Main points:

What we believe effects what we do in the classroom.

Simply knowing what it takes to be an effective teacher is not enough. We must act on what we know. There seems to be a seemingly stubborn continuity in teacher-centered instruction despite intense reform efforts to move classroom practices toward instruction that is more learner-centered (Cuban, 1982). When they encounter new situations in which they lack knowledge and cognitive strategies, teachers—like all people—fall back on their beliefs to guide the decisions they make (Pajares, 1992). For this reason, it is extremely important that we understand what we believe if we are going to be serious about improving educational practices (Fang, 1996; Lumpe, Haney, & Czerniak, 1998; Tobin, Tippins, & Gallard, 1994). Our beliefs guide the decisions we make and the actions we take in the classroom, both of which have an impact on the students we teach (Liu, 2003). In fact, there is evidence that should we decide not to commit to instructional innovation, we will most likely alter how we use instructional tools (i.e., Promethean Board, projector, laptop, and software) to the point that they are no longer effective (Guskey, 1986). Our beliefs, more so than what we know about good teaching, are better predictors of our behavior in the classroom (Nespor, 1987).

Articulation is extremely important.

Knowledge of content is important but so is how well we express what we know. An effective teacher is able to articulate (clearly communicate or otherwise translate into language students can understand) what she trying to say.

Do we all understand what is meant by the term student-centered learning?

In a student-centered classroom, students set their own goals and determine resources and activities that will help them achieve the goals (Jonassen, 2000)

Why should we even care about fostering a student-centered classroom?

Research has shown that activities in a student-centered learning are often more effective than the instruction in the traditional teacher-centered classroom because the learning that occurs is more meaningful to students.

How can we do it? Specifically, what kinds of activities lend themselves to student-centered learning?

· Case-based learning

· Project-based learning

· Problem-based learning

Note: All of these approaches rely on a central question or essential question (CQ/EQ) that makes learning necessary (Jonassen, 1999). The central/essential question may be:
explicitly stated
implied

The CQ/EQ may appear in many forms:

· a problem

· an issue

· a case

· a project

Often, students are presented with a situation or activity that frames (contains or makes noticeable) the CQ/EQ. When the central/essential question becomes noticeable or important enough to answer or address, students have a reason to work together to understand and respond to it.

The response to the CQ/EQ can come in many forms…

· a solution

· an opinion

· a decision

· a plan of action

· a product

· anything that demonstrates We saw a problem or situation and this what we did about it.

When it first appears, the importance or complexity of the CQ/EQ is usually “fuzzy” or difficult to fully comprehend. There may be many justifiable responses (i.e., no “right” answers) to it and the responses may be full of drawbacks.

We can probably expect to hear things like…

· Do we really want to open this can of worms?

· Are we ready to take on the responsibilities this will entail?

· I didn’t know it would be this much work!

Responses to the CQ/EQ may also come with tradeoffs.

· We can’t do ____ and ____.

· If we do ____ then _____.

· We can only ____ if ____.

Assuming we have decided to pursue student-centered learning, what happens?

· The CQ/EQ is presented/framed. (Teacher may stage an event or activity that generates the CQ/EQ.)

· Teacher acts as a facilitator (that is, a person who gives advice or strategically questions others to help them see what they need to learn or do) for students.

· Students clarify the CQ/EQ.

· Students decide how they want to respond to the CQ/EQ.

· Students develop a plan of for responding to the CQ/EQ.

· Students work to complete plan.

· Magic happens--learning is the result of the students’ efforts to develop an appropriate response to the CQ/EQ.

What are some difference between a teacher-centered classroom and a student-centered classroom?

