STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING
Back to Basics Workshops - Panamá Bilingüe Program June 5-8, 2017
Maria Dantas-Whitney, Ph.D. Western Oregon University
Fulbright Scholar 2016-17 (Universidad Latina/Panama Bilingüe) [email protected]
Plans for Today
¨ Ice-breaker ¨ Principles of Language Learning ¨ Student-centered Classroom Practices
¨ Planning Student-centered Language Tasks
¨ Experiencing a Model Task
Contextualization Collaboration Critical Thinking
Into Through Beyond
Ice-breaker: Your Language Learning Autobiography
Reflect on your experiences learning English…. ¨ What types of class activities were common in your
educational experience? ¤ most favorite/helpful activities… Why? ¤ least favorite/least helpful activities… Why?
¨ How did you develop your English in the different skill areas (speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation) ¤ which skills were easy for you? Why? ¤ which skills were more challenging? Why?
Game: Two facts and a lie
¨ Write three sentences related to your language learning autobiography on a piece of paper: ¤ two true statements (facts) ¤ one false statement (lie)
¨ In your table groups, one by one, introduce yourselves and say your three sentences
¨ The rest of the group has to guess which one is the lie
In the beginning, I could understand people (listening), but sometimes I had trouble speaking and expressing my ideas
I felt anxious when the teacher asked me to give presentations without much time to prepare
My favorite type of activity was memorizing verb conjugations
Views of Language Learning
• Language acquisition as a cognitive and individual phenomenon
• Language is a collection of forms and an object of analysis apart from contexts
• Language is a carrier or conduit of knowledge
• Emphasis on acquisition of grammar rules and vocabulary
• Language acquisition as a social phenomenon that is shaped by our interactions and experiences
• Language is a social practice (not something we have, but something we do)
• The sociocultural context is the source of mental development
• Emphasis on how people use language in particular situations
Classroom Environments
• Curriculum is presented part to whole, with emphasis on basic skills
• Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued
• Activities rely heavily on textbooks and worksheets
• Learners are “empty vessels”
• Teachers transmit skills or knowledge
• Curriculum is presented whole to part with emphasis on big concepts
• Pursuit of student interests is highly valued
• Activities rely mostly on authentic materials, physical action, mutimodalities
• Learners are perceived as active builders of their own knowledge
• Teachers facilitate experiences for learning that take place between individuals
Classroom Environments, cont.
• Teacher-centered classes • Teachers correct
answers to validate student learning
• Assessment of learning is viewed as separate from teaching
• Students primarily work alone
• Student-centered classes • Teachers seek to
understand students’ experiences and background knowledge to create relevant lessons
• On-going assessment while teaching
• Students primarily work in groups
Characteristics of Student-centered Learning
¨ Students play an active role in their own learning
¨ Students take more responsibility and work independently
¨ Students learn how to express personal opinions and feelings
¨ Students work cooperatively with others
¨ Students learn skills of self-evaluation
¨ Students acquire life-long learning skills
https://www.slideshare.net/ncureton/student-centered-learning-and-technology
Four Zones of Teaching and Learning (Gibbons, 2015)
Learning/ Engagement Zone
Frustration/ Anxiety Zone
Comfort Zone
Boredom Zone
“Construc*onzone”“Zoneofproximaldevelopment”
HighChallenge
LowSupportHighSupport
LowChallenge
Scaffolding Temporary help for learners to complete a task until they can perform independently
Contextualization
Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Student-centered Classroom Practices
Contextualization
Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Contextualization
¨ Help learners access experiences and background knowledge
¨ Utilize students’ interests and passions
¨ Use non-linguistic resources to help comprehension (pictures, gestures, objects, music)
¨ Model and demonstrate activities
¨ Tap into the local culture. Provide opportunities to use English out of class
Contextualization: Classroom Examples
art projects
songs and physical action holiday celebrations
visuals
gallery walk
KWL chart
Contextualization: Classroom Examples
microscopic
miniscule
tiny
small
Video (Vocabulary Role Play)
How is contextualization achieved in this classroom?
Collaboration
¨ Use group activities to increase verbal interaction (Pairs, small groups, large groups)
¨ Principles of Cooperative Learning (Kagan, 1995):
¨ Anxiety is lowered, students are more willing to participate and take risks. Motivation, confidence, and fun are increased.
POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE ¤ Group members need/help each other to complete task
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY ¤ Each group member responsible for learning and sharing
EQUAL PARTICIPATION ¤ Each group member has equal speaking time/opportunity
SIMULTANEOUS INTERACTION ¤ Many students interacting at once = higher efficiency
Collaboration: Classroom Examples
Inside/Outside Circle – Lines of Communication Talking Stick – Talking Chips Information Gap Think-Pair-Share Interviews
Think about the following routines. Can you identify them?
Inside/Outside Circles Lines of Communication (Speed Dating)
1. Blue partner speaks (time limit) 2. Red partner speaks (same limit) 3. One circle or line rotates.
4. New partners! 5. Repeat steps 1-3
Learners tell the same story/report/opinion/idea/etc. several times to several partners
Interview Grids
Information Gap Activity
A B
Now You Do It: Information Gap Activity
¨ Get together in pairs ¨ Decide who is Student A and Student B ¨ Look at your picture only. Do not show your picture to
your partner ¨ Take turns asking and answering questions:
Where is the ____? The ___ is ___ the ____.
¨ Draw a picture of each object in the place indicated by your partner
¨ Do not show your picture to your partner until the end!!
