Text and People as Teaching-Learning Resources in the Student-Centered Classrom

Objective of this post

This post introduces participants to two forms of media that serve as teaching-learning resources in the student-centered classroom:text and people.Text is discussed 

in the context of printed materials such as textbooks and pamphlets.In discussing people as media,the focus is on guest speakers,since much has already been discussed 

by the nature of student-centered learning on teachers and students as resources in the student-centered classroom.

This post will be divided into two sub-modules:
1.Text(Printed Materials)as Teaching-learning Resources
2.Introduction to People(Guest Speakers) as Teaching-Learning Resources

Introduction to Printed Materials as Teaching-Learning Resources.

  Printed materials include textbooks,fiction and nonfiction books,brochures,study guides,manuals and worksheets,word-processed documents prepared by students and teachers,and others.Textbooks have long been the foundation of classroom instruction.Other media previously discussed as teaching-learning resources are often used in conjunction with printed materials.

EXAMPLES
Any subject might use a textbook(or specific chapters of a textbook)to provide a solid foundation and reference for students.
A commerce unit might include student groups creating a sales brochure for a product they have selected.
A science unit might include a lab manual for all experiments the students will undertake.
A government/civics unit might include government documents available to the public,which students can use to gain information and analyze.
A mathematics unit might include a study guide prepared by student groups.
A language arts unit might include newspapers and current magazines for students to analyze in terms of language,styles of writing,etc.

Advantages and Limitations of Printed Materials.

Advantages of Printed Materials.

Availability-compared to some other media,printed materials are readily available on a variety of topics and in many different formats.

*Flexibility-They are adaptable to many purposes and may be used in any well-lit environment.

*Portability-Printed materials are easily carried from place to place and do not require any equipment or electricity.

*User friendly-Properly designed printed materials are easy to use,not requiring special effort to "navigate" through them.

*Economical-Compared to some other media,printed materials are relatively inexpensive to produce or purchase and can be reused.In fact,some can be obtained for free.


Limitations of Printed Materials

*Reading level-A limitation of printed materials is that they are written at a certain reading level.The literacy levels of students in a class may very quite a bit and printed materials may be above some students' reading levels.Also readers may sometimes lack the prerequisite knowledge or comprehend the vocabulary and terminology.

*Memorization-some teachers require students to  memorize many facts or definitions.This practice weakens the role of printed materials as teaching-learning resources as it does not promote active student learning.

*Vocabulary-Some texts introduce a large number of vocabulary terms and concepts in a short amount of space.This can
 place a heavy cognitive burden on students and ma be overwhelming for them.

*Using Textbooks in the Student-Centered Classroom


Here are some ways that students can engage in more active involvement in using textbooks as a teaching-learning resource in the student-centered classroom.

1.Encourage reading in pairs,which means that students read to each other aloud,and ask each other for clarification of vocabulary,concepts,etc.This can be a nice change from each student reading silently.

2.Create a "jigsaw" of reading.Students break up into four or five groups,each reading and discussing a different section of the text.Next students break up and form new groups,consisting of one member of each of the original groups.The students teach the other members of their new group the information they read and discussed in their original group.

3.When covering textbook material in the class,periodically do a "stop,jot,and talk" session as a way to get students actively thinking about content.To do a "stop,jot,and talk":
 Announce the activity by directing students to write for one minute about anything they are thinking about in relation to the current content.Foe example,students could summarize many facts,expand one fact ,relate the content to current events or real life,or list questions they have about the content.
After one minute,they stop and share with one or two people as the teacher moves between students facilitating,listening in and commenting.
These periodic checks assure that students are processing the content and provide the needed structure for increasing talk about their thinking,which increases retention of material.Research on the topic of student talk concludes that one major way learners process information is to talk about it.Talking solidifies thinking and helps with retention of information.The "stop,jot and talk" method is an excellent method for promoting focused student talk.(Note:Of course,other printed materials besides the textbook can be used with "stop,jot,and talk.")

4.Have students engage in a "Scavenger Hunt" through their textbook to help them understand how it can be more useful to them.(Note:A scavenger hunt is a game in which individuals or teams try to locate and bring back various items on a list.)This activity typically takes ten to fifteen minutes.For example,in a maths text,students will typically find that their textbook contains practical applications of mathematics,terms identified,and sometimes answers in the back of the book.To do this,pose the questions below or adapt this list to your particular textbook--this examples uses mathematics,but you can adapt the questions for any subject matter--and allow students or student groups time to find the information in their textbook.Often students will find more than you have requested.



