How Can I Support Student-Centered Learning in my Classroom?
Summary of my Learning
By: Paige Mitchell
What does student-centered learning mean?
There are a multitude of definitions you can find with a quick google search.
The definition wikipedia offers, says that student-centered learning is a term that “broadly encompasses methods of teaching that shift the focus of instruction from the teacher to the student.”
The Glossary of Educational Reform goes into more detail with it’s definition. It says that student-centered learning “refers to a wide variety of educational programs,learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic-support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students and groups of students.” The definition is accompanied by a list of “fundamental characteristics” of student-centered learning:
These are the definitions I used as I blogged my learning. As I said there are more, which I will include here.
Maryellen Weimer, PhD, outlines five characteristics:
Another powerful definition can be found in “The Student-Centered Classroom” by Leo Jones. He has written an entire document on the subject matter and it begins with defining student-centered learning and the ideas behind it. He says:
“We don’t want our students to become people who:
And adds:
If you’re wondering if your classroom is student-centered, or just how student-centered it is, check out this edutopia post that asks: “How Student Centered Is Your Classroom?”
My understanding of student-centered learning is a combination of all of these points. A deeper understanding of student-centered learning means digging into each of these definitions and tying them to practice. To me student-centered learning is about giving students a relevant and engaging education. It is about having students take control of their learning, so that it is as effective at preparing them for the rest of their life as it can be. I need education to move away from memorizing facts and to move toward constructing transferable knowledge and critical thinking. I believe student-centered learning will help do that.
Why inquire into student-centered learning?
I wanted to inquire into student-centered learning because I knew I believed in many of the ideas present in the above definitions. I wasn’t sure exactly what my inquiry question would be specifically, so I began with a very broad and vague ideas that I narrowed down. I’ve recently learned about and become greatly interested in inquiry-based learning and genius hour. Learning about these concepts/practices were like having lightbulbs pop on inside my head. They spoke to my philosophy, which I have been figuring out and fleshing out throughout my education. I didn’t have to ask myself why I liked them, why I wanted to use them in my teaching; I knew. It was because they are about the learner. These kinds of methods, which I now include under the umbrella of student-centered learning, are about making education work for or molding education around students, not the other way around. This was huge to me. This was what I sensed was missing in the education practices I knew of. I began to see this kind of teaching being modeled by some of my professors. So, I wanted to inquire into student-centered learning so that I could learn what I could do to make my teaching and classroom student-centered.
What are some strategies/activities to support student-centered learning?
There are many strategies and activities that could be added to this list and I will continue to add to the list as I learn. These are some of the things I’ve learned about while inquiring into how I can support student-centered learning in my classroom.
I have included a video below that show some strategies in action, which helped me see how the strategies can work and is something I will reference as I move forward. One piece of advice the teacher gives is to come to the class as a participant. Have your questions and responses ready, and be willing to go where the students take you. As she says, it is the student discussion, not yours.
How can assessment be student-centered?
As with many of the sub-topics I have created here, I have a full blog post on student-centered assessment. I wasn’t searching for student-centered learning. Assessment is something that I used to cringe at, but I have opened my eyes to see how assessment can be constructive and indeed student-centered. Specific examples of different types of student-centered assessment are:
Examples of student-centered learning in action:
*I highly recommend watching this video to see a classroom in action (so helpful!)
My English classroom example:
I am still just getting my feet wet with making my teaching student-centered. I have many opportunities ahead of me to put what I’ve learned into action. As of now, I have just completed my pre-internship, so I don’t have many experiences under my belt. During my pre-internship my theoretical background and personal philosophy came through in how I taught, but it was still another teacher’s class with routines and structure already set up. I did what I could with the time I had, the experience I had, and the agency I had.
My biggest success was in the journal project I had my B10 students do. This project asked students to be critical thinkers, access their background knowledge and personal perspective, and build up their project in a process.
Here is a description of the project and the rubric I used:
The journal project requires four journal entries that respond to prepared prompts. One of the journal entries is to be chosen to be revised and polished. You must have handed in rough drafts for each of your journal entries. Your final entry will include the first draft of your chosen journal entry, evidence of revision and editing, and a polished final draft.
The final draft should be free of errors and well organized. It should have a focused idea with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. It should include personal viewpoints with support for ideas.
Here is the link to the journal rubric that is used to assess student work.
Here is an additional example of a choice board and mini-unit outline for ELA 10. Choice boards give students choice in how they want to demonstrate their learning and are a great student-centered and differentiated activity and form of assessment.
My math classroom example:
As a math minor, I am also interested in ways to make my math classes student-centered. I didn’t have the opportunity to teach in a math class during my pre-internship, but I have created lesson plans that explore student-centered learning. I am looking forward to future opportunities to put these ideas into practice.
Is student-centered teaching for you?
I know that it is for me. My inquiry has supported my beliefs and given me ways to put theory into practice. I would encourage others to look into it as well.
Blogging my Learning Process
Complete List of Resources