Student-centered learning is a hot topic in education. But what does it really mean? There are several different models and no real agreed-upon definition. However, they do have two things in common:
*learning must not be one size fits all–the focus should be shifted from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered learning.
*education must consist not just of academics focused heavily on math and English language arts, but of components that also address physical growth, emotional growth, academic growth, and social growth.
WHOLE-CHILD
EDUCATION
FRAMEWORKS
Whole Child
Moving forward, a 21st-century education must consist not just of academics focused heavily on math and English language arts, but of four components: Physical growth, Emotional growth, Academic Growth, and Social growth –PEAS. PEAS allows children to tap into their own potentials and maximize their talents.
In NYS, students must pass five Regents exams in order to graduate from high school. Consortium schools oppose regents exams and the use of high stakes testing as a measure for student performance. Currently, there are thirty-eight schools in the statewide New York Performance Standards Consortium. The consortium has a state waiver which allows their students to earn a diploma by passing just one comprehensive English Exam. Instead, accountability is performance-based; assessments are individualized, research-oriented and student-focused. Students write reports and defend their work; make presentations and design experiments.
While by no means exhaustive, the following is a list of what NYS Allies for Public Education believes all schools must have to foster creative, critically-thinking, confident, well-rounded, independent, self-motivated, culturally competent, and well-prepared students who can work cooperatively and excel post-high school, whether they choose to attend college or pursue a vocation. We call on all aspects of public education to be rooted in ethical practices and democratic decision making.
IDEAS
Whole-Child Initiatives
Need some ideas? Or maybe you just want to see what’s going on in other districts.
Check out the table below to see what whole-child policies are being implemented throughout Long Island.
PROGRAM | DISTRICT | SCHOOL | GRADE | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|---|---|
Homework | Comsewogue | District Wide | District Wide | No homework given on first Tuesday of every month |
Homework | Smithtown | District Wide | District Wide | No homework, Family Game Night once/month |
Homework | Valley Stream (District 13) | Elementary | Elementary | Students are given one homework pass in the beginning of the school year, the students decide when they want to use it |
Recess | Port Washington | Elementary | Elementary | 30 minutes of recess PLUS 30 minute to each lunch with 5 minutes to switch |
Recess | Patchogue/Medford | Elementary | Elementary | Recess has been doubled from 20 to 40 minutes plus 5-15 minute recess breaks in between sustained instruction |
Do No Harm | Hewlett-Woodmere School District #14 | High School | High School | "Do no harm" for CC Regents only |
Do No Harm | Jericho Union Free School District #15 | High School | High School | "Do No Harm" for CC Regents |
Greenhouse/Garden | Levittown | Wisdom Lane Middle School | Middle | The Garden Club meets approximately 22 times a year; students work with a greenhouse, rain barrels and compost bins. The members learn how to maintain the plants as they grow food products such as broccoli, carrots, rosemary, parsley and peas. They have also worked on activities such a building birdhouses, have created fundraisers with their fresh produce and have donated food to the culinary teachers in the building for their lessons. |
Do No Harm | Bellmore-Merrick | High School | High School | All regents exams. Counts in students' gpa only if it helps rather than hurts |