1. Student-Centered Learning Practices, Culture, & Environment
Connecting the Dots IV
June 27, 2011

2. Why Student-Centered Learning?
Vermont Transformation
Student-centered Learning
Leadership for Student-centered Learning
Flexible Learning Environments
Engaged Community Partners
Globalization and Technology have had significant impact on the world. How have they changed education?

3. What are we trying to achieve?
We will re-examine our beliefs around, and our understanding of, student-centered learning with the goal of clarifying, expanding and extending our understanding of SCL in a 21st century context.
Practices & Strategies
Classroom & School Culture
Environment

4. My Role
Not the expert
I have my own beliefs & understanding... which keeps growing
My role today is to facilitate a process... not to provide answers

5. SCL in the 21st Century Complex Multifaceted It includes... What How
Why
Where
When
Students learn

6. Curriculum & Instruction
You can’t deal with one without the other... SCL is impacted by, and impacts, both
SCL must be purposefully integrated
SCL will look different at various grade levels... yet it will be remarkably the same throughout K-16

7. Present Understandings
By Teams
Create a Visual of your present understanding of SCL
Visual Organizer
10-15 minutes

8. Personal Learning Styles
In Your group each person take a few minutes to discuss...
How do you learn best?
Next, discuss...
What inhibits or stifles your learning?
Go back to your visual. Based on your conversations, is there anything you would like to update on your visual?

9. SCL Video What is Student-centered Learning?
College level but applicable throughout.
See how many components of SCL you can identify in the video.
How many did you already have and how many are new?
Update your visual
What is Student-centered Learning?

10. Five Scenarios
What can you learn from each of these scenarios... about what is and what isn’t SCL?
Read each scenario
Discuss with your group its strengths and weaknesses as it relates to SCL
Rate it from 1 to being perfect SCL
Share your rating
Group discussion of ratings
After reading all five scenarios, go back and see if your visual needs updating

11. Taking a Peek Time to check out the visuals that others have created.
Each Team move to the right. Take two minutes
On my cue, move to the right again. Continue this until you are back to your computer
Did you get any ideas on things you missed? If you wish, update your visual again.

12. Creating a Common Visual
Each group add 2 components at a time
Practices & Strategies
School/Classroom Culture
Environment
Revise and adjust
What are the most compelling components?

13. Defining the Components
Assign various components to each group
In 25 words or less, define/clarify the component
Post to master visual
Clarify and revise

14. If you believe... It should drive every step in curriculum development
Instructional strategies and practices must be at the very least considered, and more likely, specifically built into the curriculum

15. What does it look like? It doesn’t look the same in every class
Not all components are always present
It doesn’t mean there isn’t an appropriate time for some “teacher centeredness” or whole class instruction
When you see it in action, your will recognize it.
Depending on the present curriculum and instructional practices, it may take several years to transform classroom practice