Activity 2: Student Centered Learning by MRX

What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

2022-11-11 01:22:24 UTC

Student centered differentiation can present itself is different forms:

· 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

1. Assessment-This a way that teachers can get a clear view on what their students are learning. Particularly, formative assessment is the driver of differentiation of assessment. Formative assessment acts as a GPS, providing valuable information both the teacher and the learner.

2. Content- Content is the foundation of learning and skills are applied. So, if we can make a way for students to access that content at their level, we can better meet their learning needs. We know not every student is on the same path for their learning but through the differentiation of content, we can level the playing field for each student.

Technology has made it much easier and more possible to differentiate content in new and exciting ways. In some cases, students can be given the same content, however it is tailored to their individual needs either through raising or lowering the reading level, providing more visualizations or still meeting standards but providing content that is interesting and exciting for students.

3. Process-This is another traditional way that teachers provide different learning paths for students. If we want to create an environment where each student can find success no matter their learning profile than we have to look beyond traditional pedagogy and meet students where they are at and how they want to consume information.

4. Product-Students need to demonstrate their holistic understanding of the content. Normally that is done through a summative assessment or project. However, this method is flawed, students need freedom of choice in how they portray their understanding.

This differentiation of product can look different for each student but, at the heart are the same learning goals. If students use the technology efficiently, they can do incredible things while still demonstrating what they know and how they know what they know.

Sources:
https://wakelet.com/wake/NI8bV1VoKUXlR68mpevv5

https://www.avid.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=6506&ViewID=DEDCCD34-7C24-4AF2-812A-33C0075398BC&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=6197&PageID=3300&Tag=&Comments=true

What are some student-centred approaches or techniques for reading?

2022-11-11 02:11:05 UTC

By Sitso Rubeau

The use of technology can really allow students to drive their own reading progression. There are many platforms, including Readworks, Epic Books, Readtheory, and Active Learn. These platforms allow children to access books from different reading levels, allowing them to progress to more challenging books within the platform, whilst with a platform like Active Learn, developing their own reading comprehension skills and vocabulary development.

Having a student book club (overseen by a teacher) can encourage students to read more frequently as well as to read a more diverse selection of books. The book club setup will encourage discussion about the book, furthering their comprehension but also exposing them to the different interpretations that others may have when reading the same passages of the book.

This essentially allows for smaller scale replications of reading lessons but without the teacher being directly involved. The students could also be given the VIPERS framework to ask each other questions and further work on their vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, and summarisation skills but without being done in an obvious teaching environment.

The book club set up could also be used within the classroom but with each child in the group being assigned a particular role (which then rotates throughout the group). Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) as a technique involves having a leader, clunk expert, announcer, encourager, reporter, and time keeper. It is then possible to have this as an activity that multiple groups in the classroom do (depending on class size), and the teacher can oversee the whole process. The assigning of these roles allows students the chance to refine multiple different skills by working collaboratively with their peers, with potentially little to no input from the teacher.

References:

Hilliard, P. (2015, May 21). Teaching Students the Skills of Expert Readers. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-students-skills-expert-readers-tricia-hilliard

Klingner, J. K., & Vaughn, S. (2013, April 24). Using Collaborative Strategic Reading. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/using-collaborative-strategic-reading

Mahoney, B., & Matos, J. (n.d.). Practicing and Self-Evaluating Reading Fluency | BetterLesson Coaching. Teaching.betterlesson.com. https://teaching.betterlesson.com/strategy/197/practicing-and-self-evaluating-reading-fluency?_gl=1

Marye, S. (2021, January 18). Using Strategy Groups to Boost Reading Comprehension. Stellar Teacher. https://www.stellarteacher.com/blog/using-reading-comprehension-strategy-groups/

Matos, J. (n.d.). Literature Circles and Book Clubs. BetterLesson. https://teaching.betterlesson.com/strategy/178/literature-circles-and-book-clubs?_gl=1

McEwan, E. K. (2007). Teach the Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers | AdLit. Www.adlit.org. https://www.adlit.org/topics/comprehension/teach-seven-strategies-highly-effective-readers

Moffett, J., & Wagner, B. J. (1991). Student-Centered Reading Activities. The English Journal, 80(6), 70. https://doi.org/10.2307/818583

Online Reading Activities | ReadTheory. (2017). Readtheory.org. https://readtheory.org/

ReadWorks. (n.d.). Www.readworks.org. https://www.readworks.org/our-solutions

THE LITERACY SHED. (n.d.). THE LITERACY SHED. https://literacyshed.com

What are some student-centered approaches or techniques for reading?

