Learner-Centered Digital Pedagogies Parallel Session #4

Learner-Centered Digital PedagogiesParallel Session #4

By John Vincent D. SalayoFocus QuestionsWhat does learner-centered teaching look like?Why digital? That is, how do digital technologies help make instruction learner-centered? (Or do they really help?)On a scale of 1 to 4, how learner-centered is my teaching? Briefly explain your self-rating.Session ObjectivesIn this session, participants shall:

Clarify ones ideas on what learner-centered instruction is, and what it isnt.Discuss how digital technologies support learner-centered instruction.Gather practical tips and techniques and for learner-centered teaching.Make concrete resolutions for them to be builders of learner-centered school cultures.

Session OutlineLearner-centered vs Teacher-centered teachingTechnologies as enablers for learner-centered instructionPractical tips and recommendations for teachers and administrators

I. Learner-centered vs teacher-centered instructionTask: Read each teaching-learning situation. Decide whether each one is learner-centered (LC) or teacher-centered (TC)1. Teacher Annie is a Greenpeace volunteer and she is very much committed to integrating environmental education into her science teaching. In the Chemistry unit on Matter (elements, compounds and mixtures) she listed six issues on pollution and let her students choose from the list, and to report to the class (in groups) about their chosen pollution issue.2. Romy rides the jeepney everyday in going to school and in going home. He notices that the last person riding in the jeep (sometimes he is this last passenger) could not fit into the last slot on the seat, and has difficulty to actually get seated. He raises this concern to his homeroom adviser, who responds this way: If you happen to be the last passenger, just get off and take the next jeepney. Thats how you avoid the inconvenience. 3. For the unit on Forms of Government, Teacher Henry starts the unit by listing the different forms of government. He assigns students to read in advance about these different forms, and for them to list countries that have these different forms of government. He then shows students his live chat with teachers from Japan (parliamentary) and email exchanges with a teacher who left Cuba and migrated to the US. 4. Teacher Ken sets up 8 learning stations for the Physics unit on Light. In each learning station, students to work with mirrors, lenses, prisms, optical instruments, and other contraptions, to learn about the properties of light, image formation, and the mechanisms of how we see things. Students complete a worksheet where they take down their observations in each station.5. Teacher Lissa assigns her students to view video lessons from Khan Academy on Graphing of Rational Functions. On their next class meeting (2 periods), she brings the class to the computer lab, where she gives students links to tutorials pages and interactive animations on the same topic. Students were challenged to answer as many pages as they can in their workbook, working independently, but with the aid of the tutorial pages, interactive animations, and the video lessons.Learner-centered instructionTeacher-centered instructionTime and place for learningAnytime, anywhereIn the classroom, while the teacher is in the classroomFocus is onwhat students will doWhat I will doClassroom layoutSeats face each other forming small groupsAll seats face the front board / projection screenMaterials for study arevaried, and students choose to use whichever they find usefulLimited, and all students are required to use these materialsSharing of airtimeTeacher talk: Less than halfStudent talk: More than halfGroup discussions, triads, pair discussionsMore minutes for teacher talk. If ever students talk, it is often to recite and address the teacher.Learner-centered instructionTeacher-centered instructionActivities areOpen-ended, with students contributing to the design of the proceduresPre-designed (textbook based, manualized) and close-endedAssessments areA good mix of formative and summative assessments, with opportunities for students to give feedback to each others workMore of summative, and with the teacher doing most (if not all) of the checking and giving feedback to students workOn projectsStudents get to choose from some options, contributes to the procedures, and even negotiates on the rubric criteriaAll students do the same project, with limited or no room for variability. Procedures are predetermined, and rubric is for teacher use onlyII. Technologies as enablers for learner-centered instructionSmartphones and tablet PCsE-booksInternet-sourced learning materialsLearning management systems (LMS)1. DIWAs Genyo2. Edmodo3. Moodle platformsE. Social networks: Facebook, Twitter, InstagramF. Web 2.0 tools for creative and collaborative workSmartphones and tablet PCsStudents have their own screens. Why keep them looking at yours? (Death by PowerPoint)Window to resources other than textbookConnectivity with other learnersAssortment of applications (apps)E-books1st generation e-books: pdf, soft copies, flatNext-generation e-books: sounds, video clips, interactivesPortable, writable (highlights), update-able C. Internet-sourced learning materialsYouTube videos, Khan Academy videosInteractive animations (e.g. Phet Colorado physics, teachersdomain.org)BlogsReadingsLearning management systemsEfficient file sharingOff-classroom discussion boardsAutomated polls, surveysAutomated assessments (quizzes)Quick feedback and automated scoring

Social networks Facebook: platform for learning and practicing good netizenshipTwitter: follow good mentors, search for tweets on a specific topic (#election2013)Tumbler, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr

Web 2.0 tools for creative and collaborative works Soundcloud, Voki Prezi Google drive / docs Wikis Explain everythingPictures, videos from observed classesMCHS Year I (SY 2012-13)Philips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NHTechnology enables the design of learning situations that actively engage and guide learners while allowing them to choose the style of the learning experience and to organize the knowledge outcomes. This conceptualization of the learning environment helps us make the transition from learning in a physical space such as the classroom or the library, to learning in a student-centered learning environment in cyberspace.

Carole A. Barone (2003)

http://www.aahea.org/articles/educause.htm

III. Practical tipsAllow room for experimentationTolerate mistakesReflect and learn from mistakesFail and move forwardInvest on learningMatch hardware investments with soft skills building and trainingEnrol in webinars, online coursesContinuous, year-round professional development, mentoring and coachingCover all bases! Update teachers on their content knowledge! Keep on learning your subject matter!Shift focus to more authentic assessments (performances, products) from traditional assessments (pen-and-paper, facts-heavy tests)Keep focus on your learnersNot on what device to use, e-books to subscribe to5. Be patient. Dont expect results overnight. Recap: Focus QuestionsWhat does learner-centered teaching look like?Why digital? That is, how do digital technologies help make instruction learner-centered? (Or do they really help?)On a scale of 1 to 5, how learner-centered is my teaching? Briefly explain your self-rating.Compare your answers to the focus questions before the session and after the session.

Discuss with your seatmate.Exit CardKey take-away learningQuestion I want to ask

Lets continue learning together!Twitter: @jvsalayoEdmodo: SITE 2013 at MCHS PS4group code: kqjx0x