Important features of a student-centered classroom

Best Tools for Virtual and Distance Learning

1. Predicting –It’s important to teach the students to predict the answers using the provided pictures, headings and scanning the text before reading.
2. Questioning – It’s essential to teach the students to come up with questions before, during and after reading to help them better understand the text.
3. Making Connections – It’s a good idea to teach the students to make connections with their real life experiences and stories to better understand the reading.
4. Summarizing – It’s important to teach the students the skill of summarizing. They need to know paraphrasing, choosing the main ideas and how to write a short summary.
5. Involvement: We can involve the students in all stages of reading. From predicting information to pre teaching vocabulary words, from skimming and scanning to answering reading comprehension questions, It is a good idea to help students feel involved and productive in the reading process. (Cranage, 8)

• Learner-centred assessment. Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2017, June 27). Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/assessing-student-work/grading-and-feedback/learner-centred-assessment 
• Virtual Lab School. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.virtuallabschool.org/preschool/learning-environments/lesson-2 
• Student-centered approaches and techniques for reading. tnjune17cohort3 [licensed for non-commercial use only] / Student-Centered Approaches and Techniques for Reading. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2022, from http://tnjune17cohort3.pbworks.com/w/page/119008734/Student-Centered%20Approaches%20and%20Techniques%20for%20Reading 

1. Voice
2. Choice
3. Competency based 
4. A continuous monitoring of students

• Classroom into a community - By involving students directly in the education process, and by enabling them to interact with one another, students begin to feel a sense of community.
• Develop trust and communication - communicate to students that what they say matters, and that you trust and value their input.
• Integrate technology - given the opportunity to integrate existing web tools and technology into the learning process, they become eager, anxious participants in just about any learning activity.
• Mutual respect and a quest for knowledge guide behavior–not rules - Engagement! If you keep activities engaging, behavior will rarely be an issue.
• Project-based learning activities - providing students with various project choices allows them to demonstrate what they're learning.
• Share decision making - by allowing them to be involved in deciding why, what, and how their learning experience will take shape.
• Opportunity to lead - fosters engagement, growth and empowers students to take ownership of the learning experience.
• Performance evaluation - learning, feedback and evaluation encourages students to resubmit assignments and work on projects until mastery is achieved.

• Stop Being the Expert - The goal is for students to learn and grow, and since self-discovery is a large part of that process, try prompting and guiding them rather than telling them.
  
  
• Let Students Explore - Teacher’s input comes after the students have a chance to explore, think and discuss their ideas. This is a powerful way to help the content stick.
  
  
• Plan Strategic Questions - Teachers should try prompting and guiding students to self-discovery through strategic questions.
  
  
• Use Cooperative Learning Structures Think-Pair-Share - This strategy is helpful for giving students opportunities to work individually and brainstorm
  Quiz-Quiz-Trade - allows students to review information with other students by asking and answering questions.
  Numbered Heads Together - holds each student accountable for learning the material.
• Let the move - makes students less fidgety and more focused on learning.

1. ​​Questioning -encouraging students to ask good questions is to engage them in taking a position on a concept or big idea from the reading. 
2. Imaging (Visualizing) - helps your students create a picture in their head of what they're reading.
3. Predicting - activates their prior knowledge about the text and help them make connections between new information and what they already know.
4. Inferring - Helps students understand when information is implied, or not directly stated, will improve their skill in drawing conclusions and making inferences.
5. Making Connections - allows students to relate what they read, see, do, and experience to themselves, to the world around them and/or to other things they have read, seen, or experienced previously.
6. Monitoring - When students monitor their comprehension, they check to make sure they are visualizing, pay attention to unknown words, and notice when they do not understand text or are even not paying attention to what they are reading.
7. Summarizing - teaches students how to discern the most important ideas in a text, how to ignore irrelevant information, and how to integrate the central ideas in a meaningful way.
8. Evaluating - evaluate whether they liked the text or not and how they did as readers.

