Student-Centred Learning

Probably one of the most important themes in the future of learning is how to structure school so that it allows for pursuing students´ interests and passions and providing them with a personalized experience.

Transitioning into a learner-centred environment is, however, quite a chellenge in th real life context of school. This week we will be exploring ideas and opportunities to porvide a more student-centred learning experience at the school.

Please explore the following resources:

Please answer the following questions in the Discussion Forum below.

  • Can you identify opportunities for a more student-centred experience at DWKS? Where?
  • Provide ideas and examples of how the current offerings at DWKS could evolve into a more customized/personalized experience.

212 Replies to “Student-Centred Learning”

  1. I would just like to start off by saying that I am really loving reading these articles and having the discussions. So amazing!

    So this past year was the first year our school had a daycare. As far as student centered learning, there was free time where students could chose what they wanted to do or learn about. “I” provided materials and then the students decided what they wanted to build/make/create based on the choices that were available.
    Often while speaking with them they would mention something they were really interested in. “I” would then include some of their interests somehow when I was planning for the next week.

    I put the “I”s in quotations because after reading these articles it’s apparent that the students could be more involved and im inspired to include them in the actual program planning. It could be as simple as a weekly circle time conversation where we discuss what they are interested in learning about and what materials should be included in each of the centres. Instead of me switching up the books in the reading area every week and trying to select a variety of books so that everyone has something to read that interests them, Every week, the students could choose books from the library to have in our daycare reading corner. It seems way more fun for them and honestly less hard on my brain. Win win!

    I also love the idea of the Genius Hour and I would love to include that this year so that students have a period of time set aside each week where they work on their personal projects of interest which could be presented/showcased toward the end of the school year.

    1. You have made a lot of great points and are uniquely positioned to explore self-directed learning within the day care setting as there are not specific curriculum requirements or standardized tests that I am aware of. I am really excited to see how your program continue to grow!

  2. I have learned a lot about student-centered project based learning through my involvement with Destination Imagination. A small group of students is presented with a challenge that they must solve and present in a dramatic presentation. It is a unique way for students to showcase their individual strengths and come together to reach a common goal. As a facilitator, it is very rewarding to see the tremendous student growth throughout the process and it is a very valuable learning experience for everyone. Some of the skills developed are planning, research, building, writing, creating costumes and props, time management and presentation. I would like to incorporate more project based learning into my classroom teaching. Another thing I plan to use are choice boards and learning menus. Students are more likely to be actively engaged and take pride when they are given options that work best for them.

    At our school, many teachers use learning centers and creative projects using various media. The piece on learning centers is very useful and I agree that the skills to be learned should be clearly identified. I like the idea of providing time weekly for students to work on personal interest projects through genius hour and/or Flex Fridays.

    1. Angie,
      DI popped straight into my mind too when watching the animation about the learner center movement. With DI we are very much hands off and the learner must ask for any assistance they need to build their skills to solve their task. It is amazing to see what can be achieved.

    2. I like the idea of choice boards as well!
      I agree the Destination Imagination challenges develop a ton of skills as well as the student’s confidence and pride in what they have created!

    3. I too think DI is an incredible opportunity for student-lead learning. Perhaps an after school club could be run in a similar way allowing more than the 7 DI-ers to experience the process. The flex Friday time could also follow this path.

  3. Reading these articles and thinking about all the problems they pose was a stressful experience for me. I am not as idealistic as I would like to be.

    In order to fully operate in a learner centred environmentent we need to disregard the curriculum (at least partially). To do this we could be held to account for not doing our jobs. But it would probably be better for the kids. The cognitive dissonance this causes in me gives me pause about running healing in this direction. We are in a time when the paradigm needs to shift. The legal authority to create the new paradigm lies with the Quebec government. However we are in a time where popular movements are able to influence the mainstream media and contribute to system change. At the same time fighting the system puts one at risk of becoming a victim of it. Therefore it’s important for me to try to do this in small ways. (Not all day every day).

    In math class I have tried to build in a variety of ways to practice skills, workbook, manipulative, games, online. (The only tests of their skills at the end of grade 6 however will be situational problems and application questions. Also the skills that they must master are not up for debate, but dictated.)

