Student-Led Learning vs Teacher-Led Learning

Do you run a student-led learning class?

Lately everyone's been talking about student-led learning and teacher-led learning. I watch social media closely and it's my job to share some of the hot topics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other outlets that teachers, principals, students, and parents are contributing.

Student-led learning and teacher-led learning are exactly what they sound like. In a student-led class, the students are in charge of their learning. In a teacher-led class, the teacher is in charge of the learning. In order to get a better understanding of what they both look, you should check out an infographic Epiphany Learning recently posted on their Twitter profile. In a student-led class, the room is designed to suit the student's needs, classrooms can seem busy, and teachers act more like coaches. A teacher-led classroom is designed around a teacher's needs, they seem quiet and controlled, and teachers take responsibility for what students need. You can take a look at the infographic and see other examples below.

Is your classroom student or teacher led? Is having a student-led classroom better, or do you think a more traditional style is more successful? Do you think some students benefit more from one kind than another?

Tori Pakizer is the Social Media Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms, and specializes in how teachers use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media. You can follow Tori and SimpleK12 on Twitter @SimpleK12. If you have ideas for using social media in schools, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.