Student Centered Instruction

Describe

This week we focused on different approaches to instruction.  Some of the different approaches include Constructivists approach and the cooperative learning approach.  The constructivist approach has often been called student centered instruction because it focuses on students and how they interpret new information.  Information that can only be taken in and regurgitated is of very little use in real world settings.  An example of this would be allowing a student to memorize all of the times tables from one times ten to ten times ten and upon conclusion the same student wouldn’t be able to give the answer to eleven times four.  When students take the learning in and are given the knowledge of how to bend and mold it to work for them in practical settings they are truly considered to be learning.  The constructivist approach is centered on this type of instruction.  The book uses the terms “sage on the stage” and “guide on the side” to illustrate how we should look at instruction.  By facilitating students learning we are able to give them more autonomy over their processes and applications of new knowledge.  The aim of constructivist approach is to give students the vital information but allow them to put it into working practice.

The second big focus of Chapter 8 as well as our weekly discussion was on cooperative learning and its benefits in our classrooms.  Cooperative learning is when students work in groups.  Group work has benefits beyond the classroom.  Cooperative learning can lead students to a team oriented atmosphere as well as help students make up deficits by working with their peers (Slavin, 235).

Analyze

As with any instructional method, implementation is key.  I referenced a college professor that I learned from in one of my discussion posts this week.  This professor’s method of instruction was to question us on the assigned readings and allow our answers to lead the discussion.  He was the thoughtful and intelligent pilot of our conversations, he knew what questions to ask and how to mold our answers into viewpoints that would ultimately give us ownership over the concept.  This type of leadership in our book is known as “cognitive apprenticeship” (Slavin, 219).  The book gives several different attributes of constructivist instruction that can all be utilized in the classroom.  The key to this instruction is to find what would work best in our individual classrooms.  A point I enjoyed reading more about was self-regulated learning.  This type of learning comes when a student is equipped with the tools they need and they begin knowing when to use these tools to best fit the desired knowledge.  Knowing when to skim a passage and when to read for detail is an example of this.

Reflect

The purpose of this chapter was to examine constructivists approach to instruction.  In true accordance with this pedagogy it is essential that I take in my new information and effectively apply it to my own classroom.  While reading this chapter there were two things that stuck out in my mind regarding this type of instruction, classroom management and student motivation.  Cooperative learning is a great tool that can find a home in any class but I believe you have to have control of that class before you ever try this strategy.  There have to be clear cut rules and consequences, not just for the class itself but also for the particular group activity for the day.  Having these rules in place will assure that students are learning and not taking advantage of this type of instruction.  The next factor for constructivist instruction is that students have to be motivated and take charge of their own knowledge.  Our college classes are a great example of this.  Professors assign different discussion topics and allow our input to serve as a potential new viewpoint for some and a refinement for others.  I can post a topic and look at the replies and instantly learn something that I did not know, and the professor simply asked the question.  The thing that a college professor has that most high school teachers don’t is students who are actively involved in their learning.  The challenge is to get students motivated to the point that they do participate in discussions and critical thinking questions.  As a teacher I know that I must address these two potential hurdles before using these strategies.  I already base much of my instruction around this type of pedagogy and this chapter further proved that these strategies are effective and very much worth the extra time and planning they take to implement.