Transforming 21st century Skills into Classrooms Student-Centered, Technology-Rich Learning Environments (SCenTRLE)

 There are numerous methods and models lead educators and learners into technology-driven society which is an indispensable outcome of content based curriculum. However, there are repositories of varied information and it is challenging to include necessary content into curriculum and design the lessons in interdisciplinary system of 21^st century skills of education. Language teachers in this century needs to facilitate learners to be an autonomous and self-regulated as well as knowing things surrounding us and how they are related with each other. In addition,

Piaget and Bruner, Vygotsky (1962, 1978) also emphasized the importance of this developmental process and they believed that learner’s intellectual development could only be fully understand through socio-cultural environment in which one’s development was occurring (Hirumi, 2002).

From the lenses of Objectivism, meaning is perceived as an independent of the understanding of individuals whereas Interpretivist perspective emphasizes that knowledge is constructed and our mind interprets sensory data and meaning depends on individual understanding (Gibson, 1966). Similar to Interpretists, pragmatists also ponder that reality is constructed through social context but thought is governed by an individual perception in understanding this reality.  The SCenTRLE Model is negotiated with pragmatism since it is associated with pragmatism regarding to the prior knowledge and social interaction.

Is SCenTRLE Model compelling?

SCenTRLE Model is designed to enhance student learning and performance by helping educators operationalize constructivist approaches to teaching and learning across disciplines based on constructivist learning theories and key principles associated with student-centered learning and situated cognition (Hirumi, 2002). This model presents eight instructional events for facilitating the social construction of knowledge and the development of life-long learners.

This model serves teacher as facilitator in learning in order to enhance student learning and productivity through the application of computer technology. Moreover, instructional and information technologies are used for promoting student learning and higher-order thinking skills in this model. As a result, learners are able to use a variety of technologies in order to develop and bring up ideas, build teams, think critical, and support one another in learning. Teachers actively make use of applications of emerging technologies from varied sources to improve student learning in addition to their own professional growth and productivity.

The Power of Potential

SCenTRLE Model aims to facilitate knowledge construction and development of metacognitive skills associated with life-long learning. It is understandable that, this kind of model works effectively as an active learning increasing student motivation towards school by reducing anxiety and strengthening the links as a powerful connection. Above all, students learn how to manage and recognize sensitive emotions by concerning other kind of elements or people. The desire for cultivating yourself, creating new things and controlling feelings and emotions give students a new meaning to the core of his or her life by promoting the development. In consequence of personal experiences, self-efficacy and technology driven activities associate with the class performance; such as, active participation, regular attendance and high motivation. 

All in all, maybe this model may not going to transform teachers to make an education reform in Turkey but it may facilitate as a positive change in classes with well-equipped and designed lessons. Since it is important to address as we are proceeding in 21^st century that there is no shortcut of not implementing tech-driven lessons while ongoing developments are popping up every day in education technologies in the world. If we all educators resist to not use technology rich environment, what will be sufficient to compensate the needs of technology driven society?

References

Driscoll, M. P., (2005). Constructivism (pp.385-402).

Hirumi, A. (1996a, February). Student-Centered, Technology-Rich Learning Environments: A cognitive-constructivist approach. Concurrent session held at the Association for Educational Communication and Technology Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana.