One of the way of implementing the Daily 5 for example is creating station between students move every 5 or 10 minutes. In each station they do something else, according to the Daily 5.

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxx0P_euuSw
https://www.thedailycafe.com/content/what-cafe

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Learner Centered Literacy:  Owning Their Own Reading

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In paired reading, students can hold their partners accountable and hold conversations about what they've just read while giving feedback on the reading.

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Which Reading Strategies to Try, and Which to Ditch

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Examples of student-centered teaching techniques that need collaboration:
- Cooperative
- Presentations (in teams)
- Jigsaw
- Role play
- Games (in teams)
- Project-based learning
- Problem-based learning

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

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"Choice...a characteristic of the classroom." - Joe Ruhl

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCFg9bcW7Bk

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Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future | Joe Ruhl | TEDxLafayette

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As teachers teaching in the digital age & covid-era lockdown disruptions, it is essential that we plan for learning to continue outside the 4-walls of a classroom and ensure that our students still master the skills and knowledge needed to excel in school (& in life). For this to be successful, teachers need the support of the parents/families and the students/learners to take a more active, responsible role in the student's learning.

Source:
https://www.edu-links.org/resources/designing-comprehensive-distance-learning-toolkit

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Source:
https://hookedoninnovation.com/2020/03/19/a-beginners-toolkit-to-teaching-remotely/

Full video: https://youtu.be/Rm_lOcY4CN8

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Three Quick Wins: Student-Centered Assessment Strategies - Elias Gasparis

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Three Quick Wins: Student-Centered Assessment Strategies - Elias Gasparis

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Summary:
1) Snapshot Assessments - lots of little assessments for teachers and students to know how they're doing
2) Process Portfolios - collect evidence of learning over a unit, semester or use
3) Self-Assessment - reflections, and peer-to-peer, student-to-teacher, student-to-self assessments

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Three Quick Wins: Student-Centered Assessment Strategies

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In this article on student-centered assessment, we offer three concrete strategies that equip students to exercise agency in the assessment process while ensuring flexibility and access for anytime, anywhere learning.

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It's important to have a growth mindset, even as a teacher. Some tips for teaching in an online learning environment:

- Use teaching strategies that lead to increased engagement

- Continuously reflect and improve on their teaching practices, seeking out additional training or new strategies to try

- Explicitly teach students problem-solving strategies

Source: https://assets.ctfassets.net/p0qf7j048i0q/3eRr6v417UPiI16kXfbKfw/35df736e1b8eb4f1f0d8b4940ec92c63/Distance_Learning_Toolkit_2021.pdf

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Presentations and role-play is awesome! (Kaylee McKuen)

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Presentations and role-play is awesome! (Kaylee McKuen)

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In this article, I chose it because I particularly love role-play, debate, or any form of presentations. Especially with teens, I struggle giving the confidence to show what they learned. But in something like a presentation, each member has to give their gift to contribute. I love role-play with middle school students, because it takes away the feeling of "This is about me and my value" and puts it on the character. Therefore it isn't about insecurity, but learning!

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4 min reading time

When gearing up to plan a learning and development program, it's a good time to look at how your training is delivered and see where you can adopt a more learner-centered approach in your sessions.

Whether you deliver your training face-to-face or through an LMS, taking a learner-centered approach has a dramatic impact on how much of the training information your employees will retain.

What is a learner-centered approach?

A learner-centered approach views learners as active agents. They bring their own knowledge, past experiences, education, and ideas - and this impacts how they take on board new information and learn.

It differs significantly from a traditional instructor-centered approach. Traditional learning approaches were informed by behaviorism, which sees learners as 'blank slates' and instructors as experts who must impart all the relevant information. This approach sees learners as respondents to external stimuli.

University lecturer Martha Kennedy defined it as:
"...a classroom dynamic in which the students participate actively while the teacher might take a (seemingly) more passive role. It boils down to group work, one-on-one tutoring in the classroom between student and teacher, student presentations...To learn a skill, students must be directly involved. No teacher can stand there and tell the students how to do something and expect the students to leave the classroom able to do it."
This is the principle that underpins both Cognitive Learning Theory and Constructivist Learning Theory, and is also featured in Adult Learning Theory.

Why take a learner-centered approach?

Each learning theory has its own school of thought, but one point seems to crop up again and again: the more engaged employees are in the learning process, the more they will retain when they get back to work.

Learner-centered approach activities

Here are some practical ideas for incorporating learner-centered activities into your corporate training:

1. Foster collaboration with group projects

Think of yourself as a coach on the sideline of a sports game. You're offering advice and encouragement where necessary, rather than a lecturer delivering a monologue to learners.

2. Let learners develop content

Start a forum within your LMS, develop and share blogs or upload podcasts or videos for your learners and let them work individually or in groups to contribute to it. Let them know what topics should be covered and encourage them to research them. Over time, this channel will become a valuable resource for everyone at the organization.

3. Stage presentations

Or, instead of using their research to create different types of media, ask your learners to develop presentations, which can be delivered in-person or via a live webinar (particularly handy for remote teams). Not only does it help your learner learn the topic inside out, they also get a chance to develop another important workplace skill - presenting. Learn more on how to stage a demonstration or product demonstration.

4. Hold a competition

A little healthy competition can really spur motivation in a group. You can even let the group decide what the nature of the competition will be, and what the prize will be - or if it's just for pride.

5. Hold a debate

Split the group in three and give them a motion. One group argues for the motion, one argues against it, and the final group judges. All groups have to stay fully engaged with the topic until the end, and should come out of the debate thoroughly informed on the issue. Again, this can be in-person or via a live training session held in your LMS.

6. Gamify learning

Games are a great way to add an element of fun to the learning environment. Gamification has been a huge trend in online learning in recent years. Any good LMS will have gamification features such as leaderboards, badges, points, and more that will encourage learner participation.

7. Pose a problem

Learner-centered approaches work best when your employees feel like they're solving real problems and learning skills they can put to work immediately. As such, you can pose real problems the company is facing and ask your learners to identify creative and innovative solutions. With a mix of different levels of experience and skill sets in each session, you will come up with solutions that are genuinely valuable to the company.

8. Do role-play

This is perfect for Sales and Customer Service training. Divide the learners into pairs and let them take turns in the role of the customer. Again this can be done face-to-face or through an ILT in your LMS. Letting them step into the shoes of your customers is likely to make them more empathetic when they're speaking to them.

9. Brainstorm

Twelve heads are better than one. Not all training techniques need to be hi-tech and fancy; just choose a topic you want your learners to know more about and ask them to volunteer what they already know. As a group, the chances are they know a great deal - and you can fill in any gaps as necessary.

10. Do a demo

Whether you're training on something highly scientific or the ins and outs of new software, showing is often better than telling. Stage a demonstration to show exactly how it works. This can be achieved by uploading a step-by-step video to your LMS.

As well as learning about the topic at hand, learner-centered approaches give your employees ample opportunities to practice the soft skills they need to use every day at work; communication, collaboration, and problem-solving - among others.

It's an active approach to taking in new materials where learners are given a large degree of autonomy. And it's ideal for a corporate training environment where individuals are expected to be able to work both independently and in groups.

Do you take a learner-centered approach in your training sessions, or do you prefer a more traditional approach? Are you planning on implementing any of the suggestions we've made above? Let us know below in the comments.

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Learner-Centered Approaches: Why They Matter and How to Implement Them

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When gearing up to plan a learning and development program, it's a good time to look at how your training is delivered and see where you can adopt a more

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4 EdTech Ways to Differentiate in a Student-Centered Classroom (Kaylee McKuen)

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4 EdTech Ways to Differentiate in a Student-Centered Classroom (Kaylee McKuen)

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This article basically gives the philosophy to understand what each individual student knows and doesn't know, therefore coming up with creative ways to give each student the tools. It actually gives lots of technology examples teachers can use to help the students, which goes along very well with the theme of module! These are the overall steps and ways of using technology to address differentiation on student-centered approach to giving instruction:

Assessment – Understanding what students know and still need to learn

Content – What the student needs to learn or how the student will access the information

Process – Activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content

Products – culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit

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Using Physical Movement to Increase Student Engagement and Learning (Kaylee McKuen)

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Using Physical Movement to Increase Student Engagement and Learning (Kaylee McKuen)

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They give lots of reasons and examples on physical movement in the classroom. It basically says that students should be able to choose how to use movement to improve their learning and also mentally take breaks when they need to to do "physical education".

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Some low-lift activities you can start using today are movement breaks, also known as brain breaks. Many students, during emergency remote teaching, reported appreciation for instructors who adopted pre-planned instructional breaks to mitigate the exhaustive effects of Zoom fatigue. But the benefits of a mental and physical break are not exclusive to a virtual environment. Classes that have transitioned back to in person would similarly benefit from opportunities for physical activity, or movement breaks. Movement breaks increase students' capacity to retain and learn information. They also boost students' desire to learn, lessen boredom, and increase attentiveness and on task behavior. Movement breaks can range from giving students an extended amount of time to return to their seat after a group discussion or team activity to asking students to jog or jump in place for a minute. When planning for a movement break, first arrange your lesson in chunked segments, remembering that the average student has an attention span of 10-15 minutes before attention drops and needs to be renewed. If you have a longer instructional chunk or an extended group practice activity that might drain students, definitely schedule a movement break to follow.

Physical movement can also be used to help students process content. One example of a movement activity is four corners. You can set up this activity in a variety of ways. For example, you can place papers describing four different scenarios in the four corners of the classroom. Then divide the class into four groups of students, requiring that each group move through all four corners. This activity requires students to actively engage with content in groups while physically moving around the room. Not only does the movement give students a mental reset that serves to refocus them on the content presented, standing allows students to easily collaborate with different students in their group. Another way to organize the same activity is to place questions in the four corners of the room. Students can self select the question they would most like to discuss and answer. Or, you can put answer choices in each corner of the room and pose the same question to the class at large. In this format, students must stand in the corner of the room containing the answer choice that best answers the question posed. Of course, this works best when the question asked is one that is open ended or laden with misconceptions in order to foster lively discussion and diverse explanations. Complex scenarios are great for this activity. There are many other movement activities that allow students to process content including student whiteboards, mingle, gallery walks, stand and be counted, and student scale.

Finally, a more advanced use of movement in the classroom is using one's own body to process new concepts and skills, an approach known as embodied learning. One such activity, called statues, is used to assess students' understanding of new concepts. For example, after reading a poem, an instructor might ask students to assume a physical pose embodying the tone of the poem. To provide scaffolds for students hesitant to participate in such a physical way, the instructor can give options, like using a facial expression to show the tone of the poem. Poseable dolls could provide an option for students with physical disabilities or social anxiety to embody learning without using their own body. Other examples of embodied learning are acting out the use of a learned skill during a role play exercise and participating in a hands-on experiment, building project, or simulation. Many upper-level classes incorporate such things already, to good effect.

Though the majority of college-age students reported positive reactions to movement breaks, some students had a negative reaction, stating they failed to see the "point" of participating in physical activities during class. To get student buy-in, it helps to present an informed rationale for including movement in the classroom. It could even be presented as an experimental observation of the effects. Regardless of what level of movement you choose to incorporate into your class, if the following indicators are present, you can be confident that movement is serving learning.

Students actively engage in the strategies

Students' energy levels appear to increase

Students can explain how the physical movement keeps their interest and helps them learn.

(Marzano, 2017)

For a deeper understanding of the scientific evidence linking increased physical activity to optimum brain function, consider reading Brain Rules. If you would like assistance with incorporating physical movement into your course, please feel free to reach out to LSATSLearningTeachingConsultants@umich.edu or request a consultation here.

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Using Physical Movement to Increase Student Engagement and Learning | U-M LSA LSA Technology Services

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Some low-lift activities you can start using today are movement breaks, also known as brain breaks. Many students, during emergency remote teaching, reported appreciation for instructors who adopted pre-planned instructional breaks to mitigate the exhaustive effects of Zoom fatigue. But the benefits of a mental and physical break are not exclusive to a virtual environment.

