Definition of Student Centered Learning:

Student Centered Learning is an approach to education that places students at the center of their own learning.  All educational decisions are analyzed with the needs of students at the forefront.  Student centered learning engages and empowers students to take responsibility for their learning by giving them a voice to determine the scope and direction of learning.  Therefore, learning is frequently hands-on, differentiated, relevant, authentic, interdisciplinary, and meaningful.  The role of the teacher is to facilitate and motivate students to engage in this process.  

Social Studies Scenario

The following unit will be taught in a Current Issues class.  Students will watch a video documenting some of the environmental challenges that we face, such as "The End of Suburbia," "the Eleventh Hour," or "Inconvenient Truth."  Students will compile a list as they watch the movie of some of the major problems and their causes.  Afterwards, students will brainstorm necessary changes for averting these problems.  Students would then form teams to explore one of the solutions.  Each team would then be responsible for determining the potential and limits for the proposal to make change.  Teams will then form an action plan to take steps to implement the change.  Students will present their project to the class.  At that point students could regroup themselves to pursue one of the suggested proposals.   

Science scenario

The following unit will be taught as an experiential unit within our "Year End Study" program.  This unit will encompass fourteen consecutive full days of instruction, field expieriences, lab work, and community based research.  This class will be culminated by a 5 day field experience on an island on Lake George using strictly renewable resources for survival.  We will be brainstorming a list of renewable resources, however our primary direction will be focused around solar electric and solar hot water systems.  I'll be giving a pre-test to check for content knowledge.  After reviewing student knowledge, I will meet with students who may need to be brought up to speed to the entry level for this class.

Students will begin their journey into the age of renewable resources by visiting a former Physics Professor's home which is off grid and run solely by renewable resources.  He uses solar electic and solar water pannels, has a wind mill, has created hybrid cars, etc.  Students will be expected to gather as much information as possible through hands on experimentation using a variety of technological devices and tools for measurement provided by outside sources during their site visit.  Students will be expected to record their findings to the class within the class blog site.  Each student will providing one new piece of information that they personally have discovered after their visitation.  In addition, they will be expected to respond to each of their classmates entries.  We will then be visited by the solar mobile.  The solar wagon can be brought out into a remote area where students will diside the use they would like it to serve.  This presentation will be given by two local entrepreneurs on solar electric and solar water systems.  There will be an open forum for discovery and questioning during this presentation.   Upon our return to the classroom students will select groups to compile data and chart the advantages of solar vs. conventional hook up, calculate annual cost and savings per home.  During the culminating activity students will analyze their findings as a whole group to problem solve how they can share and educate their community (Specifically why it is so important to Vermonters).  At the open house for YES Plan, students will deliver a presentation on what they felt the communnity would gain from their research using a variety of technological devices.

Things to think about....  you may already have these built in but these questions/comments came to my mind.

What are some of the sources they will be looking at?  Are there others available that are not immediately viewable?  Tell me more about the 14 days of instruction... is this all stand up and deliver to the whole class... or did I misinterpret?  How will you know what they already know and where their misconceptions lie?

How will you differentiate?

Will they only be comparing solar and conventional?  How about wind, water, etc.?

Not sure what "prepared a technological presentation of their choosing" means.

Ed