FACILITATING A LEARNER-CENTERED CLASSROOM

IN A LEARNER-CENTERED CLASSROOM, THE TEACHER GRADUALLY RELEASES CONTROL OF THE LEARNING TO THE LEARNERS

"We think too much about effective methods of teaching and not enough about effective methods of learning."

— John Carolus, S. J.

KEY CHARACTERISTICSIn the learner-centered classroom, the teacher:

• acts as a partner with students in the learning process

• gives learners voice and choice according to their needs, age, and abilities

• makes instructional decisions based on learner’s performance

• engages learners in cognitively challenging real-world tasks

• creates multiple opportunities for learners to interpret and express ideas about topics of interest to them

• provides learners opportunities to collaborate while using language to accomplish a meaningful task

• allows for ongoing feedback from a variety of sources to improve learner’s performance

Students interview one another to find similarities and differences between them. Once they have gathered that information, they talk with a small group of classmates to decide with whom they want to room during their trip to China.

Student pairs investigate one side of an issue and debate with a pair who has the opposing side. Pairs switch sides and debate again. Two pairs come together to reach consensus about the issue.

Students choose possible activities that they might do in a city. They decide what they will do on their visit and create a google map to guide their tour.

Providing input

The teacher demonstrates, models, explains to make input comprehensible. As learners gain proficiency, the teacher guides them in the selection of authentic text.

Learners engage with the content, process input.

The teacher scaffolds instruction and begins to guide student work.

Learners contribute and begin to work with teacher support.

The teacher offers support and encouragement and provides feedback.

Learners engage in pair and small group activities that allow them to interpret and express meaning for real-world purposes.

The teacher monitors and provides feedback.

Learners work independently demonstrating progress toward learning targets and self-assess their progress.

Sharing Guiding Applying

I do. We do. You do.

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setslearningtargets

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STARTALK-ENDORSEDPRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE

The STARTALK-endorsed Principles describe characteristics of highly effective language teaching and learning. An ideal learning experience is framed by a standards-based and thematically organized curriculum that integrates culture, content and language. Learners work with authentic, age-appropriate texts in a learner-centered environment as they engage in real-world performance tasks that allow them to use the target language beyond the classroom.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES FROM MODEL STARTALK CURRICULA

Students are asked whether they love, like, dislike, or hate certain weather conditions, seasons, and days of the week. The four corners of the classroom represent these different opinions. The students move to the corners that correspond to their opinions and compare their ideas. (NM)

Students are asked whether they love, like, dislike, or hate certain weather conditions, seasons, and days of the week. The four corners of the classroom represent these different opinions. The students move to the corners that correspond to their opinions and compile a list of clothing items they will pack for their preferred weather condition. They will share ideas with the class. (NH)

Teacher sets up a “debate around the room” for agree, disagree, I don’t know. As suggestions for a trip are announced, learners gather in the applicable place in the room. The group discusses their ideas, chooses one person to report their ideas to the whole class. (IM/IL)

Learners designated A and others designated B receive the same picture of a family at a celebration. Each student has different clues about the people pictured. Learners ask and answer questions about the people to determine their identities. (NH/IL)

Teacher attaches a sticky note to each student’s back with the name of a famous person from the target culture. Students circulate to ask and answer questions to find their identities. Learners do this as a role-play. (NM/NH)

Working in small groups, learners pass around a picture of a family at a target language restaurant. Each student within the group contributes a word, phrase, or sentence(s) to the overall description. (NM/NH)

Teacher divides class into groups of 3 of 4. Each group is in charge of scanning different websites for travel opportunities in the target culture. Teacher bookmarks the sites. Learners fill in a grid with relevant informa-tion to share with the class. (IL/IM)

After reading a text about environmental issues in the target culture, students write basic, complex, & abstract questions. Learners form two circles, one inside the other. Students seated in the inside circle ask questions and other learners respond, ask for clarification, etc. When topic is exhausted, students change places. The outer circle becomes the inner circle and the discussion continues. (IM/IH)

For more information on STARTALK-endorsed Principles see the following:

STELLA Planning Module: How does my planning of learning experiences prepare for student learning?

STARTALK-endorsed Principles for Effective Teaching & Learning and Characteristics of Effective Language Lessons: https://startalk.umd.edu/principles/

STARTALK-Endorsed Principles for Effective Teaching and Learning

• Implementing a standards-based and thematically organized curriculum

• Facilitating a learner-centered classroom

• Using the target language and providing comprehensible input for instruction

• Integrating culture, content, and language in a world language classroom

• Adapting and using age-appropriate authentic materials

• Conducting performance-based assessment

THE STARTALK EXPERIENCEGOALS• Increase the quality and supply of teachers of critical languages throughout the nation

• Stimulate significant increases in the number of students enrolled in the study of critical languages

• Improve the quality and effectiveness of critical language curricula

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR TEACHER AND STUDENT PROGRAMS

FOCUSED AND ALIGNED WITH A GROWTH MINDSET

Proposal

• Outlines the program and key personnel

• Serves as the definitive plan for the program

• Undergoes review by three independent reviewers

Curriculum Template

• Describes learning goals, assessments, and learning experiences

• Establishes context for daily lessons

• Is developed in consultation with the team leader

• Undergoes a review and approval process that encourages growth and innovation

Site Visit

• Promotes STARTALK mindset of continuous improvement

• Provides opportunities for a STARTALK team to observe the program and provide feedback

Backward Design Principles

Identify desired resultsWhat will learners be able to do with what they know by the end of the program?

Determine acceptable evidenceHow will learners demonstrate what they can do with what they know by the end of the program?

Plan learning experiences and instruction What will prepare learners to demonstrate what they can do with what they know?

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do StatementsProgress Indicators for Language Learners

Essential Resources

About STARTALKSTARTALK is a project funded by the National Security Agency and administered by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. STARTALK’s mission is to increase the number of U.S. citizens learning, speaking, and teaching critical-need foreign languages, with programs for students (K-16) and teachers. startalk.umd.edu

SAMPLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Interpretive: Students will look for different authentic recipes on a culinary website that has visuals. They will read and recognize familiar ingredients as well as healthy and unhealthy food items. Students will match words to pictures. They choose one interesting and healthy recipe, and say why they want to cook that dish. Together, they will follow the directions for the preparation of the traditional and authentic dish. (NH/IL)

Interpersonal: Students will take the role of passengers on a train journey and engage in conversation. They will ask and answer simple questions about age, nationality, preferences, and interests. Students talk about places they recently visited sharing information about one city where they saw or participated in a cultural experience. (NH/IL)

Presentational: Working together, students will prepare a presentation on a city. They will share a few interesting facts about that city in addition to its unique cuisine and other cultural products. They will present the information to an audience of classmates, teachers, family, and other guests. (IL/IM)

Interpretive: Students gather information about a specific animal by reading, listening to, and viewing information about the animal’s characteristics, habitat, and survival skills in the environment. They complete a graphic organizer to process this information. (NM/NH)

Interpersonal: One student is given a basic fact card about an animal and that student acts as a zookeeper. The other student plays the role of a visitor to the zoo. Each visitor interviews a zookeeper in order to find out facts about the animal. Students change roles and partners and repeat the process to learn more about other animals. They then share their findings in order to categorize animals according to similarities and differences. (NM/NH)

Presentational: Students begin by reviewing target culture campaigns to preserve endangered species. They decide to participate in one of the campaigns as a volunteer. They then choose one of the animals they consider important to save and create a multimedia presentation to call attention to the problem and to raise money for the cause. Each group shares their presentation on a blog or a wikispace site inviting comments from others. (NH/IL)