    I worked extremely hard (and so did the kids) on a self paced unit in math this year for fractions. Students were able to work at their own pace through a variety of videos, apps, practice pages. They had periodical assessments to check their progress. At the end of the unit they were able to schedule their own test date. Students worked individually or in groups. Some times they asked for extras help sometimes I insisted. Those finished first coached others or completed more open ended enrichment activities. This was so rich and powerful. They asked when they could do another unit like that. It was often messy and could be loud but it was overall a positive experience. (The problem for me was: if I did all my teaching like that I wouldn’t get through all the things I need to cover in the year.)

    Like Angie said, offering choice boards and menus is very empowering. That is certainly something that can be used in content based classes like GHC. In English it is a great way for kids to show understanding of what they have read, while still having control of what they create. I do this when I can. (The difficulty is: when it comes to demonstrating their ability to read a text, the only product they are ever asked for in ministry testing is a “Response to Literature” do this is what I have the responsibility to prepare them to write.)

    Creating opportunities for self directed learning is important, relevant, and motivating, but it is often an over and above your thing. I need to find small ways of fitting it in to enhance my classes and dream of the day when it can make up the majority of what I do.

    Thanks,

    R

    1. Russell,

      I understand and appreciate your opinion about some of the possible challenges with the student centered learning during classes. I think it’s important to just start with whatever you are comfortable with and you can always add more time if it is going well in your class. Maybe instead of an all day every day thing it could be a full period once a week or 20 mins here and there perhaps.

    2. I too was stressing a bit as I went through some of this week’s material. I have been envisioning this type of teaching and learning for many years but have difficulty how to do this and ensure the curriculum is ‘covered’ and students are ready for graduation requirement final exams.

      I do see the cross-curricular learning as a fairly easy fit for our school. In the past, Karen and I did a water unit that involved science, English and ERC at the secondary IV level. Students were excited when they made connections between the learning in the classes. Another benefit was the overlapping of learning in the two or three classes reduced the overall amount of information that they are expected to learn in the 8-10 courses that they are generally taking at one time! I liked the video showing sound waves study that incorporated science, music and tech. Sound waves are part of our grade 9 curriculum and it would be easy to do something similar. I think we could include an ELA component as well as a POP study of professions in the music industry( and others??)

      I will go back again with a ‘no worries’ attitude and find some more good stuff.

  4. I believe we do more Student-Centered-Learning at DWKS than we realize. We do it in Drama, Art, Outdoor Ed, Phys. Ed, etc.
    Like Angie mentioned, DI is just one of many fabulous ways for our students to lead, share in decision making, work in a team and show their creativity.
    I love the GENIUS HOUR idea. I have been doing something very similar with my students for many years. They love it!
    They especially love when we have our “FREE ART” class. I really get to see their creativity, their passions and their interests during this activity, and it’s extremely rewarding.
    I also believe that students do have to sit quietly during a lesson at times. It can’t always be about projects, games, learner centered activities…we cannot always rely on the students “inner motivation” to kick-in. Sorry, I’m just a bit “Old School”. I think we are doing a wonderful job at DWKS. We are a great team and we will only make things better! 🙂

    1. You’re right Klinda! Our school offers a lot! I love that Genius hour too! Think of what they could create and present to their peers and parents! Im sure some of them could teach us a thing or two

  5. I couldn’t help but think of our Friday morning advisory challenges at the High School where all activities are student lead as well as the many activities our student council prepares throughout the year.

  6. Reading these articles about how Student-Centered learning is a great way to increase student motivation and engagement is a bit scary for me. My job, as a FLS teacher to the younger grades, is to bring my student to be able to understand French and communicate. In the first cycle, they are just accumulating vocabulary and learning to understand the language. In my experience, students in the lower grades don’t speak French during project work and group work because they do not yet have the ability. It ends up being an English activity. I do some center activity times (Ateliers). The kids enjoy those times, but it always ends up being in English. This is my dilemma.

    At the end of this past school year, I had two students and parts of our daily schedule was very flexible. I would give them choices on different activities we could do and their level of engagement was much higher. This is something that I could easily incorporated in my teaching in the future. I also really liked the Think Dots that adds a fun element to “must do” activities and the Learning Menus that offer choices.

    I am already sold on Flex Fridays and like some of you already mentioned, it would be a great platform to allow students to be more in charge of their learning. It would be another great addition to what is already happening at our school. The Genius Hour is also a great idea. I will reflect on how I could incorporate it in my class in a way that first cycle students could showcase their learnings (song, story, drama piece, etc.) of French vocabulary on a certain theme they decide on.

  7. This week’s activity urged me to watch a video that the MELS and Tele-Quebec did in 2003. At that time the QEP was new and called the “Reform”. Some of you know this well. Anyway I was part of the production and spoke to what we had been doing at PHS w.r.t. teams and organizing towards changing “the” pedagogy. I look young and enthusiastic and am all charged up with knowledge and enthusiasm….I must say I have been through cynical periods since those days however I believe like never before that improvement in Learning Design for Students is now much more feasible. The one thing I learned at Pontiac High in leading the Cycle I Project (and many times at DWKS) was that we need to go from where we’re at….and as you all have mentioned we have a lot in place to build upon……especially our curriculum that is future oriented, competency based and socio-constructivist…..challenges remain like the “heavy” assessments in our system as Russell described…..yet together we can succeed.

  8. This team at DWKS is awesome – your comments, honesty and ideas are inspiring. I agree that students must be included in planning, implementing and assessing their learning. I’m going to work hard in trying to match student interests in the skills they need to learn. I do this in some areas already but see the importance in including this way of teaching as much as possible because it is so important in student engagement. For example when learning about percent, taxes, etc. I often provide the students with a menu from a popular restaurant or the weekly flyers so they can choose items and then make a bill. I like the idea of giving students options – 3 is a good number, not too many but also not limited. I too find the student centered learning method of teaching stressful. I use it a lot in science at the elementary level and while it is a bit chaotic the student learning is amazing. I think we need to start small and aim for big! I also like the idea of allowing the students to learn the way they learn best. I know Christine often gives the students these options – work in a small group, in pairs or individually. Basing our student centered learning on the individuals interest I feel is key. Perhaps we could create a survey to administer to students at the beginning of the year in advisory to determine each persons interests and then use these interests in their learning. There were a few ideas, statistics and quotes that really stood out to me:
    – 98% of kindergarten students are divergent thinkers and this decreases significantly as they proceed through school (sad statistic)
    – “Collaboration is the stuff of growth.”
    – “Good learning happens in groups.”
    – “Believe in student capacity to lead.”
    – “Done is better than perfect.”
    I really liked the idea of a collaborative project which was based on the student’s interest. This was done at the Portfolio School. Three themes were chosen from their interests and then all units stemmed from here. The collaborative project could then be presented as part of our Spring Celebration. I also liked the Genius Hour idea. We have something similar in our IP project in Sec. V and of course Destination Imagination. Why not have IP in all grades? Why not let all students try the DI initiatives? Let’s include it in Flex Fridays. I have heard so much through our learning hub about how important creativity is for success in life and yet our school system is not set up for encouraging creativity. Let’s change that!

  9. Student-Centered Learning

    After reading this information about student-centered learning, we at DWKS have talked about this many times. I believe we do this type of learning and have incorporated this style within our schedules. As mentioned by others, it has been demonstrated through DI, Outdoor Ed, Arts, IP, and once in while within our core subjects. The PDF ‘School Look Fors’ I liked a lot because of the guidelines to the clear picture it provides.

    Something that caught my attention is that “a learner-centered approach to education requires instruction to be strategically designed to meet students’ individual developmental needs and interests”. Students would benefit so much from this. However, this is not easy to achieve and is the stressful part that has been mentioned a few times.

    With technology taking over an important part of our teaching environment, and very strict guidelines due to the pandemic, student-centered learning could be become a challenge or on the flip side could become the practice.

    Taking a day such as flex Fridays could possibly allow more of this to happen at our school. I truly believe creativity is a huge part of growing in order to learn, to improve, and to succeed. Allowing our students to have opportunities to do this would certainly promote independence and ownership of their learning

  10. I will right away grasp your rss as I can not in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please permit me recognise so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

  11. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely smartly written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thank you for the post. I will definitely comeback.

  12. Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site? My blog site is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would genuinely benefit from a lot of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Regards!

  13. I enjoy what you guys are usually up too. This sort of clever work and coverage! Keep up the very good works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to our blogroll.

  14. obviously like your website however you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to tell the truth then again I will surely come back again.

  15. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is fundamental and all. Nevertheless think of if you added some great photos or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and clips, this website could undeniably be one of the greatest in its niche. Awesome blog!

  16. It’s not my first time to visit this website, i am visiting this website dailly and take pleasant information from here everyday.

  17. Greetings! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My website discusses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Wonderful blog by the way!

  18. Hey, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, awesome blog!

  19. Magnificent goods from you, man. I’ve remember your stuff prior to and you’re simply too wonderful. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the best way during which you assert it. You are making it entertaining and you still take care of to stay it sensible. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a great website.

