Buynitzky,+2011

Kelly Buynitzky EDU 713 June 2011

Cook, Pamela R. (2009). Differentiating Language Arts in Belize. //Forum on Public Policy Online, v2009 n1, 1-14.//

**Introduction**

Do you have a student centered or a teacher centered classroom? This is one of the first questions that opens many discussions involving best practices in teaching. In the research Pamela Cook conducted at Liberty Learning Centre (LLC) in Belize she began her quest with this very question. She wanted to explore innovative and creative international teaching methods and was intrigued by what she heard about this small orphanage school in Ladyville, Belize. She heard that LLC “implemeted a non-traditional theoretical curricula reflecting the social-constructivist theory to early learning.” (1) In other words, LLC offered a non-tradtional early learning teaching method that was student centered with a high success rate in teaching the children to effectively express themselves verbally. Many of these early elementary students were, in fact, able to effectively express themselves orally and in writing as evidenced in the published narratives Ms. Cook included in her research. She proposes that the children's verbal abilities were enhanced significantly because they were taught using a non-traditional (child-centred), culturally sensitive, social-constructivist, early learning method which was student centered. **The Project** Ms. Cook is a social scientist and early childhood specialist who was the “child of an orphan”. She wanted to learn more about her own past and used the unanswered questions she had about her own family as a way to connect with the children with whom she was working to discover the effectiveness of non-traditonal teaching methods and language arts learning. She believed that her life experiences as a “child of an orphan” would give her more empathy for the students she was observing. She wanted to explore how non-traditional, culturally sensitive teaching methods might affect the effectiveness of academic success for students in their language arts development. She was intrigued by the diversity she found in the classrooms at LLC, and she wanted to research how non-traditional, culturally sensitive, student centered teaching would effect the learning success of diverse language arts learners.

**Method**

Ms. Cook went into the classrooms at LLC and observed, used audio and video recordings, journals, photographs, and interviews to conduct and record her research. She also included several dictated and written examples of students' narratives in her paper. These student narratives demonstrate the advanced rate of effective verbal expression that can be acquired through the use of non-traditional, culturally sensitive, social-constructivist approaches to teaching and early childhood learning first purported by Montessori, Vgotsky, Pikler, and Reggio Emilia. “Pikler's research was based on an approach developed to prevent the damaging effects of institutionalization upon young children (Liberty Foundation, 2004; Gonzalez-Mena, 2004). Maria Montessori's principles for the preschool and school-age levels were implemented, as the components of the Reggio Emilia philosophy were being explored in various areas of the programme to augment the Montessori approach” (7). These educational methodologies are all student centered with a strong focus on relevant and meaningful educational and teaching experiences in the classroom. These methodologies involve the students becoming active participants in their own learning. Ms. Cook also observes that these methodologies also lead to more creativity in young children.

**Results**

The effectiveness of the non-traditonal teaching methods being used in the classrooms at LLC is demonstrated in the many examples of dictated and written narratives included in Ms. Cook's paper. Clearly the students are engaged and excited about sharing their life experiences effectively, both in oral and written form. The children participating in the life writings project composed their own stories in diverse ways as a means of trying to encourage children around the world to read and write in their own voices. The children in the project wrote and composed using many genres oral, written, and performed, and enjoyed sharing their stories with other children and adults. Based on her research, Ms. Cook concludes that “children enjoy those activities that interest them the most” (13). She also suggests that the most effective teaching and learning takes place within classrooms where teachers and students work together and students are allowed to explore their own strengths and limitations freely. Teaching environments should be constructed in which students feel in control of their own educational endeavors and are free to express their language in diverse ways. This social-constructivist model for teaching allows students the ability to freely express themseleves in diverse and creative ways in language arts.

**Discussion, Significance, Implications**

Ms. Cook believes that student centered teaching in the classroom leads to high student engagement through teacher and student collaboration. If students are engaged in lessons and activites they have a lot of interest in, then they are more likely to have the desire and enthusiasm to learn. Finally, if the students are engaed and enthusiastic, they will become more successful in their language arts activities. In other words, academically engaged and motivated students are happy students. Student centered classroom instruction will help create more student engagement for diverse learners. Ms. Cook believes “that a true ethnographic study begins with //humility//, the //meeting// of the eyes, and the //embracing// of the souls” (13).

**My Thoughts**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">I agree with the conclusions drawn by Ms. Cook. I do agree that a student centered classroom is an effective focus when planning lessons because you want to try to make sure that the students have some kind of an interest in the material being taught, but this cannot always happen in a classroom. There will be times in teaching lessons where more traditional teaching methods must be used. I believe that a balanced approach to teaching and participating in lessons is probably the most successful in the secondary classrooms because there is certain material which must be taught in very specific ways. Ms. Cook's study took place in early childhood classrooms, but I think it would be interesting to try to gather data over the course of the academic career of the students whose works were provided in this study. Current educational thought suggests that advanced students in the early grades begin to level out and perform more evenly with their non-advanced peers around third grade, so I wonder if students in upper elementary and the secondary levels would have as much academic engagement in a student centered classroom. However, I do think that students who collaborate with each other and their teachers and feel free to express themselves openly in their classrooms will be more successful in language arts and/ or any subject. A social-constructivist teaching model would be a good model to try in any classroom.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Connections**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Like Cook found in her research, any collaborative effort “begins with //humility//, the //meeting// of the eyes, and the //embracing// of the souls” (13). This concept is very similar to the ideas of starting with the heart and creating a common frame of reference. The major reasons behind Cook's taking on this project was her common interest in student centered classrooms and the experiences of orphans. She started her research by creating friendships and relationships with the teachers, workers, and students at LLC. Once she had established these relationships by visiting LLC and listening to the stories of the children and adults at LLC she had a better understanding of the concerns and cultural aspects of life at LLC that might have an effect on the educational methods used in the classrooms. From creating the shared goal of having student centered classrooms at LLC, Ms. Cook and LLC could begin their exploration of student success and student centered teaching and learning in language arts. She could then better appreciate and respect the diversity found in the classrooms at LLC.