2022-11-11 12:35:08 UTC

Youn Jae (Jane) Lee

Student-centered literacy instruction emphasizes student choice and ownership of their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

Technology - Raz-Plus

Leveled Books and Resources to Support Reading Development at School and at Home

Raz-Plus is a comprehensive platform that includes the curricular support teachers need and the personalized resources necessary to improve students' reading skills.

1. Have students create their own reading goals

Educators can set the level for each student based on their Lexile. Before they move on to the next level, they are given a formative assessment.

2. Also, students can make their own choice of books to read. They get to choose from a variety of genres.

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

Activities

1. "Fishbowl Discussion": Separate students into two groups. One will be the inner circle (the fishbowl) and the other group will stand around them as the outer circle. Students in the fishbowl ask and answer questions based on the text. Students can come up with the questions beforehand as well. Students in the outer circle listen to the discussion. Then they switch and can have a reflection discussion afterward. This activity allows for movement, and collaboration between students honing in on listening skills, and critical thinking, and getting input about questions they have about the text.

2. "Link Up"
Before reading a book, it is good to find any connection to self, world, and other texts. This process will make students more interested to the book before they start reading.

Text to self - personal experience
Text to world - applying the text to the world around us
Text to text - the text students are currently reading to the text they've already read

Sources:
https://www.raz-plus.com/
https://wakelet.com/wake/2VxdbvwEiIf9jYLauPORr

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

2022-11-11 21:10:46 UTC

According to Andrew Miller from the Utopia website “ Assessing students’ passions, learning styles, success skills, and levels of rigor, teachers can create a student-centered classroom” (Miller, 2015). Assessments will let us know the whole students as we create a more student-centered classroom.

Assessing Students Passions and Learning Styles
One main way to create a more student-centered class is by assessing students’ passions and interests. The students' experiences, such as hobbies, books, family stories, trips, etc., would allow us to use a variety of assessment tools like one-on-one conversations, graphic organizers, journals and surveys to learn more about our students and what drives them to learn. Tools like learning profile cards can allow teachers to differentiate appropriately, advantaging students’ strengths, and push them to learn in different ways. Assessing for passions and interests can push teachers to know their students deeper and create a classroom designed for them.

Assessing 21st-Century/Success Skills

If we assess students for their success and skills we can provide experiences and instruction that foster those skills and allow students to grow in areas that are more than just content and skills. Teachers can use rubrics and other assessment tools to let students know the expectations of the assessment. Making the classroom assessments meet students’ needs by supporting them with subjects where they need help.

Formative Assessment of Content and Skills

If teachers look at data for trends, they may not be able to use that information in the intermediate moment, to meet the needs of individual students. Instead, teachers should use formative assessments to assess students' content knowledge and skills. This way, teachers can learn which concepts and skills need to be retaught, and which students have mastered. These assessments are not graded. Instead, we can use them to create a better student-centered learning environment.

Assessing for Instruction

Formative assessments have the purpose to feed forward in the instruction, and create learning activities that individual students need. This may be a small group instruction or individual instruction. Using formative assessments carefully allows teachers to discover whether students need a think-aloud or model, or if they are ready for independent practice and application. Also, a formative assessment lets teachers know if students need more collaborative learning.

If teachers use assessment to provide the right just-in-time instruction, they can increase student engagement in a more student-centered classroom.

We can use assessments as a powerful tool to get to know the students and to create a classroom that can meet their needs. We can assess content and skills, but we can also assess passions, interests, success skills, and the like for the purposes of the right instruction at the right time.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvzVAQkuSqU.

Do you use feedback as a formative assessment in your class?

References

“How Assessments Enable Student Centered Learning.” YouTube, 24 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtd5VOYvzv8.

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

“Using Assessment to Create Student-Centered Learning.” Edutopia, 2 Sept. 2015, www.edutopia.org/blog/assessment-create-student-centered-learning-andrew-miller.

What student-centered approaches or techniques include physical movement as a central element?

lynw103 — 2022-11-12 13:18:30 UTC

By Lyn Wilcox

Student-centered approaches that include physical movement as a central element, helps children to develop basic movement skills, become less fidgety and more focused on their learning.

Studies have suggested that physical movement can have a profound effect on students’ knowledge retention, concentration and positive outlook. According to brain researcher David Sousa, physical activities can cause an increase of oxygen to our blood, which can enhance one’s learning and memory. Therefore, it is necessary for all teachers to initiate movement in the class, not just in PE.

Activities/Techniques:

1. Students can create things like letters using their body
You could have volunteers to create a phonics word or get the whole class involved to create the letter that you sound out. It can be a fun way for them to collaborate.