1. Amplify learning objectives through guided inquiry-For example, a teacher may assign a project and offer students the choice of filming a video, presentation, writing an essay, or creating an alternative demonstration of learning.
2. Plan backward to show you where you need to go-Educators can include students in both their long and short-term vision for their class by framing lessons with open-ended essential questions or by posting a daily learning objective to highlight expectations for students through each lesson.
3. Offer a variety of assessment opportunities-Educators can redefine criteria to be more explicit about what they are looking for within an assignment. For example, are students collaborating in a way that both contributes to the group and encourages others to participate effectively? Are students creating outlines and timelines before submitting the final work? 
4. Support transparent scaffolding through simplified, single-point rubrics-Students can also use rubrics to grade past student samples and exemplars before submitting their work, as they are often more critical of work produced by their peers than they are of their own. By using this rubric to grade other students, they will become more familiar with how the rubric works about the assignment — allowing them to be more reflective about how their work might compare to the rubric.
5. Create a collaborative culture of curious thinkers-Speaking protocols and thinking routines can help foster a comfortable and collaborative learning environment for students. The goal of these protocols is not to limit speaking or thinking, but to provide a framework that offers explicit strategies for teaching collaboration and enables each student to feel seen, heard, and valued in the classroom. 
6. Create an asynchronous learning tool that uses tablets, laptops, and devices-Asynchronous learning allows students to learn on their schedule, within a certain timeframe. They can access and complete lectures, readings, homework, and other learning materials at any time during a one- or two-week period.
   
   “A big benefit to asynchronous classes is, of course, the flexibility.  Asynchronous online classes mean that you don’t always need to be online at the same time as your instructor or classmates,” said Instructional Designer John Muir, who works with faculty to develop classes for Ohio State's online programs.
   
   

1. Project-based learning-focusing on a project allows students to see how each lesson culminates in the final project or objective they need to reach. With this transparency, students have the autonomy and control to work at their own pace within a set amount of time while having a clear goal in mind. This makes it easier for them to break down the project into specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
2. Small group collaboration-having students collaborate and work in small groups allows them to learn from their peers. This also gives them more autonomy and accountability with assignments, assessments, etc. Students are more likely to complete assignments successfully when they can collaborate and share their ideas. 
3. Asynchronous learning tools-not all students learn at the same pace. Giving students access to prerecorded lectures and guided note materials allows them to access and review the content at any time. Those that need more time with the material will have it, and those that can move more quickly will be allowed to. This also gives the teacher more time in the classroom to act as a guide and mentor rather than a director. 

A student-centered model of blended learning allows for more physical movement in the classroom. As seen at Eastern Senior High School. Kareem Farah an IB Mathematics teacher implemented the following strategy:

1. Blended Instruction-students access content through teacher-designed blended instruction. Some students are starting off by watching instructional videos with their guided notes. 
2. Self-Paced Structure-students learn at their own pace within each unit of study. You have other students using whiteboards and devices collaborating to complete assignments.
3. Mastery-Based Grading-Students progress through content only when they have demonstrated mastery. Other students are working on mastery exit tickets to show they have learned the desired skill sets. 

• 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, catalogs, comic books, literary novels, plays, poems, etc. (Acquavita, 2016).  
• 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 that 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://www.edutopia.org/video/student-centered-model-blended-learning
• https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-centered-learning-starts-with-teacher-john-mccarthy
• https://www.goguardian.com/blog/5-tips-for-designing-a-student-centered-learning-environment
• https://online.osu.edu/resources/learn/whats-difference-between-asynchronous-and-synchronous-learning
• https://www.amle.org/student-reflection-a-tool-for-growth-and-development/
• http://tnjune17cohort3.pbworks.com/w/page/119008734/Student-Centered%20Approaches%20and%20Techniques%20for%20Reading

Technology In The Classroom: A Student-Centered Approach

• ^{active learning (problem solving, answering questions, discussing, formulating questions, debating)}
• ^{cooperative learning (collaboration with classmates)}
• ^{inquiry-based instruction}
• ^{project-based learning}

• ^{Initiating Discussions}
• ^{Clarifying points}
• ^Summarizing
• ^{Challenging assumptions/devil’s advocate}
• ^{Providing or researching information}
• ^{Reaching a consensus}

A Student-Centered Assessment

• ^{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.}

• ^{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.}

• ^{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.}

• ^{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.}

• _{^{Give the students the chances to learn at their own pace}} 
• _{^{Organize class activities and make elaborate plans}} 
• _{^{Subjecting students to regular evaluation}}

• _{^{Powerpoint: Powerpoint offers teachers opportunities to capture students' attention in the lesson by providing pictures, animation, voices and videos.}} 
•  _{^{Pear Deck: Slides are interactive and allow teachers to insistently have feedback one-to-one.}} 
• _{^{Edpuzzle: Teachers use it to make video clips to motivate students to respond interactively which are easy to collect data and assess.}}