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1.     Learning tool kits:

• electronic library

https://www.tboxn.com/560.html

• EBSCO https://www.ebsco.com/

• UMI ProQuest     https://www.proquest.com/

·       https://www.pqdtcn.com/

• World Book

https://worldbookonline.com/wb/Login?ed=wb

• Encyclopedia Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/

• Incat Electronic Encyclopedia

• Microsoft Electronic bookshelf (including dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedias, almanacks, reports, dictionaries, etc.)

2.     Problem-solving tools:

Software for indicators, databases, word processing, graphics, design, multimedia, etc.

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EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com

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EBSCO is the leading provider of research databases, e-journals, magazine subscriptions, ebooks and discovery service for academic libraries, public libraries, corporations, schools, government and medical institutions

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Important points to consider when designing a student-centered class:
1. It is more of a necessity than a norm
2. It helps students to become independent and better at problem solving.
3. Try to start right at the beginning of the school year.
4. It's all about engagement and technology is the best approach for it.
5. Use a "no rules" approach where mutual trust is enforced though engagement.

Sources:
Loveless, Becton. “Developing a Student-Centered Classroom.” Education Corner - Education That Matters, https://www.educationcorner.com/developing-a-student-centered-classroom.html.

TEDxTalks. “Linking Architecture and Student-Centered Learning Environments: Dr. Anne Taylor at Tedxabq.” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Oct. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoSMYeAI87Q.

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Linking architecture and student-centered learning environments: Dr. Anne Taylor at TEDxABQ

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It is important to understand that students who get individual support in schools usually fall behind when we need to study online. Minorities also become more affected by this situation.
Here is specific advice that considers three important mindsets when thinking about designing a toolkit:
1: Positive orientation toward inclusion
2: Strong sense of self-efficacy
3: Growth mindset
From the same website that suggested the article, there is a community app for parents of children with learning disabilities. Here is the link to the app:

https://www.understood.org/wunder

Sources:

EQUALPEOPLE. “Communication Toolkit: Supporting People with Learning Disabilities.” YouTube, YouTube, 20 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbF_bIdyx0U.

Kaufman, Trynia. “Distance Learning Toolkit: A Guide for Supporting All Students.” Understood, 1 Sept. 2021, https://www.understood.org/en/articles/distance-learning-toolkit.

“Wunder.” Understood, https://www.understood.org/wunder.

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Communication Toolkit: supporting people with learning disabilities

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Most student-centered learning strategies require collaboration. We need to be able to coordinate different skills and expectations in the smoothest way possible. Here are some techniques that require special cooperation between the participants:

1. Choice boards.
2. The "Jigsaw" method.
3. Inquiry-based learning.
4. Project-based learning

Sources:

Chiaro, Chelsea. “Student-Centered Learning Strategies.” TeachHUB, 19 Aug. 2020, https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies/2020/07/student-centered-learning-strategies/.

Cultofpedagogy. “The Jigsaw Method.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euhtXUgBEts.

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Here are some very simple guides to help any teacher into implementing student-centered assessment:

1. Self assessment: Students are being able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses. It involves comparison with clear standards.
2. Peer assessment: Students giving feedback to one another.
3 Process portfolios: A collection of a student's work that shows improvement. It helps with determining how goals are being achieved.
4. Exhibitions: These are summative assessments. They can show how goals have been achieved by every individual.

Sources:

“Student Centered Learning: Why, How, & What.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 Sept. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvzVAQkuSqU.

“Student-Centered Assessment Resources.” Students at the Center, 3 June 2022, https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/resource/assessment/.

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Student Centered Learning: Why, How, & What

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1. Seat Arrangement
Arrange seats and classrooms in a way that is convenient for group learning. Give students time and conditions to communicate with each other, actively discuss and cooperate to complete group tasks.

• Groups of four students can be arranged so that pairs of students sit across from each other

• Encourage debate. The whole class can sit in a circle to interact with each other while the teacher observes from the outside.

• Using a semicircle shape, teachers always stand at the front of the room. Students who were centrally located and stood closer to the teacher were more likely to ask questions. Students are more engaged when they sit close to the teacher. The semicircle is much easier to interact with than the row and column layout. Teachers can see the students in the classroom more directly when using a circular design. In addition, students can also get to know the teacher better and have more opportunities to communicate and engage with students.
2. Classroom Decor: Facing the Blank Canvas
Encourage students to make the classroom space their own. Welcome their contributions to its decoration, and urge them to take responsibility for its maintenance. Here are some easy, low-cost ways to make your classroom into an inviting, effective space for all
3. Dress Up the Walls

Interesting and attractive visual aids, such as bulletin boards and posters, are key components of an effective classroom. Wall decorations should be colourful, appealing and relevant to current classwork. They should be rotated and refreshed frequently.

Be sure to think about the cultural backgrounds of your students when dressing the walls. Try to represent your students' diversity on posters or bulletin boards.

Set aside a section of the bulletin board to be your designated "Student Work Museum" and post children's drawings, written work and other projects there. Make sure that each student's work is displayed often.

Post daily schedules in a place where students can read them easily. This accessibility of the classroom schedule can help students grow comfortable with the class and school routines. For younger students, make a daily schedule that includes pictures or icons.

4. Technology
A modern computer network, electronic whiteboards, video displays, multimedia teaching machine
Eg: One component of the group consists of a portable electronic computer and an electronic whiteboard that extends over each group member's desk. This allows all members to work together. Each student can individually complete their own section on the whiteboard and then impart wisdom to the other. This helps students collaborate better and discuss how to arrive at different answers with each other. The teacher can then look at each group's whiteboard to see if they came up with the right solution and provide feedback on where they might have gone wrong. The whiteboard is also useful when students want to demonstrate to the rest of the group how an answer was reached. This allows some students to act as mentors for the group.

Resource:
https://helpfulprofessor.com/classroom-layouts/
Reference:

https://www.teachervision.com/classroom-management/creating-an-effective-physical-classroom-environment?page=2

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Your Physical Classroom Environment – Video Podcast

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Here is how these 3 powerful strategies automatically put education in students hands:

1. Adjusting content: you deliver different parts of the curriculum to different students, but at the same time you are getting to know them better by letting them tell you what they need. Now you're not a content deliverer but another learner in the process.
2. Adjusting the process: similarly, adjusting the process creates a feedback loop where you as a teacher, can't stop relying on the students to let you know the next steps.
3. Adjusting the product: students can become teachers by helping others to complete the object of the lesson.

Resources:

Educationweek. “Differentiating Instruction: It's Not as Hard as You Think.” YouTube, YouTube, 11 Sept. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7-D3gi2lL8.

“High Impact Teaching Strategies in Action: Differentiated Teaching.” Department of Education and Training Victoria, https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/classrooms/Pages/approacheshitsdifferentiation.aspx.

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Differentiating Instruction: It’s Not as Hard as You Think

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Here are several student-centered approaches that involve physical movement:

Group discussion

Debates

Field-trips

Practical/ Rehearsals

Presenting posters
Mentoring other students

Mind maps (collaborative)

Role play

Sources:

“ABC's of Movement Activity Cards.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 Jan. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ky6eNJwDKk.

Gallardo, Mayra. “5) Student-Centered Approaches or
Techniques That Include Physical Movement as a Central Element.” PB Works,
http://teachnowaug15c4.pbworks.com/w/page/100890727/5%29%20Student-centered%20approaches%20or%20techniques%20that%20include%20physical%20movement%20as%20a%20central%20element.

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Here are 6 techniques for reading:

1. Having specific spaces in the classroom for reading.
2. Have students to pursue individual learning goals
3. Let students choose the kinds of books they want to read.
4. Let everyone advance at their own pace
5. Reinforce collaboration
6. Encouraging discussion

Resources:

IDPRisingSchools. “Module 5: Pupil Centered Learning for English Literacy.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5d_iiU0UT8.

Lee, Jenny. “#6 Student Centered Approaches and Techniques for Reading!” Wakelet, https://wakelet.com/wake/2VxdbvwEiIf9jYLauPORr.

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Module 5: Pupil Centered Learning for English Literacy

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1. Collaborative learning

This is a strategy for getting groups to work together on a learning task.

2. Exhibition of works

Students present a form of task that students can complete independently or collaboratively.

3. Panel of Experts

This is an approach where a subject has multiple voices. Students can write or ask questions during the Q&A session.

4. KWL

Post it all on the bulletin board:

What do you know?

What do you want to know or learn?

Or an upgraded version of the KWHLAQ strategy.

5. Brainstorm

Brainstorming gets the learner moving and generates stimulation that requires the learner to think creatively.

6. Create media

Ask a question and have students create a public video.

7. Discuss

Ask a question and let students discuss it, not just the standard answer.

Group 8.

Divide the students into several groups to study, learn to assign roles, and bring out the best characteristics of the group members.

9. Case studies

Use case studies in the classroom to learn complex problems, develop a critical spirit, and explore various scenarios.

10. Group crossover

First, break up the students' groups and assign different tasks to each member. Finally, bring the groups together to share ideas.

11. Learning centres

Break up the classroom with different activities and set specific times for students to start another new activity.

12. Experimental study

Design experiments for students to participate in, or have students design their own experiments.

13. Role-play

Allow students to try out experiences that can either be created by the student or created by the teacher.

14. Simulation

Computer simulations are already common, using technology to simulate reality and make students feel like they are there.

15. The lab

Take the students to the laboratory, let the students do activities, and let the students hand in the experimental activities.

16. The workshop

Students can create their own workshops and practice with peers who can also give feedback.

17. Demonstration

Demonstrations are a fun way to get students involved, such as trying cooking demonstrations or technology demonstrations.

18. The index card

Give students index cards and guides and ask them to create activities.

19. Inquiry-based learning

This approach starts with a question and can take many forms, with many structures to guide the inquiry.

20. Mental models

Constructing mental models can support new information, reveal your mental model, test it, challenge it and build it.

21. Project learning

In a certain period of time, students choose, plan and propose a project idea, and solve practical problems through various forms such as exhibitions, which is conducive to improving students' practical thinking and problem-solving ability.

22. Problem learning

Problem-based learning aims to solve problems, and learning itself can be part of the problem. As teachers implement teaching activities, students discover solutions.

23. Discovery learning

Some discovery learning allows students to choose a topic and explore it.

24.Q&A

A Q&A section allows learners and teachers to learn from and communicate with each other.

25. Social media

Use social media to get information and share it with others.

26. The game

In-game teaching method, teachers integrate specific teaching content into games and change static teaching into dynamic teaching, so that students can effectively master the knowledge and develop abilities in a relaxed and happy atmosphere.

Reference
http://ctld.scnu.edu.cn/a/20170912/441.html

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1. Formative evaluation
Is "an evaluation of a student's learning process, designed to identify the potential of the student, improve and develop the student's learning". In formative evaluation, the task is to assess how students perform in the process of daily learning, the results achieved, and their emotional and behavioral development. An effective formative evaluation takes into account not only the needs of evaluators but also the needs of evacuees. It attaches importance to both the learning process and students' experiences of students in learning. In formative evaluation, the teacher's responsibility is to determine the task, collect data, discuss it with students, infiltrate the teacher's guiding role in the discussion, and evaluate together with students.
The formative evaluation is divided into six stages:

·       Design Review

·       Expert Review

·       One-to-One Review

·       Small-Group Evaluation

·       Field Trial

·       Ongoing Evaluation

2. Learning Contract

This evaluation method derives from the real meaning of the contract. To enable students to complete tasks and solve problems with a specific goal and basis, but also to evaluate their performance objectively.

3. Rubric

A structured quantitative evaluation standard defines the rating index in detail from multiple aspects related to the evaluation target. It has the characteristics of high operability and high accuracy. In traditional teaching evaluation, especially in the evaluation of non-objective test questions or tasks, people have applied this tool consciously or unconsciously. For example, teachers generally give grades of excellent, well, medium, and poor to students at the end of a semester. This is based on a comprehensive evaluation of academic performance, labor and discipline, classmate relations, and other factors. When assessing students' learning, the application of a gauge can effectively reduce subjective arbitrariness evaluation. Not only can teachers evaluate, but they can also let students self-evaluate or peer-evaluate. If the gauge is published in advance, it can be used to guide role-play in student learning. In addition, it is also an effective evaluation method for students to learn to make their own gauges.

