Nneoma Nze

Professor Beth Hernandez-Jason

Writing 101
July 31, 2014
Outline
Educational Reform: Teaching Strategies that Create Critical Thinker and Life-long
learner
1) Introduction of topic: Teachers hold the most influence amongst school related factors that
determine students academic success. The techniques teacher use during class and the
atmosphere they set for the student holds great influence over a childs educational
achievement. The varying ways in which students learn places a demand for teachers to shift
instruction styles from being so teacher-centered, towards instructional styles that focus more
on the students.
a) Thesis: My literature review will focus on research that presents different student
centered instructional styles; such as, competency based education and mixed media as
teaching aids: such as collaborative group work, to help improve the academic success of
elementary and middle school children from lower social economic areas.
2) Student centered learning: why is this important?
a) In Effects of active learning on student performance and retention by Lis Bullard,
Richard Felder, and Dianna Raubenheimer (20030, the authors indicate that student-
centered teaching styles have repeatedly shown to be more effective in accomplishing
educational objective than traditional teacher-centered instructions. It focuses on building
students through an active learning process. Such as; group work, discussions between
students and teachers, and interactive problem solving.
i) Competency based learning: Teaching styles that give flexibility on how children
are graded, they provide personalized learning opportunities to students and assess
them base on what the teacher determines to be the students range of academic
growth.
(1) In Knowledge Construction in the Learner-Centered Classroom by Kathy L
Schuh (2003), the author states the importance of teachers understanding students
attitudes towards material being taught, and how much they vary on
knowledge/understanding of the material. This affect a students want to use cues
that link pervious learning experience to those in the classroom, to better
understand information.
ii) Mixed media as teaching aids: these teaching styles range from the use of
collaborative activities-such as class facilitations, group discussions, and learning
opportunities outside the classroom- to the use of technology in classrooms as
interactive aids.
(1) Collaborative activities: In Effects of Integrated Instruction on Motivation and
Strategy use in reading by Gurthrie, Wigfiel, VonSecker (2000). The authors saw
how the integrating hands on activities and collaborative work increased student
motivation for academia and knowledge retention.
(2) Using technology in classrooms: In The Impact of Individual Competitive and
Collaborative Mathematics Game Play on Learning, Performance, and
Motivation by Plass, OKeefe, Homer, Case, et al (2013), the authors conducted
studies on how interactive educational games as teaching aids affect student
motivation to learn. These games were found to enrich the learning and teaching
process, and boost students skills in intended subject.
3) Methods: Discuss how you found your studies; what categories you made to narrow down
your search, and any difficulties you had.
4) Conclusion: based on all the studies you have read, is there a particular method that works
the best out of all of them? Why? Did you find anything else worth mentioning?
5) Discussion
i) Quick exert on the importance behind implementing teacher career
development program to improve; teaching process, and increase students want
to learn.
(a) In Working Together for Toby: Early Childhood Student Teachers Engaging
in Collaboration Problem-Based learning around Child Abuse and Neglect
(2010), the authors address the need for teachers to be up-to date on new
methods being developed that improve education. As, well as why they should
constantly be in contact with each other and other educational development
experts.
ii) Write about any errors found, or topics that should have been address that
werent addressed in any of the studies you found.