Using Centered Based Learning

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Using Centered Based Learning

• Susan Perkins
• sperkins_at_goddardusd.com

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Why Do Center-Based Learning?

• Promotes independence
• Helps students become more responsible
• Allows students to learn through self-discovery
• Provides teachers with time to pull students
  one-on-one or in small groups to target specific
  academic skills, modify and enrich curriculum,
  and better meet the needs of individual students
• become actively engaged in the learning process.
• learn how to learn.
• develop a desire for life-long learning.
• retain knowledge and understanding.
• gain social skills by working with others.

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Core Principles

• The brain is a parallel processor
• Many activities are performed at once. The
  system interacts and exchanges information
• A variety of techniques and strategies are needed
  to engage students brains. There is no one
  method or technique.
• Learning engages the whole physiology
• Learning can be inhibited or facilitated. Neuron
  growth, nourishment, and interactions are
  integrally related.
• Everything that affects our physiological
  functioning affects learning. Healthy children
  may differ as much as five years in acquisition
  of skills.
• The search for meaning is innate.
• Making sense of our environment and acting is
  automatic. The search for meaning is survival
  oriented.
• Stability and familiarity needs to be part of the
  learning environment. Opportunity to satisfy
  curiosity and hunger for novelty, discovery, and
  challenge must be present.
• The search for meaning comes through patterning.
• Information must have meaning and be categorized.
  The brain wants to perceive and generate
  patterns.
• A learner must be able to create meaningful and
  personally relevant patterns. We cannot stop
  patterns, but can direct them.

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Core Principles

• Emotions are critical to patterning
• Expectancy, personal bias, degree of self-esteem,
  and social interaction are connected to thoughts.
  Emotions and thoughts shape each other.
• Understand that feelings and attitudes will be
  involved with and determine future learning.
  Beliefs of support also effect thoughts.
• The brain processes wholes and parts
  simultaneously.
• The brain reduces information into parts and
  perceives and works with information as a whole
  or series of wholes in order to organize it.
• Learning is cumulative and developmental.
  Understanding and mastery occurs when
  incorporated into genuine experiences.
• Learning involves both focused attention and
  peripheral perception.
• Information is absorbed directly and indirectly
  simultaneously.
• All aspects of an environment are important and
  should be attended to.
• Learning involves both conscious and unconscious
  processes.
• Much of learning occurs below the level of
  awareness. Experiences become part of prior
  knowledge.
• Understanding may occur later. Processing time,
  reflection, and metacognition are vital.

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Core Principles

• We have two types of memory spatial and rote.
• Spatial does not need rehearsal and allows for
  instant recall. It is always engaged and
  motivated by novelty.
• Teaching devoted to memorization do not
  facilitate the transfer of learning and may
  interfere with understanding.
• We understand and remember best when facts and
  skills are embedded in natural, spatial memory.
• When items are embedded in ordinary experiences,
  specific learning occurs. (Language)
• Real life activity and experiences will enhance
  learning.
• Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited
  by threat.
• When encouraged to take safe risks, the brain
  makes maximum connections, when threatened it
  downshifts.
• Need for a safe place to think and take risks.
• Every brain is unique.
• All are provided the same set of systems, all are
  different based on genetics, prior knowledge, and
  environments.
• All learners are different and need to understand
  their own unique intelligences.

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What Does Center Learning Look Like?

• Student directed with guidance
• Solo learning, Duo, small group
• Active learning is occurring
• Busy and Scattered
• Floor, desk, table, hall?
• Movement occurs
• Teacher involvement
• Walking around, small group, one child, taking
  records
• Noise Level
• Not quiet, but not out of control

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What Kinds of Centers?

• Curriculum Based
• One or more subjects?
• Theme Based
• Theme related to the curriculum areas
• Standards Based
• Focus on selected standards for the grade level
• Supplemental to the Curriculum
• Done when work is complete
• During free time or set time
• During a down time or established time
• Teaching of theme or lessons
• Provides all or part of the curriculum

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Kinds of Centers

• Pre-K to K
• Generally play, discovery, or motor skill
  oriented
• 1st to 5th grade
• Becomes more specific and oriented towards parts
  of a subject
• 5th and beyond
• Lesson oriented or standard oriented

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Kinds of Centers

• Centers should be meaningful, not busy work
• Activities should be developmentally appropriate
• Differentiated needs of the students and learning
  styles should be incorporated
• Centers should be hands on with active involvement

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How Many Centers?