4. Performance Assessment

In "student-centered teaching", students individually or in small groups work independently on a certain topic and demonstrate their performance in the form of results (such as electronic works, solutions, research reports, etc.). Performance evaluation involves the process of students creating results or completing the required set of tasks. A complete set of ancillary work is REQUIRED, such as observation, presentation, presentation, interview, student-generated planning, imitation, and character play. Through performance evaluation, students realize that learning is not only an exercise in memorization but also an awareness of developing both the depth of specific training and the complexity of the field of study.

Reference:

https://www.weidianyuedu.com/content/5317767787633.html

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Differentiation comes in many varieties. Teachers can differentiate into four classroom components based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile:

1. Assessment – Understanding what students know and still need to learn

Formative assessment is the driver of differentiation of assessment. Formative assessment acts as a GPS, providing valuable information both the teacher and the learner. It provides timely feedback to inform instruction and make an adjustment. When the assessment is used to adjust instruction it crosses over into the “formative assessment” realm. This crossover helps teachers and students to see it, not as a test, but more as a process.

2.Content – What the student needs to learn or how the student will access the information

Content is the foundation of learning and skills are applied. Therefore, if we can provide a way for students to access that content at their level, we can better meet their learning needs. Each student is (and should be) held to high standards. But we know not every student is on the same path for their learning. Through the differentiation of content, we can level the playing field for each student.

Examples of differentiating activities:

Match vocabulary words to definitions.

Read a passage of text and answer related questions.

Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different outcome.

Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.

Identify an author’s position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint.

Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson.

3.   Process – Activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content

DIFFERENTIATE THROUGH TEAMS

We all know that heterogeneous grouping works, but sometimes homogenous grouping can be an effective way to differentiate in a project. Sometimes in a novel- or literature-based PBL project, for example, it might be appropriate to differentiate by grouping students by reading level. That way, I can take groups that need intensive work and ensure they are getting the instruction they need.

Teaming should be intentional, and we need to know the why of how we structure teams. Are you differentiating for academic ability? Are you differentiating for collaboration skills? Are you differentiating for social-emotional purposes? Are you differentiating for passions? If you’re a designer or co-designer of a PBL project, teams can be an effective way to differentiate instruction.

Examples of differentiating the process:

Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.

Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books.

Give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment online.

Design stratified assignments according to the level of students.

4. Learning environment

The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support both individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should use classroom management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment.

Examples of differentiating the environment:

Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.

Allow students to read individually if preferred.

Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

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

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-strategies-pbl-andrew-miller

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Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning style. Chances are, not all of your students grasp a subject in the same way or share the same level of ability. So how can you better deliver your lessons to reach everyone in class? Consider differentiated instruction-a method you may have heard about but haven't explored, which is why you're here. In this article, learn exactly what it means, how it works, and the pros and cons.

Definition of differentiated instruction

Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and professor of educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia. Tomlinson describes differentiated instruction as factoring students' individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan. Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability.

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student.

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:

Design lessons based on students' learning styles.

Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.

Assess students' learning using formative assessment.

Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.

Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students' needs.

History of differentiated instruction

The roots of differentiated instruction go all the way back to the days of the one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher had students of all ages in one classroom. As the educational system transitioned to grading schools, it was assumed that children of the same age learned similarly. However in 1912, achievement tests were introduced, and the scores revealed the gaps in student's abilities within grade levels.

In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that children with disabilities had equal access to public education. To reach this student population, many educators used differentiated instruction strategies. Then came the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2000, which further encouraged differentiated and skill-based instruction-and that's because it works. Research by educator Leslie Owen Wilson supports differentiating instruction within the classroom, finding that lecture is the least effective instructional strategy, with only 5 to 10 percent retention after 24 hours. Engaging in a discussion, practicing after exposure to content, and teaching others are much more effective ways to ensure learning retention.

Four ways to differentiate instruction

According to Tomlinson, teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways: 1) content, 2) process, 3) product, and 4) learning environment.

1. Content

As you already know, fundamental lesson content should cover the standards of learning set by the school district or state educational standards. But some students in your class may be completely unfamiliar with the concepts in a lesson, some students may have partial mastery, and some students may already be familiar with the content before the lesson begins.

What you could do is differentiate the content by designing activities for groups of students that cover various levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (a classification of levels of intellectual behavior going from lower-order thinking skills to higher-order thinking skills). The six levels are: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Students who are unfamiliar with a lesson could be required to complete tasks on the lower levels: remembering and understanding. Students with some mastery could be asked to apply and analyze the content, and students who have high levels of mastery could be asked to complete tasks in the areas of evaluating and creating.

Examples of differentiating activities:

Match vocabulary words to definitions.

Read a passage of text and answer related questions.

Think of a situation that happened to a character in the story and a different outcome.

Differentiate fact from opinion in the story.

Identify an author's position and provide evidence to support this viewpoint.

Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson.

2. Process

Each student has a preferred learning style, and successful differentiation includes delivering the material to each style: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and through words. This process-related method also addresses the fact that not all students require the same amount of support from the teacher, and students could choose to work in pairs, small groups, or individually. And while some students may benefit from one-on-one interaction with you or the classroom aide, others may be able to progress by themselves. Teachers can enhance student learning by offering support based on individual needs.

Examples of differentiating the process:

Provide textbooks for visual and word learners.

Allow auditory learners to listen to audio books.

Give kinesthetic learners the opportunity to complete an interactive assignment online.

3. Product

The product is what the student creates at the end of the lesson to demonstrate the mastery of the content. This can be in the form of tests, projects, reports, or other activities. You could assign students to complete activities that show mastery of an educational concept in a way the student prefers, based on learning style.

Examples of differentiating the end product:

Read and write learners write a book report.

Visual learners create a graphic organizer of the story.

Auditory learners give an oral report.

Kinesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story.

4. Learning environment

The conditions for optimal learning include both physical and psychological elements. A flexible classroom layout is key, incorporating various types of furniture and arrangements to support both individual and group work. Psychologically speaking, teachers should use classroom management techniques that support a safe and supportive learning environment.

Examples of differentiating the environment:

Break some students into reading groups to discuss the assignment.

Allow students to read individually if preferred.

Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions.

Pros and cons 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.

Cons

Differentiated instruction requires more work during lesson planning, and many teachers struggle to find the extra time in their schedule.

The learning curve can be steep and some schools lack professional development resources.

Critics argue there isn't enough research to support the benefits of differentiated instruction outweighing the added prep time.

Differentiated instruction strategies

What differentiated instructional strategies can you use in your classroom? There are a set of methods that can be tailored and used across the different subjects. According to Kathy Perez (2019) and the Access Center those strategies are tiered assignments, choice boards, compacting, interest centers/groups, flexible grouping, and learning contracts. Tiered assignments are designed to teach the same skill but have the students create a different product to display their knowledge based on their comprehension skills. Choice boards allow students to choose what activity they would like to work on for a skill that the teacher chooses. On the board are usually options for the different learning styles; kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and tactile. Compacting allows the teacher to help students reach the next level in their learning when they have already mastered what is being taught to the class. To compact the teacher assesses the student's level of knowledge, creates a plan for what they need to learn, excuses them from studying what they already know, and creates free time for them to practice an accelerated skill.

Interest centers or groups are a way to provide autonomy in student learning. Flexible grouping allows the groups to be more fluid based on the activity or topic. Finally, learning contracts are made between a student and teacher, laying out the teacher's expectations for the necessary skills to be demonstrated and the assignments required components with the student putting down the methods they would like to use to complete the assignment. These contracts can allow students to use their preferred learning style, work at an ideal pace and encourages independence and planning skills. The following are strategies for some of the core subject based on these methods.

Differentiated instruction strategies for math

Provide students with a choice board. They could have the options to learn about probability by playing a game with a peer, watching a video, reading the textbook, or working out problems on a worksheet.

Teach mini lessons to individuals or groups of students who didn't grasp the concept you were teaching during the large group lesson. This also lends time for compacting activities for those who have mastered the subject.

Use manipulatives, especially with students that have more difficulty grasping a concept.

Have students that have already mastered the subject matter create notes for students that are still learning.

For students that have mastered the lesson being taught, require them to give in-depth, step-by-step explanation of their solution process, while not being rigid about the process with students who are still learning the basics of a concept if they arrive at the correct answer.

Differentiated instruction strategies for science

Emma McCrea (2019) suggests setting up "Help Stations," where peers assist each other. Those that have more knowledge of the subject will be able to teach those that are struggling as an extension activity and those that are struggling will receive.

Set up a "question and answer" session during which learners can ask the teacher or their peers questions, in order to fill in knowledge gaps before attempting the experiment.

Create a visual word wall. Use pictures and corresponding labels to help students remember terms.

Set up interest centers. When learning about dinosaurs you might have an "excavation" center, a reading center, a dinosaur art project that focuses on their anatomy, and a video center.

Provide content learning in various formats such as showing a video about dinosaurs, handing out a worksheet with pictures of dinosaurs and labels, and providing a fill-in-the-blank work sheet with interesting dinosaur facts.

Differentiated instruction strategies for ELL

ASCD (2012) writes that all teachers need to become language teachers so that the content they are teaching the classroom can be conveyed to the students whose first language is not English.

Start by providing the information in the language that the student speaks then pairing it with a limited amount of the corresponding vocabulary in English.

Although ELL need a limited amount of new vocabulary to memorize, they need to be exposed to as much of the English language as possible. This means that when teaching, the teacher needs to focus on verbs and adjectives related to the topic as well.

Group work is important. This way they are exposed to more of the language. They should, however, be grouped with other ELL if possible as well as given tasks within the group that are within their reach such as drawing or researching.

Differentiated instruction strategies for reading

Tiered assignments can be used in reading to allow the students to show what they have learned at a level that suites them. One student might create a visual story board while another student might write a book report.

Reading groups can pick a book based on interest or be assigned based on reading level

Erin Lynch (2020) suggest that teachers scaffold instruction by giving clear explicit explanations with visuals. Verbally and visually explain the topic. Use anchor charts, drawings, diagrams, and reference guides to foster a clearer understanding. If applicable, provide a video clip for students to watch.

Utilize flexible grouping. Students might be in one group for phonics based on their assessed level but choose to be in another group for reading because they are more interested in that book.

Differentiated instruction strategies for writing

Hold writing conferences with your students either individually or in small groups. Talk with them throughout the writing process starting with their topic and moving through grammar, composition, and editing.

Allow students to choose their writing topics. When the topic is of interest, they will likely put more effort into the assignment and therefore learn more.

Keep track of and assess student's writing progress continually throughout the year. You can do this using a journal or a checklist. This will allow you to give individualized instruction.

Hand out graphic organizers to help students outline their writing. Try fill-in-the-blank notes that guide the students through each step of the writing process for those who need additional assistance.

For primary grades give out lined paper instead of a journal. You can also give out differing amounts of lines based on ability level. For those who are excelling at writing give them more lines or pages to encourage them to write more. For those that are still in the beginning stages of writing, give them less lines so that they do not feel overwhelmed.

Differentiated instruction strategies for special education

Use a multi-sensory approach. Get all five senses involved in your lessons, including taste and smell!

Use flexible grouping to create partnerships and teach students how to work collaboratively on tasks. Create partnerships where the students are of equal ability, partnerships where once the student will be challenged by their partner and another time they will be pushing and challenging their partner.

Assistive technology is often an important component of differential instruction in special education. Provide the students that need them with screen readers, personal tablets for communication, and voice recognition software.

The article Differentiation & LR Information for SAS Teachers suggests teachers be flexible when giving assessments "Posters, models, performances, and drawings can show what they have learned in a way that reflects their personal strengths". You can test for knowledge using rubrics instead of multiple-choice questions, or even build a portfolio of student work. You could also have them answer questions orally.

Utilize explicit modeling. Whether its notetaking, problem solving in math, or making a sandwich in home living, special needs students often require a step-by-step guide to make connections.