  20. Thank you for some other informative website. Where else may I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I have a challenge that I am simply now running on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.

  21. I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone else experiencing problems with your website. It looks like some of the text on your posts are running off the screen. Can someone else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them too? This might be a problem with my browser because I’ve had this happen before. Appreciate it

  22. Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently fast.

  23. Simply wish to say your article is as astonishing. The clearness in your post is simply cool and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the rewarding work.

  24. Hey! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a extraordinary job!

  25. Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

  26. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation however I in finding this topic to be really something which I feel I might never understand. It kind of feels too complicated and very extensive for me. I am taking a look forward in your next submit, I will try to get the cling of it!

  27. It is appropriate time to make a few plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this submit and if I may I want to suggest you few fascinating things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things approximately it!

  28. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Many thanks, However I am encountering difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anyone else getting identical RSS problems? Anyone who knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanx!!

  29. I’ve been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or blog posts in this kind of space . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this site. Reading this info So i’m glad to show that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I found out exactly what I needed. I such a lot indisputably will make certain to don?t put out of your mind this web site and give it a look on a constant basis.

  30. Hi there, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you can suggest? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any help is very much appreciated.

  31. Nice post. I used to be checking continuously this blog and I am inspired! Very useful information particularly the final phase 🙂 I maintain such info a lot. I used to be seeking this particular info for a long timelong time. Thank you and good luck.

  32. Greetings I am so happy I found your site, I really found you by error, while I was researching on Bing for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a marvelous post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the minute but I have saved it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the awesome job.

  33. Hey this is somewhat of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  34. Pretty portion of content. I simply stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to say that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing in your augment or even I achievement you get right of entry to persistently rapidly.

  35. It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I want to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read more things about it!

  36. Howdy, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any help is very much appreciated.

  37. Can I simply say what a relief to discover somebody that truly knows what they’re talking about on the net. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people ought to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular since you surely have the gift.

  38. We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your web site provided us with valuable information to work on. You have done an impressive job and our whole community will be grateful to you.

  39. Does your site have a contact page? I’m having a tough time locating it but, I’d like to send you an e-mail. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it expand over time.

  40. I was wondering if you ever considered changing the layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  41. Хотите получить идеально ровный пол в своей квартире или офисе? Обратитесь к профессионалам на сайте styazhka-pola24.ru! Мы предоставляем услуги по устройству стяжки пола в Москве и области, а также гарантируем доступные цены и высокое качество работ.

  42. Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!

  43. Magnificent goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too great. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I cant wait to read far more from you. This is actually a great website.

  44. Современный рынок предлагает нам множество уникальных решений, включая штукатурку механизированную. Проверьте mehanizirovannaya-shtukaturka-moscow.ru для получения подробной информации.

  45. Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative. I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue this in future. Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  46. With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my agreement. Do you know any techniques to help stop content from being ripped off? I’d genuinely appreciate it.

  47. Hello would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  48. Hi my loved one! I want to say that this article is awesome, great written and come with almost all important infos. I’d like to see more posts like this .

  49. Hi there, I found your web site by the use of Google at the same time as searching for a comparable topic, your web site got here up, it seems to be good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  50. I simply could not depart your web site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard information a person supply on your visitors? Is going to be back incessantly in order to check up on new posts

  51. Wonderful blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused .. Any ideas? Thank you!

  52. Thank you for another informative website. Where else may just I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect means? I have a undertaking that I am simply now running on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.

  53. First off I want to say great blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing. I have had a difficult time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Cheers!

  54. I was wondering if you ever considered changing the page layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  55. Wonderful goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too great. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it smart. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a wonderful site.

  56. Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too wonderful. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a wonderful site.

  57. Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!

  58. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  59. Can I simply say what a relief to find somebody who really knows what they’re talking about on the net. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular because you certainly have the gift.

  60. My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on numerous websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform. I have heard very good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

  61. My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a number of websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform. I have heard excellent things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

  62. Awesome website you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any message boards that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get feed-back from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Appreciate it!

  63. I feel this is one of the such a lot significant information for me. And i’m satisfied reading your article. However wanna observation on few common things, The site taste is perfect, the articles is actually nice : D. Good task, cheers

  64. What’s Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & assist other users like its helped me. Good job.

Leave a Reply to Natasha Venasse Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *