Lauren

**Benefits of Student Centered Teaching**
Clemmitt, M. (2015, April 10). Teaching critical thinking. // CQ Researcher //, // 25 // , 313-336. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/

This article mainly focuses on teaching students how to successfully use critical thinking. The majority of the article talks about standardize testing; however, areas of this article discuss the ideas of standardized tests as "boxing in" students and that more abstract thinking, created by students, is more effective. An important part of the article informs that read that since the 1970s schools have been trying to push methods of teaching such as memorization, which is an example of short term learning. The author, Marcia Clemmitt, argues that students should be able to develop their own thinking skills in order to reach a broader range of concepts, and that can happen through student collaboration.

In addition to discussing teaching critical thinking, the idea that arises is whether or not thinking should be taught by teachers at all. Clemmitt says that by teaching students how to think it is only allowing for "fixed beliefs" and it does not challenge the student enough, or allow the student to exceed a certain extent of thinking abilities. A part of the text explains how good problem solving skills are developed, and it says that students learn how to take apart pieces of text and work together to analyze it, and this is one of the ways that students learn "character, teamwork, and leadership." I thought this article made some very key points about student- centered classrooms, even though majority of the article was not focused directly on this topic. It gave me a new outlook on how the teaching and thinking in the classroom is directed, it can either be directed through the teachers eyes, which usually focuses on preparing students for standardized tests, or it can focus on students and their abilities to develop their thinking by collaboration.

PR, N. (2015, June 24). UC Irvine Extension Offers Educators New Courses Focusing On Student-Centered Learning. PR Newswire US. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.uri.idm.oclc.org/ehost/

This article presents a very well thought out and experimental curriculum in which individual learning is developed. It explains that educators today are working to encourage cognitive curriculums that are highly motivational and prepare students for self- learning. There is a strong opinion expressed in this article that a student- centered classroom is essential for learning. There is a claim that the right tools need to be provided so that students can take on the responsibility of developing their own "educational growth," and this involves determining student's interests and needs in order to evaluate "how to increase student motivation, responsibility, self- reliance and curiosity." This is a informational study that educators hope will prove to be successful among the students that are participating in the newly invented curriculum.

This article touches upon a lot of key points that seem to be positive ideas for student success. It is said that a "reflexive approach to teaching and learning is essential" in the student- centered classroom, because there is a large focus on individualism and the responsibility that the student is able to develop on their own should be tremendous. I think that there are many great ideas presented in this article, and I like that the student is able to determine how successful they are based on their motivation; however, it is not like they are completely alone, they can thrive by collaborating and working together.

ÇUBUKÇU, Z. z. (2012). TEACHERS' EVALUATION OF STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. Education, 133(1), 49-66. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.uri.idm.oclc.org/ehost/

This article displays a very strong opinion about the importance and success of student- centered classrooms. The author claims that student- centered classrooms have changed the education system and the way educators view the way that students should be taught. In a student- centered environment the student participates and takes control of "decision making, planning, application, and evaluation" and as a result it increases the student's willingness and interest in the classroom. This is a large and very general statement to make about the classroom setting; however, I believe that there are many benefits to hands on and interactive activities that allow students to discover their interests. The article says directly that "student- centered learning is a model in which students play an active role in their own learning styles." I think that this is a very important argument of the article, because it is clear that not every student has the same learning style and or strategies, so if a student is in control of the classroom they are able to choose how they want to learn in order for them to be successful.

I think another very important part of this article is the idea that student- centered learning develops knowledge that is more extensive and permanent. Rather than being lectured with information by a teacher or memorizing information, students are able to establish the ability to hold on to knowledge for more than just a short period of time. I think that this is an idea that a lot of students are able to relate to, because there is always the feeling that students need to cram and memorize information before an exam but it is really not effective for actually learning the information.

Rich, Motoko. "As Apprentices in Classroom, Teachers Learn What Works." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com

I thought that this article was particularly interesting because not only did the author, Motoko Rich, discuss student- centered classrooms, but he also focused on the idea of teachers figuring out what works best for their students. This is an example of how teachers have to (or should) adjust their teaching styles based on the results they get from experimenting with different activities. This article focuses a bit more on the teacher aspect, in regards to managing the classroom; however, the attention is directed towards what the students need in the classroom. One of the hardest challenges in the classroom is keeping the students involved and interested; this is another reason why students benefit from controlling the classroom because they are more likely to be intrigued when they are actively participating in activities.

Another aspect of the article focuses on the importance of having a mentor in the classroom, so while it is important for it to be student- centered, there needs to be guidance and ongoing support from the teacher. Students are more willing to want to further their knowledge and challenge themselves if they are given motivation or encouragement by someone that they look up to, so the article shows the success in a classroom relating to the closeness of student- teacher relationships.

Powell, Marcia. "5 Ways to Make Your Classroom Student-Centered." Education Week Teacher. N.p., 24 Dec. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.edweek.org

This article was very informative because it seemed to be aimed towards teachers in order to give direction on how to make their classroom more student- centered. This showed that the education system is trying to move towards student- centered learning curriculums. It focuses on how to access students, promote student engagement, and developing relationships. This was interesting because it gave very specific evidence of ways that teachers can improve their classroom environment and center is more on the students. Not only does it show how the students can take control of the classroom learning, but it also describes the ways that teachers can have a strong role in being in the classroom and supporting the learning environment.

I think that this article is could be a very effective piece of text for teachers that are trying to improve their classroom. It says that "expert teachers know how to give students choice and voice" in the classroom; therefore, it gives teachers the incentive to use these techniques effectively. The focus is to inform teachers and once teachers have successfully exhibited changes in their classroom they should pass their methods along to their colleagues. It is very good to read about the education system trying to create "happy learners," because it is the most successful part of student learning.