References and resources

Books & Videos about differentiated instruction by Carol Ann Tomlinson and others

The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, 2nd Edition

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau

The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Changes in Teaching and Learning - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, and Lane Narvaez

Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe

Differentiation in Practice Grades K-5: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson

Differentiation in Practice Grades 5-9: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson

Differentiation in Practice Grades 9-12: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy A. Strickland

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms - Carol Ann Tomlinson and Susan Demirsky Allan

How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms, 3rd Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson

Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Tonya R. Moon

How To Differentiate Instruction In Mixed Ability Classrooms 2nd Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson

How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms 3rd Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson

Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom Paperback - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Tonya R. Moon

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom (Professional Development) 1st Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Marcia B. Imbeau

The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Changes in Teaching and Learning 1st Edition by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, Lane Narvaez

Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the Learner-Friendly Classroom - David A. Sousa, Carol Ann Tomlinson

Leading for Differentiation: Growing Teachers Who Grow Kids - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Michael Murphy

An Educator's Guide to Differentiating Instruction. 10th Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson, James M. Cooper

A Differentiated Approach to the Common Core: How do I help a broad range of learners succeed with a challenging curriculum? - Carol Ann Tomlinson, Marcia B. Imbeau

Managing a Differentiated Classroom: A Practical Guide - Carol Tomlinson, Marcia Imbeau

Differentiating Instruction for Mixed-Ability Classrooms: An ASCD Professional Inquiry Kit Pck Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson

Using Differentiated Classroom Assessment to Enhance Student Learning (Student Assessment for Educators) 1st Edition - Tonya R. Moon, Catherine M. Brighton, Carol A. Tomlinson

The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners 1st Edition - Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Differentiated Instruction: Examples & Classroom Strategies | Resilient Educator

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Differentiated instruction benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability. Read about classroom tips and strategies for implementation.

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Some things to consider when making classroom conductive to learning:

1. Comfort - make sure it is not too hot or not too cold and well ventilated. Students feeling too hot and too cold will not be able to focus on tasks at hand as their priority will be to cool themselves down or make themselves warm. Make sure the room is well ventilated so there is plenty of fresh air.

2. Decorations - make the room warm and inviting. Empty walls look scary. Students should be happy coming into the room, it should be welcoming and not feel like a 'prison cell.'

3. Educational tools - if students have their own homeroom class where they spend most of their time at school, make sure they have something to do when they are not learning. Books, devices that support education such as iPads or computers with relevant software can be very helpful and actually encourage students to seek knowledge by themselves.

4. Space - make sure that the room is no too cluttered. Students should have space to move around. You will want to do some activities during which they walk around the class and interact with their peers, so make sure you there is space for students to stretch, work in groups, interact with their peers.

Source:

https://www.istanz.org.nz/teaching/make-your-classroom-conducive-to-learning/

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As a teacher, you know that kids need structure. They need things a certain way if they are going to learn. Well, it all starts right in your very own classroom. You need to be sure that your classroom is set up in a very functional manner, so that each and every child learns. So, how do you go to make this happen? Read on!

Comfort

The first thing that you can do is to make sure that the kids are comfortable. If they are too hot or too cold, then they are not going to think right. They are not going to be focused on learning. You also need to make sure there are no distractions and that everything is as safe as possible. The thing to remember about children is that they have different needs than you. You can't base anything, such as the temperature, on what you feel is comfortable.

Atmosphere

The room needs to have some atmosphere. This is why many classrooms have decorations everywhere. When they find the room warm, inviting & fun, kids will relax. They will see school not as a task, but something fun. While students might not do better because of this, it puts them at ease and it helps them to feel not as intimidated by the classroom. Not every child will be Einstein, but you can still try to help each one become their best!

Tools

Visual aids are nice to have, as they help kids who need to see how things are to be done. You also want to have as many books as possible, to appeal to every interest and demographic out there. Kids will only be successful if they are excited to read/learn. Next, make sure you have the right computer games and activities. A quick Google search will help you figure out which are best for your kids, budget & subject.

Space

Children need their own space when they are in the classroom. They sometimes think of this as their second home as they spend so much time here. Fortunately, there is a way to make them feel right at home. Offering chairs to sit in that are inviting is one way. Put them in the reading corner. Adding pets to the classroom can help others feel right at home too. Giving them their own space, such as the good old cubby hole, can help them to feel as they have a space to really call their own.

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How to Make Your Classroom Conducive for Learning

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As a teacher, you know that kids need structure. They need things a certain way if they are going to learn. Well, it all starts right in your very own classroom. You need to be sure that your classroom is set up in a very functional manner, so that each and every child learns.

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Student-centred approaches that include physical movement are a form of kinesthetic learning that can be very effective, especially when introducing new concepts.

Characteristics and teaching strategies of kinesthetic students: These children account for 40% of the population. They are interested in new things, have strong curiosity, are quick to move, like extracurricular activities, love sports, like crafts, etc., and like to acquire knowledge through personal experience. They are always full of energy.

Kinesthetic: Touching & Doing

Kinesthetic learners typically enjoy "hands-on" experiences and prefer physical contact and movement. Early childhood children are naturally active, so kinesthetic learning plays an influential role in children's English learning. Children can participate in learning through imitation, mime, rhythmic exercises, dance, crafts, and other fun activities, while improving both their physical and mental well-being.

• Encourage students to role-play during the learning process.

• Have your students walk around the classroom or walk outside to release extra energy. Meet the outdoor activity

• According to the characteristics of kinesthetic learners, experiential teaching is more suitable, through learning in teaching activities, making knowledge trees by yourself, explaining knowledge to others, etc.

• imitation

• Action games

• Learning from doing

• Learn on the move

• Alternate study with activity

• Have children give lectures to parents Group discussion

Peer mentoring of other students

Debates

Practical/ Rehearsals

Computer learning

Roleplay

Writing newspaper/ blog articles

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Kinesthetic Learners Study Tips THAT WORK!

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Literature Circle Implementation Steps

1.    Engage students in the concept of a Literature Circle by explaining the purpose, the reason and the procedures that make up this activity. Consult the Literature Circle Roles Powerpoint resource below for guidance.

2.    Determine the roles for students within the literature circle group and then explain the different roles and their importance to the students. Use this resource to get started with developing literature circle roles or consult the Literature Circle Role cards resource below to determine and develop roles.

o   Optional: Consider developing literature circle roles with students by having students brainstorm roles on an anchor chart and the narrowing down that list as a class.

3.    Model a literature circle discussion with a few students using a sample text, Then be sure to debrief the modeled discussion and the roles played by participants in the Literature Circle.

4.    Introduce clear objectives to the Literature Circle and consider displaying them on an anchor chart. To learn more about Anchor Charts, consult the Anchor Chart strategy. For example, some objectives could be that students should:

o   respond to questions and discussion with relevant and focused comments.

o   respond to a question with textual evidence

o   identify and analyze literary elements in text.

o   ask relevant questions to clarify understanding.

5.    Before engaging in a literature circle, have students meet in their groups to assign literature circle roles. Each student in the group should have one role, so be sure to develop groups so that there is a clear role for each student in the group.

6.    Once students know what their role in the group will be, give them time to write out their thoughts and prepare for their role (e.g.,  if a student is assigned to be in the role of discussion director, they should write out questions they want to ask the group in advance of the group's meeting).

7.    Give students an allotted period of time in their literature circles. Consider giving each student a certain amount of time in their role before moving on to the next person in the group to share out on his or her role.

8.    After engaging in the literature circle, run a debrief so that students get a chance to share their Literary Circle discussions and learnings with the rest of the class.

Tech Tools

Flipgrid

·       Flipgrid is a video discussion platform great for generating class discussion around topics, videos, or links posted to the class grid. Students can video record their responses to share with the teacher or class.

·       Set up Flipgrid and students can record the video of their Literature Circles and upload them for the whole class to see. Or, students can engage in a virtual literature circle where they each post their comments and feedback on flipgrid.

Padlet

·       Padlet is a digital corkboard type tool that students can use to gather information or reflections. Teachers can easily access each students' Padlet with a shared link.

·       Set up a padlet for each group and have a column for each group member to share their thoughts electronically. The padlets can be saved and shared with the class.

Choral reading is a strategy that teachers can use to allow students to practice their reading fluency. During choral reading, students read aloud in unison, typically as a group, but students may also read individual lines alone or in pairs. The teacher leads and models pace, pronunciation, and prosody. Reading aloud can sometimes cause anxiety, and this activity relieves the pressure of individually reading aloud.  For older students, it is also a useful strategy for reading directions, poetry, and even Shakespeare.

Implementation steps:

1.    Choose an appropriate story, poem, article, etc. for choral reading. Make sure the selected text is accessible. Select a text that will lend itself to a read aloud by considering rhyme, rhythm, intonation, and vocabulary. Keep your selection short, and one that can be read multiple times so as to increase fluency skills.

2.    Before starting, allow all students to preview the text. This can be done by the teacher modeling the reading aloud or the students reading aloud or silently to themselves. If you'd like individual students or pairs to read specific lines, let them know ahead of time.

3.    Read aloud together! The teacher should see him/herself as the conductor and the class is the chorus.

4.    Choral reading can be even more interactive by using the following strategies:

o   play with pace (fast/slow), sound (loud/soft), and voices (low/high).

o   use clapping, stomping, and movement to get students to emphasize words and phrases.

Resources:

https://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/choral-reading

Tech Tools

Seesaw

·       Seesaw allows for the documentation of artifacts, audio, video, and writing that can easily be shared with an entire class or with parents as students build their seesaw portfolio. Seesaw can also be used as a class discussion tool via its blog feature.

·       Use Seesaw to record students' reading sessions, play them back for feedback and also set up a portfolio.

Flipgrid

·       Flipgrid is a video discussion platform great for generating class discussion around topics, videos, or links posted to the class grid. Students can video record their responses to share with the teacher or class.

·       Set up Flipgrid and students can record the video of their reading sessions and upload them to the class.

Vocaroo

·       Vocaroo is a simple website that allows audio to be recorded through a computer's speakers. Recordings can be downloaded or shared through email.

·       Set up Vocaroo and students can record the video of their reading sessions and upload them to the class.

Book club and Reading Theatre

References:

https://teaching.betterlesson.com/strategy/178/literature-circles-and-book-clubs?_gl=1*18kva27*_ga*NTk2NjkyMDE0LjE2NjU1ODUwODU.*_ga_59EGWMTTME*MTY2NTU4NTA4Ny4xLjEuMTY2NTU4NTQ3Mi4wLjAuMA..

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Close Reading - Reading & Literacy Educational Video for Elementary Students #readingstrategies

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https://stanfield.com/movement-in-the-classroom/

Depending on the age of your class, you can incorporate movement into any classroom regardless of subject if you're willing to be a bit creative. There are many great resources for ideas. Here is one from stanfield.com.

Some of my favorite suggestions that incorporate movement as a central element to learning include:
- Doing math (or poetry, spelling, etc) with sidewalk chalk outside
- Review anything while passing a ball around (math, reading comp., spelling, content)

Edutopia.org also had some good ideas.
1. Four Corner Discussions
In this activity, student are given a statement to frame the the class, and choose a corner labeled Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. Once there, they discuss why they chose that answer with others who chose that. Students move, make decisions, and communicate with their peers. All great for learning!
2. Gallery Walks
The teacher posts variety of content/artifacts/articles/math problems around the classroom. Students get up and interact with them with ample time to see all of them. They summarize their findings on paper or in small group discussions.
3. Silent Discussion Boards
Similar to the gallery walk, but students actually write on paper around the room to answer a question or prompt.
4. Musical Discussions
Play music. Students walk around. When it stops they find the closest person. That's their partner for the next discussion question, math problem, or content review topic.

All the above options are great for getting students moving, and none of them require a lot of preparation for the teacher. In fact, I believe with activities like these, a little prep goes a long way! Let's get our students moving more. They learn better and stay much more engaged! It's a win-win for teachers and students.

