EDUC 5210 – Written Assessment 1

Learner-centered environments include teachers who recognize that students

construct their own meanings, beginning with the ideas, understandings, and cultural
practices they bring to the classroom. Learner-centered teachers keep a continual eye on both
ends of the bridge if teaching is seen of as establishing a bridge between the subject matter and
the student. Teachers seek to gain an understanding of what students know and can
accomplish, as well as their interests and passions—what each student understands, cares
about, is capable of, and wishes to do. Successful teachers "give learners reason" by appreciating
and comprehending their students' prior experiences and understandings, thinking that these
can be used to construct bridges to new understandings (Duckworth, 1987).

When education begins with a concern for students' first ideas about the subject matter,
knowledge-centered environments and learner-centered environments intersect. It is difficult
to forecast what students will grasp about new information offered to them without carefully
evaluating the knowledge that students bring to the learning setting. Knowledge-centered
environments also emphasize the types of information and activities that assist students in
developing a grasp of topics. In fact, when we plan for a knowledge-centered learning, we plan
for a learner-centered learning at the same time. When we are designing the lesson, we should
remember that effectively designed learning environments must be assessment-centered in
addition to learner and knowledge-centered. The main concepts of assessment are that it
should provide opportunities for feedback and revision, and that what is assessed should be
coherent with one's learning objectives. It is critical to distinguish between two key
applications of evaluation. The first, formative assessment, entails using evaluations as sources
of feedback to improve teaching and learning (typically implemented in the context of the
classroom). The second type of assessment, summative assessment, assesses what students have
learnt at the completion of a series of learning activities. I would be describing an ideal learning
environment that I would love to happen in my Mathematics classes. A tuning-in activity that
will have every student excited to share their experience, an intense Realistic Mathematics
session with group discussion and experiments, and a group project to sum things up.

The school I am currently a part of is a small school with only maximum 8 students in
every class. Bali has a huge expat community in certain places, such as the district I am in.
Right now, I am teaching in a class of 8 students from different countries such as Canada,
Japan, Italy, Russia, Netherland, Australia, and Indonesia.

The characteristics of learning environment in here is hugely affected by the

established curriculum we formulize to incorporate the experiences, cultures, and viewpoints
of various cultural and ethnic groups, as well as both genders. We, teachers, try to teach using
strategies that correspond to the students' learning, cultural, and motivational state. I have
taught in a national Indonesian school before and I notice the big difference. In my current
school, we have many and few rules at the same time. We have many and few parents meeting
at same time. We have multiple policy concerning one subject. We also make lots of parents’
consent letters, just because they have different needs.

Even though we all speak English but respecting the pupils' native languages and
accents is from our hearts. Sometimes, I would ask my student to tell me their favorite colors
in their native language. I can imagine their big smile right now in my mind.

Our educational materials depict events, situations, and concepts from the perspectives
of various cultural, ethnic, and racial groups. We do a lot of case studies and experience
sharing. Our assessments are also designed culturally sensitive. We, teachers, always make sure
to emphasize the terms that are understood by everybody in the classroom.

I believe that learning environment is the most influential factor to a student’s learning
process. A positive learning environment makes the students enjoy the process of learning as
well as socializing which is also a part of learning. When I read that knowledge-centered
environments intersect with learner-centered environments when instruction begins with a
concern for students’ initial preconceptions about the subject matter (and absolutely it will
affect the assessment designs) (National Research Council 2000), I realized that differences and
diversity is something we cannot ignore that to show understanding and the action of valuing
diversity is not only by letting them be there but to expose and study them in a constructive
way. I believe that a positive learning environment should accommodate diversity.
References

Duckworth, E. (1987). "The Having of Wonderful Ideas" & other essays on teaching &
learning. Teachers College Press.

Wilson, S. M. & Peterson, P. L. (2006). Theories of learning and teaching: What do they
mean for educators? National Education Association.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495823.pdf