Brown (2008) states, "By keeping students at the center of one’s classroom, a teacher can encourage and inspire students to seek out knowledge and to strive for understanding at a deeper level. Through this process, students see a greater relevance for and a stronger connection to the subject at hand. Through student-centered instruction, our students can achieve independent minds and the capacity to make educational decisions and value judgments." What is your experience with student-centered classrooms? In your opinion, what does it take to make a student-centered classroom? Why is having a student-centered classroom important? Explain.
Brown, J. (2008). Student-centered instruction: Involving students in their own education. Music Educators Journal. 94(5).
My experience in student centered classrooms has led me to believe that they are extremely effective in getting the students to engage and actually understand the material they are working with, instead of just memorizing it to get the desired grade. I have found not only for myself, but with others as well, that when a classroom is students centered, the students are able to understand and get to the deeper meaning from making their own choices. They are also motivated to do better when they are setting their own goals, and not just trying to meet goals that someone else has set for us. I have personally been in many student centered classes and was able to get much more out of those classes than I would have in a teacher centered class, because of the fact that I was in greater control and was also held accountable for my own education. In my opinion, I think a student centered classroom is one where the students have many choices, greater control, and accountability in their own learning. It would also take a patient, motivated, and willing teacher to allow their students to do all of these things. Altogether, I feel that student centered classrooms are important because they allow the students ownership of their own education and a chance to make choices that will be motivating to them, allowing them to achieve a deeper meaning or understanding in the end.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have observed, I would say the classroom I am in is very student centered. The students are constantly given choices, rather than just one thing they have to do. The students enjoy getting to make these decisions throughout the day and become motivated to do the work because they have a choice of what they would like to do. Of course, there are limits to what they can choose depending on each activity, and it isn’t by any means a free for all for the students to do whatever they want. For example, the students in my class were given an assignment to make a map. They had two choices to make before they could start making their maps. First, they had to decide whether they wanted to do the assignment by themselves, or with a partner of their choice. Secondly, they had to choose what kind of map they would be creating, whether it was a map of their school, house, or neighborhood. If they had decided to work with a partner, they would have to agree on one type of map to make, on a place they were both familiar with. The students were all very motivated during this project because they were in control of the final product. I have also observed each of the students making personal goals for each week in the classroom. This is another way to show how the students are really involved in their own learning. When it comes to their education, we see how important their involvement can be!
ReplyDeleteThe most experience I have had with student-centered classrooms has been at Price Lab. I believe that you can’t use only one technique for learning all the time – you need contrast and variation. So the a goal for your classroom may be that you would like to create a student-centered classroom, but to ultimately achieve that goal teacher directed learning will also be used. First and foremost to a make student-centered classroom you need the right mindset. I would say that it is important to remember that you’re not just there to teach the curriculum but rather you are there to do it in a way that is meaningful and favorable to your students.
ReplyDeleteI like how Lindsey Malecek commented on this blog best, “when it comes to education, we see how important [student] involvement can be!” Lessons should be carefully constructed to be student-centered. And something that I have noticed about veteran teachers (such as my Level II teacher) is that they also seem to know how and when to say the “right” things at the “right” time. I am very interested in this. Teachers who strive to create student-centered classrooms seem to know how to guide but not overpower conversations and instruction.
I believe it is important to create a student-centered classroom for multiple reasons, some of which I will list: 1) students can function without constant guidance from teachers, 2) they are inquisitive, 3) they think critically and problem solve, 4) they lead and follow, 5) their wants and needs are satisfied, and 6) they take charge of their education and life as a student. In the end student-centered classrooms have the greatest impact on students.
From my experience with student-centered classrooms, I think they are very beneficial to learning and engaging students. Student-centered classrooms focus on learning and understanding the material. It is easier to retain knowledge and not just listen to a lecture and memorize information. In student-centered classrooms the students can get involved. They can express their own ideas and thoughts and can have discussions with other students. If students learn in this way they are more likely to understand the material on a deeper level. In my own experiences I have learned better in student-centered classrooms. I have gotten more out of those types of classes and have a better understanding of the information covered than classes that weren’t as student-centered.