2. Gallery walks
You can showcase student’s own work around the classroom or have pictures/texts that the students need to read, discuss or analyze. Giving students post-it notes can also allow a more interactive experience, where they can post their reaction or opinions on someone else’s work.

3. Learning stations
This allows the students to move around the classroom, going from one station to another by completing tasks set out at each table. Each station tasks will be different and students will need to visually look, write, read or move things around in order to find the answer. This is a fun way to differentiate and cater to students with different learning styles.

4. North-South Pole Continuum
One side of the room represents one idea/answer and the other side, the opposite. Students can move to either side of the room depending on how they feel or what they think the answer is. This works well in finding out if students understood the topic or if you need to review it further.

5. Games
Teaching something new to students using games is a fun way to get the students engaged, moving and increasing their memory retention.

References:

Kenny McKee. (2014) Five Movement Strategies in the High School Classroom. Retrieved from https://kennycmckee.com/five-movement-strategies-in-the-high-school-classroom/
James Col Quhoun. Retrieved from https://wakelet.com/wake/tB2CJP0FHNQgYZt1kFTHM
Teaching in Eastern Asia. Retrieved from https://travelinginasia.company/2018/03/03/how-can-i-incorporate-physical-activity-into-student-centered-learning-module-3-unit-2-activity/
Student Centered World. (2018) MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM: EASY 21ST CENTURY IDEAS TO USE TOMORROW. Retrieved from https://www.studentcenteredworld.com/movement-in-the-classroom/
Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers. (2014) Move Your Body, Grow Your Brain. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/move-body-grow-brain-donna-wilson
Leah Davies. (2008) Movement Activities for Elementary Classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/davies/davies007.shtml

How could you design the physical environment of the classroom, including technology, to be conducive to student-centered learning?

matthewbradley7 — 2022-11-13 01:34:08 UTC

There are many ways to design the physical environment of a classroom to promote student-centered learning.

1) Arrange the student seating in tables or groups to foster a collaborative atmosphere instead of that of a traditional lecture.

2) Design the classroom where it contains different sections that serve different purposes (quiet study area, fun game area, etc) instead of being homogeneous.

3) Use colors to give life to your classroom. Be it on the walls or simply on student handouts / worksheets, adding color to the classroom helps stimulate the brains of your students.

4) Have a dedicated tech area. Students learn best when they DON'T sit in one spot for a long period of time. Having a section of your class dedicated to technology (computers / tablet area) helps increase classroom mobility and helps the students better understand what they're supposed to be doing and when.

5) Integrating technology into the classroom is essential for satisfying the developing needs of today's student.

Sources: https://tinyurl.com/3cda3k52
https://tinyurl.com/487hpz5z
https://knowingtechnologies.com/technology-in-the-classroom/

What are some student-centered approaches or techniques that are based on or require collaboration?

michaelmaraghy — 2022-11-13 01:50:28 UTC

In student-centered learning, learning is personalized and students take ownership of learning. Progression is competency based, and there should be constant monitoring of performance and feedback. Collaborative approaches can meet these criteria—they can and should be part of student-centered learning. After all, education should ultimately prepare students for life beyond school, and what career doesn’t require a significant degree of effective collaboration? Here are five student-centered approaches based on collaboration:

1) Case Study/Group Project

Ideally, such a task would be assigned in a way that gives students maximum flexibility and autonomy in deciding the details of the task as a group. On the other hand, some degree of loose structure may be necessary in order to be a practical part of a teacher’s approach to instruction.

2) Stations/Centers

A concept that is familiar to many teachers, especially teachers of younger students, stations or centers can be set up around the classroom. Students work, in groups at a certain station for a set amount of time. When time expires, students switch or rotate to a different center or station. This approach is very flexible and lends itself to a range of different subjects. Ideally, some of the stations may involve creating a tangible outcome, as this would be helpful to the teacher in monitoring student learning.

3) Film Studio

While solo film projects are certainly possible many projects would benefit (in terms of both enjoyment and learning) from the involvement of multiple students. One possible idea is to instruct students to choose a scene from an old novel or play and update and adapt it in any way they choose to make it relatable for their classmates. Alternatively, students could be given a set of choices or carte blanche.

4) Jigsaw

It is often said that the best way to master a skill or knowledge is to teach it; this technique leverages this wisdom in a collaborative way. The name of this technique is based on an analogy comparing group learning to piecing together a puzzle. The jigsaw technique involves a larger task being broken down into subcategories. There are two primary variations.