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A culture shift seems to be taking place in our nation's schools. While some schools, driven by the desire to increase test scores, are shortening or eliminating recesses and requiring students to sit for longer and longer periods, other schools, inspired by the belief that more movement will help their students learn, are giving students longer, more frequent breaks. So, who is right? Do kids need to move? And if they do, at what age does that need stop? Is it just Kindergarteners, just grade schoolers? What happened to the days of rows of pupils sitting silently at their desks, absorbing all their teacher has to say?

Many studies have confirmed that movement helps with learning. Not just for young children, either. Movement helps everyone learn. Donna Wilson, psychologist, author, and writer at Edutopia, states: "Studies suggest that regular physical activity supports healthy child development by improving memory, concentration, and positive outlook. For example, researchers found that children who had an opportunity to run for 15 to 45 minutes before class were less distracted and more attentive to schoolwork. These positive effects lasted two to four hours after their workouts."

The benefits of movement are many. Students of all ages can benefit from moving more during the school day. Of course, more movement is also highly beneficial for children with special needs; especially students with Sensory Processing Disorders or ADHD. The following benefits are found in classrooms where movement is valued and practiced regularly:

Better Focus: Students who get plenty of opportunities to move throughout the day increase their ability to focus for certain amounts of time. Kids who get in vigorous exercise are even better able to sit still and focus when it is needed.

Better Health: Each year, children tend to move less and less. Childhood obesity is rising, and with it, a variety of health issues in children. Kids who get to move more during the day are healthier than their more sedentary peers. Their minds are clearer, their hearts are stronger, they feel better, and so, they focus better.

Brain Connections: Certain types of movement help students learn. Crossing the midline can help students with some types of disorders who are having difficulty making connections between their right and left brain. These types of movements teach the two halves of the brain to 'talk' to each other:

Happier Kids: Movement boosts mood, reduces stress, and helps students feel happier and more content at school.

Incorporating Movement

There are many times you may want to incorporate movement into the school day. For example:

Take a Break: Beyond recess time, students need regular breaks to move around the classroom. Here are a few ideas of fun things to do during whole class 'brain breaks.'

Dance

Play a movement game such as Simon Says or Mother May I?

Go for a walk

Do some stretches

Do Arm circles

Run in place

Morning Routine: Incorporating movement into your daily routine makes it easier to be consistent and to give students opportunities to move regularly. The morning routine is an especially important piece of the day and a prime time to incorporate movement.

Songs with actions

Whole class games such as charades

Active Greetings: Give students two minutes to walk around the classroom and actively greet their peers (high five, fist bump, etc.)

During Learning: Movement isn't just for taking a break; it can be incorporated right into your lessons. Integrating movement into learning helps students retain knowledge better. Teach Magazine states: "Movement also helps to stimulate the hippocampus-the part of the brain that is associated with memory. After a student has moved, their hippocampus is more efficient at storing information as well as creating the necessary neural connections to recall the information quicker when needed."

Give students the option to stand.

Incorporate a variety of seating arrangements to facilitate movement.

Practice math or spelling outside with chalk

Practice spelling words, math equations, or new vocabulary while tossing a ball

Do jumping jacks, push ups, lunges, etc. while counting or reciting times tables

TPR or Total Physical Response. This is a method of teaching in which students repeat after the teacher including movements.

Emotional Regulation: Movement helps students to regulate their emotions. Movement isn't all jumping jacks and running; incorporate slower, more purposeful movement as well.

By: Amy Curletto Amy has been teaching for 12 years in grades K-2. She has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and also has endorsements in reading and ESL. Besides education, her other passion is writing and she has always dreamed of being a writer. She lives in Utah with her husband, her 3 daughters, and her miniature schnauzer. She enjoys reading, knitting, and camping.

Deep breathing. Teach students to breath in through their nose and out their mouth. Proper deep breathing has an excellent effect on mood and can help students calm themselves. .

Yoga: Teach students a few yoga poses or follow a yoga for kids video

Do stretches to calming music.

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A culture shift seems to be taking place in our nation's schools. While some schools, driven by the desire to increase test scores, are shortening or eliminating recesses and requiring students to sit for longer and longer periods, other schools, inspired by the belief that more movement will help their students learn, are giving students longer, more frequent breaks.

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

This article helps teachers plan for student-centered online learning by asking about how students will engage with three crucial areas:
1. Content - What will students DO with the content they've learned that's meaningful?
2. Students (Peers) - How will students interact with their peers online in a meaningful way?
3. Instructor - How can the instructor's interaction online most benefit the student in this lesson?

When thinking about these three areas, I can see that Moreland is set up with these things in mind. Each activity requires us as students to interact with the content and each other in  meaningful ways. The instructors provide feeback and help introduce the topic to us in various ways during our weekly Zoom session.

As a teacher, I would add more instructor interaction in the online learning environment for the students. For example, posting a video of my teaching before class to preface a Q&A time in class. Voice-over-screen videos for introducing a new project or new tech to students. Lastly, having "office hours" available and regular one-on-one Zoom meetings with students would be highly beneficial to students needing extra help or clarification.

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While online and remote education may not be synonymous, today's new remote educators can benefit from the "lessons learned" by experienced online educators to provide high-quality, engaging learning experiences for their students.

Credit: LOVE YOU / Shutterstock.com © 2020

As faculty have endeavored to get traditional campus-based courses up and running remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the immediate needs of sharing course content with students, delivering lectures, and providing access to course materials were likely the top priorities. This approach makes sense, especially in the preparatory period before a class begins or when an instructor is getting ready to shift from on-campus to remote instruction. However, it's important not to stop there. Providing access to content is a great first step, but access on its own does not make for a quality learning experience. Engaging students is essential for promoting a deep understanding of course content. But how can we engage students in remote learning environments?

There has already been discussion in the higher education community about how online education and remote instruction are not synonymous. Online educators, sensitive to skepticism about the efficacy of online education, are concerned that faculty who have negative perceptions of online education will associate problems with emergency remote education with non-emergency online course design and teaching. Higher education professionals have cautioned against equating remote and online delivery methods.

While online and remote education may not be synonymous, today's new remote educators can benefit from the "lessons learned" by experienced online educators who are providing high-quality, engaging learning experiences for their students. The one "lesson learned" I see as the most significant for faculty as they begin to teach from a distance is to consider the new learning environment from a student-centered perspective.

Many online educators have found that a helpful way to think about teaching in a student-centered fashion is to focus on creating three forms of interaction for students in the online environment:

Student-content interaction, where instructors provide active learning experiences for students (meaningful learning activity plus reflection)

Student-student interaction, where instructors structure the learning community and make it clear to students how they should interact with others in the class

Student-instructor interaction, where instructors create a framework for how they will interact with students during the learning experience

These three forms of interaction don't happen spontaneously. They require planning, intention, and instructional design. Furthermore, these three types of interaction aren't prescriptive-they do not require the use of a particular type of learning activity or assessment. Through these interactions, we are reaching for broad goals that can be achieved in many different ways.

Finally, it's important to recognize that the three forms of interaction do not require a specific set of enterprise-wide educational technologies. To put a student-centered approach to teaching into action, educators need to take stock of the tools and technologies they have available and then ask themselves three questions about how to use them.

Three Questions to Consider in Student-Centered Remote Teaching

To take a student-centered approach to remote teaching, consider the tools you have at your disposal, and ask three questions about your course:

1. How will my students interact with the course content? Beyond reading, listening to/viewing lectures, what will students actually DO with the course content? And how can they do so in their homes?

2. How will my students interact with other students? Beyond completing assignments and assessments independently, how will students work together to ensure that they feel like they are part of a learning community and have the opportunity to collaborate, think critically, be intellectually challenged, and make meaning with others? And how can students work with others while they are isolated in their homes?

3. How will my students interact with me, their instructor? Now that you aren't in the classroom with your students, how will students be able to interact with you? How might you guide student learning while also being flexible and trying to accommodate different student needs? What assignment expectations do you need to convey? What information do you need to clarify for students?

Asking these questions can help you see the course from the student's point of view and think about remote instruction in a new way. When preparing a course for remote delivery, sharing course content online can feel overwhelming. It can be helpful to extend your thinking beyond content delivery to these three forms of student interaction.

In online course design, a lot of time and effort is invested in creating an architecture of engagement where these three forms of interaction can take place. The current health crisis has not allowed for the amount of development time any of us would have preferred, but there are some easy-to-implement instructional methods that you can use to help encourage student engagement when delivering courses remotely.

Student-Content Interaction

Student-content interaction is all about having students DO something with the course content or topic. Reading and listening to lectures will be part of many classes, but the passive receipt of information isn't sufficient to help students engage with the course and meet course learning outcomes. Instead, we should create opportunities for active learning, which is when students DO something meaningful related to the course content and then reflect on their learning.

After students complete a course reading, ask them to do a follow-up assignment. Here are a few examples:

Write a summary.

Create an annotated visual on a PowerPoint slide that shows your key take-away from the reading.

List five of your take-aways and one question you have based on the reading.

Identify what you as a reader find to be the clearest point in the reading and the muddiest point

Diagram a process.

Make an infographic.

Write an op-ed based on the content.

After students attend a synchronous lecture via web conference, ask them to complete a follow-up activity:

Participate in a "think-pair-share" activity: The instructor poses a question, asks students to jot some notes down independently to form initial thoughts, distributes students into breakout rooms to discuss, and then pulls the class back together as a group to discuss and synthesize.

Complete a poll to check comprehension.

Illustrate ideas on the web conference whiteboard.

Flip the web conference "lecture" by asking students to come prepared to discuss topics they have already read up on.

Give students the opportunity to lead a discussion.

Other learning activities will vary by discipline and level of study. Consider these examples for inspiration:

Completing kitchen lab experiments and lab reports

Doing backyard or video "field" observations and field reports

Analyzing data sets and creating data visualizations

Preparing and giving multimedia presentations, including Q&As from classmates

Creating infographics, web pages, blog posts, collages, memes, or digital images related to course content

Student-Student Interaction

When students interact with each other, they feel like they are part of a learning community, but this interaction also helps students engage in higher-order thinking that would be more challenging to accomplish if they were studying alone. Through collaboration, students brainstorm, deliberate, disagree, compromise, and achieve consensus-all ways of thinking that are difficult to do singly.

When you are remote teaching, consider employing some of the following strategies to encourage effective student-student interaction:

Discussion forums in a learning management system
Ask students to participate in a role-play or debate activity using online forums or web conference tools.

Peer review activities for writing assignments and projects

Group projects

Group presentations

Think-pair-share

Study groups

Individual projects

Ask students to create a resource guide for future students.

Ask students to design a board game based on course content.
To facilitate this project, you could suggest that students adapt or create a trivia game, board game, etc.).

Students can arrange their own meetings, or they may choose to use other video conference solutions such as Skype. They can collaborate using Google Drive, Box, or other web-based tools.

Student-Instructor Interaction

The third form of interaction is student-instructor interaction, which should involve more than just answering student questions. For fully online classes, the US Department of Education requires that instructors provide regular, substantive, and instructor-led interactions to distinguish online classes from correspondence courses. These guidelines help online instructors provide strong student-instructor interaction. Remote instructors can use these guidelines to help engage students, too.

Some examples of how to facilitate student-instructor interaction when remote teaching follow:

Participate and engage with students about the course content via discussion forums in a learning management system.

Record and post a short video to introduce a major assignment and then hold a Q&A session.

Provide detailed feedback on assignments (written and/or recorded).

Use voice-over screen recordings using tools such as Screencast-O-Matic to provide demonstrations, discussions of diagrams/graphs, slides, and illustrations.

Hold writing conferences to discuss draft assignments.

Hold open or by-appointment office hours by web conference, phone, or text message.

Create a video (with your pets, family, etc.) in your home or a safe outdoor environment to provide social presence.

While remote instruction during an emergency pandemic is not the same as carefully designed online education, remote educators can take some notes from experienced online colleagues about how to bridge the distance. Thinking of the learning experience from a student-centered perspective is one valuable take-away. There are many, many others.

An earlier version of this blog post was published on the OSU CTL blog.

