Effective Environments for Student Learning

Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning There are six standards outlined in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. These are each important and critical in preparing new teachers and guiding those teachers who have already had some experience. Briefly, these standards are; Engaging Students, Effective Environments, Subject Matter, Learning Experiences, Assessing and, lastly, Professional Development. Tied together, these concepts help form successful teachers, which, in turn, yield successful students. An effective environment in a classroom is a fundamental aspect in the educational process. If children do not feel some structure, and that they are safe and free to be themselves, no real learning can take place. It is the teacher’s job to create an environment such as this for their students if true learning is to take place. There are six sub-points to the concept of an effective environment. These six include; Creating a Physical Environment that Engages all Students, Establishing a Climate that Promotes Fairness and Respect, Promoting Social Development and Group Responsibility, Establishing and Maintaining Standards for Student Behavior, Planning and Implementing Classroom Procedures and Routines that Support Student Learning and, finally, Using Instructional Time Effectively. Technology’s role in this standard is vast and varied. In an article in a C.U.E. Newsletter, the author explains the Technology 80/20 Rule: 80 percent of the people using a given technology make use of only 20 percent of its power. The author later states, “The Technology Rule begs to be broken. You can vastly improve the value you can get from even simple technologies by approaching them with a flexible attitude and a habit of mind that encourages finding multiple and unintended purposes.” (A Low Tech Challenge, 6) Keeping this in mind, teachers can find many ways in which technology can be used to enrich student’s lives and enhance the environment where they spend their day. Sample uses will be further discussed as each sub-point is looked at closer. Creating a Physical Environment that Engages all Students The physical environment is what students first get a feel for when they enter a room. How are the desks arranged? Where does the teacher stand and where is his or her desk located? How are the outer workstations of the room set up? What is on the walls? These are all things that contribute to how a child feels in a certain classroom. Lee Canter (1990) explains, “…the way in which you arrange your classroom and organize your materials has a direct impact on student behavior and learning. An effective classroom organization plan can go a long way toward preventing discipline problems.” The physical aspects of the classroom can curtail behavior problems and lead to student engagement and engaging students is what all teachers strive for. As Dr. Kay Burke (2001) states, “The best-behaved student in the world is going to tune out by October if the class is boring. The best-behaved students will not behave well for long if the schoolwork isn’t engaging, relevant and motivating.” Recent brain research has shown that 40 to 70 percent of the brain’s wiring is determined by environmental impact. (Jensen, 1998) That is a significant amount, even if it is only 40 percent. That’s nearly half. Because it’s such a large contributor, ways in which environments can be enhanced deserves some attention. Jensen (1998) goes on to explain that the first thing that needs to be done to enrich the quality of the environment is to remove threats. These include; finger-pointing, embarrassment, unrealistic deadlines, forcing kids to stay after school, humiliation, sarcasm, a lack of resources or simply being bullied. When children feel threatened in any way, it is understandable why they would not be able to learn. Their brains are concentrating on defending themselves, rather than on academics. Once threats are removed, enriching the environment should be the main focus. There are two main ways to enrich. These are: 1) Challenge and 2) Feedback. Students need to be challenged in a variety of ways and work needs to be at the right level for them. If it’s too challenging, or too easy, they become bored. Ways to challenge include changing instructional strategies often. For instance, use computers, groups, field trips, guest speakers, pairings, games, student teaching, journaling or multiage projects. These, in essence, create a new and therefore enriched physical learning environment. Next, learner feedback needs to be maximized. There are also a number of ways that feedback can be done and according to research, “feedback reduces uncertainty and increases coping abilities while lowering the pituitary-adrenal stress responses.” (Jensen, 1998, 33) Now that challenge and feedback have been mentioned, actual ways to provide an enriching environment will be covered. There are five general areas covered in Teaching with the Brain in Mind. First is Reading and Language. Before age 12, there is a vast supply of cells and connection in the brain for vocabulary and language development. Babies should be read to beginning at 6 months of age. Second and more briefly, is Motor Stimulation, third, Thinking and Problem Solving, fourth, Arts and fifth, Surroundings. (Jensen, 1998) Technology fits in nicely here. It involves some motor stimulation, definite thinking and problem solving and contributes to the surroundings. Computers