The idea of student-centered learning is not a recent idea. In fact, as the 20th century, educational educators such as John Dewey argued for a highly active and individualized pedagogical methods which place the student at the center of the teaching-learning process.

Student-centered learning, that is, putting students first, is in contrast to teacher-centered learning. Student-centered learning is focused on the student's needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles with the teacher as a facilitator of learning. This classroom teaching method acknowledges for every learner. Teacher-centered learning has the teacher at its center in role and students in a passive, receptive role. Student-centered learning requires students to be active, responsible participants in their own learning.

The traditional classroom

     It may be observed that classroom are usually arranged with neat columns and rows of student chairs, while the teacher stands in front of the classroom or sits behind his desk. This situation is necessitated by the need to maintain classroom discipline, also to allow the teacher to control classroom activities through lecture presentation and teacher-led discussions. However, after spending so many minutes in lesson presentation and class management, students can get restless and fidgety. Often enough, the teacher has to also manage misbehavior in class as students start to talk among themselves or simply stare away in lack of attention. To prevent this situation, teachers often make students take time to work individually on worksheets can help the situation.

                         

    

     Traditional classroom management practices are typically characterized by the teachers' strict and rigid imposition of classroom rules on the students, which are designed to evoke fear in students so that they would adhere to the teachers' expectations (Erwin, 2004). However, the rise in chronic behavioral problems in the classroom such as disruptive behavior and noncompliance in recent years testifies to the ineffectiveness of this type of classroom management approach (Lohrmann & Talerico, 2004)

The SCL classroom

     John Dewey has described traditional learning as a process in which the teacher pours information to student learners, much like pouring water from a jug into cups. This is based on the long accepted belief that the teacher must perform his role of teaching so that learning can occur. This learning approach is generally known as direct instruction, and it has worked well for obtaining many kinds of learning outcomes.

     The problem with the direct instruction approach to learning, however, is the fact that the world's societies have began to change. Of course, this change my not be strongly felt in many countries in which the economy longer depends primarily on factory workers who do repetitive work without thinking on the job. The traditional classroom and direct instruction approach to learning conform to this kind of economies.

     In contrast, in industrialized societies we find knowledge-based economies in which workers depend on information that can be accessed through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Desiring to gain effectiveness, efficiency and economy in administration and instruction, schools in these developed economies have also adopted the support of ICTs. Their students have now become active not passive learners, who can interact with other learners, demonstrating independence and self-awareness with other learner, demonstrating independence and self-awareness in the learning process.

     Generally the new school classroom environment is characterized by student individually or in group:

• Performing computer word processing for text or graph presentations
• Preparing power-point presentation
• Searching for information on the Internet
• Brainstorming on ideas, problems and project plans
• As needed, the teacher facilitating instruction, also giving individualized instruction to serve individual needs
•      Observably, there is a departure from traditional worksheet, read-and-answer, drill-and-practice activities. Student also no longer need to mark the tests of peers since the computer scoring of results.

       

     Another option is now presented and this is adopting the idea of developing students to be independent learners with the idea of developing students to be independent learners with the end of making them critical and creative thinkers.

REFLECTION
   In traditional education or back-to-basics refers to long-established customs found in schools that society has traditionally deemed appropriate. Some forms of Education reform promote the adoption of progressive education practice, a more holistic approach which focuses on individual students' needs and self-expression. The traditional teacher-centered methods focused on rote learning and memorization must be abandoned in favor of student-centered and task-based approaches to learning. however, may parents and conservative citizens are concerned with the maintenance of objective educational standards based on testing, which favors a more traditional approach.