Student Focused Learning

This book reminds us teachers about all the little things we can do to be more student-centric. It shows teachers how to “walk the walk,” and shows teacher educators how to guide colleagues along a student-centered path. The book examines why we should and how we can promote student-student interaction to enable students to learn more and enjoy the process. It also offers simple but effective strategies for enhancing student motivation, a factor that many experts consider to be the most important determinant of success in educational endeavors. In addition, it examines diversity, particularly the many differences that exist among students, and explains simple, easy strategies for how this diversity can be not only taken into consideration, but actively celebrated.

This contributed volume explores institutional and programmatic policies and practices which actively engage students as partners in improving student learning. This entails an examination of the degree to which students are partners in the assessment and learning processes and the characteristics of these partnerships. This volume showcases student partnerships, as well as presents a history of institutional culture affecting student learning, the role of students in teaching and learning, and brings student voices and perspectives to bare through research from a variety of institutional types. Case studies, current programs and activities, and a model for culturally-responsive assessment are highlighted to better understand student-focused learning and assessment. Implications for faculty, staff, and administrators are questioned. Overall, this volume links research to practice, and offers faculty, practitioners, and administrators different forms and methods of including students, while keeping issues of equity in mind.

In this much needed resource, Maryellen Weimer-one of the nation's most highly regarded authorities on effective college teaching-offers a comprehensive work on the topic of learner-centered teaching in the college and university classroom. As the author explains, learner-centered teaching focuses attention on what the student is learning, how the student is learning, the conditions under which the student is learning, whether the student is retaining and applying the learning, and how current learning positions the student for future learning. To help educators accomplish the goals of learner-centered teaching, this important book presents the meaning, practice, and ramifications of the learner-centered approach, and how this approach transforms the college classroom environment. Learner-Centered Teaching shows how to tie teaching and curriculum to the process and objectives of learning rather than to the content delivery alone.

The movement away from teacher-centered toward student-centered learning and teaching (SCLT) in higher education has intensified in recent decades. Yet in spite of its widespread use in literature and policy documents, SCLT remains somewhat poorly defined, under-researched and often misinterpreted. Against this backdrop, The Routledge International Handbook of Student-Centered Learning and Teaching in Higher Education offers an original, comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the fundamentals of SCLT and its discussion and applications in policy and practice. Bringing together 71 scholars from around the world, the volume offers a most comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the fundamentals of SCLT and its applications in policy and practice; provides beacons of good practice that display how instructional expertise manifests itself in the quality of classroom learning and teaching and in the institutional environment; and critically discusses challenges, new directions and developments in pedagogy, course and study program design, classroom practice, assessment and institutional policy. An essential resource, this book uniquely offers researchers, educators and students in higher education new insights into the roots, latest thinking, practices and evidence surrounding SCLT in higher education.

In this 2nd edition of Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, Mike Schmoker extends and updates the case that our schools could be on the cusp of swift, unparalleled improvements. But we are stymied by a systemwide failure to simplify and prioritize; we have yet to focus our limited time and energy on the most essential, widely acknowledged, evidence-based practices that could have more impact than all other initiatives combined. They are: simple, coherent curricula; straightforward, traditional literacy practices; and lessons built around just a few hugely effective elements of good teaching. As Schmoker demonstrates, the case for these practices—and the need for them—has grown prodigiously. In every chapter, you’ll find late-breaking discoveries and practical advice on how to simplify the implementation of new state standards in the subject areas; on the hidden pitfalls of our most popular, but unproven instructional fads and programs; and on simple, versatile strategies for building curriculum, planning lessons, and integrating literacy into every discipline. All of these strategies and findings are supported with exciting new evidence from actual schools. Their success confirms, as Michael Fullan writes, that a focus on the best "high-leverage practices" won’t only improve student performance; they will produce "stunningly powerful consequences" in our schools.

Praise for Leading the Learner-Centered Campus "This book moves far beyond previous thinking about change. Many in higher education want to create more learner-centered campuses but grapple with how to do it. Harris and Cullen show us how to lead the change to more learner-centered campuses and offer very practical tools for getting there from here. Every campus that takes student learning seriously should be having the conversation that this book advances and supports." John Tagg, author, The Learning Paradigm College "This is a dynamite text for all leaders in higher education who want to implement change. It starts with a deceptively simple idea that change needs to be 'learner-centered,' not just in the classroom, but in every aspect of a campus. Achieving that end is far from simple, but the authors make clear that it's well within reach if readers pay close attention to the wisdom in this book." Thomas Ehrlich, senior scholar, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and former president, Indiana University "At a time when most of higher education is seeking effective ways to maximize the value of student-centered learning, Harris and Cullen provide a comprehensive road map for completing the kind of paradigm shift that can accomplish just that ... This book merits the attention of everyone with a stake in the future of higher education." Anthony J. Diekema, former president, Calvin College "If higher education is going to provide what students will need in the twenty-first century, it'll have to complete the transition from teaching to learning that Barr and Tagg proposed back in 1995. Leading the Learner-Centered Campus is an indispensible resource for professors and administrators who are committed to the success of today's college students." Jeffrey L. Buller, author, The Essential College Professor, The Essential Academic Dean, and The Essential Department Chair

A widely used, highly effective approach to student success, Student-Focused Coaching (SFC) helps instructional coaches and teachers work collaboratively to improve student outcomes using evidence-based practices. This is your one-stop, step-by-step guide to instructional coaching in K-12 schools using the field-tested, research-based SFC model. Featuring a foreword by Jim Knight, the leading voice on instructional coaching, this book was coauthored by the lead developer of the SFC model (Jan Hasbrouck) and an experienced instructional coach and trainer (Daryl Michel). These expert authors help you master the three key roles of coaching: Facilitator, Collaborative Problem-Solver, and Teacher/Learner. You'll discover how to build respectful and mutually beneficial professional relationships with every teacher--from the most eager to the most reluctant--and work together to help all students learn and thrive in the classroom. To help you put the SFC model into action, the book offers practical activities and materials, including application exercises, reflection exercises, virtual coaching tips, and 20+ pages of ready-to-use downloadable forms. LEARN HOW TO Partner with teachers to tackle a range of classroom challenges--academic, behavioral, and social-emotional Develop collaborative communication skills to help you navigate even the most challenging conversations Work with teachers to set and achieve goals by identifying, selecting, and implementing evidence-based interventions Help teachers support struggling students with goal-based, targeted, and intensive instruction Improve time management skills using a four-step, systematic problem-solving process Collect different types of data and use it to give helpful feedback to the teachers you work with Design continuous professional learning opportunities that meet individual teacher needs Deliver support to administrators to make the most of the benefits coaches can provide PRACTICAL DOWNLOADS: The book includes access to 20+ pages of downloadable materials for coaches, including worksheets, checklists, tracking sheets, and self-assessments.

A bold, brain-based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation—until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. The book includes: Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships Ten “key moves” to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners Prompts for action and valuable self-reflection