Introduction to Guest Speakers as teaching-Learning Resources.

Guest speakers can be a wonderful teaching-learning resource in the student centred classroom.They can provide an authentic and unique perspective not easily accessed in other ways.

Research indicates that invited guest speakers can enhance student learning in a variety of ways.They can:

# Enhance practical and technical knowledge in a particular field.
# Raise cultural and ethnic sensitivity.
# Improve community-school relations.
# Provide professional role models for students.
# Challenge students' stereotypes.

EXAMPLES

A science unit might include a guest speaker who works professional in that field.
A citizenship unit might include a panel of guest speakers representing a variety of ethnicities and religions found locally.
A mathematics unit might include a guest speaker who uses mathematics on a daily basis in his or her profession.
A commerce unit might include a guest speaker who is the head of a successful company.
An English unit might include a guest speaker who is a native speaker of English to share cultural insights as well as communicative expertise.

Advantages and Limitations of Guest Speakers.

Advantages of Guest Speakers.


*Authentically-Because guest  speakers are people out in the "real" world,they bring an authenticity to the classroom that is hard to match in other ways.

*Motivation and Interest-Real experience from guest speakers is typically motivating and interesting to students,especially if they have a chance to interact with the guest in meaningful ways by asking questions,making comments on what the speaker has to say,and so forth.

*Expertise-Guest speakers are specialists in their topic and can bring to the classroom an expertise that is unique.

*Cultural understanding-Guest speakers,because they are real people that students can relate to,can help students gain cultural and ethnic understanding and appreciation in a way that other media cannot.

Limitations of Guest Speakers


*Logistics-Guest speakers may show up late,report to the wrong classroom,or fail to appear at all.

*Incorrect information-Guest speakers may speak off the designated topic or they may give incorrect information.

*Presentation skills-Guest speakers may lack preparation or presentation skills,resulting in an interesting topic presented in a disorganized or boring manner.

Finding,Screening,and Preparing Potential Guest Speakers

Sources of information for finding guest speakers for the classroom include:

Colleagues,relatives,and friends of the teacher
Relatives,parents' friends and other acquaintances of students in the classroom
Professionals known to Education Officers,Principals,ISAs,etc.Academics from universities or Teaching Colleges

Screening a potential guest speaker to see if he/she is appropriate for the grade level and topic can be very helpful.Questions one might ask are:

Does the speaker need provisions for transport and other criteria?
What distance does the speaker need to travel to get to the school and how much travel time is needed?
Is the person familiar with our particular discipline?
What information can the speaker provide?
Can the speaker meet beforehand to discuss the presentation?

Preparing the guest speaker is not only a courtesy to your speaker,but is also important to ensure the success of the presentation in the classroom.If possible a face-to-face appointment should be made.If this is not possible then a telephone call or email is an appropriate alternative.At the meeting you can:

Show the speaker the location of the classroom and give directions from his own home.
Discuss with speaker detailed relevant information about the student audience including number of students,level of prior knowledge about the topic,expectation,etc.
Discuss how long the talk should last.
Discuss how formal you would like the talk to be.(For example,some teachers prefer a question-and-answer session,while others prefer a formal presentation,etc.)In any case,the session or presentations should include interaction with students for the purpose of engaging students in active learning.

Active Student Learning ith Guest Speakers

In the student-centered classroom,it is important that students or student groups take an active role in some of these activities.Not only does such engagement provide motivation and interest to students,they are engaged in the authentic tasks related to preparing for guest speakers,and engage in active knowledge construction,leadership skills,and communication skills as well.Small groups are perfect for these kinds of activities.Foe example student groups can:
Brainstorm a list of possible guest speakers(friends,neighbors,organization,etc)
Talk to the people selected from the finalized brainstorm list to see which ones are real potential speakers.
Obtain a commitment from the number one choice of speaker(if possible)and then get a date and time that is suitable for the guest speaker.
Make all logistical arrangements including providing directions to the school and classroom for the speaker,any equipment needs,etc.
prepare a list of questions for the speaker(gathering questions from all groups and preparing one list that represents the groups' interests).
Greet the guest speaker on arrival and introduce him or her to the teacher and class.
Make a thank you card from the class to be sent to the speaker after the event.