creating and managing a learner centered learning … · learner-centered instruction in a...

2018 STARTALK Spring Conference

CREATING AND MANAGING A LEARNERCENTERED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Ali Moeller

Xianquan Liu

SESSION OUTCOMES

• Icandescribestrategiesthatbuildpositivestudentteacherrelationshipsinthelanguageclassroom

• Icandescribeclassroommanagementapproachesthatfocusandengagealllearnersinthelearningprocess

• Icanidentifyandusetechnologytoolsthatprovideformativefeedbackandinvolvelearnersininteractivelearningtasks

?• STARTALKPrinciple:FacilitatingaLearnerCenteredClassroom

• SessionFocus:CreatingaLearner-CenteredClassroom

• KeyWords:ClassroomManagement;LearnerCenteredness;PositiveLearningEnvironment

WHY THIS SESSION?

What is a Learner Centered Classroom?

Learner-Centered InstructionIn a student-centered class, students:

•don’t depend on their teacher all the time•communicate with each other•value each other’s contributions•they cooperate and learn from each other•don’t decide what they want to learn •work alone, in pairs or in groups

A student-centered classroom may be teacher led:

•teacher gives instructions•helps with pronunciation•gives feedback•offers suggestions•makes corrections

•planner•learning environment creator•motivator•assessor•facilitator•guide

Role of the teacher

Learner-Centered Instruction

Role of the student

•participant•listener•doer•self-assessor•learner

http://www.learner.org/libraries/tfl/french/terry/analyze.html

Control

In a learner-centered classroom, the teacher gradually releases control of the learning to the learners

Motivation3 elements of motivation–Autonomy–Competence–Relatedness

Relationship with learners (relatedness)

Relationships are Important

§ Relationship does NOTmeanfriend

§ Establish trust§ Students will not want to disappointyou.

§ Students morelikely to participateinclass.

Learning is cognitive and emotional

The Importance of “Showing Care”

Relationship-buildingisidentifiedas“themostimportantfactorineffectiveclassroommanagement”(Holt,Hargrove&Harris,2011)

To establish relationships…

§ Find outwhat students areinterested in

§ Participate inactivities with students

§ Talk with them before class

§ Askif they areokaywhen they seem down

Knowing your students

Fostering positive peer relationships

TeamBuildingideas

Choice/Voice (autonomy)

Task based instruction (competence)

Information Gap Pair Work1.Eachpartner(A&B)hasapictureofamale2.Thereare10differencesinappearancebetweenthepicturesthatpartnerAandpartnerBhave

3.Usingonlythetargetlanguageenhancedbyanynon-verbalsorstrategiestrytoidentifythe10differencesbetweenthesetwomen

4.Circlethedifferencesasyouidentifythem5.Youhavefiveminutestocompletetheactivity

Pair Work

Numbered Heads Together

Numbered-Heads Together§ Teachergivesaquestionstowholeclass.

§ Allstudentshavethinking+writingtime

§ Studentsputheadstogether…discussuntilconsensus.

§ Teacherselectsanumberatrandom

§ Numberedstudentsrespondinavarietyofways.

Howcanweasteachersestablishclassroommanagementinourclassroom?

§ Settingupthephysicallayoutoftheclassroom.§ Developingrulesandroutines.§ Planandimplementengaginginstruction.§ Involvinglearnersactivelyinfirstfourminutes§ Developingrelationshipwithandamongthestudents§ Addressdisciplineissueswhentheyarise.

(Garrett,2013pg.48)

Establishing Classroom Management

Clock Partner

Popsicle…

Getting Students Talking

Authoritarian vs Authoritative

• Dictatorial&unresponsivetostudentneeds• Highstandardsandempathetic&supportive

Authority+Warmth

Warmthority

GOLDEN Rules• Befriendly,butfirm• Beanally• De-escalateratherthanDe-fensive• Balanceauthorityandapproachability• Modelcorrectbehaviorandrewarditinstudents• Keepcoolanddon’tbebaited• Beawareofyourvoiceandnon-verbals

Fair and firm enforcement of rules with a dash of humor

Relate to Learners

Behaviors

• Minormisbehaviors–Noisiness,socializing,daydreaming

• Moreseriousmisbehaviors– Arguing,failingtorespondtodirective

• Nevertoleratedmisbehaviors– Stealing,intentionallyhurtingsomeone,destroyingproperty

Cellphonestorage

Keep calm

§ Haveacalmoutlook.Ifyoucan'tleavetheroombutaregettingannoyed,countsilentlybackwardsfrom10andcollectyourself.