Class Jigsaw: Students are broken into groups, and each group is assigned one subcategory to focus on. Students research and then teach their part of the task to the rest of the class. The teacher should decide whether the research phase happens individually or collaboratively. Preparation and presentation should be collaborative.
Jigsaw within Groups: Students are broken into several groups working on the same task. Members within each group decide who will assume responsibility for subcategories of the task. Members perform research and then teach the group.

5) Collaborative Discussion

One teacher suggests a method in which each student is given an index cards and asked to write their response to an open-ended question. Students then must discuss and work together to organize these responses into related groups (according to whatever criteria they choose). This facilitates sharing and comparing of ideas among students and also helps the teacher to monitor what students are getting out of learning activities (Success of the Student-Centered Approach | Student-Centered World, 2022).

References

Green, C. (2022, March 31). Student-Centered Learning: In Principle and in Practice. Michigan Virtual. https://michiganvirtual.org/research/publications/student-centered-learning-in-principle-and-in-practice/

Lupeanu, D. (2021, May 5). Collaborative Learning: A Practical Guide. KnowledgeOne. https://knowledgeone.ca/collaborative-learning-a-practical-guide/

Success of the Student-Centered Approach | Student-Centered World. (2022, April 12). Student-Centered World: A Student-Centered Learning Resource. https://www.studentcenteredworld.com/what-is-student-centered-education/

Tom, T. (2021, January 19). The Jigsaw Method Teaching Strategy. TeachHUB. https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies/2016/10/the-jigsaw-method-teaching-strategy/

28 Student-Centered Instructional Strategies. (2022, January 16). TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/student-centered-methods/

Why Use Jigsaws. (2022). Teach the Earth. https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/teaching_methods/jigsaws/why.html

(By Carlos Cirilo) How can you implement assessment so that it enhances student-centered learning?

2022-11-13 06:02:45 UTC

Student-centered assessment techniques means that the students are made part of their learning process and are constantly held to the standards set for the class. They evaluate not only their own progress but that of their peers as well.

Self-Assessment

Students can easily examine their own work by identifying its strengths and faults, then revising as necessary. In order to effectively assess themselves, students must compare their work to defined standards and provide feedback on their areas for growth.

Peer Assessment

Students evaluate one another's assignments with objectivity in a process known as peer assessment. Clear standards are necessary for effective peer assessment, which is backed by a constructive critique process.

Process Portfolios

A process portfolio is a deliberate collection of student work that demonstrates the progression of a student from beginner to expert. Students are actively involved in the construction of portfolios, especially when deciding on their objectives, choosing the work to be shown, and considering how each piece displays progress toward those goals.

Exhibitions

An exhibition is a display of proficiency that takes place at a defining academic occasion, such the end of a school year or graduation. Exhibitions are summative evaluations, but the preparation for a final display involves constant evaluation, criticism, and revision.

References:

Gwo-Jen Hwang, Hsun-Fang Chang (2011). A formative assessment-based mobile learning approach to improving the learning attitudes and achievements of students. Computers & Education. Volume 56, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 1023-1031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.12.002.

https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/resource/assessment/

2022-11-13 06:43:01 UTC

What student-centered approaches or techniques include physical movement as a central element?

Brain researcher David Sousa claims that physical activity increases the amount of oxygen in our blood, and this oxygen is related to enhanced learning and memory.
There are different ways to keep students moving depending on the age group. I would like to mainly mention preschool movement idea, since it is a huge part of the learning for the preschool students. We need to note that moving does not necessarily mean you have a break, it is neatly incorporated in the learning process.
Some effective ways to have students be active throughout the classes:

Dancing/ Action songs
Action songs are unique dance breaks that provide exact instructions for what to do. Kids have tons of fun following along with the moves and learning each of the songs.

LearningStations
Letting students to move around and rotate in order to complete different tasks such as an LA station, math station, craft station.

Body games/activities
An example would be to ask students to make shapes or ABC letters using their bodies. It is absolutely fun and students, without realizing, get refreshed from moving their bodies in order to complete the activity.

Drama classes, Role plays
Through movement classes students have the opportunity to have a different type of class. They get to move around, express emotions without needing words and become more aware of themselves.

Miming games / Act like...
A fun way to engage kids and get them moving is to give them different scenarios to act out.

Find something green(color, shape) in the classroom
This activity allows the answering kid to get up, move around and find whatever is needed.

_References:
_{https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/much-sitting-five-movement-strategies-get-students-thinking/}_{https://wakelet.com/wake/7ttF0g7-Z3pD3ZNzsXmmP}_{https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/brain-breaks-for-kids/}

What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

2022-11-14 05:00:00 UTC

From the several resources I went through, I found the Primary Professional Development Service’s report “Differentiation in Action” especially insightful. The document explores a few differentiation strategies and offers examples how they can be applied to different subjects and age groups.

