It’s all about the student…
More thought happening around the role of the teacher in the classroom…It’s all about the STUDENT!
Student Centered Learning– Defined:
1.
Student-centred learning describes ways of thinking about learning and teaching that emphasise student responsibility for such activities as planning learning, interacting with teachers and other students, researching, and assessing learning.
[Cannon, R. (2000) Guide to support the implementation of the Learning and Teaching Plan Year 2000, ACUE, The University of Adelaide. ]
Plain and simple: The teacher steps down from the soap-box, and students take an active role in the LEARNING process. They are no longer PASSIVE receptacles, but generators of their own content, working towards clear learning outcomes.
Skeletons from the Out-dated Classroom:
Teacher is in control. Knowledge is trickle down.
Classroom is TEACHER centered. To borrow J.M.’s phrase: Teacher is the “Sage on the stage.”
Teachers transfer their knowledge, and students soak it up. (In theory.)
Focus on covering curriculum content. [Read: One size fits all and you’ve gotta fit in x amount of time.]
Teacher is the gateway to knowledge.
Students memorize to pass exams, and little real UNDERSTANDING takes place. [ESL APP: How many vocabulary words did Juan memorize today, and how many did he get right on his exam? vs. How many words did Juan LEARN this week, and how many of those few words see actual useage in his day-to-day conversations?]
Never deviate from course books.
You finish a course book, you move on to the next level.
English stays in English class.
The Updated Classroom is STUDENT CENTERED
Students are ACTIVE Learners and
are responsible for their learning.
Teacher’s Role in the Student Centered Classroom
Teacher is a Trajectory coach: they realize that students are IN MOTION, [Read: Already moving, learning beings with experience, acquired knowledge, and direction. They aren’t passive, stationary objects just waiting for teacher’s knowledge. ]
Trajectory Coaches are experts at inspiration.
They strive to Spark, Fan into flame, Protect and add to learner momentum.
They are passionate about their subject themselves: Passion often creates passion in others.
They promote learner autonomy. The TKT preparation course I’m doing has an interesting section on student motivation where they describe Learner Autonomy as a
“Feeling of being responsible for and in control of our own learning.”(Unit 9, pg. 38 The TKT Teaching Knowledge Test Course - Cambridge University Press 2005.) I would like to add to this: Learner Autonomy is not just a feeling, but a STATE OF BEING. You are or you aren’t! Good teachers must actively encourage the rise of autonomous learners, and work themselves out of a job! (real success.)
Trajectory Coaches make their class RELEVANT to their students. If it doesn’t matter to your student it’s forgotten.
Trajectory Coaches love to explore, develop, and exploit student goals to deploy ADDICTIVE and ENGAGING classes. (Sorta fights the norm of being the Teacher’s goals or the school’s goals, or the curriculum’s goals that are most important.)
Class is customized to student interest and passion. Therefore: Trajectory Coach: KNOW THY STUDENT.
Be as fluent as possible in what your students do, are interested in, and are passionate about.
Always remember: Motivation can be created and continued by you!
good words…
I am finding though (as we chatted about) that there is a huge difference between discussing the possibilities and theory of student centered learning and actually putting it into practice…
to do so requires a huge paradigm shift which is what you discuss above. it also means, as i believe you mention, going against the flow of traditional (and i would say still very much entrenched) teaching roles….
this is a tough one. even in just examining using blogs in my classroom, i feel as though i am at the edge of a very deep pool and it is an intimidating one…
the paradigm shift….it is exciting to talk about, but gets muddy when put into practice. i try various ways of removing myself from the ‘driver’s seat’ of the class. it is a risky maneauvor, as it involves surrendering control. this allows the possibility for students to sidetrack or possibly derail the learning of the class.
I like what you said about teachers being trajectory coaches:
“Trajectory Coaches are experts at inspiration.
They strive to Spark, Fan into flame, Protect and add to learner momentum.
They are passionate about their subject themselves: Passion often creates passion in others.”
it all goes back to that quote by W.B. Yeats:
“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire”
I see traditional ‘driver’s seat’ teaching as being an attempt to fill a pail. Just ‘download’ all the info in the students brain and hope they possibly ingest some of it.
Lighting a fire is a whole different approach. it is that passion that you spoke of…such passion should permeate out practice (and our lives) because it IS contagious.
my thoughts so far.
really enjoying your posts.
j.m.
Comment by J.M. — September 28, 2005 @ 11:59 am