Comments on: Teacher-Centered, Learner-Centered or All of the Above http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/ Faculty Focus publishes articles on effective teaching strategies for the college classroom, both face-to-face and online. Sign-up for our free newsletter. Mon, 20 May 2013 19:22:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Keith http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8740 Keith Mon, 21 Jan 2013 02:25:56 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8740 Old School, not at all off topic; rather, it encourages us to move from the tired L&T or T&L dichotomy to a practical reality - coping with change now upon us. Can I add though, beyond abstract fear - over the loss of 'memories & experiences with teachers', we might ponder how to best meet the student needs (learning) in the current context. Partly, this will involve evolving new language, while avoiding rhetoric and fads. One thing for sure, the younger generation is growing with technology in hand and with fundamentally changed pressures (for gaining employment) and expectations (of us as 'teachers' and of the education industry, which it is). What are we going to do about it? Embracing the 'teaching' professor is a good start, I think. But, what does this term (teaching professor) really mean, exclude or otherwise suggest? Old School, not at all off topic; rather, it encourages us to move from the tired L&T or T&L dichotomy to a practical reality – coping with change now upon us. Can I add though, beyond abstract fear – over the loss of 'memories & experiences with teachers', we might ponder how to best meet the student needs (learning) in the current context. Partly, this will involve evolving new language, while avoiding rhetoric and fads. One thing for sure, the younger generation is growing with technology in hand and with fundamentally changed pressures (for gaining employment) and expectations (of us as 'teachers' and of the education industry, which it is). What are we going to do about it? Embracing the 'teaching' professor is a good start, I think. But, what does this term (teaching professor) really mean, exclude or otherwise suggest?

]]> By: Lisa http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8699 Lisa Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:33:45 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8699 I've been reading Deborah Britzman lately on the subject of teaching. I'm not entirely on board with her (psychoanalytical) approach to the critical pedagogy, but she has this brilliant way of articulating the inter-personal, reciprocal nature of education that somehow gets lost in a lot of discussions about teaching, esp. amidst the back-and-forth over teacher-centred v. learner-centred learning. For example, one way that Britzman describes teaching and learning is: "what it means to become human with other humans in the classroom" (Novel Education). It's easy to forget this in today's high-enrollment classrooms, but education is interpersonal, is a co-formative process, and involves a meeting not just of teaching techniques and learning skills, but of people, personalities, and histories. I've been reading Deborah Britzman lately on the subject of teaching. I'm not entirely on board with her (psychoanalytical) approach to the critical pedagogy, but she has this brilliant way of articulating the inter-personal, reciprocal nature of education that somehow gets lost in a lot of discussions about teaching, esp. amidst the back-and-forth over teacher-centred v. learner-centred learning. For example, one way that Britzman describes teaching and learning is: "what it means to become human with other humans in the classroom" (Novel Education). It's easy to forget this in today's high-enrollment classrooms, but education is interpersonal, is a co-formative process, and involves a meeting not just of teaching techniques and learning skills, but of people, personalities, and histories.

]]> By: Jay Collier http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8674 Jay Collier Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:31:55 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8674 This is a false dichotomy. Being learner-centered does not mean rejecting traditional teaching methods! It means selecting those which best support the learner, rather than which are easiest, most comfortable, or most familiar for the teacher. This is a false dichotomy. Being learner-centered does not mean rejecting traditional teaching methods! It means selecting those which best support the learner, rather than which are easiest, most comfortable, or most familiar for the teacher.

]]> By: lekha d jothi http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8662 lekha d jothi Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:57:04 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8662 great topic and great discussion -- helps to think of both teacher-centered and learner-centered on a continuum rather than an either /or paradigm and our abilities as teachers to move effortlessly on that line, as and when the class or topic demands, is a skill we can cultivate. great topic and great discussion — helps to think of both teacher-centered and learner-centered on a continuum rather than an either /or paradigm and our abilities as teachers to move effortlessly on that line, as and when the class or topic demands, is a skill we can cultivate.

]]> By: nora http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8658 nora Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:16:34 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8658 I totally agree with Old School. I totally agree with Old School.

]]> By: Old School http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8657 Old School Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:39:19 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8657 A little off topic, but the following quote from this article reflects one of the aspects of my job that I enjoy most and that I fear will be lost with a move away from the physical classroom to the cyber classroom: "students ... know us as people who listen to their aspirations and struggles. Indeed, students’ memories and experiences with teachers are often just as important to their success as the skills they develop and knowledge they acquire.” A little off topic, but the following quote from this article reflects one of the aspects of my job that I enjoy most and that I fear will be lost with a move away from the physical classroom to the cyber classroom:

"students … know us as people who listen to their aspirations and struggles. Indeed, students’ memories and experiences with teachers are often just as important to their success as the skills they develop and knowledge they acquire.”

]]> By: Karl Schnapp http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8653 Karl Schnapp Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:55:27 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8653 How far has a pendulum swung away from "teacher-centered" classrooms and swung toward "learner-centered" classrooms? Check the "tags" at the end of Ms. Weimer's posting: "improving lectures" is the only gesture toward the teacher; the rest -- "learner-centered, learner-centered instruction, learner-centered pedagogy, learner-centered teaching, Student-Centered Teaching" -- all focus on the learner. Clearly, these two kinds of teaching should co-exist and complement each other, and that's what Ms. Weimer and Parker Palmer are trying to get at. So what's my point? Things have names; without a name, it's difficult to argue that a thing exists. Which leads me to this question: What do we call that kind of teaching and learning? Is it simply "teaching"? Er what? How far has a pendulum swung away from "teacher-centered" classrooms and swung toward "learner-centered" classrooms? Check the "tags" at the end of Ms. Weimer's posting: "improving lectures" is the only gesture toward the teacher; the rest — "learner-centered, learner-centered instruction, learner-centered pedagogy, learner-centered teaching, Student-Centered Teaching" — all focus on the learner. Clearly, these two kinds of teaching should co-exist and complement each other, and that's what Ms. Weimer and Parker Palmer are trying to get at.

So what's my point? Things have names; without a name, it's difficult to argue that a thing exists. Which leads me to this question: What do we call that kind of teaching and learning? Is it simply "teaching"? Er what?

]]> By: Greg C. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8651 Greg C. Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:11:20 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8651 Good post - a practical yet responsible way to examine teaching. Reminds me of some vigorous "over coffee" debates/discussions with colleagues. Know the differences between pedagogy, andragogy & heutagogy, when to use each, combinations, and when to use all of them! Good post – a practical yet responsible way to examine teaching. Reminds me of some vigorous "over coffee" debates/discussions with colleagues. Know the differences between pedagogy, andragogy & heutagogy, when to use each, combinations, and when to use all of them!

]]> By: suehellman http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8649 suehellman Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:42:41 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8649 I'm glad more people are writing this way. This piece echoes some of my own ideas in <a href="http://goo.gl/NkuiP" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/NkuiP</a>. Thanks. I'm glad more people are writing this way. This piece echoes some of my own ideas in http://goo.gl/NkuiP. Thanks.

]]> By: Fannie LeFlore http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/teacher-centered-learner-centered-or-all-of-the-above/#comment-8648 Fannie LeFlore Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:59:26 +0000 http://www.facultyfocus.com/?p=37291#comment-8648 Completely agree with the author that "it is time for us to start addressing the more complex and interesting task of joining together teacher-centered and learner-centered instruction." Completely agree with the author that "it is time for us to start addressing the more complex and interesting task of joining together teacher-centered and learner-centered instruction."

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