Note

See, for example, A. Sasha Thackaberry, "Remote in a Time of Pandemic: Six Consideration As We Adapt to COVID-19," The Evolution, March 20, 2020; Deb Adair, "Open Letter to the QM Community," March 23, 2020; and Cynthia Golden, "Remote Teaching: The Glass Half-Full," Transforming Higher Ed (blog), EDUCAUSE Review, March 23, 2020. ↩

Note

Thanks to Clare Creighton, Dorothy Loftin, Deborah Mundorff, Meghan Naxer, and Weiwei Zhang for their contributions to this blog post.

Shannon Riggs is the Executive Director of Academic Programs and Learning Innovation at Oregon State University Ecampus.

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student-centered remote teaching: lessons learned from online education

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Student-Centered Remote Teaching: Lessons Learned from Online Education

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While online and remote education may not be synonymous, today's new remote educators can benefit from the "lessons learned" by experienced online edu

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There are certain student-centered approaches or techniques that include physical movement that could be used in any subject such as:

Independent projects

Group discussion

Peer mentoring of other students

Debates

Field-trips

Practical/ Rehearsals

Computer learning

Portfolio development

Poster presentations

Mind maps

Role play

Writing newspaper/ blog articles

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This workspace - all pages, files, comments etc - has been deleted. Please update your links and bookmarks.

If you want another free public or private workspace, just click here to make your own!

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This workspace - all pages, files, comments etc - has been deleted. Please update your links and bookmarks. If you want another free public or private workspace, just click here to make your own!

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Examples of Pre-Assessment

one-on-one conversations

journals

KWL Charts

graphic organizers

questionnaires

pre-tests

concept maps

skill checks

drawings

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How can you implement assessment so that it enhances student-centered learning?

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How could you design the physical environment of the classroom, including technology, to be conducive to student-centered learning? Alternately, how would you design the learning tool kit of your students' online learning environment?

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by Terry Heick

Student-centered teaching is simply the process of teaching with student needs 'first.'

In 28 Student-Centered Instructional Strategies, we expanded some on the idea, explaining:

"This means that planning often begins with the student in mind as opposed to a school policy or curriculum artifact, for example. Done well, it can disarm some of the more intimidating parts of academia, while also shortening the distance between the student and understanding. Put another way, student-centered teaching is teaching that is 'aware' of students and their needs above and beyond anything else. It places students at the center of the learning process."

To begin to make sense of what 'student-centered learning' means in a modern classroom, we've provided some examples below. We didn't get too carried away and progressive with it-our goal was to help clarify for practicing teachers in existing K-12 classrooms a useful definition for student-centered learning.

Examples of Teacher-Centered (Not Student-Centered)

1. Being clear about how to do well in your class

2. Admonishing students to 'think'

3. Helping students master content

4. Helping students continuously practice and revise how they perform on one assessment form

5. Creating curriculum and instruction around standards

6. Handing students a rubric or scoring guide

7. Letting students choose the project's product

8. Choosing 'power standards' in a staff meeting in the middle of a summer PD with the other 4 teachers from your department or grade level

9. Allowing students to choose from two novels that are unlike anything they've ever seen or experienced in their lives

10. Worksheets, essays

11. Giving struggling readers a few extra minutes to read a 17-page short story

12. Starting class with a standard and target

13. Giving an on-demand assignment even though you just finished a writing piece or unit

14. Framing learning in terms of letter grades and certificates and completion

15. Grading every assignment and recording those grades (which makes everything a student does a matter of their permanent record)

Examples of Student-Centered (Not Teacher-Centered)

1. Being clear about how you will promote, measure, and celebrate understanding

2. Modeling 'how to think' for students

3. Helping students understand what's worth understanding

4. Diversifying what you accept as evidence of understanding

5. Creating curriculum and instruction around a need to know

6. Collaborating with students to create the rubric or scoring guide

7. Letting students choose the project's purpose

8. Choosing 'power standards' from your curriculum after meeting with both students, parents, and community members that voice their unique societal and cultural needs

9. Letting students choose their own media form that reflects the purpose of the reading

10. Choice boards

11. Placing struggling readers in a lit circle that gives them an authentic role that they can be successful in, allows them to hear oral fluency and reading speed model and keeps them from feeling 'broken'

12. Starting class with a story

13. Using the on-demand writing prompt as the summative assessment

14. Framing learning in terms of process and growth and purpose

15. Choosing what's graded carefully, and considering other work as practice

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15 Examples of Student-Centered Teaching

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by Terry Heick Student-centered teaching is simply the process of teaching with student needs 'first.' In 28 Student-Centered Instructional Strategies , we expanded some on the idea, explaining: "This means that planning often begins with the student in mind as opposed to a school policy or curriculum artifact, for example.

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This is more from my own experience rather than research. I like to use applications such as Kognity and, especially, IXL. IXL adjusts the difficulty of the questions to the student's ability. If a student is unable to solve a certain problem, IXL will suggest an easier problem that leads students towards being able to solve the more difficult problem. This is a great tool to encores students who are not very strong or need support to practice. They can all feel like they are progressing and getting closet toward the goal.

Sources:
My own experience and talking to other teachers using the software.

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Student Design
Students help with the classroom decorations. Whether it is words they wrote or ideas they came up with based on existing quotes, students can contribute to the decoration of the classroom in which they will learn. This will give them ownership and make them feel more comfortable as it is their design.

Comfort and Flexibility
Much like coffee shops with comfortable seating, classrooms can have softer seating and bigger tables that allow students to feel more at home while also promoting group work and collaboration. Additionally, instead of having students strictly facing the front of the classroom as is common in classrooms of the past, students can face each other and may even sit in wheeled chairs. This will give flexibility in group work as well as providing ease for students if there are multiple points of interest and screens around the room rather than the traditional single chalkboard at the front of the room.

Classroom Layout
As stated above, students can have their seating arranged differently rather than just having desks facing only the front of the room. However, any changes should be partially decided by the students rather than merely a decision by the teacher. Setting up the classroom this way reduces the teacher-centered power dynamic, sharing it among the teacher and the students and giving more attention to the students' ideas.

Free of Clutter
This is a simple way to ensure that the classroom is safe for students moving around, especially if some of the above ideas are implemented. Students can easily wheel themselves around on their wheeled chairs when the floor and areas surrounding their seating are clear. This will also help students to feel less anxiety.

Sources:
https://edcircuit.com/designing-classroom-student-centered-learning/

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

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

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There's no doubt that learning environments play an important role in student success. That's why it's so important that teachers know how to create flexible classroom layouts, giving students a voice and even a daily choice in terms of their own learning.

Flexible learning environments can inspire students and keep them motivated. We look at why this is and how to adopt this model into your own classroom.

Creating Flexible Teaching and Learning Spaces

To create a successful learning environment, there are many factors to first consider. First and foremost, the needs of both learning and teaching must be balanced, according to intelligent learning space provider Envoplan. This ensures that both teachers and students achieve the most fruitful experience possible from the classroom space.

Next, the balance needs to extend between learners. One of the many benefit of flexible learning environments is that they allow space to test and optimize learning for each child or set of children. A successful learning environment can differ between groups of students, so a space designed to be flexible allows teachers to cater to these strengths as needed. Cristel Hutchinson at furniture manufacturer Haskell, says teachers can take a note from the design industry to test out what works for each group of students.

Since designers always test out prototypes and gather feedback from users before reaching the ideal design, teachers might consider testing out new layouts and asking students how they feel. In turn, this can make students feel more involved in their own learning, which can make them feel more connected to their personal success.

If you're interested in flexible learning environments but aren't sure where to start, an article by furniture design company Smith System lists its benefits and offers a few ideas for tackling the challenge. In the article, educator Kelly Almer stresses that it takes time and patience to adopt a more flexible room. It won't always work the first time, and it will require strategy and testing. However, being patient and prioritizing functionality can ensure that the switch is both fruitful and sustainable.

Increasing Student Choice

Flexible learning environments are becoming a priority in schools because they enable teachers to create unique environments that emphasize student choice. As explained by the office interiors provider Connecting Elements, flexible furniture gives students more autonomy regarding where and how they learn. As a result, this empowers them to feel more in control of their education, which may improve focus and productivity.

Justin Raudys at Prodigy agrees that flexible seating is an important way to expand student choice. He cites a teacher who uses bean bag chairs in a classroom with a large number of high needs students. The teacher says that providing seating choice allows mutual respect and trust to build between teachers and students, which are two key factors for improving learning outcomes.

In contrast, rigid classroom environments that don't change can actually have a negative impact on student learning outcomes, according to Clear Touch Interactive. Being stuck in a stagnant space that doesn't change visually or physically can cause one's mindset to also become stuck in the same thought patterns, making it harder to think outside the box.

Adaptable Work Spaces

Creating a more flexible classroom starts with using adaptable student desks and chairs. Mobile work spaces provide opportunities for individualization, which Learning Transformed authors Eric Sheninger and Thomas C. Murray say allow students to create a learning environment that bests suits their learning style.

Educational writer Bella Abdurachmanov at The Learning Mind agrees that moveable desks and chairs let students design their own workspaces, depending on what they require that day. If a student wants a more quiet space one day, for example, there could be options in the classroom for sitting solo. On the other hand, there might also be options for sitting in a group.

Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, adds that the latter is especially important, as it enables students to engage in equal discussions. Having desks that can be easily moved into a circle, for example, can promote fruitful collaboration amongst students.

This also reflects a growing shift away from the traditional classroom model, where the teacher lectures at the front of the room. Creating opportunities for students and their teacher to work collaboratively helps decrease power dynamics and place more focus on student ideas.

Examples of Creative Desks and Seating

To see what adaptable desks and chairs in a classroom might look like, consider this roundup of classroom layout ideas by the Plato to Playdough blog. Here, founder Malia Hollowell showcases a wide variety of real-world flexible classroom environments.

One desk layout uses soft yoga balls instead of chairs, which can create a more dynamic seat for younger kids and keep them focused. Another idea is to add a working area with foldable beach chairs, which can change things up and keep learning fun.

A reading spot with a special feature could make learning even more exciting for younger students. The Simplified Classroom blog showcases a canvas teepee in one classroom. Sitting in the teepee to read is a privilege that can be earned after successful completion of chores, like putting things away and cleaning. So in addition to being a playful and creative classroom workspace that inspires creativity, the rules around using the teepee also teach responsibility and independence.

Edutopia executive producer Stephen Merrill highlights another teacher who uses flexible seating as a way to teach responsibility. In that classroom, there are multiple styles of chairs and seating, including high-top tables and a sofa. By setting expectations for how each workspace is to be used, students learn to sit in a place they can experience most success for the task at hand.

Comfortable, Welcoming Environments

A flexible, student-centered learning environment is one that feels comfortable and welcoming. The Room 241 team at Concordia University Portland points out that students can't learn well when they feel uncomfortable.

That's why it's so important to emphasize creature comforts in the classroom and make it a safe place in which to relax, share and learn. Keeping the classroom clean is a simple way to make students feel at ease, as messes and clutter can cause anxiety that deters student learning outcomes. Plus, clean classrooms emphasize flexibility because it's easier to move furniture and adapt to learning needs at a moment's notice when you don't have to clear clutter out of the way.

Another way to make classrooms more comfortable for students is to adorn walls with colorful stimulation and complexity. E-learning provider SweetRush points out that these two factors are key in enhancing the learning experience for students. Hanging art on the wall is an easy way to achieve both of these marks.

Creating a large bulletin board or other presentation space for hanging art can keep student work organized. The art can be changed on a monthly basis to keep things fresh for both teachers and students.

Blogger and kindergarten teacher Greg Smedley-Warren gives an example of how to organize a student work wall. He uses colorful, vinyl mustaches with clothespins, placed neatly in rows on the entryway wall into his classroom. Seeing their work displayed as they enter makes students feel excited and proud and can set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

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Flexible Classroom Design: How to Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment

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Flexible classroom design emphasize student choice and improve learning outcomes. Here's how to create a learning space that adapts to student needs.

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Self-Assessment
Students can identify their own strengths and weaknesses rather than relying on the teacher's assessment. I believe this is effective as it can reduce the pressure of taking formal assessments. When students self-assess according to established standards, they are getting feedback from themselves can identify on their own the areas in which they need to improve.

