Hi Richard:
For me that common ground zone includeds the thing they're all there for, the career topics. Bringing discussion back to or centered on the career area nearly always captures student's attention.
Regards, Barry
I also agree. My class room can be filled with 18 year old students to age 50+. common ground help in so many ways. It bridges the age gap and makes all students/classmates.
Hi Roger:
Good ideas. Relating to the students in whatever version they appear ((Gen-xers, Boomers, etc.), and understanding learning styles, preferences, and personal factors in their lives all contribute to zeroing our focus on their spicific and unique learning ability and retention of information.
The more variety we put in our delivery style, and using varied media choices will help as well. Getting students to be involved actively, participating, and engaged in the lesson will be more meaninful as well.
We have to be willing to put aside our standard plans in order to reach students, if thats what it takes.
Regards, Barry
Hi Ali:
Really, just being willing to put aside my standard "process" for instructing" in favor of individualizing my instruction with each student is one way of being student centered.
This can also be veiwed from the students perspective: trying new methods, commiting to doing all assignments, seeking tutoring, asking questions, exploring more than the facts but also the behind the scenes of why and where. Critical thinking.
In both perspectives (teachers and students), thelearning outcomes are bound to be more meaningful and beneficial to the student as rthey apply their knowledge in the work setting. These will be the folks who gratvitate towards the leadership positions more readily.
Regrads, Barry
Ultimately the reason you are there as an instructor is for the students. If you are not looking at their needs, experiences and learning styles, you will be unsuccessful as an instructor.
Each class covers the same material but the class personality is different. You as an instructor must adapt to these changes. If you do not adapt, your students will have difficulty understanding your lectures.
I began college in the 70's and if you teach a class today like you did then, you will lose the students. Today's students have completely different educational, social and political experiences than we had in the 70's.
Students today are more visual for instance. I may use short videos from Youtube in my class rather than formally lecture. I will introduce the vidoe clips and explain their relevance but I won't give a full lecture.
Being student-centered means you must understand the students and how they learn.
Hi Earle:
For me, student centered means I am willing to make adjustments to acomodate the students learning style, or knowledge level, in order to have the material be meaningful. The focus is on the student, more than my "process" or "Predetermined method" that all students will get. It might be excellent material, but what good if the student doesn't get it?
Regards, Barry
Hi Alex:
Great. The cool thing about student centered is the student becomes the focus, rather than a process, or following a preset model. Like wearing some else's shoes, one size doesn't fit all, so we need to be able to tailor the lesson to meet the needs of the students and their learning styles.
Regards, Barry
Hi David:
Student centered puts the focus on the students learning needs rather than some process or cookie cutter curriculum which may look great on paper. But if students don't learn by it, what good? So, focus on student needs and learning styles for better student outcomes.
Regards, Barry
Hi Susan:
Right. Studnet is the focus, not our preplanned agenda. Of course we need a curriculum, but adjusting things to reach individual needs is more effective than merely accomplishing a set of objectives.
Regards, Barry
Hi Kathleen:
Doing is always good. Many classes have theory that precedes the practical, so providing demonstrations, handling, and activity-based learning during lectures and discussions will create a successful learning environment.
Regards, Barry
I believe in a student centered approach to teaching. With the right tools, every student can learn and be successful. Students should be able to access materials that appeal to them, that are in the appropriate zone of proximal development, and are developed with the understanding that students have differing learning styles.
An online student should have as much, if not more, access to his/her instructor as a face-to-face student. As an online instructor it is very important for me to be available, to provide timely, useful, constructive feedback that helps my students learn. My students know that they can contact me and have a helpful response within hours.
Hi Deborah:
I like your sttement "student friendly", although in a sense all activities we do are designed to be student friendly, but students may not view it that way.
However, if we can make a class more interesting, enjoyable, fun, or exciting, that will contribute to better learning oiutcomes.
Regards, Barry
Hi Nancy:
Good thoughts. I think when we are student centered we are choosing to put our "process" aside in favor of individualizing our focus on the students unique needs.
Stduent centered is a partnership, and the student can also participate by actively being involved with their learning.
Regards, Barry
Why else are we there but for the student? It helps to keep us focused.
Since I teach Math, many of my students are anxious about the subject and have had bad experiences with other teachers. By being student-centered, I can find ways to reduce their anxiety and increase their interest in learning the material. When they continue to work on the material, even when they don't understand it the first time, they can start to learn and then we can build on that success.
Being a student-centered instructor helps to direct your class to be student friendly. You design your lectures, assignments, and projects that are relevent to the students and helps them to engage in the classroom. Instructors are more like facilitors--get the students involved and keep them involved. It is their classroom and they need to have ownership in the classroom.
Hi Casey:
You've presented a great example of the importance and benefits of student centered environments.
When this principle is consistently applied, it can produce tremendous results for otherwise mediocre student performance.
Regards, Barry
Right now, I have a very small group of students, so I have had the wonderful opportunity to do some student-focused teaching. So far, my students have passed all my quizzes and tests. They have also excelled in the lab. I spend one on one time with them before or after class if need be. I think that being able to take this time now, as a new instructor, will help me be successful in teaching because I am gaining the experience of approaching individual learning barriers effectively.
Feedback- Everyone needs it. Your biggest is you, but you get evaulated based on your student's performance also.
Hello- Being a student-centered instructor helps to maximize student learning. I believe, if an instructor tailors the instruction to the student’s interests or everyday life, the student will be able to relate to the material more. Also, if the student is actively learning by “doing†instead of listening, the information will be more easily retained. -Kathleen Toth
