Student Centered Learning

Our intrepid Lumen8ers, discussing 21st Century Learning!

We talk a lot about student centered learning. Not just the education community at large, we specifically mean at the Lumen Touch office. This summer, we have a cohort of some amazing Lumen8 Educators spending the summer with us to bridge the gap between the community and the classroom!

We spoke a lot about letting students own the classroom, counting on them to present to the outside community, and have other be the final arbiters of grades.

Read on for more techniques, on the classroom, building, and district level!

Learning by Design

This particular voice of the ShiftED team loves to incorporate wordplay into posts whenever possible. Today is no exception.

We can talk until we’re blue in the face about instructional design and the changes we think need to occur to successfully instigate the yet-elusive shift in educational practices. But what about the design of the spaces in which these educational practices take place? In a world where blended learning is changing the landscape of student-teacher interaction, the landscape of the the instructional space is just as important as the practices themselves. Check out both parts of EdSurge’s two-part series on history and future of school designed as told in an interview with architect Larry Kearns.

Has your school tackled this piece of the ed puzzle yet? Share your stories in the comments below and include pictures!

Welcome to ShiftED

This is your weekly digest of articles on education – not your grandma’s education or your dad’s education or even your own education. ShiftED focuses on 21st century educational ideas and practices: making learning a global, cross-disciplinary experience for all students.

What’s Data Got To Do With It?

According to a recent New York Times article, those who advocate more collection and analysis of data in the classroom say it can give teachers concrete evidence of what instructional strategies work. Read the full article here.

One dissenting commenter disagreed: “Why can’t I just teach my kids? They are not data! They are human beings!”

What do you think? Post your comments on the website or email us.

~~Stop~~ Start Playing Around

The power of positivity. It’s a pretty cliche line by now; but neuroscientists are giving the concept of positivity a revival, and it has everything to do with students’ learning trajectories.

TEDx Speaker Shawn Achor gives a 12-minute peek at just how powerful positivity and the act of play are for learners of all ages. Watch the Video.

Not Enough Neuroscience?

If you haven’t gotten your fill of neuroscientific research for one day, fret not. Here’s a little more neuroscience for you, complete with theme parks and a DIY rollercoaster. (Disclaimer: no adrenaline junkies were harmed in the execution of this experiment.)

The Profound Learning Institute highlights one enterprising team of sixth grade teachers who tapped into more neuroscience power with a cross-disciplinary project on rollercoasters. We dare you to watch this video without being moved. Pun totally intended.

A Recipe for Blended Learning

Blended Learning is a popular buzzword these days. There are various models and submodel templates floating all over the internet. We’re not claiming there is a definitive right answer but The National Center on Time & Learning released a study on Morton Middle School’s implementation of one version that’s produced some successful results.

Watch this video on the blended learning model that’s working for Morton Middle School.

Blend this: could data collection mixed with a blended learning model like this one be a recipe for 21st century classroom success? Tell us what you think!

On the Blog

This week, indulge yourself in a Superbowl ad throwback and see how baby formula relates to the plight of 21st century education. Lumenary and former English teacher, Risa, pieces it all together for you here.

We want to hear from you! Respond to articles, submit your questions, and suggest topics you’d like to read more about. Email us.