Peer Assessment
Students can assess each other's work, provided it is done according to established standards. As with self-assessment, I believe this also can reduce the anxiety students may experience when faced with formal assessments given by teachers.

Process Portfolios
Starting from basic to advanced, process portfolios provide a clear move from one extreme to the other and can encourage students in the progress they have made. Students themselves select the work and assignments to include themselves, giving them agency in the process. When students have established goals for themselves and their education, the act of selecting which pieces and assignments to add to the portfolio allows them to consider the success of those goals.

Exhibitions
Exhibitions are a way for students to display work they have completed throughout the year. It is a summative assessment, but there is feedback, revising, and formative assessment that occurs on the path to an exhibition.

Source:
https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/resource/assessment/
Note: This is a great resource as it not only summarizes the ideas listed above but also provides links detailing how to implement each of the assessments.

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Try out some of these four student-centered assessment practices: self-assessment, peer assessment, exhibitions, and process portfolios.

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Utilizing the right available space helps create a student-centred learning environment.
Below are 19 possible seating arrangements teachers can use in different lessons.

The “student-centred” approach shifts the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners. The teacher moves into a facilitator role and pays close attention to each student’s interests, abilities, and learning styles. Common student-centred learning activities include:

active learning (problem-solving answering questions, discussing, formulating questions, debating)

cooperative learning (collaboration with classmates)

inquiry-based instruction

project-based learning.

The appropriate seating arrangements will help students engage in the activities above.

Technology provides educators essential tools to create a student-centered learning environment. The careful integration of technology into the classroom provides teachers and students with a limitless amount of educational resources that transform learning – inspiring creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Successfully integrating technology and creating a blended, student-centred learning environment is no easy task. It requires a thorough analysis of the curriculum and a critical examination of pedagogy. While there is no best way to create this environment, determining which tools to use and how to use them requires elements of creativity, experimentation, collaboration, and patience.

sources:
https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-is-student-centered-learning/
https://knowingtechnologies.com/technology-in-the-classroom/

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Every lesson is different. There are many teaching methods for your lesson topics, so why not change your classroom interior based on your lesson? Sometimes, students have to work in groups, sometimes you give a presentation, sometimes you do some corner work. Every strategy needs an effective classroom arrangement.

In this post, I'll show you 19 possible classroom seating arrangements. I'll also mention the teaching methods that go with the arranged bench seating and at the end of this post, I added an interactive whiteboard with which you can create your own classroom seating chart.

19 types of seating arrangements for classrooms

1. Pairs

Let's start with one of the most used bench seating arrangements: Pairs. Pair up students and let them work individual or together. It's more fun with two but still gives you a nice overview. In this way, students can get their heads together when needed. If they have to work individually, let's say they have a test, you can place a binding folder between the students. Here, you can also easily divide your classroom into three columns of pairs. Ask, for example, the first column to answer question A, the second column to answer question B and the last column to answer question C. Go over the answers when they've finished. That way, you can speed up the classical work.

2. Grid

This seating arrangement is especially handy when testing your students or when you want them to work individually. They can't talk to each other or let their eyes wander on someone else's paper. I wouldn't recommend this seating arrangement in your classroom all the time. Students could get demotivated as they have no-one to "whisper" to.

3. Presentation

Get your students seated next to each other on one line. Repeat this a few times if you have enough classroom space. The purpose is to let students listen to the one in front of the classroom. This can be the teacher, or a student giving a presentation or demonstration. Seating your students this way is a good idea when you want them to focus on the front of the classroom. All students should be able to see something and it's easier for the one in the front to divide its attention and eye contact.

4. Groups of Four

Use small groups of four when you want your students to put their heads together. You can let them work on an assignment. You can also let them think about a question individually and ask them to deliberate with the other students in the group. Of course, just individual work is also possible. This seating arrangement just makes it a bit more social. When working with "groups of four" students get to sit with others all the time. They get to know each other better and make friends. This seating arrangement is a good idea to start the year.

5. Corner Work

When you're working on a big project or teaching a comprehensive topic with different aspects or themes, this seating arrangement will do just fine. Assign different tasks to each corner. For example, a (digital) crossword riddle, a quiz, a video with questions, a whiteboard exercise, ... All the assignments complete each other. Let your students shuffle so they've been to every corner and did every assignment. You can also use it to split up students with the same learning level. One corner where students get more instructions, the other has expansion exercises, one corner has noise-canceling headphones so students can concentrate, etc.

6. U-shape

The U-shape or the horseshoe. This classroom arrangement encourages discussion and makes it easy for the teacher to observe students and give one-on-one help. Don't use this desk arrangement for group work. This will be almost impossible.

7. Double U-shape

When you have more students or a smaller classroom, you can choose for the double U-shape arrangement. This allows you to put more students next to each other. It's very cozy but has some disadvantages as well. For example, it's harder for the teacher to go around in the classroom. One-on-one support is more or less off the table here. Students in the back might feel a bit left out as well. It's best to use this arrangement when giving a presentation or when teaching in front of the classroom.

8. U-shape Large Classroom

You can see where I'm going here. Let's say you have a large classroom and a lot of students, then you can definitely use this student desk arrangement. In contrast to the double u-shape arrangement, this u-shape for in a large classroom doesn't really cast students out. There's no separate "U" in the front, which makes it more open to the students in the back.

9. Conference Small Classroom

Are you teaching a small group of students? In that case, the conference classroom arrangement is a possibility. The "conference classroom" gives your students an "equal voice" and a snapshot of a business meeting room. Use the conference seating arrangement when making classroom rules, planning an event, for an intervention, a class discussion, etc. You can also practice speech (foreign language) by letting the students facing each other talk to each other. Let them switch places and move on to the next student in line and talk about another topic.

10. Conference Large Classroom

Don't worry though, there's a conference classroom layout for many students and a large classroom as well. Use this just like mentioned above. The only thing that's not possible is letting students face each other and talk directly to them. Don't use it for group work either.

11. Herringbone

This interesting student desk arrangement serves two purposes. It is rows of two, three or four, but slightly turned so they face the center of the classroom. This way, students give full attention to the teacher or students at the front of the classroom, and they can join in on a classroom discussion easily. You can also let your students work together with the ones on their row.

12. Rows

This is used most of the time in higher education when students have to listen to the teacher in the front. Here, the teacher can't give any one-on-one feedback as it's hard to reach students in the middle. It's a seating arrangement to get as many students in one classroom.

13. Computer Combination

Any of the other classroom seating arrangements work with portable devices like laptops, chromebooks or tablets. When you're in a classroom with student desks and computers, you can use this classroom layout. It gives you an overview of your students' computers.

14. Butterfly

This one is probably new to you. Let your students work individually, yet they sit together. This middle of the butterfly serves as a place where students go for extra instructions or a new assignment. Everything will be spread out on those desks in the middle. The teacher will be available to give more guidance when needed as well.

15. Eye

Use eye-formation when you're setting up a debate or discussion. Select a group of students that will debate in the middle of the eye. The rest will be the audience.

16. Circle

The circle is a classic seating formation in which you encourage your students to join a classroom talk or discussion. It's more or less the same as the conference classroom seating.

17. Large Groups

Split your classroom into two large groups. Let the groups work on bigger projects like organizing an event, putting together a play, setting up their own "company", keep a political meeting with different representatives,etc. Keep in mind that it might get loud in your classroom.

18. Horseshoes

Use this classroom desk arrangement to encourage discussion in smaller groups. Introduce some bold statements or "problems" about your teaching topic and let your students discuss them in their groups (in a foreign language you're teaching languages). Encourage your students to come to a consensus or a solution to the problem.

19. Banquet

Use this classroom seating layout for two things:

Let students talk to the one facing them (discussion, practice a foreign language, get to know each other, etc.).

Divide your classroom into two groups. Let them work together on bigger projects like in number 17. Let them organize an event, put together a play, set up their own "company", etc.

Create your own classroom seating arrangement

I guess these are more or less all the possible classroom seating arrangements. Of course, you can make combinations of different classroom layouts and adapt them to your own classroom and available space. Use this basic lesson plan template with a whiteboard below. Use the stickers I created to set up your own classroom layout for your teaching purpose. It's not a classroom seating arrangement app, but it comes close. It gives you much more freedom as you can draw your own classroom setup. Check out this tool (the worksheet widget) on BookWidgets!

This worksheet is created with BookWidgets - Click to open

Wrap up

Every classroom is different. The most important thing is that students feel confident and trust the classroom environment. Make sure to move around your student desks from time to time so you have the perfect classroom seating arrangement for your lesson.

Share this post with other teachers to inspire them! A little variety in class is always nice.

Let us know on Twitter what your favorite type of seating arrangement is! If you have any other setup ideas or a fun combination in your classroom, be sure to share them in our Facebook Group.

Find me on LikedIn! My name is Lucie.

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19 Classroom seating arrangements fit for your teaching

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Every lesson is different. There are many teaching methods for your lesson topics, so why not change your classroom interior based on your lesson? Sometimes, students have to work in groups, sometimes you give a presentation, sometimes you do some corner work. Every strategy needs an effective classroom arrangement.

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Student-Centered Assessment

Self-Assessment

Self-assessment is simply a matter of having students identify strengths and weaknesses in their own work and revise accordingly. Effective self-assessment involves students comparing their work to clear standards and generating feedback for themselves about where they need to make improvements. This guide provides a clear definition and steps for implementing self-assessment effectively in the classroom. It looks specifically at the use of rubrics and checklists and provides examples of each.

Peer Assessment

Peer assessment consists of students giving informed feedback to one another on an assignment. Effective peer assessment is related to clear standards and is supported by a constructive process of critique. This guide provides a clear definition and steps for implementing peer assessment effectively in the classroom. It looks specifically at the use of The Ladder of Feedback technique and provides an example.

Process Portfolios

A process portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that documents student growth from novice to master. Successful process portfolios actively engage students in their creation, especially in determining their goals, selecting work to be included, and reflecting on how each piece demonstrates progress toward their goals.  This guide provides a clear definition and steps for implementing process portfolios effectively in the classroom. It provides links to online examples of portions of students’ portfolios including a personal statement, a student reflection of development in written communication, and a full biology process portfolio.

Exhibitions

An exhibition is a high-stakes demonstration of mastery that occurs at a culminating academic moment, such as the end of a school year or at graduation. Exhibitions are summative assessments, but the process of building up to a final exhibition includes ongoing assessment, feedback, and revision. This guide provides a clear definition, outlines components of effective exhibitions, and details the supportive conditions needed to implement them. It also provides links to several examples.
Sources:
https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/resource/assessment/

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Try out some of these four student-centered assessment practices: self-assessment, peer assessment, exhibitions, and process portfolios.

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Self-Directed Learning

The environment of a self-directed learning classroom is structurally different from the classic lecture-based set-up. Students are encouraged to set themselves up into a position and environment where they are most comfortable so that they can learn in the way that is most effective for them. While the learning is self-directed, for most students guidelines, structures, and goal posts are crucial to most student's success. Encourage the learner to set their own pace, determine how they should be assessed, and rely on one another when they are stuck. Instead of defaulting to the instructor, students will turn to one another for help. This way, content is reinforced in those students who aid their peers while the struggling student receives the help that they need. Collaboration between the students benefits indirectly as well, as it fosters a more communal and positive environment for learning. Self-directed learning is inherently scaffolded and differentiated as the student's are determining their own ability and how to approach these limitations. The teachers job is to act as facilitator and mediator during the process.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC7159015/

as well as data from my own classroom this year. It has proven to be an incredibly effective tool.

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INTRODUCTION

The Institute of Medicine states that health-care professionals need to possess the skills associated with lifelong learning. This idea of lifelong learning is included in the Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) outcomes and the Accreditation Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) Standards 2016 standard 3 and 4. Becoming a lifelong learner requires health-care providers to be self-directed. Despite the popularity of this term among faculty members and accrediting bodies, there may be a lack of consensus among faculty members as to the exact definition of self-directed learning (SDL), how to implement SDL, and/or how to develop self-directed learners. Part of this discord may be because of the similarity in terminology with other educational terms (ie, self-paced learning or self-regulated learning). In this paper we will define SDL, differentiate it from similar terminology, and discuss the empirical evidence supporting its development within adult education.