ReplyDeleteI think the atmosphere of the classroom is important to making a student-centered class. The classroom must be a place where students feel comfortable expressing their own ideas and exploring learning on their own. The teacher also has a big impact on a student-centered classroom. The teacher must know how to make their class student-centered and let the students have control of their learning while also keeping them on task.
A student-centered classroom is very important. This type of classroom situation has the greatest impact on students’ learning. It is important for students to learn without the constant instruction, correction, advice, approval, or praise from their teacher. Student-centered classrooms also encourage students to solve problems on their own, with partners, or in groups.
My experience with student-centered classroom consists of working in one when I was in 8th grade. We had to become a community with a mayor and council members and we had to decide whether or not a new coal business should be able to come into town. Each day we had a new problem with the company and we had to argue why/why not we wanted the company to come to our town. I felt like the student-centered classroom in this situation worked well because the class had to work together to solve the problem. The teacher had set guidelines but he let us debate the issue and come up with a conclusion on our own. To make a student-centered classroom I think it takes guidelines from the teacher and children who are respectful and can work together in groups. I think that by the teacher setting guidelines, this will help the students stay on track but still let them make their own decisions. The students need to be mature enough to handle the situation also. Having a student-centered classroom is important for the growth in development for the students. By having to complete things on their own and make decisions, it gets the students a feel for what the real world is like. The teacher will not always be there to hold their hand and help them along the way. By having a student-centered classroom this will prepare them for the real world when the students are on their own.
ReplyDeleteAdding to Lindsey’s comment on having the students make their own map, I feel like this is a great idea for a classroom. I remember going into a project and having the end result up to the students. Having the students make the decisions helps the students in motivation and allows them to be creative in competing the final product.
ReplyDeleteIn this experience I have observed a student-centered classroom. The students in class spend time discussing and problem solving on their own, with partners, in small groups, and as a whole class. They also focus on continuing their conversations in small groups when the teacher needs to walk away. The message is that the teacher doesn’t need to be present for the students to maintain their group discussion. Letting students make decisions and come to conclusions on their own is a very important part of learning.
ReplyDeleteStudent-based classrooms are most beneficial to the learning of the students. If students are capable of handling a student-centered classroom, student-centered classrooms are best for the learning of the student. Student-centered classrooms, in my opinion, can be hard to get. Students who do not cooperate or who aren't able to stay focused may take advantage of a student-centered classroom. Also, because it is based on what the students, it may create confrontation or lead children to get off task from the subject on hand. Student-centered classrooms can be difficult to create, but if created, they are best for student learning in my opinion.
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ReplyDeleteMy strongest experience with student-centered classrooms would have to be while I was in high school. When I was a freshman my high school decided to use CORE math rather than traditional math. In core math the students had to first try to learn new concepts by trying to figure out how to perform the operation on our own. Our teacher would assign an assignment to complete which would require us to learn how to perform operations we had not performed in class. The next day our teacher would teach us the correct way to do the operation. Yes, everyone hated this way of learning at some point because it was frustrating not knowing how to perform the operation, but we ended up having a deeper level of understanding at the end of the lesson. This is one of the most important things for teachers to do with children’s learning.
ReplyDeleteTo make classrooms student-centered the teacher needs to teach lessons that are student-direct. Meaning that the students find the answers by themselves with the teacher there for help opposed to the teacher telling students every ounce of information they need to know. With student-centered classrooms it’s the student’s job to make decisions. It is also the student’s job to reach their learning goals on their own or as a class.
I feel like having a student-centered classroom is important so students can obtain knowledge at a deeper level. Student will be more likely to remember the information and more likely to make connections. Also some students feel student-directed lessons are more enjoyable and get excited to learn. Overall the students will understand the material better and are more likely to be able to recall the material.
I agree with Raine that student-centered classrooms can be hard to obtain. Not all students will want to cooperate or stay focused on the task at hand. Also the students may not reach their learning goals or may drift far away from the correct information. I feel like the most important thing when having a student-centered classroom is that the teacher is there for support and necessary guidance. Yes, they may be the best for learning, but you as a teacher need to make sure you know what is needed to have an effective student-centered classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhen a class room is student-centered it gives the students more motivation to learn. Kids like to feel in charge and when they feel like their input matters, it really helps out in the classroom. That is why it is important for students to make classroom goals collaboratively. This way they can look back and refer to these goals as things that they have established on their own. Students learn a lot more when they are active in the classroom rather than just listening to lecture. It is good for students to have choices to a certain extent. Usually they will surprise you and make smart decisions.