• As many as you want!
• As many as you have space for!
• Consider
• Purpose
• Time
• Number of Students
• Skills being addressed
• Novelty of the center
• Management needs

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Time? Scheduling?

• How much time?
• Research suggests 10 minutes to 45 minutes
• Shorter time per center assists with focus
• Longer time per center assists with deeper
  exploration
• Often dependent on age/level of the student
• All centers should be consistent for the time
  allowed
• Allow for preparation, clean-up, and transition
  time
• Determine the number of centers to be completed
  by the student before beginning
• Be flexible in adjusting timing and/or centers
• Schedule in a block of time or separate sessions
• Determine daily, weekly, monthly?

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Time? Scheduling?

• Recommended start with 8 centers and gradually
  build
• Three parts to center time
• Whole group
• Work Time
• Assessment/Reflection
• Scheduling of changing centers?

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Grouping and Moving Students in Centers

• Dividing into groups
• Name the groups by color or object
• Groups moves together from center to center
• Use stickers, popsicle sticks, clothespins, etc.
  to distinguish groups and their movement.
• Group response form or individual?
• Individual movement of students
• Chart showing where each students goes
• Pre-determined vs Choices

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Grouping and Moving Students in Centers

• Number of students in groups?
• Consider your space and number of centers
• Consider the needs of the students
• Collaboration vs. Unproductive time
• Self-Teaching vs. Peer Assistance
• Controlling the number in each center
• Rotation of groups
• Pocket planner
• Sticks and cans
• Chairs at centers
• Center necklaces /clothespins

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How much Structure?

• Self-Selected Activities
• Some students may never choose particular centers
• Can make some mandatory
• Teacher can still guide
• Less management required
• Gives students more responsibility for their
  educational decisions
• Allows students to work at their own pace
• More flexible grouping

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How Much Structure?

• Rotation schedule of activities
• More teacher directed
• Requires more planning
• Students will more likely do all centers
• Variety of ways to rotate
• Groups rotate each time
• Poster chart with pockets or a pocket chart
• Planning board outlining the structure and
  sequence of the schedule

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Monitoring Student Selection/Scheduling

• Tracking the choices and completion of the
  centers
• Color it in
• Punch it out
• Sticker Chart
• Individual Planning Forms
• Jigsaw puzzle pieces

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Transistions

• Timer
• Stopwatch (one or many?)
• Egg Timers
• Computer Timers
• Signals
• Hand Claps
• Lights
• Bells
• Songs

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Space/Storage

• Consider you room and its arrangement
• Plan where things will go before you start!
• Labeled areas of the room
• Desk Work
• Portable tubs
• Boxes
• Shoe, cereal, plastic, photo storage, magazine
  holders, bags, envelopes
• Shelves
• Display Boards
• Tubs
• File Folders
• Pocket Charts
• Shoe Storage Bags
• Doors
• File Cabinet Sides
• Bulletin Boards
• Cans
• Storage Carts

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Teacher During Centers

• First few weeks
• Introduce each center
• Monitor and direct learning
• Answer questions and guide
• After students are comfortable with centers
• Small groups for remediation
• Small groups for enhancement
• Observation
• Skill Checks
• Conferencing with groups or individuals
• Anecdotal Records
• Both academic and behavioral
• Guide learning in Centers encourage independent
  thinking
• Evaluate the effectiveness of each center

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Management of Behaviors

• Establish Center Rules and practice them!
• Prepare students for activity and noise level
• Discuss the appropriate levels of activity and
  noise
• Visual Management Cues
• Colored note cards
• Stop Light
• Hand Signals
• Have rules and consequences posted and follow
  them!
• Consider why some behaviors happen
• Centers too easy?
• Centers too hard?

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Assessment/Grading

• Grade all activities?
• Participation grades?
• Random grading?
• Student Check Sheet and self grading?
• Skill check sheets?
• Anecdotal Records
• Use of file folders/sticky notes
• Journaling
• Conferencing
• Work Folders
• Portfolios
• Check Sheet
• Ongoing work and completed work
• Student Journal
• Center Assessment
• Based on each center
• Generic sheet