Learner-centered environments: Rollback not revolution

art by Emma Ismawi from amplifier.org

An assignment this week asked me to write about learner-centered classroom environments. While initially this activity felt futile and frustrating, when I revised to focus on solutions I did feel a little more in control of the reality I face with my students in 1 week.
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The idea of revolutionizing education through the pandemic and in a post-pandemic world gives many educators hope but the reality in 2021 is less revolutionary and more rollback. In one week, I will return to a transformed classroom that feels centered not on learner’s needs or even safety but for convenience.
Pre-pandemic, students sat in learning pods, which fostered collaboration and constructing knowledge together. Standing desks offered students opportunities to break up the monotony of sitting for hours, and during work time, students could move to a space of their choosing to focus or collaborate.
Now students sit in rows, facing forward. One of the pillars of learner-centered thinking is that the teacher is not the transmitter of knowledge. Educators have adapted to virtual learning by utilizing technology to facilitate collaboration and allow students opportunity and choice. This environment creates three barriers to learner-centered practice. The first problem is that students will have to collaborate through their computers despite being in the same room. I can continue virtual learning best practices to foster collaboration but the socialization for mental health that so many believe will ensue is not something I can facilitate in these conditions. Therefore, the solution-technology use-creates problems of its own.
The second problem is that due to space limitations and large class sizes we cannot move during class. Egger et. al  (2019) argue that intentional physical activity throughout the school day improves executive function which boosts academic achievement. Incorporating movement is learner-centered. It shows that we value balance and health and keeps middle school learners focused and engaged. A learner-centered solution to this problem is to focus on objects of beauty and ideas of growth in a variety of forms including drawing, music, and video. Cullen et. al remind us that learner-centered environments are healthful, resourceful, and sustainable, so an additional solution is to put learning on hold to focus on mindfulness and calming strategies every day (2012). These coping skills will help with social and emotional competence.
A third problem is a plan for students who quarantine to “watch” class via Google Meet to keep learning at home. In my twenty-first century learner-centered classroom, students do not watch an instructor deliver information. Students collaborate, I facilitate, coach and guide. If we ask what would be the best learner-centered environment to develop the twenty-first-century skills of collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking, a crowded classroom in the middle of a pandemic is not the answer. However, a solution to this problem is to maintain an inquiry-based approach to learning. I will limit direct instruction focused on skills and allow students more choice in how they acquire knowledge and share their understanding (Weimer, 2013). With this learner-centered focus, both teachers and students can focus on thriving and growing through challenging circumstances.

References: 
Blumberg, P., & Pontiggia, L. (2011). Benchmarking the Degree of Implementation of 
Learner-Centered Approaches. Innovative Higher Education, 36(3), 189–202. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s10755-010-9168-2
Cullen, R.. Harris, M., & Hill, R. (2012). The Learner-Centered Curriculum: Design and 
Implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 
Egger, F., Benzing, V., Conzelmann, A., & Schmidt, M. (2019). Boost your brain, while having a 
break! The effects of long-term cognitively engaging physical activity breaks on children’s executive functions and academic achievement. PLoS ONE, 14(3). https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212482
Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. San Francisco: 
Jossey-Bass.