The Learner Centered Classroom Presentation for Teacher Orientation Batavia City School District

The Shift In recent years the focus has shifted from the teacher-centered classroom to the learner-centered classroom. What exactly is a learner centered classroom?

It’s a classroom where The Students are Doing Thinking Learning There is no research to support the “teacher talking and students passively listening” model that so many of us experienced as students.

In the learner centered classroom The learner actively Relies on cognitive and metacognitive abilities Sets goals for his/her learning and reflects on progress Works actively to construct meaning Links new information to prior knowledge Collaborates with others to learn Applies strategies to control the learning Reflects on what he/she has learned

The Goal: Fostering Pupil Ownership-Control of Content Literacy Skills Student-Controlled Use of Reading to Learn Teacher-Centered Instruction of Reading K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Three levels of Active Participation There are 3 levels of active response that teachers should seek to incorporate into their lessons The first level requires listening, watching, or reading. (Covert) “Listen as I read this story.” The second level requires a particular covert mental response. (Covert) “Think about a time when you were confused.” The third level requires a particular overt (visible) response. (Overt) “Talk to the person next to you about a time when you were confused.”

Level Three – Active Overt When using the third level, teachers can immediately see which students “get it” and which are struggling. For example, by having students write the sentences on a card or slate and hold them up for the teacher to see, the teacher can see (assess) which students can apply the learning correctly. The only time that a teacher can be sure that students are engaged is when he/she calls for a Level 3 Response!

Strategies to assist students in constructing meaning Use your learning log to list at least two ways that you assist students in constructing meaning using a Level 3 Active Overt Response.

Three Strategies for Promoting Active Learning Think, Pair, Share Anticipation Guides Web Review

Think, Pair, Share 1. Students work alone to generate thoughts on an issue, ways to solve a problem or answers to a question. 2. Students join a partner to discuss and look over each other’s work. 3. The two students join another two students to complete their assignment. 4. Groups of 4 may share with the larger group.

Think, Pair, Share Model Let’s model a Think, Pair, Share Work by yourself for 3 minutes Work with a partner for 3 minutes You and your partner join another pair for 3 minutes The question you are answering is, “What are the benefits for students of using the Think, Pair, Share strategy?” Benefits for teachers?

Anticipation Guides Procedure: The teacher first reviews the text, video, or demonstration, then the major concepts. After deciding which concepts are most likely to stimulate student background knowledge, the teacher prepares three to five statements based on the key concepts. General statements work better than specific statements. The statements are provided to the students before they read the text, and students are asked to decide which statements they believe the text will support. Students should talk through their opinions with other students. The teacher then prepares a class tally for each statement, discusses student responses, and asks for elaboration and substantiation. Next, students read the text and collect information to support or refute the statement. Finally, students compare their original responses to their new ideas, and find support for the new ideas in the text .

Web Review Students use one color pen to web everything they know about a topic without looking in their notes or books. They select an embellishing pen of a different color. They add details or concepts after checking their notes in the color of the embellishing pen. The use of color and the web help students to remember information they may have forgotten earlier. Variation: Have students work in pairs to create the first web. Then exchange webs with another pair who use the embellishing pen to add details or concepts.

Sample Web Review for Unit on Age of Exploration Important persons other than explorers Places Explored Names of Explorers Results of Exploration Reasons for Exploration Age of Exploration New Technology Facts about life at sea Hardships experienced by explorers The first group webs the ideas in blue. They pass their web along and the second group adds the details in yellow.

Reciprocal Teaching Summarizing - After students have read a short section of a passage, a single student (the leader of the group) summarizes what has been read. Other students may add to the summary. Teacher might point out clues to important ideas that have been omitted during the summary. Questioning -The student leader now asks the group questions. Other members of the group respond. Clarification - The student leader tries to clarify confusing points or ask members of the group to clear up confusing parts Prediction - The student leader asks for prediction about what will happen in the next segment of the text. Students can write down predictions. Keeping predictions in mind, students read the next segment A new student leader begins the cycle again with the next segment

In summary… Active Learning Depends On Appropriately designed activities. Low level busywork will not result in students constructing important learning. Teacher assessment – think performance rather than multiple choice quiz. Opportunities to access prior knowledge about the topic. Feedback from students – can they tell you what they do and don’t understand? Metacognition A learning community – the teacher is not the sole source of knowledge. Students and teacher construct understandings together. Reflection and encouragement