Class Auction

Student-Centered Learning

Teachers encourage student-centered learning by allowing students to share in decisions, believing in their capacity to lead, and remembering how it feels to learn. Student-centered activities include students in planning, implementation, and assessments. Involving the learners in these decisions will place more ownership on them, which is a good thing. Teachers must change their leadership style from directive to consultative -- from "Do as I say" to "Based on your needs, let's co-develop and implement a plan of action.

While reading the novel, Vincent Shadow, Toy Inventor, which contained a chapter about an auction, my students developed an intense interest in the auction process. We never finished the chapter that day because we ended up having a 40-minute discussion about the in and outs of auctions. One of my students suggested we hold an auction in our classroom and a brilliant learning experience was spawned, entirely student driven.

I spent that evening gathering toys that my own child was willing to donate to a good cause. Some of my students brought items from home that they were excited to auction off as well.

We started with 477 gold coins. We solved the necessary math equations to figure out how to evenly divide those coins among 9 students. Each student began with 53 coins. Each student made a paddle to use while bidding on items. 

 

We watched a YouTube video about an 11-year-old cattle auctioneer. We practiced our skills and then each student had multiple opportunities to act as the auctioneer.

One of my students declared, "This is the best day of school I have ever had!" Another bemoaned, "I don't want to have a 4 day weekend, I will miss school too much!" Students bid on items and then gave them to other classmates when they won. They bid on items to take home to other family members. It became less about the material objects they were bidding on and more about the process. They were excited and engaged.

Placing students at the center of their own learning requires their collaboration. They need a voice in why, what, and how learning experiences take shape. Why is about relevance. Learners need to understand the value of the subject, vocabulary, and skills before they are willing to invest effort. What involves students choosing the focus of content. Let their interests drive the content that teaches skills and concepts. How depends on the different ways that students process understanding.

Give students the chance to take charge of activities, even when they might not quite have all the content skills. Students are accomplished education consumers.