Student-Centered Learning

Practices, Culture, & Environment

Connecting the Dots IV June 27, 2011

Why Student-Centered Learning?

Vermont TransformationStudent-centered Learning

Leadership for Student-centered Learning

Flexible Learning Environments

Engaged Community Partners

Globalization and Technology have had significant impact on the world. How have they changed education?

What are we trying to achieve?

We will re-examine our beliefs around, and our understanding of, student-centered learning with the goal of clarifying, expanding and extending our understanding of SCL in a 21st century context.

Practices & Strategies

Classroom & School Culture

Environment

My Role

Not the expert

I have my own beliefs & understanding... which keeps growing

My role today is to facilitate a process... not to provide answers

SCL in the 21st Century

Complex

Multifaceted

It includes...WhatHowWhyWhereWhen....... Students learn

Curriculum & Instruction

You can’t deal with one without the other... SCL is impacted by, and impacts, both

SCL must be purposefully integrated

SCL will look different at various grade levels... yet it will be remarkably the same throughout K-16

Present Understandings

By Teams

Create a Visual of your present understanding of SCL

Visual Organizer10-15 minutes

Personal Learning Styles

In Your group each person take a few minutes to discuss...

How do you learn best?

Next, discuss...

What inhibits or stifles your learning?

Go back to your visual. Based on your conversations, is there anything you would like to update on your visual?

SCL Video

College level but applicable throughout.

See how many components of SCL you can identify in the video.

How many did you already have and how many are new?

Update your visual

What is Student-centered Learning?

Five Scenarios

What can you learn from each of these scenarios... about what is and what isn’t SCL?

Read each scenario

Discuss with your group its strengths and weaknesses as it relates to SCL

Rate it from 1 to 10... 10 being perfect SCL

Share your rating

Group discussion of ratings

After reading all five scenarios, go back and see if your visual needs updating

Taking a Peek

Time to check out the visuals that others have created.

Each Team move to the right. Take two minutes

On my cue, move to the right again. Continue this until you are back to your computer

Did you get any ideas on things you missed? If you wish, update your visual again.

Creating a Common Visual

Each group add 2 components at a timePractices & Strategies

School/Classroom Culture

Environment

Revise and adjustWhat are the most compelling components?

Defining the Components

Assign various components to each group

In 25 words or less, define/clarify the component

Post to master visual

• Clarify and revise

If you believe...

• It should drive every step in curriculum development

• Instructional strategies and practices must be at the very least considered, and more likely, specifically built into the curriculum

What does it look like?

• It doesn’t look the same in every class

• Not all components are always present

• It doesn’t mean there isn’t an appropriate time for some “teacher centeredness” or whole class instruction

• When you see it in action, your will recognize it.

• Depending on the present curriculum and instructional practices, it may take several years to transform classroom practice