The TEFL Times
·
Effective Learners and a Learner-Centered Classroom
Posted:
Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:24:30 +0000
By Douglas Brown
Each learner and each learning experience is unique; yet educators can identify
patterns in the learning process. Designing effective learning requirements
requires a clear understanding of, and attention to, both commonalities and
differences in the learners and the learning.
Since ancient times, the learning process has been a subject of study for
philosophers, educators, and scientists. This curiosity continues to drive
forward the methodologies used in a classroom. One major change in educational
philosophy brought on by this research is the shift in paradigm from a teacher-centered
classroom to a learner-centered classroom. This shift makes the students
(learners) more responsible for their education, forcing them to draw upon
previously learned skills in order to learn new materiel. Gone, then, is the
simple task of memorization; replaced with an active, educational process. How
does a teacher create a learner-centered classroom? Simple; by following these
eight suggestions (the first four given now, the second four given in my next
installment), a teacher can not only create a learner-centered classroom, but
also shift his/her classroom position from simple lecturer to a knowledge
facilitator.
Step 1: Effective learners link new information to prior knowledge.
Meaningful and lasting learning is a cumulative process that connects previously
learned material with new knowledge. Background knowledge creates a context and
foundation for new material. Unsuccessful students often do not have the skills
for linking previous learning to new information. They often lack essential
retrieval strategies. Prior knowledge and experience remains inaccessible for
these students.
The instructional challenge is to help students get in touch with what they
already know. Learners need a repertoire of strategies to help them access this
knowledge, as well as strategies for organizing new information into patterns
that will help them make connections and integrate new understandings. Some
strategies that can aid in this process include (but are not limited to):
1. Visualizations of past learning experiences.
2. Quick (five minute) reviews.
3. Brainstorming and grouping.
4. Venn Diagrams.
5. Semantic mapping.
6. Group or class discussions.
Step 2: Effective learners engage with process and context simultaneously.
Motivating students’ mental engagement is critical to successful education.
Engaging instruction is student-centered, designed to instill a sense of
wonderment, build self-esteem, and foster creativity. Open-ended experiences,
with no “right or wrong” answers allow students to practice generating
alternatives to simple memorization of facts, and choose actions and answers
based on judgment and not just what they think the teacher wants to hear. In
this way, context comes alive as knowledge and skills are applied in context
actively and interactively.
When students are given a choice in the when, what, and how of learning, they
are more likely to embrace learning goals and increase their commitment to
learning tasks. This idea is particularly important to students who feel they
have little control over many aspects of their lives. Teachers who provide
flexibility will most often get a higher level of responsibility from their
students. Methods to accomplish this include:
1. Choices in assignment time frames.
2. Various levels of difficulty for assignments.
3. Different formats for final products.
4. Different methods for task completion.
5. Options for either individual or peer work.
Step 3: Effective learners access and organize information.
The ability to organize information is fundamental to effective thinking and
learning. Skilled learners are able to organize information by recognizing and
developing patterns both “in and out of the box.”
Learning-focused teachers move from isolated skills lessons to learning
strategies lessons, sending the message to students that information gains value
when we understand it and apply it. In this way, students gain a tool kit for
building, shaping, and connecting information. Teaching students various
organizational tools (along with constantly modeling them) provides cues for
thinking, frameworks for accessing and retaining information, and the transfer
of learning to other settings. This tool kit can contain:
1. Venn diagrams.
2. Story maps.
3. Concept maps.
4. Graphically displayed patterns and connections.
5. Sequence charts.
Step 4: Effective learners require international and external mediation.
In a meditative learning environment, open-ended questions are the norm and both
praise and criticism are limited. Students are encouraged to articulate
“thinking in progress” as they experiment with both ideas and materials. The
goal here is to transfer the external meditative voice of the teacher to the
inner voice of the student. This self-talk and student-to-student talk guides
the work on topics at hand and provides ways of focusing on and thinking about
the materials at hand.
Meditative teachers and their learners mutually develop challenging goals and
criteria for success for units and projects. Reflection and self-assessment
along the way are critical components of such classrooms. To accomplish internal
and external mediation, these tools help:
1. Journals (single-subject and general thought).
2. Learning logs.
The concept of learning and teaching has come a long way from the simple
lecture. Teachers now need to take a proactive hand in aiding and developing the
learning process as well as teaching students how to learn. Unfortunately, most
standard four-week TEFL courses do not include this kind of information during
their learning and certification process. It is my hope that these first four
suggestions for creating a learning-centered classroom augment your prior
knowledge gained through training and experience.
About the Author
Douglas Brown is a moderator and writer for
http://www.totalesl.com,
a free resource helping the ESL/EFL community in Asia and the Middle East for
jobs, resumes, schools, resources, yellow pages, classifieds, information and
lessons.