Mayerson Academy-SCALE

Student Centered Active Learning Environment(SCALE)

Brief Description: Mayerson Academy has developed a professional development training protocol that guides educators through the process of shifting from a teacher-centered instructional approach to a student-centered active learning environment. The training was designed to support the implementation of the common core as well as state standards. This protocol integrats integrate teacher-assisted instructional approaches, student-assisted instructional approaches, and student centered instructional approaches at various stages of instruction. Throughout this series of courses, participants develop an understanding of each of the four approaches, integrate them into instructional practice, identify the principles that underlie each approach, and determine when each approach is most suited to classroom instruction at specific steps in the learning process. Participants also leave the training with a set of Active Learning Protocols. These are flash cards that provide simple step-by-step instructions for a variety of activities that can be integrated into any classroom setting quickly and easily without extensive instructional planning. They are tools to guide educators through the process of creating active learning environments.

Audience: K-12 Teachers

Evidence Base for Training:
Research does not conclusively identify the right or best way to instruct, nor does it suggest that certain instructional practices should always or never be used. But research can illuminate which instructional practices are most likely to achieve desired results, with which kinds of learners, and under what conditions.

The term student-centered learning is widely used in the teaching and learning literature. Many terms have been linked with student-centered learning, such as flexible learning (Taylor, 2000), experiential learning (Burnard, 1999), and self-directed learning.

Kember described two broad orientations in teaching: the teacher centered/content oriented conception and the student centered/learning oriented conception.

In a student-centered learning environment, McCombs and Whistler (1997) state that ―learners are treated as co-creators in the learning process, as individuals with ideas and issues that deserve attention and consideration. Student-centered learning environments recognize that the prior knowledge of learners powerfully influences future learning and thus attempt to build on prior knowledge.

Participant Outcomes:

Recognize the principles that inform student-centered instructional practices
Develop instructional plans that integrate student-centered instructional activities
Design assessments that support a greater understanding of current student performance levels
Practice using Active Learning Protocols for use in daily classroom instruction
Develop instructional practices that move along the continuum of teacher-centered to student-centered as dictated by the desired learning outcomes
Align instructional practice that is responsive to and mirrors the natural learning cycle
Identify and implement instructional practices/ activities that support each stage of the learning cycle

Expected Student Achievement Outcomes:

Engage in active rather than passive learning, resulting in improved student achievement
Increase learner engagement in the instructional process
Develop higher levels of learning and deeper understanding
Increase responsibility and accountability in the learner
Increase sense of autonomy in the learner
Develop positive interdependence between teacher and learner
Support a sense of mutual respect within the learner/teacher relationship