	Teacher centered	Student centered
Goal	Basically, the goal is to convince students that what they are learning are is worthwhile and requires the application of skills and knowledge to be learned prior to a final assessment.	Students work to better understand and respond to a CQ/EQ. As a result the students have to sort out and decide what they need to know and do in order to develop the response. This requires the application of skills and knowledge.
Role	Teachers: I decide what we will learn (objectives) and what we will do (activities designed to help you learn the objectives). If there are problems as we do this, I will decide how to solve them. Students: We know we’re supposed to do what you tell us to do. We may do it if we think it is interesting or fun.	Teacher: I’ll present a problem (CQ/EQ) and step in to offer assistance when you need help, are making decisions, or don’t understand the consequences of your decisions. When you have problems, I’ll be asking you a lot of questions to help you see different ways of doing things or different resources you can use. I’ll help you but you have to do all of the work. By the way, I am aware of the standards for learning in Georgia and I will occasionally point out that as you (the pupils) develop your response to the CQ/EQ, the state expects you to master skills and concepts along the way. Students: We’ll decide how we think we should respond to the CQ/EQ. We’ll also make a plan that will help us carry out a process to develop a response. Inceidentally, you can pretty much bet that we’ll be absolutely clueless about a lot of stuff.
Student motivation	Extrinsic motivators: grades and/or rewards	Intrinsic if…there is a CQ/EQ that is · interesting enough to make students curious, · important enough to make them want to understand the why of the situation, · and doable enough for them to respond to in some way. Intrinsic because student actions are driven by the goals they set for themselves.
Assessment	Teachers use assessments to determine grades. Grades are then used to motivate the student and provide parents with information about the student’s progress. Assessment is based on objective tests and are completely consistent with a social efficiency curriculum and behaviorist theory—which, by the way, are both at odds with the concept of constructivism (Shepard, 2000).	Assessment is mostly performance-based. The students create answers or products that demonstrate their knowledge or skills (as carefully clarified and depicted in any number of rubrics). This differs from traditional testing methods that often require a student to select a single correct answer or to fill in the blank.
Interaction	Mostly focused on cooperative learning experiences with teacher determining group membership, the nature of the interactions, and the role each member of a group plays. Teacher intervenes in the group process when there are difficulties and holds the group accountable for individual learning.	Mostly focused on collaborative learning experiences. Students choose their own interactions and decide with whom they work and how. As students negotiate their relationships with each other, they articulate their ideas and work their way through a disciplined social process of inquiry. Students learn about the culture of the group, specifically, the requirements (the customs, roles, vocabulary, et cetera) for being part of the group. They begin developing the appropriate vocabulary of the group and by exploring roles similar to those in the “real” world (i.e., teacher, mathematician, scientist, historian, designer, artist, journalist, et cetera). Students must master two kinds of knowledge—foundational and nonfoundational. Foundational knowledge is the basic knowledge represented by socially justified beliefs we all agree on. Correct spelling and grammar, mathematics procedures, history facts are all foundational knowledge. Nonfoundational knowledge is derived through reasoning and questioning instead of relying solely upon rote memory. In nonfoundational knowledge students do not take their teacher's authority for granted. They openly doubt answers and methods for arriving at answers provided by their teachers. They come to terms with their doubts by participating actively in the learning and inquiry process. Out of this process new knowledge is often created--something not likely to occur when dealing with the facts and information associated with foundational knowledge. The responsibility for learning is shifted away from the teacher as expert to the student. The teacher is seen more as an expert learner.

What are some suggestions that will help us in our role as a facilitator?

· Be very active in your role as facilitator of students’ construction of knowledge and problem-solving

· Promote the social construction of knowledge by encouraging students to

1. collaborate,

2. engage in peer-modeling of successful strategies,

3. identify flawed reasoning, or missing information

4. reflect on what they have learned (during group discussions)

· Help students connect the knowledge they discover to their prior knowledge (provide mini-lectures on topics that extend student thinking and connect other topics in the curriculum—doing this during whole class discussions)

· Probe individual student’s thinking as they are engaged in the problem so as to promote reflection and help them identify misconceptions

· Examine students’ plans and question their knowledge and reasoning

Questions:

· What do you see as the most important aspects of your role as the teacher in your classes?

· Do you feel that group work is beneficial? Why or why not?

· Are you primarily responsible for evaluating your students’ work? Do you feel that this is the best way to handle evaluation?

