Student centered classrooms facilitate many learning style and the various multiple intelligences. Why Layer Your Curriculum?
Their is a wide diversity of learners that have different cultures, abilities, learning styles, and other exceptionalities who are put into the mainstream of other classrooms with no support, not to mention other problems that have not yet come to the surface. Student Centered Learning, and differentiated Instruction allows more structure in such a way that everybody learns something. Advantages to a Layered Curriculum
A Layered Curriculum allows the teacher to accomodate the lowest to the highest ability level students. Differentiated Instruction allows structure in such a way that all students can learn. there is a win/win situation. Students win because they are at a level where they are comfortable and at the same time making progress. Teachers win because of student involvement. Behavior problems are reduced because of the different Learning Modalities being addressed which focuses on the various Learning Styles. Five simple ways to layer your Curriculum
This link by Kathie F. Nunley out lines five ways to layer your curriculum. Students become empowered, and learn to make and adapt to changes. Present assignment options, Require an oral defense of assignments, Put Lectures on tape, Design and offer Hands-On-Activities for all concepts, and offer a variety of Textbooks. How to grade Student Centered Assignments while maintaining high Standards
"Rubric" is a BUZZ word around School District circles. Rubrics allow Teachers as well as students to set up criteria in a certain discipline to receive a grade. This allows the student to know what is expected ahead of time so that they know what is expected from them.