Student-centered learning has become an integral part of modern learning. This learning approach encompasses a wide variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional techniques, and academic-support strategies intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students or groups of learners (Kulakow & Raufelder, 2020). Student-centered learning plays a pivotal role in allowing every learner to thrive and accomplish their potential regardless of their level of cognition. As an educator, I strive to teach lessons geared toward attaining instructional goals that develop learner autonomy and independence; the attached lesson plan reflects this aspect. In addition, I have modified it to address the International Society for Technology (ISTE), Common Core State Standards (CSSS), and 21st Century skills. I have also included two Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) from the Master of Arts in Special Education (MASE) program. The two PLOs I have incorporated in the lesson plan are PLO 2, designing various strategies and experiences to elicit evidence of learner growth and responsive instructional decisions, and PLO 1, designing appropriate, challenging, and diverse learning experiences informed by contemporary, research-based theory and practice (University of Arizona Global Campus, 2020).
I chose to modify a lesson plan that I created for grade 3 learners. The lesson aimed at helping learners comprehend the significance of personal hygiene using a story. Additionally, the students were expected to explain details incorporated in the recount that depicted good hygiene practices. I changed the original lesson plan to include ISTE, CCSS, and 21st-century skills.
I incorporated two ISTE programs under the empowered learner and creative communicator categories. Under the empowered learner category, I chose standard 1C: Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and demonstrates learning in various ways (ISTE, 2021). To incorporate this standard, I changed the lesson plan to include using student tablets to seek information online in the learner activity. Including this into my lesson plan entailed indicating the keywords that learners will use to search for information from the internet and the recommended websites. On the creative communicator section, I selected 6D: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences (ISTE, 2021). To add this standard, I modified my lesson plan under the Independent Practice section of the lesson plan to include the activity for students finding an approach of presenting the content found virtually. By allowing learners to undertake this action, I will enable them to be creative and use technology to choose the information to present and demonstrate autonomy in choosing their desired medium.
In addition to ISTE standards, I opted to add two CCSS: CCSS.ELA-Literacy. The first standard is RL.3.1, which asks and answers questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers (CCSS, n.d). My choice of this standard was due to my belief that it will enable learners to relate the story’s content with our subject on personal hygiene. The other standard is RL.3.7, which explains how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by words in a story (CCSS n.d). I added this standard to allow learners to interpret what illustrations featured in the recount conveyed about hygiene. I will allow each learner to elucidate the meaning of the content of the story. This will generate diverse responses and enable me to identify the uniqueness of every student.
The other modification integrated into my lesson plan will be assimilating two PLO’s listed in the Core Syllabus. The first PLO I chose was PLO2: The MAED graduate will design various strategies and experiences to elicit evidence of learner growth and responsive instructional decisions (University of Arizona Global Campus, 2020). The redesigned lesson plan substantiates this PLO since the lesson incorporates many activities and diverse instructions that will indicate learners’ progress. Through integrating several learner-centered activities and instructions, I meet the needs of diverse learners, which would have been unattainable through traditional learning. The second PLO incorporated into my new lesson plan is PLO 1: the MAED graduate will design appropriate, challenging, and diverse learning experiences informed by contemporary, research-based theory and practice (University of Arizona Global Campus, 2020). My redesigned lesson plan shows evidence of this specific PLO since the lesson integrates many different actions and types of instructions to allow learners to comprehend the concept of finding relevant hygiene themes in the story. These approaches are informed by current evidence-based theories that champion the need to use multiple learner-centered instructions.
Through the integration of CCSS and ELA Literacy RL 3.1 and 3.7 the lesson is aligned with 21st Century Skill of Information, media, and Technology skills outcome. A significant part of the new lesson incorporates ICT and addresses the information, media, and technology skills aspect of 21st-century skills. Undertaking this lesson effectively requires learners to be familiar with appropriate media, ICT, and information literacies that I have integrated into the modified lesson plan. The ICT literacy outcome access and evaluation of information will allow learners to succeed in an ever-changing world; notably, through the planned lesson activities, students will apply ICT skills learned and achieve their goals of presenting information using a medium that suits their audience. In this case, I will allow them autonomy to decide on the best medium to enhance their creativity and independence.
My lesson plan modification was tasking due to the number of activities that I needed to add. Nonetheless, it was a worthwhile task that I has honed my skills as an educator. I embarked on the task more organized when compared to my previous assignments. I was also conversant with various standards applicable in the task, including ISTE and CCSS.
The learner-centered approach has become an integral part of contemporary learning. It has become the basis of my lessons, significantly altering my lesson plans and class activities. I have learned more about integrating technology and various strategies in my lesson plan, as demonstrated in this task. I have also become conversant with different standards that guide my instructional objectives and activities. Mainly I have learned more about ISTE standards and CCSS, which has enhanced my competency in using 21st-century learning skills.
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Battelle for Kids. (2019).Framework for 21st Century Learning. Static.battelleforkids.org. Retrieved 20 June 2021, from http://static.battelleforkids.org/documents/p21/P21_Framework_Brief.pdf.
CCSS. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Corestandards.org. Retrieved 20 June 2021, from http://www.corestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/ELA_Standards1.pdf.
ISTE. (2021). ISTE Standards for Students. International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved 20 June 2021, https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students
Kulakow, S., & Raufelder, D. (2020). Enjoyment benefits adolescents’ self-determined motivation in student-centered learning. International Journal of Educational Research, 103, 101635.
University of Arizona Global Campus. (2020). Is a Master’s Degree in Education Worth It? | UAGC | University of Arizona Global Campus. UAGC | University of Arizona Global Campus. Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://www.uagc.edu/blog/is-a-masters-degree-in-education-worth-it.