Multimedia equipment helps students pursue individualized learning goals, hands-on learning activities and research beyond what is available in the classroom. Classes where every student has computer access allows each student to actively learn and make choices about the direction of learning within the confines of the lesson guidelines. For example, with a lesson on different kinds of weather, each student in a small group could pursue a different website for independent learning and then work cooperatively to determine how storms form or why weather patterns are changing.
Textbooks guide student learning and provide reference material, but they don't supply all the necessary information. Requisition available resources relating to the current lesson topic and allow students to choose avenues of learning. For example, when studying how the different senses work, one group may research how visually challenged individuals navigate a room while another group investigates which center of the brain processes visual images.
Students spend part of each class period working in pairs or groups, part working as a class and another portion of the day doing individual seat work and assignments. Flexible seating allows students to move around to each of these different configurations and permit you to go through the classroom, observing and assisting where needed. Flexible seating also assists small groups and pairs present their information to the class, to role-play or to engage in whole group activities.
After your introduction, students may brainstorm different avenues of investigation and application. Whiteboards, blackboards, flip charts and smart boards facilitate this type of interaction where all students can see the input and refer back to it during the breakout sessions if required. Concluding activities can refer back to the brainstorming session to provide answers to the whole class.
Provide thought-provoking and well-planned activities that allow students to investigate and apply the information they learn. Place the materials where students can access what they need without disturbing other students. Suggestions or instructions for use free you to work with individual students or groups as necessary.
While timing in student-centered classes affords some flexibility, students need access to a clock to monitor their time. If students finish early or run a little over, you can adapt, but it is helpful to have a ballpark time line. Alternatively, use a timer to ring a minute or two prior to the preferred end of the activity period.