should be placed where it is beneficial to both the students and teacher. Workstations facing a wall help to keep distractions from the class at a minimum so students at the station can fully concentrate. Also, if computers are set up in a line, rather than back to back, it helps the teacher by keeping students, and the screen, in view. Further, almost all children enjoy computers and digital and video cameras. The following quote illustrates this point. It was taken from a fifth grade student at Dana Elementary in Nipomo, California who uses technology daily at “…Camp Internet, a unique, interactive educational program created and organized by the Regional Alliance for Information Network.” (Reynolds, 20) He says, “I think learning on the computer is fun, and when something is fun, you learn more because you’re interested. You want to know more. I have a lot of questions about people and things I’m interested in. Now, I know I can search for the answers.” (Reyonlds, 22) When projects incorporate technology, student interest obviously increases rapidly. An example of a way in which technology can be used to enrich is by having students prepare a “story” about something they know a great deal about: themselves. Using Inspiration or other similar computer software, they can create an autobiography about themselves to share with the class. Once they are familiar with the program, they will have a tool to use throughout the year to web stories read, plan original stories and reports and to organize other large amounts of information. This is a valuable program to learn early in the year so that it may be used throughout for a variety of projects. Establishing a Climate that Promotes Fairness and Respect A climate promoting fairness and respect should be strived for in every classroom. It’s important to mention as well, that fairness and respect should be apparent between student and student and between teacher and student. Some teachers seek to improve relationships between students but do not realize the importance of promoting a behavior by displaying it themselves as well. A teacher at Cary Academy, a private college-preparatory school in Cary, North Carolina, explains how she views her role and shows the obvious fairness and respect she shows students, As a teacher I see myself as a learning coach, not a knowledge master. I would rather give my students a sense of having more to explore and understand and a feeling of confidence in their ability to research, examine and express their opinions than to leave them with a false sense that they have mastered all they need to know. (Dewsnap, 63) This attitude, along with modeling of desired behaviors, can establish a classroom where fairness and respect flourish. According to Kosier (1998), modeling positive interactions is necessary to “surmount a wide range of negative role models on television, in movie theaters, and even within the home and neighborhood.” He states, “…you must find fictional, historical and current day characters that promote the values and social skills of a civilized society. Then you must teach students to role play positive scenarios on an ongoing basis.” (34) Dr. Kay Burke (2001) also explains some ways in which a classroom climate promoting fairness and respect can be achieved. Is the room arrangement conducive for kids to work in both small and large groups? Is there an enriched environment with books and colorful bulletin boards? A positive classroom climate is one in which kids feel appreciated and valued. Everybody calls everybody by his or her first name and treats each other with dignity. There’s mutual respect between the teachers and the students. The teacher avoids sarcastic remarks, putdowns, and public reprimands that humiliate and embarrass students. When social skills are learned and practiced throughout the year and teachers work to ensure a positive environment, a climate of fairness and respect will naturally follow. Promoting these values where technology is concerned can be done by establishing e-mail pals with another class somewhere in the United States, or in another country. There are many wonderful programs such as this already set up on the Internet. It’s just a matter of finding one to fit the needs and desires of the teacher. If the goal is promoting fairness and respect, however, some guidelines need to be put in practice. First, the class with whom the correspondence is done needs to be of a different type. For example, it could be in a different geographical setting, a different socioeconomic status, or best yet, in a completely different country where customs, traditions and simple day to day life is not like that of the class initiating the communication. Another guideline would be that students should pick a special piece of work that they feel shows something about themselves and send a digital picture of it along with a description of why they choose it and what it means to them, each time they send e-mail. This would accompany their normal letters. Both teachers should also agree upon students doing this, to maintain the importance of it. A third guideline is that when responding, students should make meaningful comments on the work sent by their E-pals. These three guidelines serve valuable purposes. First, by choosing e-pals that are different in some way, teachers are promoting respect. Students are given the opportunity to form friendships and learn about someone unlike themselves that lives in a place unlike theirs. This will show children that there are amazing things about all people, in all places. Second, by allowing students to choose which piece of work they will send, fairness is being employed. This gives children power and increases selfesteem. Lastly, by insisting that students comment thoughtfully on each piece of work, teachers are again instilling respect and fairness. Children come to learn the value of being respectful when discussing others work and realize that what one person prizes may not have been the choice of another. However, when commenting on the work of an E-pal, students will be fair because they understand that they will be receiving comments on their work as well. The Golden Rule will become commonplace, where students will treat others as they would like to be treated. Teachers can also benefit from e-mail, helping them to become facilitators of fair and respectful classroom climates. They “…can use the same e-mail system [as students] to explore complex cultural and linguistic issues or solve problems with distant peers over a length of time; to communicate with practicing professionals and community members; or to conduct collaborative projects that will yield sustained, engaged learning and collaboration.” (Vision for Technology) Promoting Social Development and Group Responsibility Social development and group responsibility are such important concepts for children to learn. Often times, teachers are so focused on their students learning academic subjects that these other skills go by the wayside. These skills, however, are life skills that will make a great difference in the entire life of a child when taught appropriately. Gordon Wells and Gen Ling Chang-Wells (1992) describe the importance of social interaction in Constructing Knowledge Together, …the individual’s knowledge, and the repertoire of actions and operations by means of which he or she carries out the activities that fulfill his or her perceived needs, are both constructed in the course of solving the problems that arise in goal-directed social activity and learned through interpersonal interaction. Human development and learning are thus intrinsically social and interactive. (29) Following are some ideas in which teachers can model positive interactions that promote social development. 1) Ask school librarians for a list of books, stories, and videos that present positive role models for children. 2) Use journals to have students write or draw about topics such as friendship, trust, respect, name calling, etc. 3) Use role playing, employing destructive and constructive language in various social situations. 4) Have students practice kindness, fairness, and caring phrases in little skits for the class and 5) Praise kindness. (Kosier, 1998) Tapscott (1998) also reminds us of the importance of social interaction for learning when he says, “The teacher is not an instructional transmitter. He is a facilitator to social learning whereby learners construct their own knowledge.” (148) A great technological idea to promote social development and group responsibility, and increase interest in academics, is to have students participate in a Webquest. Webquests are specially designed curricular “units” on the Internet, geared to different grade levels. Webquests consist of six building blocks. The first is the Introduction. This is the background knowledge that piques the learner’s interest. Second is the Task; a detailed explanation of what the learner is expected to do. Third is the Purpose; Steps that learners can take to complete the quest. Fourth is Resources, which are Web sites and other resources for the quest. Fifth is the Evaluation, which measures the quest’s impact on learning and the sixth building block is the Conclusion. This is when teachers and learners reflect on and summarize the quest. (Essential Questions, 2001) There are many Webquests already devised and ready for use on the Internet or teachers can create their own, designed specifically for an area of study. When students “go” on a Webquest, each person in the group is responsible for their part of the quest. They must work together to find their answers and as teams come up with the way they will report their findings. This promotes group responsibility and social development because each student must be responsible and do their part for the group and they must work together to come up with the end project, which requires social interaction leading to development. Following is a quote that describes what teachers should work toward fostering in children. Engaged learners understand that learning is social. They are able to see themselves and ideas as others see them, can articulate their ideas to others, have empathy for others, and are fair-minded in dealing with contradictory or conflicting views. They have the ability to identify the strengths and intelligences of themselves and others. (Learning Indicators) Establishing and Maintaining Standards for Student Behavior Student behavior has been a concern of teachers since the beginning of schools as an institution. If a student does not behave, he or she cannot learn. However, and even more serious, that same misbehaving student can create a situation in which none of the other students are able to learn either. This is completely unfair to everyone involved. It seems that there are teachers who are naturally good at getting a class to behave and others who struggle the entire year for the attention of their class. For many years, teachers have used the “reward-punishment” method for controlling behavior. However, according to Dr. Kay Burke (2001), “The obedience model of discipline used by many educators in the past is no longer effective in today’s world.” She goes on to explain the “responsibility model”, an approach to classroom management devised by Curwin and Mendler in their book, Discipline with Dignity. In this model, students behave because they know it’s the right thing to do and they work toward being collaborative members of their classrooms. They demonstrate socially acceptable behaviors because they like and respect their teacher and fellow classmates. Teachers, in this model, emphasize self-discipline and self-control. This is no easy task. Burke (2001) suggests that, “…teachers need to structure their classrooms to foster the responsibility model. Cooperation and self-discipline need to be taught explicitly, practiced and assessed.” The best way to teach these skills, she says, is by role-playing situations where they would be necessary and modeling them personally. In Back to School with Assertive Discipline, Canter (1990) encourages verbal praise. He states, “The most effective positive reinforcer you can use is verbal praise. When praising students, be very specific and mention the exact behavior you like. …A comment like ‘Thank you for getting to work so quickly’ lets a student know that you really noticed the good effort being made.” (16) Canter (1990) also explains his assertive discipline plan for the school year, beginning on the first day. He says simply, “The foundation of a smoothly running classroom is an Assertive Discipline Plan that clearly states the rules of the classroom, consequences for students who choose not to observe the rules, and positive reinforcement for students who behave appropriately.” (4) Consistency is also a major factor in his assertive discipline model. Without consistency, the plan would be ineffective. Students would not know what is expected of them, or when. They would not know if there would be any consequences for their behavior or any reward. Consistency is the key. His plan is straightforward and would be a valuable tool for any teacher, new or veteran. A way to incorporate technology in the area of student behavior would be to have children create a slide show using Microsoft PowerPoint or another similar program. The slide show could be on any topic the teacher chooses, or allows the students to choose. It could be very detailed, with students following predetermined guidelines, or very open, where students are given freedom to be creative and devise a show completely their own. This would depend on the familiarity the class, and the teacher, feels with the program. The students could be in groups or could work individually. There are a great number of possibilities when arranging projects such as this. This type of assignment works toward maintaining standards for student behavior in its delivery. Teachers should make oral and visual presentations of the slide show, to the rest of the class, mandatory. In this way, students realize they are going to be sharing their work in front of an audience, so the importance of the project increases. Of course they want it to be good. In order to do their best work, students must follow classroom rules and procedures for working on the computers. They must also maintain this behavior in order to accomplish their goal of completing a slide show worthy of presenting to the class. Planning and Implementing Classroom Procedures and Routines that Support Student Learning It is a common known fact that children thrive when they have structure and routine. This is even true of very young children. They feel much safer and can learn with more ease when they can predict, with some accuracy, what will happen next in their lives. This applies to the home and school environment. Both procedure and routine are key elements in a classroom. In actuality, they are very near the same. Having a procedure, or a way of doing something, is much like having a routine. However, in the classroom, they have to do with scheduling (routine) and rules for running the room (procedure). Dr. Burke (2001) reminds us, “…procedures address how to pass in papers, how to leave for lunch, and how to get into cooperative groups. Procedures provide guidelines for operating the classroom.” She also explains that a teacher must provide the rationale for a procedure so students understand why they must follow it. Discussion, demonstration, rehearsal and teacher feedback are all critical in learning procedures. Once students understand the way the procedures work for their classroom, they are then more able to focus on learning. To use technology and incorporate classroom procedures and routines that support student learning, teachers must devise some sort of rotating schedule for computer use. It’s important to have a smooth running plan for how and when students will use computers. This will vary according to different ideas held by teachers regarding instructional time, the number of computers in a classroom, the number of students enrolled and other factors unique to any one teacher. By having a schedule and following it as closely as possible, student learning will be supported. Children will know the routine for computer use and the procedure for it as well. Early in the year it would also be helpful for teachers to identify students that seem to catch on quickly to new computer programs and then establish “computer mentors.” Other students who may need a little extra help could call upon these “mentors.” If there are no children who display technical savvy, teachers could enlist the help of past students or students recommended by other teachers because of their computer knowledge. Using Instructional Time Effectively There are many plans for using instructional time effectively. One, of course, is to plan days or even weeks out personally and post a general schedule so children know what they will be doing each day. This lets everyone, including the teacher, know what to expect next and then transition easier into it. Things will inevitably change on some days but, it’s very helpful for students to have an idea of what may be coming next. This allows them to get into the right frame of mind. Many great instructional planning ideas are in a publication entitled The Discipline Checklist (1998). Among the many, a few seem to stand out. They are; 1) Think of ways to advertise coming curricular attractions a week or two in advance. 2) Think of ways to use visual props with your spoken directions. 3) Insist that all students look at you when you give directions. 4) Vary the seating chart more than once a month. 5) Be sure each week includes some form of “hands-on” project. 6) Establish to students the relevance of your lessons. 7) Be sure that all materials for the day are organized and ready for quick distribution. 8) Mentally rate the interest level of your lessons on a 10point scale. 9) Use songs, poems, or experience-based stories to begin a lesson and 10) Ask the class often if they understand what they are being asked to do and why they are being asked to do it. When trying to use instructional time effectively, these strategies can help a teacher succeed. Having student interest is the first and foremost necessity if learning is the desired outcome. As Dewey (1902) states, “Selected, utilized, emphasized, [activities of interest to students] may mark a turning point for good in the child’s whole career; neglected, an opportunity goes, never to be recalled.” (The Role of Errors) In using instructional time effectively, technology plays an important role. Kathy Schrock (2001) gives good advise on technology assessment. She states, Begin by giving students a technology assessment survey to determine their skill levels. Not only will this help you discover what your students already know, it will also help you locate computer-savvy students who may be able to assist others if you are not available. To refresh students’ memories about skills they have already learned, keep a notebook near the computer or have them keep their own journals, with step-by-step directions on everything from how to open a document to how to import clip art. (55) After students have spent some time revisiting or learning programs and have practiced Internet skills, they can spend quality time on computers. There are many ways in which technology can make instructional time effective. They can use Microsoft Word, or a similar program, to keep a daily journal and they can work on computer related projects when they have extra time, to name a few. Ideally, schools should have a computer lab where there are enough for every, or almost every, student to have a computer. This way, teachers can give instruction and students can practice then and there. They can “do” as they’re being taught. If this is not the case, teachers should try to give whole class demonstrations, via a television connected to a computer or, if necessary, at one computer with the students seated around it. When discussing the standards and how technology fits into them, it’s important to remember that teaching is a constantly changing, always demanding, job. There is much to do, little time to do it, and not always the resources to make it easier. Having these standards to guide teachers is essential and incorporating technology into those standards benefits students greatly. In trying to prepare new teachers for the increasing challenges of education today, new assessments are being sought. Developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), was a policy, “What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do” that identified five propositions in its statement. These are: 1) Teachers are committed to students and their learning; 2) teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to their students; 3) teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning; 4) teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; and 5) teachers are members of learning communities. (Lyons, 1998) These concepts are straightforward but encompass a great deal. They illustrate the importance of the career. Along with standards, teachers should remember these propositions as well. In conclusion, educators must view technology’s role as a means to support and engage learners. The following quote sums up this point. …we must develop and support technologies and models of instruction for which learning is interactive and generative; learning contexts are more focused on knowledge building; students are engaged in authentic, challenging tasks and have more control over their learning; teachers serve as facilitators, guides, and co-investigators; and schools can access distributed resources the world over. (Vision for Technology) This is a vision for all teachers to look toward. Perhaps it will become increasingly clearer as we move ahead, following standard guidelines and incorporating technology in all possible ways.