Student-Centered Learning

There are two schools moving toward student-centered learning - Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile, and Southridge in Surrey, British Columbia. Both schools have begun the shift from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered learning within the past four years. Ralph Sneeden from Exeter's English department, Chris Matlack from Exeter's science department, and I visited Nido in early February. At the beginning of April, Ralph and I visited Southridge. In both cases it was exciting to see how teachers and administrators have made great strides in changing the culture of their schools. This is no easy task as teachers, students, and parents are likely to question such radical change. It takes strong leadership and both schools have it plus a core of teachers dedicated to making it work.

If you or your school is thinking about moving to student-centered learning, it is worth your time to watch the following videos produced by Southridge...

Harkness in Education

Harkness in English

Harkness in Mathematics