One of the strategies discussed in the report is the “KUDoS” approach. The main goal of the strategy is to break down curriculum objectives into what the teacher expects from the students to know, understand and do by the end of the lesson. Breaking down objectives makes it easier to plan differentiated activities.

The elements of Know, Understand and Do of the strategy are as follow:

a) Know relates to facts, definitions, dates, and other key information to be memorized by

the students.

b) Understand relates to the concepts, principles or general “big ideas” learned by the students.

c) Do encompasses skills and processes and how children independently apply their knowledge and understanding (a and b above) in follow up activities or in other contexts outside the lesson. These are often written as verbs.

KUDoS can be applied to any subject but here is an example related to my own field (visual arts, early primary education).

Activity: Experiment with a variety of color drawing instruments and media to develop color awareness.

Know:

· Name and identify the three primary colors.

· Name and recognize the drawing instruments used.

· Use appropriate vocabulary to describe the various surfaces used in their work (cardboard, fabric, wood)

Understand:

· That colors blend to make new colors

· How to use instruments (paintbrush, pastels) in various ways to achieve different effects

Do:

· Create new colors independently

· Experiment independently with different instruments and media.

Resources:

P. Main, Differentiation Strategies: A Teacher’s Guide, accessed June 16, 2022, < https://www.structural-learning.com/post/differentiation-strategies-a-teachers-guide>

Differentiation in Action, accessed Nov 14, 2022, <https://www.pdst.ie/sites/default/files/Session%202%20-%20Differentiation%20Resource%20_0_0.pdf>

Student Centered Learning: Why, How, & What. accessed Nov 14, 2022, [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvzVAQkuSqU

Student-centered approaches to help build teamwork and valuable skills for the future

2022-11-14 13:54:20 UTC

Project based learning, this allows students to engage with real problems that they may be accustomed to, to help engage their real mind, thoughts and feelings. Alongside the engagement of their mind, project based learning also gives the students hands-on experience that will help them greatly prepare for their future studies.

Assessment - Students will create a project base on real-world problems or situations, such as planning a party for the class. Students will have full control of how their party is planned. This gives an insight on how your students think and also what their interests are.

Peer-assessment - Students would be able to present their projects and may also be able to execute their projects if possible such as a party or planting a garden. This would give students a chance to gain motivation and ideas on what's going on in their society.

Reading - Students would research upon their selecting their project to make it come to fruition.

Movement - Students would go into the real-world and physically create their projects, gaining hands-on experience and utilizing and polishing valuable skills such as researching, working in a group, etc.

Sources:
https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2017/06/what-is-project-based-learning-15-pbl-ideas-fit-for-your-classroom

What are some student-centered approaches or techniques that are based on or require collaboration?

6fmf5kq6jf — 2022-11-15 01:07:56 UTC

What is student centered learning?
Student centered learning is a process in which students are given more authority and responsibility for their own learning. Students take a more active approach in acquiring knowledge.

Approaches that require collaboration:

Problem based learning: In groups, students are given a problem (preferably a real-world problem). They work together on an assignment that addresses this problem.,
Jigsaw/Stations/Centers: Students form groups. Each individual is assigned a specific component of knowledge and then the team put the knowledge together for the larger body of work.
Flipped classroom: Students can do base learning or a task at home individually. And then use classtime to discuss the work with other students or apply the knowledge together.
Assigning roles during Project based learning: Similar to assigning specific research areas, assigning roles such as team leader, director, organizer can help keep the students on track, minimize groupthink and teach them about different methods of collaboration.
Role-Play: Furthermore you might assign roles relevant to the assignment. An example from PE class, is an assignment focused on sport management. The group forms a sports club, and each member has a different job. 'CEO' 'Star Player' 'Marketing Manager' 'Coach' etc.
Careful facilitation: While student-centered learning involved the student being the center of their own learning process. Careful teacher facilitation can help assure groups are run in a healthy manner. E.g one student not doing most the work, someone's ideas not being heard.
Including technological approaches: Teachers can encourage multiple modes of technology to foster student-centered collaboration. Breakout rooms when online, digital choice boards, google docs, flipgrid (respond to each others question in video format), mindmeister (for group brainstorming) google classroom and many other methods can foster collaboration.

Sources

Andrew C. McMillan (2020) Student Centered Learning Strategies.

Go Guardian Team (2017) Tech tools for classroom collaboration.

Geoffrey Caine (2018) Making Connections Between E-Learning and Natural Learning