This document discusses the importance of student-led learning and provides examples of student-centered versus teacher-centered approaches. Student-centered learning focuses on individual student needs and abilities, involves active participation in discovery and hands-on activities, and promotes peer communication and personal responsibility for learning. Teacher-centered learning places the teacher as the central figure and students in a passive role. The document questions why all teachers don't facilitate student-led learning at all times and provides quotes supporting student-centered approaches and the development of thinking skills over memorization. It also provides examples of structuring successful student-led tasks and reflects on how this aligns with a school's vision of educational excellence.

1. Aim: To understand the importance
of student led learning
What is student led learning? (sort the cards into two lists; student
centered and teacher centered learning)

2. Which list would your teaching mainly
fall into?
• Focused on each student's needs, abilities, interests,
and learning styles, placing the teacher as a
facilitator of learning
• Requires students to be active, responsible
participants in their own learning.
• Allows students to actively participate in discovery
learning processes from an autonomous viewpoint.
• A variety of hands-on activities are administered in
order to promote successful learning.
• Promotes peer communication
• Responsibility for one’s own learning
• The teacher at its centre in an active role
and students are in a passive, receptive
role.
• Teachers choose what the students will
learn, how the students will learn, and
how the students will be assessed on their
learning.
• Students work alone.
• The classroom remains orderly. Students
are quiet, and the teacher retains full
control of the classroom and its activities.

4. So if it is so important why doesn’t
every teacher facilitate student led
learning all the time?

5. "No matter how creative, colorful or
exciting a lesson is, if the teacher's
brain is the only one interacting with
the material, the teacher's brain - not
the student's brain - is the only brain
forming dendrites." Pat Wolfe, "The
Brain Matters: Translating Research into
Classroom Behavior.
“Some people would rather die than
think.” ~ Bertrand Russell
“The aim of education should be to teach us
rather how to think, than what to think—
rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us
to think for ourselves, than to load the memory
with the thoughts of other men.” ~ John
Dewey
A student-centered classroom isn’t a place where
the students decide what they want to learn and
what they want to do. It’s a place where we
consider the needs of the students, as a group
and as individuals, and encourage them to
participate in the learning process all the time.
Leo Jones 2007 Cambridge University Press
"The number one reason people
lose their first real job is not a lack
of technical skills, it is because
they can’t get along with other
people." National Job Service

6. In small groups build a decagon using
the marshmallows and cocktail sticks
you have been given

7. Was that a successful student led task?
How do you facilitate
student led learning in
your classroom?

8. To be successful what do you need?
• Clear outcomes
• Discipline
• Consistency
• Clear expectations
• Clear guide lines
• Roles

9. How does this fit in with the ethos at
SRS?
SRS vision – to establish nationwide centres of
educational excellence that are founded upon the
highest international standards
SRS values – excellence; independent learning;
uniqueness and diversity; creativity; life skills;
partnership
Learner profiles-independent enquirers; creative
thinkers; reflective learners; team workers; self-
managers; effective participators; effective
communicators; competent in the use of numbers
and ICT

10. Now think about how you will/already facilitate
excellent student led learning in your classroom
Share this experience/idea and inspire someone else to
try student led learning in their classroom