§ Smile,communicatecalmandconfidence

Adjust the Volume

§ Withloudclasses,avoidraisingyourvoice

§ Loweringyourvoicecanbemuchmoreeffective.Ifthevolumeofyourvoiceisalwayshigh,itlosesitseffectanddoesn'thelptocontrolthesituation

Move around • Yourpresenceisextremelypowerful

§ Movearoundanddon'tallowthestudentstobecomedistracted.Talktothemabouttheirtask.Givethemadefiniteindicationregardingwhenyouwillbebacktocheckontheirprogress.Forexamplesay:"I'dlovetoseehowyouanswerthenextquestionwhenIcomebackinafewminutes”

§ Thenwalkandvisitanotherstudent/pairbutmakesureyoucomeback

It's your classroom

§ Controlyourspace

§ Standatthedoorastheyenter.Talk,changemoods.Greetthestudentsandmakeeyecontact

Be positive

§ Dealwithlow-leveldisruptionsbyusingpositivelanguage"Wedon’tusecellphonesbecauseitdistractsyoufromfullyengaginginthelearningprocess."

§ Itdoesn'tgivethelearnertheopportunitytooptoutbutalsosetstheexpectation

Have routines

§ Havingaroutineinyourclassroomcanhelp.Studentsneedtofeelsecureintheirclassroomandwiththeiractivities.

§ Startandendwithcandostatementsthatareperformancebasedlearningoutcomesthatpromotemotivationandself-assessmentandself-regulation

Pyramid of Responses• Donothing

• Proximity

• Callonthem

• Pausemeaningfully

• Genericplenarycomment

• Privatetalk

• Papertrial

• Publicconfrontation

• Exclusion

Non Verbal Intervention

• The”teacherlook”

Level 1 Interventions

§ Teacher look

§ Proximity

§ Tap desk

§ Quiet one-way conversation while otherstudents arebusy

§ Whole group positivecorrection

§ “Thanks for keeping your

computers closed”

§ Thanks for listening to the speaker

Level 2 Interventions

§ Public Correction– “Ricardo,Ineed your eyes uphere.Thank you”– Then keep going!– These should bespecific phrases

§ Hallway– Send the student to the hallway– Get other students started– Go have aprivate conversation with the student– Use“I”phrases– Setupaquick game plan– Let the student get adrink before coming backinside

Level 3 Interventions

§ Office– Usethis sparingly!– Follow upwith student/administrator

§ After school detention– Make it productive– Have aconversation (Boys v.Girls)– Help the student formulate the solution to theproblems he/she is experiencing intheclassroom.

– Clean slate when they comeback

Level 4 Interventions

“Withitness” Factor– Kounin, 1970

Knowwhat’sgoingonallovertheroom&studentsknowtheteacherknows

“Withitness” Eyes & Ears EverywhereHone observational skills

Teacher Observation

§ Rethink“monitoring”à thinkofgroupworkasanobservationalopportunity

§ Achancetoseehowstudentsinteractanduseinformationtoguideclassroommanagement—acknowledgequestionswitheyecontact,nod,handgesture– Seeaproblem,stepupandguide– Don’tlinger(lessthan30seconds)– Listenbeforejumpingin

Observing Students in Action

§ Useyoureyes:visuallyskim

§ Useyourears:eavesdropping

§ Useperspective:movefronttobackandsidetoside

§ Useproximity:standoff—wideangleview– Standclose—inconversationaldistance

Building Learner Centered Classroom through Digital Tools•PearDeck

ExampleSlides

Building Learner Centered Classroom through Digital Tools• SockPuppet

sockpupptexample

Building Learner Centered Classroom through Digital Tools• Seesaw

SeesawLink

Learner engagement

Can-Do Statements

• Icandescribestrategiesthatbuildpositivestudentteacherrelationshipsinthelanguageclassroom

• Icandescribeclassroommanagementapproachesthatfocusandengagealllearnersinthelearningprocess

• Icanidentifyandusetechnologytoolsthatprovideformativefeedbackandinvolvelearnersininteractivelearningtasks

AliMoelleramoeller2@unl.edu

Xianquan Liucrystal040524@gmail.com