Chapter 2 Assignment

Section 2.5: Creating a Learning Environment

This section focuses on Bloom's taxonomy. In education, this taxonomy works with objectives that move from simple to complex as part of the classification system. Through this process of working through objectives, the goal is for students to engage in mastery learning. Once an objective or a concept is mastered, students then move on to a slightly more complex objective or concept, gradually moving their way up the scale of the taxonomy. In relation to the hierarchy of objectives is the setup of the classroom. To establish an environment conducive to learning, the setup of the classroom is essential.

On the website http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/futureteachers/classroom_organization.htm, a section on arranging the space of the classroom suggests the importance of functionality of the space as part of the classroom environment. Teaching style can be seen in the arrangement of the classroom. Frequent small group activities should be reflected in the arrangement of small groups of desks or tables, while whole group discussions are best completed with desks or tables in a circle or U-shape. Classrooms should also have different areas for activities, such as a quiet reading corner for sustained silent reading. A couch or corner of pillows are also good ideas for the classroom environment, as students will be able to read or write in a more comfortable place than a stiff desk.

The site http://www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/teaching/layout.htm discusses the importance of eye contact to teaching and learning. The traditional set-up of rows is conducive to more teacher-centered classrooms. All eyes are focused on the front of the room, hence all eyes are on the teacher. This arrangement is not good for whole class discussions, as everyone cannot make eye contact with all members of the class. For whole group discussions and more student-centered classrooms, the U-shape or fishbowl (for larger classes) can be effective. As the website mentions, the moral of the story is that arrangement all depends on the type of classroom environment the teacher is trying to establish. There is no single solution to the problem of arrangement. The important thing is to create a friendly and comfortable environment that students can enter and immediately become productive and feel safe. A classroom should be the least restrictive environment for all students so that learning does not just occur behind a desk.