• _{^{Mentimeter: A collecting feedback from the class. The most advantage of it enables everyone's voice to be heard.}} 
•  _{^{Kahoot: Team mode allows each team player can use their own device collaborate with their peers. teamwork, and communicate effectively that allow everyone to contribute to the collective wisdom of the group.}}
• _{^{Quizlet: A good way to enable students collaborate and peer review. its flashcards, online games and learning tools-all for free.}} 

• _{^{Formative Assessment: By observing students and helping them identify their strengths and weaknesses and to gauge student comprehension of the contents.}} 
• _{^{Assessing Student Interests: We can use a variety of assessment tools like student surveys and one-on-one conversations to know more about our students, to engage them of learning process and to learn what drives them to learn.}}
• _{^{Assessing Skills: Foster students' multiple skills, such as, critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating, and collaborating. It's important that young people can analyze, question and challenge what they are being told.}}
• _{^{Assessing for Instruction: It is a process of data collection rather than an assessment instrument. We can increase student engagement by it.}} 

• _{^{Gimkit: Allowing questions to repeat on a random loop, allowing for repetitions. It accepts various of ways for students to earn points, students remain engaged as they work at their own pace, but it is a pay service.}} 
• _{^{Flipgrid: It effectively supports peer and teacher feedback.}}

•  _{^{Differentiate content: provide flexible options about the content}} 
• _{^{With process differentiation: various ways- visual, auditory, or kinesthetic lessons}}
• _{^{Product differentiation: a written report, a story, a song, a speech, or an art project. Varying the types of assessments could be taken.}} 
• _{^{The classroom environment: Changing physical things, routines and habits in the classroom.}}

1. _{^{Create quiet spaces for reading.}}
2. _{^{Set reading goals, use strategies, and set own pace for reading.}}
3. _{^{Collaborate with others.}}
4. _{^{Encouraging discussions and fostering critical thinking, creativity and personal perspective about the text.}}

• Physical Health

• Comfort

• Collaboration in community

• Communication

2. Desk rearrangement in groups - makes it easy for students to collaborate on projects. This places the focus on the students and their collaboration instead of the desks facing the teacher desk. It will have benefits such as: 

• Engagement 

• Relationship building

• Communication

3. Technology - provides educators with essential tools to create a student-centered learning environment. The use of technologies can increase educational productivity by accelerating the rate of learning; reducing costs associated with instructional materials or program delivery, and better-utilizing teacher time.

• 1-to-1 Computing

• Personalized learning

• Open educational resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain and are freely available to anyone over the Web

• Electronic whiteboards

• Online testing is evolving aligning with the Common Core State Standards

4. Classroom displays - add the educational value. Overall displays can be used effectively to stimulate and support student-centered learning and create student interest and engagement. They can include:

• Classroom Rules or Essential Agreements

• Growth Mindset Posters

• Art or Writing Displays

• Daily routine

• Choice Display

• Learning Objectives

• Subject/Timetable 

Designing the learning tool kit of online learning environment for students

1. Project Based Learning (PBL)

• PBL is an excellent approach for collaboration but also develops critical thinking, communication, and creativity skills. Students develop higher-order thinking skills and learn how to work in a team.
• PBLworks.org states the seven essential project design elements:
  • Challenging problem or question
  • Sustained Inquiry
  • Authenticity
  • Student voice and choice
  • Reflection
  • Critique and revision
  • Public product

• 
  
  • A collaborative learning technique that encourages students to approach a question with a partner or small group using three distinct steps:
  • Think: Students form their own ideas about the question.
  • Pair: Students discuss with their group to share and refine their ideas.
  • Share: Students present their ideas to the class.

• A KWL Chart is a visible learning technique where students record what they already know (K), what they want to know (W), and what they have learned (L) throughout the unit. Although this learning may take place individually or in a group, student's can see each other's questions and acquired knowledge and add to the chart as a class.

1. Conduct self-assessment

• develops problem-solving skill.
• Achieves higher level of understanding.
• gives different prospective of same problem.
• helps students to explore real life problems.
• promotes student centered learning.

• Help Students Reflect 
• Immediate feedback
• Promote Self- Centered Learning 

• Peer assessment -

• 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

• create spaces in the classroom specifically for reading
• have students create their own reading goals
• students choose what kind of books and topics they'd like to read
• give students the opportunity to discover their own pace for reading
• have students collaborate with others
• encouraging discussions about the text