Student-Centered Classroom

Without being in an academic classroom, I can’t confirm how a student-centered environment can be deployed in an academic setting. However, I know from my own personal experiences in school that I needed more engaging activities and could only wish that my teachers contextualized the lessons. Too often as I speak with academic educators, they tell me that they are bound by the standards and can’t divert from the curriculum. Although I am not bound by the academic standards, they are embedded into my curriculum along with the technical standards set forth by the career and technical programs of study. In actuality, I guess you can say that I have more standards that I need to accomplish, and have more of a challenge, as my students need to pass the PSSAs as well as the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute’s (NOCTI) Audio Visual Communications assessment.

To infuse these standards, I use a back to front model and conceal the standards in the lessons. I never tell the students what we are learning, I just provide them reasons why we are completing the activities. By doing this, I have the students draw conclusions and determine how the material will fit into their lives.

For example, when teaching photography, I have the students curate their own knowledge by completing research at home approximately one week before I introduce the content. For instance, when teaching aperture, shutter and ISO, I have the students complete research and blog about their findings. In addition, I have the students research blurring, panning and stop motion. When applying these skills, I have the students complete several photo shoots that transform their knowledge into skill. In addition, I add several “methods of madness” as the students like to call it, to be sure they also obtain applicable soft skills, such as following direction, working collaboratively, and managing their time.

Below are a list of the standards that are taught in my photography lesson:

Career and Technical Standards

100 - Communication Technology and Safety Procedures

1 - Explain Communication Technology and why it is important.

2 - Demonstrate safety procedures in the field of communications technology.

200 - Leadership and Accountability

1 - Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products.

4 - Produce media for an intended target audience.

6 - Demonstrate an understanding of and observe copyright laws.

300 - Understand the Knowledge of Ethical, Cultural, and Societal Issues

1 - Describe ethics in relation to communication technology.

400 - Operation of Communication Technology

6 - Recognize issues related to information accuracy, rights and conduct.

700 - Electronic Communication Applications

2 - Locate services available on the Internet.

3 - Identify different types of information sources on the Internet.

5 - Search the Internet for information.

800 - Collaborate Via the Web

1 - Create, publish and manage a supervised wiki and/or blog.

900 - Locate, Evaluate and Collect Information from a Variety of Sources

1 - Demonstrate basic terminology related to locating, evaluating, and collecting information from a variety of sources.

1300 - Photography, Cinematography and Image Capture

3 - Identify the parts of a digital camera.

4 - Apply basic principles of exposure.

5 - Apply basic principles of focus.

7 - Apply basic principles of composition/field of view

Academic Standards

R11.A.2.2.2 - Identify the meaning of word or phrase using context clues such as from the use of explanatory sentences, and/or the use of examples in text.

R11.A.2.3.1 - Make inferences and draw conclusions based on information from text.

R11.A.2.3.2 - Cite evidence from text to support assertions.

ISTE NETS•S

Creativity and Innovation

• apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes

Communication and Collaboration

• interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media

Research and Information Fluency

• evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

• identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
• plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
• collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
• use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

Digital Citizenship

• exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
• demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning

Below are videos that my 100 level students produced about how they feel about the lessons and skills that they acquired. As you hear, the students find relevancy in what they are learning and are engaged in the lessons because they were able to apply them to real world concepts.

Cooperative Learning

The ISTE NETS

The question that remains is, how can we transform our academic classrooms to provide our students with this enriching experience?