Self-Directed Learning

Self-directed learning can be defined as the outcome of creating an experience that empowers learners to make decisions about the information they want to become proficient in. Self-directed learning may be seen primarily in the experiential setting, eg, when a patient presents with an unfamiliar disease state and students must find appropriate resources and learn about this information. Second, SDL may be seen in cocurricular activities as students learn about topics of interest to them. While SDL usually takes place in the experiential or co-curricular setting, the skills necessary for SDL should be introduced and developed in the didactic portion of the curriculum. This allows students to develop skills over time, otherwise known as scaffolding.

The primary underpinning of SDL is that students take responsibility for learning well beyond what is presented by an external body (eg, faculty member, the curriculum). In a more traditional educational setting, an instructor will provide learning objectives, assessments, and resources to help students learn the material. However, in SDL, the learner initiates the process by setting learning objectives, identifying assessments that allow feedback, and identifying resources to help them reach their goals. By taking the lead on their learning, the learner takes responsibility for many activities that are traditionally dictated by the instructor, who is now free to facilitate the learning.

The SDL approach is a fundamental shift for an educator because it moves them from being a purveyor of information to assume the role of facilitator of learning, motivator, designer of the learning situation, and often joining the students in earnest as a co-learner as they learn instructional skills (eg, facilitation) and knowledge (eg, context beyond their expertise). As such, SDL instills a sense of autonomy and mastery in the learner, and a sense of purpose into the educational process. In a well-designed SDL environment, students' motivation increases, as well as their feelings of control, confidence, and belief in themselves. Most importantly, it supports the unlimited learning potential and creativity of our students.

It is important to differentiate self-directed learning from self-paced learning and self-regulation (). Self-paced learning is when students have a deadline but complete learning activities at their own pace. Essentially, students are given the autonomy to choose when and for how long they work on various tasks. Self-paced learning does not involve the identification of learning goals or identifying resources to accomplish the goals, which are requirements for SDL. For example, giving students two weeks to read a chapter for class is self-paced, but because they do not determine what they learn, it is not self-directed. The learning goals and any needed resources are supplied by the instructor.

Table 1.

Self-regulation refers to the process of an individual guiding goal-directed activities over time, that is, acting in their own best self-interest. Self-regulation maximizes the long-term best interest of an individual, resulting in learners controlling their impulses and looking out for their own well-being. This regulation involves modulation of affective, cognitive, and behavioral processes throughout a learning experience to reach a desired level of achievement. Some important difference between self-regulated learning and self-directed learning are that self-regulated learning stems from cognitive psychology while SDL stems from adult education; self-regulation is mainly discussed within the academic environment while SDL usually takes place outside of the traditional classroom; with self-regulation, the task is imposed by the instructor, while in SDL, the student designs the learning environment; finally, self-regulation is a narrower construct than SDL. For example, a student can demonstrate self-regulation by spending extra time studying less familiar material and selecting appropriate study strategies to do so. However, this does not necessarily require the learner to identify their own goals of what they want to learn because the goals are set by the instructor.

Strategies to Develop Self-Directed Learners

Before creating educational activities to develop SDL, the instructor must first understand what SDL is and what the key components of the SDL process are. Self-directed learning can be described as a six-step process: developing goals for study; outlining assessment with respect to how the learner will know when they achieve those goals; identify the structure and sequence of activities; lay out a timeline to complete activities; identify resources to achieve each goal; and locate a mentor/faculty member to provide feedback on the plan.

In addition, developing self-directed learners requires a scaffolded approach in which more self-paced or teacher-directed activities are introduced early on, during didactic instruction, to help students become more self-regulated in their "self-directedness." Over time, as the student moves from the classroom to the experiential setting, control of the learning environment can be shifted from the instructor to the student. This scaffolding may include starting with more self-paced activities and providing guidance to the learner on how to be more self-regulated. Health professions programs may employ several educational components to help develop SDL: flipped classrooms, learning contracts, and minimal-guidance instruction.

A "flipped classroom" can be described as a learning model where students obtain some foundational material on their own, prior to class, and then class time is used to help apply that learned information. An example of a highly structured flipped classroom is team-based learning (TBL). Flipped classrooms have the potential to move students towards self-directed learning. First, students prepare prior to class through faculty-provided materials. This preparation allows students to develop confidence in self-regulation skills (eg, what to focus their time on, selecting appropriate study strategies, self-assessment) and self-pace learning (eg, "I need to get this done before class, but I am free to study when I want and for how long I want"). With the help of the instructor, the targeted content acquired outside of class can be applied, expanded upon, and worked with in such a way to reinforce and deepen learning. This may serve to model and assist the student in the development of the skills needed for future self-direction.

While in some flipped classrooms learning may cease when the class period ends or after completion of some post-lesson homework, learning in a flipped class can be made more self-directed by having students develop a small, individual-learning plan on how they might further explore the course topic. For example, prior to discussing hypertension, students could be given guided questions to use in navigating the most recent hypertension treatment guidelines. Prior to class, students should read the questions and try to answer them through interacting with the guidelines. This can help activate the student's prior knowledge of the topic, introduce them to a reliable resource (eg, clinical guidelines), and help them learn the basics of classifying hypertension and identifying first line therapies. Class time can then be used to apply this knowledge in novel ways. Towards the end of class, students can be asked to develop questions they want to further explore outside of class and devise a learning plan to let the instructor know they went beyond the classroom learning. For example, a student with an interest in pediatric medicine could develop questions and a learning plan focused on the therapeutic guidelines for hypertension in pediatric patients.

In crafting this plan, the student would have to proceed through the six steps of self-directed learning (). The first step is developing goals for study (ie, "I want to know how to treat hypertension in pediatric patients"). The second step is outlining assessment in terms of how the learner will know they have achieved those goals (ie, "I will provide an executive summary and maybe a flow chart to illustrate understanding of the hypertension guidelines"). Once the goals and measurable outcomes or deliverables are defined, the next step is to identify the structure and sequence of activities ("I will read the current guidelines for adults and see if there is mention of pediatric patients, and then conduct a literature search"). The fourth step is to draft a timeline to complete activities ("I will do this before the next class period"), and the fifth step is to identify resources to achieve each goal ("I will need to access current guidelines, UptoDate, PubMed, pediatric cardiology organizations"). Finally, the learner locates a mentor/faculty member to provide him or her with feedback on the plan ("I will ask the cardiology instructor and my former preceptor who specializes in pediatrics for help").

Table 2.

Another method that can be used to help promote SDL is through learning contracts. A learning contract is an agreement between the instructor and student that specifies the work the learner will complete in a given time period. Learning contracts can be used to keep individuals organized, normalize expectations, and increase communication between the learner and instructor. These contracts consist of five components, similar to that of the SDL process: learning objectives, learning resources and strategies, target date for completion, evidence of accomplishment, and criteria for evaluating. These can be used within courses, as independent studies, or even to help guide extra- or co-curricular activities.

As an example of effectiveness, one study in bachelor level nurses examined the use of learning contracts in mental health training. In the qualitative analysis, students reported an increased sense of control over their learning, which was conducive to the autonomy and responsibility of nurses. These contracts also empowered and motivated students. One of the major barriers was time. For instructors, it was more time spent supervising students. For students, it was limited time in a clinical setting to implement and benefit from the learning contract. Other barriers included unattainable goals and instructor anxiety because they were unfamiliar with how to facilitate the self-directed nature.

The last category we will discuss is minimally guided instructional approaches. This approach suggests that people learn best in an unguided or minimally guided environment. Popular formats for minimally guided instructions include problem-based learning (PBL) or inquiry-based learning (IBL). Because of the minimal guidance provided, this type of instruction may foster self-directed learning.

As an example, Lyons and colleagues reviewed some of the literature on the influence of a type of IBL, problem-based learning (PBL), on self-directed learning. The results of the review were mixed, making conclusions about the effectiveness of this approach difficult to ascertain, though most studies showed that PBL fosters self-directed learning. Effectiveness may be impacted by group size and how well instructors or students understand self-directed learning. Maastricht University's school of medicine was founded on a PBL framework and has reported the process eroding over time because of administrative, faculty, and student behaviors requiring focused intervention to revitalize the PBL process. It may be problematic for curriculums using PBL to foster self-directed learning and indicate that care needs to be taken to assure that the quality of the instructional environment is continually maintained. In addition, minimal guidance instruction probably only benefits learners when they have sufficiently high prior knowledge to provide their own guidance.

Assessing Self-Directed Learning

How do faculty members know they are helping students become more self-directed? Assessing a learner's progress in becoming self-directed is challenging. While faculty members can assess the results of self-direction (acquisition of skills and content), assessing their development of skills to engage in the SDL process is not that straightforward. Unfortunately, there is a lack of literature on how to objectively assess self-directed learning skills because the domains commonly assessed are affective in nature (problem solving, collaboration, communication, self-awareness, innovation and professionalism).

Self-reported measures are the dominant method to assess individual self-direction. In some cases, a standardized tool is used, such as the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale or the Oddi Continuing Learning inventory. These instruments may be more appropriate for assessing readiness for self-direction than an outcome-based measure. Outcomes-based assessment of SDL generally includes more qualitative methods as the focus is about constructing meaning and the personal development of affective domain-related skills from the experience. Thus, methods may include subjective approaches including reflection, interviews, and observation of behavior.

Challenges Encountered When Using a Self-Directed Learning Approach

Educators may encounter challenges when using self-directed learning and these challenges can be classified into a categories: time (eg, SDL may be less "efficient" than direct instruction), acceptance of change, assessment of student learning, motivation, and lack of expertise by the learner. Students who are novice learners in a specific domain may not be equipped to design their own learning goals or know where to find quality information in solving a problem. In some ways, traditional instruction occurs because the instructor has insight to the skills and knowledge a novice may need to develop and knows how to guide learning in a specific domain. To prepare students with the confidence and skills needed to develop into well-rounded health care providers, a foundation of SDL experiences should be strategically scaffolded into the didactic curriculum to prepare students for the more robust SDL required during advanced pharmacy practice experiences. In addition, student maturity level and confidence may also play a factor in readiness for SDL, causing skill development to vary between students. To overcome this particular barrier, targeted feedback from the instructor or coach is needed to help students refine and focus learning outcomes throughout the process.

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The Institute of Medicine states that health-care professionals need to possess the skills associated with lifelong learning. This idea of lifelong learning is included in the Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) outcomes and the Accreditation Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) Standards 2016 standard 3 and 4.

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MAKING EXTENSIVE READING EVEN MORE STUDENTCENTERED

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MAKING EXTENSIVE READING EVEN MORE STUDENTCENTERED

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https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED573765.pdf

Read this interesting research paper on Extensive Reading (ER) and ways to make it even more student centered learning (SCL).

Here are a few points that I liked from the paper:

1. Student Control: students can choose what they read. They can choose things at a higher or lower level than the class. They can read things that interest them, too.
2. Learning with peers: This is sort of like repeated reading. Students learn from each other when paired up.

They go on to list some other activities that  would make ER even more SCL. They make some great suggestions of how to do assessment of ER:

"a. Give a review (can be oral or written)
of the book to convince others to read
or not read it.
b. Tell/Write about the most
interesting/important/exciting part of
the book.
c. Read aloud an interesting/
exciting/well-written part of the book.
d. Role play the story or parts thereof.
e. Tell about something you learned from
the book. For example, you might
have learned children‟s feeling when
their parents pass away.
f. Use the knowledge gained from the
book to do something. For example, if
you read a book about badminton, you
could use the book to play badminton
better. Explain how the book helped
you.
g. Design front and back covers for the
book, with a drawing on the front and
a summary/blurb on the back. An
alternative to drawing would be
graphics, photographs, words, colour
designs, collages, and combinations of
these."

I recommend checking https://eric.ed.gov/ for other research papers.