After attending the Student- Centered Learning Conference, I enjoyed the experience and learned new information I hadn't known before. Throughout the day, I think the conference focused on putting students first and incorporating them into the curriculum. In the workshops I attended, they were very informative and I think the research they are doing, is student-centered and providing a curriculum for students. The first workshop showed us a video of students presenting topics that were important to them such as diversity, civic engagement, etc. to a board of teachers and in the end receiving a grade on how they did. The work they are doing was focused on students opinions and really letting the students take the lead on something they are passionate about and incorporating it into the curriculum. The second workshop I attended sort of focused on leading with but it wasn't as hands on like the first workshop. But, this workshop gave me a lot of new information and to think about things differently than I had before. I also thought the conference was student-centered because they incorporated a panel of high school students. I wasn't able to stay for the panel, but I loved the idea of them leading with youth and having youth share their opinions. This conference was a positive experience for me and I enjoyed learning more about student- centered learning and I can't wait to have another opportunity to attend a conference like this one.
I currently work at the YMCA for their after school program so i feel like I get the opportunity to play everyday. Being around youth at work, I feel like I'm a little kid again and although I'm there watching them, I make sure they have fun and I'm having fun. I recall this past week, I played in many different ways. I played football with a few of the kids and a lot of the kids at the Y, like to play with stuffed animals and littlest pet shops, so I made sure that I played along with their animals and the story line they had going. I probably hadn't played with stuffed animals or little dolls since I was maybe 10, so it brought me back to being that age and I felt like a little kid, with no worries in the world. Following with Jenkins "6 Ps," I think this followed the first rule which is, permission. Before playing, I had to give myself permission to play with dolls. This isn't an activity I would normally engage in while I was at home, but I ...
Thanks for this post Ashlee. I wonder what "student centered" or "youth centered" means to you. It's one of those buzz words that sounds great, but can mean lots and lots of very different things. How did you see "student-centered" taken up, defined, and enacted at the conference?
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