4 C's

Fall 2017

Student-Centered Classroom Environments

2

What are Describe a classroom environment and
we experience that consistently includes:
❏ Critical Thinking
working ❏ Communication
toward? ❏ Collaboration
❏ Creativity

Consider room arrangements, resources, role
of the teacher, role of the students, and
evidence of learning. Use as many slides as
you need to, but label them so we know they
go together.

What tasks are needed for this project?

● Research about each of the 4 C’s
● Ideas for student-centered room arrangements
● Ideas about the role of the teacher, as framed by the 4 C’s
● Ideas about the role of the students, as framed by the 4 C’s
● Ideas about instructional resources/tools that allow students

to learn content and engage in the 4 C’s
● Ideas about how students can show what they know in a 4 C’s

classroom
● Slide designers
● Encouragers
● Task masters
● Presenters

Christine Q. Small Group Learning on Food Chains of Polar Bears
Meredith K.
Rosalina P. Collaboration - each group is differentiated by resource,
(texts and websites) not ability. Students use resources to
collaborate on the food web of polar bears. Teacher is not
facilitating but assisting on a rotation

Communication- listening and sharing ideas. Asking questions
about their research. Digitally documenting what they have
learned.

Critical thinking- students will also have a problem to solve,
example environmental struggles. Students critically think of a
solution together. Small group instruction is designed for
critical thinking

Creativity- choice of presentation of the knowledge and
solution they collaboratively developed(google slides, youtube
interview, twitter/blog, poster paper, etc)

SW show what they know with group TW provide students with
collaboration via present Kahoot on links to resources (national
smartboard geographic for kids) in order
to research topics
SW communicate with group
members to relay info for
creating questions

SW utilize Flex seating
critical thinking allows students
to create their different options
own Kahoot for group collab.
game to review
S.S. and Science Each group will work together on an ipad to enforce
topics (animal teamwork with technology. SW be encouraged to use
kingdom) creativity to provide meaningful and engaging Q&A

Flexible “
seating to
engage
learning

● The teacher will teach a lesson using the smartboard.
The teacher will provide students with questions to
measure the students understanding of the material.

● The students will discuss the questions in a group using
an iPad that was provided. They will work together to
answer the question that is displayed on the smartboard

● The teacher will monitor as students are working, and as
answers are being presented the teacher will provide
feedback to students.

Ann-Marie,
Madison, Risa #1

Teachers ask
open-ended
questions to help the
students discover
their own learning

Ann-Marie, Flexible seating options
Madison, Risa #2 allow students to choose
the most comfortable
What will place for them to learn.
happen if...

I like your
idea! How
about….

Provide different supplies to show
students’ idea!

Ann-Marie,
Madison, Risa #3

https://www.bie.org/about/what_pbl

Student Centered Room Arrangement- Flexible Seating Ideas

Standing Table- Click to read about how this can help students learn. This article talks about
multiple benefits of using standing desks or areas where students can stand and work.
https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/10/21/how-standing-desks-can-help-students-focus-in-the-cla
ssroom

Balls for seating. Click to read article about how this can help students focus. This article
reinforces that sitting still is not always a good thing.
https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-sitting-on-a-ball-helps-kids-focus-and-do-better-in-sch
ool

Other Ideas for Flexible Seating can be Large rugs on the floor with lowered tables or clipboards to
press on. All of these ideas allow students to have more movement and are brain friendly. They
allow for communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

The teacher’s role- A teacher’s role that is incorporating the 4 C’s in the classroom may look like
student centered discussions. In addition, the teacher would model, state the expectations, and
redirect students (thinking and/or behavior). The teacher would help navigate, but not lead student
thinking. The teacher would encourage various strategies, critical thinking, and problem solving in
whole group, small, group, and independent instruction. They would allow for students to analyze
other students’ thinking and allow discussions to possibly debate their knowledge.

Ideas about instructional resources/tools that allow students to learn content and engage in
the 4 C’s

There are various instructional resources that can enable students to learn content and engage in the 4
C’s .Students often build creativity and critical thinking by the types of questions we ask them to respond to.
For example students could answer a questions in a padlet the requires them to write another ending to a story.
They could also create their own story using Story Board.

Students should be building communication skills that reflect the media rich world they are surrounded by.
Students can help solve a problem and let them share their solution using formats they see in the world around
them, such as digital stories, eBooks, virtual museums, video journals, news broadcasts, and interactive
games.

Collaboration can be more interesrting usong technology tools, like GoogleDocs, google classroom, or padlets
and other collaboration documents. The latest versions of Pixie, Frames, and Share include collaboration
options that allow multiple students to work on the same project at the same time!

The students’ role in a 4 Cs classroom - students are touching, feeling, building, manipulating, and moving
things. Students will be talking with each other and weighing pros and cons of the direction a project may go.
As students are working their way through a project, they will have to think about what is working and what is
not. As students progress through their learning, teachers may insert “challenges” that force the students to
rethink what they have done. For example, if groups are building a bridge of gumdrops and toothpicks
(CREATIVITY IN PRACTICE – A P21 EXEMPLAR PERSPECTIVE FROM THE MEADOWBROOK
SCHOOL), a teacher might tell students that they can only use x number of gumdrops, or add a wind
component using a desk fan. This would cause the students to think critically about how their design is
constructed.

How students can show what they know in a 4 C’s classroom

● Demonstration
● Practical Assessment (Hands on)
● Provide opportunities and resources for students to show creativity and express

themselves.
● Applying what they have learnt
● Work with students from other schools (environment) outside the classroom
● Students become active participants in setting their own educational targets

Creativity- Own their learning!
Seating: flexible
groups as needed
for projects.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/flexib
le-seating-student-centered-classro
om-kayla-delzer

Communication: is one of the Collaboration =
most important features Creative , mixed of individuals &
inside/outside of the classroom. experiences
You can measure your students Critical thinking, problem solving,
communication skills by their new way of assessment
presence, making eye contact,
projecting their voices,
pronunciation of their words and
posture.

The Classroom Arrangement will take on a student centered
approach. Students will be placed in small groups. Flexible
seating option. Cooperative learning groups.

Role of the Teacher: The teacher will become a facilitator of learning

How students demonstrate learning: Demonstrations, Self Assessment, Peer
Assessment,