Essay 3, Arguing a Position

Jacob Businger

Mr. Jones

GSW 1110

3 November, 2015

Is your Child Learning the Right Way?

For people all around the globe, they remember at least one thing that they learned from their time in kindergarten. Kindergarten is a key grade that helps grow and develop children in a variety of ways. Each year more new pupils that head off to school, eager to begin their life and learn all that it has in store. Teaching style may vary in the classroom. One style is a teacher centered learning style. In this setting, students focus all their attention on the teacher, and listen to them as they lecture, and the teacher and students have very little interaction. The other, and more beneficial, style is student centered learning. In a student centered learning environment, the instructor and the student share the same focus. This is the way schooling should be for all grade levels, whether it be kindergarten to senior year in High School. Students are encouraged to work in groups, and discussion with the instructor is highly encouraged. Student centered learning is the best way for scholars to learn: this way will help students be able to increase their social skills, and also make them more eager to learn. This style of learning encourages students to be eager to learn. The kindergarten learning environment should focus more on the student structured development, as opposed to teacher structured learning.

In kindergarten especially, I remember being encouraged to learn through my play and interaction with the environment around me. In this style, students are able to learn on their own, and curiosity fuels their desire to learn. An article from Bright Hub Education says, “Giving your students autonomy will help increase enthusiasm and energy in the classroom and will help them develop the skills they need to work in teams and evaluate choices. These skills are critical for students.” This quote is saying that if a student is given the choice to learn or to not, they are going to want to lean because of their curiosity. When students want to learn on their own, they become more excited about learning, and be more energetic when it comes to learning about a specific subject. In addition, they will need to be able to work in collaboration with others throughout all of their life. Whether it is a presentation in college, to an expense report with colleagues from work, they will need to be able to work well with the other people that they. If this is instilled in them in a young age, it will help in the later stages of life.

On the other hand, in a teacher centered environment the classroom remains quiet and orderly. This is good because it helps students who made have a hard time focusing on one thing focus on the instructor. When the classroom is in order then it is easier for pupils to be able to learn. However, this may get boring after a while. Students may lose focus or their minds may wander off and lose track of the topic the teacher is speaking about. However, if this classroom where to be student centered than the students would be able to interact with each other and remain engaged in the topic that is being discussed. What I remember most about my past classes is the ones where I was able to interact with the teachers and my fellow classmates in order to learn. Those classes and lessons where always my favorite ones because I was able to learn the mist about them.

Another factor that helps with student centered learning is home life. For example, if parents read or practice math problems with their children at home, then it is more likely that the child will want to continue to learn this at school. According to the NEA:

“Twenty-six percent of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet. This is compared to 14 percent of children who were read to less frequently. Also, The NCES1 also reported that children who were read to frequently are also more likely to: count to 20, or higher than those who were not [read to] (60% vs. 44%) write their own names (54% vs. 40%) [And] read or pretend to read (77% vs. 57%)”

This is a very important statistic. If learning is encouraged at home, then the child will want to continue this at the academic level as well. Being read to is a key part of every child’s development. Reading helps students be able to not only read words and be able to spell them, but it also helps them to know the sounds that the letters make so that they can form their own words. According to earlymoments.com reading to a child has a lot of benefits. Some of these include: More logical thin king skills, better communications skills, and academic excellence.

In the article The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergarteners of Finland Tim Walker talks about the differences between the Finnish education system and the one here in the United States. He explains, “…most American kindergarten teachers don’t have a choice whether or not they teach reading.” This means that in this country, teachers must be able to teach reading to their students. However, he does not explain which method would be better suited for this. In a student centered environment, the students would be more eager to read, therefor they would want to learn more about it. According to the Atlantic, “More than 40 states—including Arkansas—have adopted the Common Core State Standards.’ Since the student to teacher ratio in Finland is 14:1, the requirements for teaching are less strict than that in the United States. Teachers in America do not have a choice to teach reading, since it is common core (Walker).

“The Common Core asks students to read stories and literature, as well as more complex texts that provide facts and background knowledge in areas such as science and social studies. Students will be challenged and asked questions that push them to refer back to what they’ve read. This stresses critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are required for success in college, career, and life.”

That text was taken directly from the common cores website. This is what should be taught to students in grades K through twelve. In the earlier grades, this quote should be broken down into a simpler form. This quote is saying that students should be able to read and understand what they just read. If a child is being told what to read and when to read it, like what would happen in a teacher centered classroom, then they may not want to be engaged in the story. However if a student choose what they would like to read, then they will be more likely to be engaged in the story, and remember what they have read.

According to the United States census, seventy seven million people enrolled in school throughout the country as of 2009. These ages range from preschool all the way until college. That is a large amount of people, who all have different skills and needs. If they are sitting and listening to an instructor speak to them than there is a small chance that their skills will be put to use. Whereas if they are in a student centered environment they will be eager to learn and develop. Student centered environments encourage learning and the development of a person.

 

 

 

 

 

“English Language Arts Standards.” | Common Core State Standards Initiative. Common Core, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/>.

“Facts about Children’s Literacy.” NEA.org. National Edtion Associaton, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Malina, Krima O. “Student-Centered Learning and the Constructivist Classroom.” Bright Hub Education. Ed. Sarah Malburg. Bright Hub Education, 30 July 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Thomas. “Re: Teacher-Centered vs. Student-Centered Classrooms.” Web log comment. Openeducation.net. Open Education, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.

Walker, Tim. “The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 01 Oct. 2015. Web. 05 Oct. 2015.

“Which Is Best: Teacher-Centered or Student-Centered Education?” Concordia Portland Online. Concordia Online Education, 31 Dec. 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

10 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Kids.” Earlymoments.com. Early Moments, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://www.earlymoments.com/Promoting-Literacy-and-a-Love-of-Reading/Why-Reading-to-Children-is-Important/>.

 

 

 

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