· How do students learn vocabulary in your class? Why do you use this approach?

· How would you define student-centered learning?

· Would you describe your classes as student-centered? If so, in what ways?

· Do you believe that students are capable of making decisions about what to do with their class time?

· Do you believe that students are capable of evaluating their own work?

Focus groups to discuss findings of the study—confront beliefs until we have common ground

	Regular	Student-centered
Planning	Know standards Plan lessons Establish procedures for carrying out tasks during lessons Establish objectives Make sure supplies are available	Establish checkpoints or deadlines by which students must complete certain steps/work
Instruction	Get students excited about topics Demonstrate process Lead discussions Relate new knowledge to students prior knowledge	Ask questions about concepts to find out how much students have learned (if necessary, provide mini-lectures on concepts to enhance students’ knowledge) Lead discussions to get students to share their findings
Motivating Students	Praise students Grade students to motivate them and hold them accountable for class and homework	Praise students
Behavior	Redirect students who get off task Prevent children from being mean to each other Prevent students who misbehave from disturbing their classmates	Redirect students who get off task
During activities	Answer students’ questions Make sure students are not struggling and provide help to those who are	Interact with students one-on-one to ask questions about their ____ knowledge Interact with students one-on-one to ask students about their process Encourage students to work together Check students’ work in order to make sure they are progressing at an appropriate pace Give feedback on students’ products in time for them to make provisions

What are some pitfalls of student-centered learning?

Not allowing for enough time for students to explore a problem or plan a response

Not planning ahead before introducing a technology-based resource (i.e., laptop, software, hardware, et cetera)

· Check the equipment

· Practice using it

· Establish rules and procedures for using the resources

· Create templates

· Post directions and policies for use

· Assign a specific laptop to each student (so there is no question about who uses what)

· Have back-up activities (so students won’t be sitting idle when completing an activity)

· Emphasize consistency (make sure all laptops look and work the same way, decide on what font, font size, page heading format everyone will use)

Floundering students:

Floundering refers to students pursuing an unproductive plan of action or failing to develop a plan of action at all. However, floundering can be beneficial:

· Students are better able to explain (later) why they had difficulties

· Students learn to deal with some of their frustrations and become more self-reliant and capable of handling other student-centered activities

· Initial missteps give students a better understanding of the nature of problem-solving

How do we help those who flounder?

· Question students and get them to thoroughly explain what they are doing (to see their errors) and why they are doing it rather than directing them

· Provide scaffolding for students with special needs

· Support factual knowledge acquisition (Williams, 1993)

· Capitalize on the multimedia nature of computer technology to create new learning experiences

Help students to focus on learning as much as the grade.

Sources cited:

Bruffee, K. A. (1995). Sharing our toys: cooperative learning versus collaborative learning. Change 1995, 27 (1), 12-18.

Cuban, L. (1982). Persistence of the Inevitable: The teacher-centered classroom. Education and urban society, 15, 26-41.

Fang, Z. (1996). A review of research on teacher beliefs and practices. Educational researcher, 38, 47-65.

Guskey, T. (1986). Staff development and the process of teacher change. Educational researcher, 15(5), 5-12.

Haney, J.J., Czerniak, C.M., & Lumpe, A.T. (1996). Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of science education reform strands. Journal of research in science teaching, 33 (9), 971-993.

Liu, M. (2003). Teachers’ belief about issues in the implementation of a student-centered learning environment. Educational technology research and development, 51 (2) 57-76.

Nespor, J. (1987). The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching. Journal of curriculum studies, 19(4), 317-328.

Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of educational research, 62(3), 307-332.

Shepard, L.A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational researcher, 29(7), 4-14.

Tobin, K., Tippins, D. J., & Gallard, A. J. (1994). Research on instructional strategies for teaching science. In D. L. Gabel (Ed.). Handbook of research on science teaching and learning (pp. 45-93). New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

Williams, S.M. (1993) Putting case based learning into context: examples from legal, business, and medical education. Journal of learning sciences, 2, 367-427.