Critical Thinking
¨ Language is a tool that mediates cognitively complex activities
explaining & describing
predicting
comparing/contrasting
cause & effect
problem/solution
classifying
Critical Thinking: Classroom Examples
note-taking with graphic organizers
sorting and categorizing with realia
Guided questions, observation, analysis
Critical Thinking: Classroom Examples
experiments and investigations
environmental print activities
Now You Do It: Using Graphic Organizers (Grabe, 2008)
¨ In your binders, find the text about Jet lag: “Flying High, but Feeling Low”
¨ Read paragraph 1 and find the definition of Jet lag
¨ Look at the next page and complete the first graphic organizer (Definition)
¨ Get together with a partner. Choose another graphic organizer to work with: ¤ Cause-effect (paragraph 1)
¤ Comparison-contrast (paragraph 2)
¤ Comparison-contrast (paragraph 3)
¤ Problem-solution (paragraph 4)
¨ In pairs, read your paragraph and complete your graphic organizer
http://community.wvu.edu/~xj002 http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/graphicorganizers/index.html
Defining Jet lag Paragraph 1
Jet lag people suffer when flying cross time zones
problem is a that
The Jet Lag Problem Paragraph 1
Jet lag (flying cross time zones)
1. Makes a person tired and confused
2. Causes headaches
3. Causes poor sleep and appetite
Cause Effect
tired feeling bad 1. tired even after
sleeping 2. confused 3. poor sleep and
poor appetite 4. headaches
1. tired but feel better after
2. thirst and motion sickness
3. occurs in-flight 4. disappears after
good rest
Comparison
Contrast
Jet lag Flying stress
Comparing Jet Lag and Flying Stress Paragraph 2
1. more time zones crossed 2. flying east 3. “morning” people 4. introverted 5. rigid people 6. older people 7. ill people
1. fewer time zones crossed 2. flying west 3. “night” people 4. extroverted 5. flexible people 6. younger people 7. healthy people
Contrast
More affected Less affected
Comparing Jet Lag Impact on People Paragraph 3
1. Drink fluids 2. Wear comfortable clothes 3. Move around every hour 4. Special diets 5. Books for advice 6. Anti-jetlag products
Jet lag (its symptoms)
Problem Solution
Jet Lag Solutions Paragraph 4
Planning Student-centered Language Tasks
Into Through Beyond
Pre-activity Phase
During-activity Phase
Post-activity Phase
Oracy and Literacy
R ORACY P E R C O E Listening Speaking D P U T C
I Reading Writing T V I E V
LITERACY E
Into (Pre-activity Phase) Purposes: ¨ Activating and
building background knowledge
¨ Establishing a purpose and motivating students for the task
¨ Pre-teaching essential vocabulary and concepts
predicting (e.g., from title)
previewing questions and discussion
Into (Pre-activity Phase)
flashcards
visuals and realia
Purposes: ¨ Facilitate language comprehension and production ¨ Monitoring/Self-assessment
Through (During-activity Phase)
draw order pictures
check comprehension
note-taking with graphic organizers sound on/sound off
Through (During-activity Phase)
Purposes: ¨ Extend understanding, deepen learning of content ¨ Make connections to related activities and skills
Beyond (Post-activity Phase)
role plays debates discussions presentations
summaries rewrite content from different perspectives letters
Beyond (Post-activity Phase)
games
create an ad
research project
drama performance
create a video or a multimedia presentation
Beyond (Post-activity Phase)
1. Discuss with your partner: We will watch a clip of a movie entitled “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” What do you think the movie will be about?
2. Sit with your partner back-to-back. One person
can see the screen and the other can’t. You will watch the clip with the sound off. The person who can see the TV describes the images.
Examining a Model Task
¨ Watch the clip again with sound and discuss: ¤ Did your descriptions match what you heard? ¤ Predict: What will happen next?
¨ After watching the clip, check your predictions
Discussion & Predictions
Mom: Ferris! Ferris? Tod! Dad: What’s the ___________________? Mom: Oh, it’s Ferris! Dad: What? What’s ______________________? Mom: What’s wrong? For Christ’s sake, look at _____________, honey! Dad: Ferris? Mom: He doesn’t have a ________________, but he says his _________________ hurts, and he is seeing spots. Dad: _________________ the matter, Ferris? Ferris: Papa? Mom: Honey, feel his _______________. They’re ___________________ and clammy! Dad: Oh! Ferris: I’m ____________________. I’ll get up. Mom: No! Ferris: I have a ____________________ today. Mom: No! Ferris: I have to _________________ it. I want to do to a good ___________________ so I can have a fruitful ________________! Mom: Honey, you’re not going to ____________________ like this now!
Cloze Exercise (in groups)
Describing the Characters (in groups) Describing the Characters
Ferris
Parents
Sister
Writing a Note
¨ Choose one of the characters (Ferris, Sister, Mom, Dad). ¨ Imagine that you are this character. ¨ Write a short note to a friend describing what
happened this morning from your point of view.
Debriefing
• Think back on the model task you’ve just experienced.
• Discuss: • Which activities did you do for each phase (Into,
Through, Beyond)? • Which principles of student-centered learning do these
activities reflect (Contextualization, Collaboration, Critical Thinking)
Tasks Principles of Student-centered learning
Into Title discussion
Information gap
(Sound off)
Predictions
Contextualization, critical thinking Collaboration, critical thinking Critical thinking
Through Check predictions
Cloze exercise
Critical thinking Contextualization, Collaboration
Beyond Describing the
characters
Writing a Note
Critical thinking, collaboration Contextualization, Critical thinking
Exit Ticket
3-2-1 Review
• 3 things I learned today are: 1. _________________________ 2. _________________________ 3. _________________________
• 2 words I want to remember are: 1. _________________________ 2. _________________________
• 1 thing I found very interesting is: 1. _________________________
3-2-1 Review