ReplyDeleteToday I observed third grade students at Price Lab actively participating in their education. The students individually decided three things: 1) the subject they are most proud of, 2) the goals they had for the subject, and 3) how they achieved their goals. With minimal guidance students wrote reflections of their educational advances, achievements, and goals. In my opinion this is a perfect example that “through student-centered instruction, our students can achieve independent minds and the capacity to make educational decisions and value judgments.” I believe that the interaction and responsibilities created by student-centered classrooms is to contribute for these mature, successful, and experienced third grade students.
ReplyDeleteIn this experience I have observed a student-centered classroom. The students in class spend time discussing and problem solving on their own, with s partner, and as a whole class. I think that student centered instruction is very effective because it lets the students direct what they are learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Raine that a student centered instruction can be very hard but once the kids understand what they need to do, i think it is the best thing for them. I think that if the teacher can make sure they stay on task and keep them talking about what they need to then the students will learn.
ReplyDeleteGoing through school, times that stand out where there was a student centered classroom are my art classes in middle school and high school. I think it is much easier for that subject area to allow the students to go off and explore and learn on their own. It's a little bit more difficult when for example you want them to explore during a science lesson. You want to students to be able to have that connection with what they are learning, but you don't want them to stray from what is supposed to be learned. In order to have a student-centered classroom I would say there needs to be definite guidelines and monitoring to make sure that the students are exploring meaningful material, and correct information. It's beneficial and important though because I think the students do get more actively involved and really feel like they have a part in learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what many of the posts are discussing that a student-centered classroom can be harder to obtain. It is also highly beneficial because the students are more active in their learning, and they will have more understanding on the topic. I also agree with what kdeneve says that the students will surprise you and they will make smart decisions.
ReplyDeleteHaving a student-centered classroom is very critical for every teacher to create because it allows all students to be more actively engaged in the classroom. It can be difficult setting up a classroom this way, but there are many ways I have seen teachers do this. One way might be to determine what kind of learners your students are and use teaching strategies that will cater best to these. This will help your students make even more connections with the material that you teach. I have also seen Mrs. Guenther teach her students metacognition as her and a student will create goals for their learning and look back at the progress they've made. This encourages them to always be proactive in the classroom and look for areas that might need improvement.
ReplyDeleteI like how Amy shared her experience with how she has seen student-centered learning in the classroom. This is something I have seen in my Level 2 classroom as well, and I think it is a great way to encourage students to be self-regulated learners in the classroom. It is important for students to be able to reflect on their work and make new goals for themselves. These strategies are important to have throughout their entire education because they are life skills that they will use in high school, college, and when they enter the workplace.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like classes are becoming much more student-centered than they used to be. When I was growing up in elementary school we didn't have too many choices when it came to academic activities. The teacher told us what to do and we did it, there were no if's, and's, or butt's about it. We didn't get to make our own classroom rules or goals. In both of the classrooms I have been in and observed, the classes are very student-centered. For my level I field experience I observed the students making up a chant for the Lincoln school..Then all of the class's chants would be voted on and the winning chant would be Lincoln's new school chant. This just goes to show that this school is very student-centered as a whole. They love for the students to be involved in making school decisions. This allows students to feel included and they have more fun at school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of these posts. Student-centered instruction is so important in my opinion but there is a right way to do it. I believe the teacher still needs to be very involved but it's more about when to speak up and how can you redirect the students without directly teaching them the lesson. By letting them discover, the students learn the information better. It is so important for teachers to be there for support, but not as much there to lecture or focus on direction and instruction but more about letting the students discover what they are suppose to be learning. I believe there are a lot of benefits to student-centered learning, and am very happy to see it increased so much over the years. When I was growing up, lessons were all the same, we did as the teacher ordered and had no choice in the matter. Seeing students being allowed to take charge in their learning is one of the most rewarding things in it's own because in the end, they are and always will be in charge of themselves and their own life.
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