Hi Barry,
I hope the participants aren't taking 'opinions' personnal.
Student-center instructing helps the instructor connect to the student. In large classes it can be restrictive because of the time element so an instructor has to be careful how involved they get without neglecting other members in the class
For larger classes small group work gives students a more comfortable opportunity to communicate with classmates. These can spark interest in a student who seems to fade in the larger group.
Hi Arcadio:
Well put. In other words, keeping in mind what the best outcome you want for your students, and modifying your approach to support that idea.
Regards, Barry
Hi Simon:
I like the idea that to describe this, we think of the student's outcome in the form of success.
What makes for a successful student? Is it just the ability to regurgitate information, or is it better for them to ARTICULATE material?
Regards, Barry
I truly hope you are not talkeing to me because you are quite rude in your statement. Everyone has different styles and abilities. The students are not cloned so they all are not accepting to the same method. What works for some instructors and for some students is not the same. Chill Out
I think this is redundant. If your skills are only focused on putting out information then you really aren't a good instructor so you must have some level of being 'student-centered'. Each teacher has a different level and that is part of their style but it must exist
I have always been a student centered instructor. Before teaching college classes I taught in the elementary schools. A cross between Socratic and Dead Poets Society is pretty close description of my instruction style. I really enjoy inspiring students to open up their minds and hearts as they learn and think out of the box. Their input is important in all facets of the educational environment. The more that they become fully invested in the class the better they do. Accountability is key and that to me also makes it student-centered. The best way an instructor can teach is by being flexible and confident enough in his/herself so that if change needs to happen it does for the good of student learning. One example would be that I created a crossword puzzle for one of my tests as students have told me how much they enjoy it when we do games for learning and anything that breaks up the routine of the classic M/C, T/F..etc format. However, after about ten minutes I saw that they were having trouble so I had to create a word bank to help out. Simple but effective and I had to analyze my test structure for the content I was trying to test them on and the Crossword format was probably not the best idea but I did make it work.
I also constantly get feedback on what they have learned so far, how their views of a certain topic have changed from the beginning of the course and whether or not they thought the lesson was an effective way for them to learn the material. This meta-cognition activity of them thinking about their own thinking helps not only me but also helps them to realize that I am their for them. I am an instructor of massage therapy so being student centered is no different from being client centered in my profession. Ultimately it's all about them.
By the way I loved this course and have applied many things from it already today when I was teaching.
Sometimes, instructors focus too much on what they want to accomplish in a class. In student-centered instruction, you look at what you want the students to accomplish. Sometimes we focus so much on getting through a lecture so we can be done with it, that we miss that the students didn't get it and are lost. Now, the students have a smaller chance of mastering the skills or knowledge needed to go on to the next level. We are really doing the students a disservice when we teach for the clock and not for the student.
Hi Linda:
Good point - in another way of looking at this, the most important thing is ultimately the learning itself.
Regards, Barry
I am here for them so I need to make sure I am here to help, ask, and answer questions which encourages the learning process.
Hi Patrick:
By considering the needs of the student (what kind of learner they are), what they will do with the information you are teaching, and these kinds of concepts always keeps the student's interests and success forefront in the instructor's mind.
Regards, Barry
Hi Patrick:
Student-centered learning is very much as you describe it.
The approach you're describing keeps the doors of communication open between student and instructor.
Regards, Barry
Hi Marcia:
Exactly! By having techniques that appeal to the visual, audio, and kinesthetic type of learner is often considered one of the best types of strategies when designing lesson plans.
Regards, Barry
Hi Sara,
I also request feedback from my students all the time in my massage therapy classes. Sometimes they will write about their lab experience and what they learned from being a client and from being a massage therapist in the same session which is great for different perspectives. I often at the end a written assessment ask for a paragraph on how their perspective of a certain topic has changed throughout the course. In addition, I ask about instructional methods that I have used in class and which ones they would like to see used more often. In teaching about the Therapeutic Relationship in massage therapy we discuss being a client centered therapist and I believe this a great way to practice what I preach and do with clients in the classroom with students.
Hi Lenore:
That's right - the most important factor is that the student learns the main message the instructor is shooting for.
Sometimes, this idea can become lost in the quagmire of preparation and lesson planning.
Regards, Barry
Hi Scott,
Student-centered learning is considered the most effective teaching style today.
All instructors would be better served to learn a little about it, and how to bring it into their learning environment to increase student interest and retention of the material.
Regards,
Barry
Being a student-centered instructor will help you design your instruction and class management to focus on the students' needs. Thinking of the student as your "customer" helps keep the focus on delivering the right "product".
As a student oriented instructor I am able to focus on what the student needs to learn in order to be successful in the classroom and in the field they are preparing for. I am able to give my full interaction and participation with the students if I am focused on them.
When you approach your teaching as student centered, you are allowing your students to give you as much feedback as possible. When the students give you feedback, whether it be positive or negative, you can make changes to your style to best suit your students. Every class has a different atmosphere, so it is important to survey the students as much as possible.
If I focus on my students, I can look for cues from them as to their understanding. From there, I can adapt the material.
