Creating a Multi-sensory Learning Environment
I can try using color to create a positive learning environment. Right now the walls in my classroom are white with nothing on them. I think I could really improve the room by adding visual aids. Big colorful visual aids. I will also experiment with moving the students around and into new groups so they don't get bored with each other.
How could you try using color, visuals, seating, creative supplies and music to improve the learning environment for your students?
I am going to try adding music to different class exercises. I know when I sit down to work on lesson plans, I feel that I am better focus if I am listening to music. I never thought that it could help in the classroom as well.
I teach online and was wondering how I would incorporate these ideas into my classroom. I would post colorful motivational quotes that my students would see when they first enter the class. During my Live Chats, I would use colorful PowerPoint presentations with lots of graphs and images. The students' comments and discussion are typed so that everyone can see them. There are some teachers who have used music at the beginning of their Live Chat. That's a skill that I need to learn.
Informative post, Tim. I have not tried music at the beginning of the class, but once, when I played exercise music to get the students' brain juices to flow faster for a scheduled test.
While the learning environment speaks clearly as to how we, as facilitators, want the learners to respond as they enter our classroom, it is a best practice that we structure and organize how we can trigger positive energy. Equipped with the knowledge that the brain pays attention to things that are bright and unique, arranging our audio-visual aids and materials that can stimulate this energy to the brain will increase long-term retention. This is certainly so sooooo fun to do with Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Nutrition courses.
I used one of these ideas the other day in class. I was having an issue with the single row of tables in the middle of the class extending to the back of the room. This way I don't have direct eye contact with the students half way down and am either behind or beside everyone as I walk to the back. I noticed I was loosing people in the back of the room to conversations in the middle of my presentation, and several people complaining they could not hear. As I would move to the back of the room, I would get the attention of the people in the back then loose the ones in the front! I identified the seating arrangement and some of the personalites in the room creating the issue and made a change the next day. I had the students get up at the beginning of class and arrange the tables into a U pattern so I could stand in the middle of the class and point out training aids and powerpoint presentations closely engaged with the students. Even if I turn around with my back to them they were all able to hear and has a strongly reduced issue with people talking out of turn. I want to keep the creative juices flowing and give room to discuss the information in an interpersonal setting, however the conversations were at inappropriate times and not about class information. I then reinforced the learning process by giving learners moments between presentations to group discuss questions and create solutions to problem scenarios. This change has been very successful so far.
Certain colors have the ability to influence people's emotional state. I routinely use colors on the white board to illustrate critical information and highlight bulletpoints. Seating should keep the learners focus on the instructor, but without isolating them from each other. Music during the beginning of the class, plus during hands-on lab periods helps to focus and relax the learners.
It makes more a comfortable environment.
I hang posters in the room that show exciting events happening. This gets the student's interets up and sets the tone for the class.
In the automotive industry colors and visuals are a natural phenominum used for sales and we use them as an educational tool. Music and cars? Icecream and cake.
I use alot of different colors when I use the dry erase board. I went out and got a set of markers that have 50 different colors and I use them for different learnings. I also have pass around objects when we talk about things. I teach at a technical college and its hard to get a tractor trailer in the room so if I'm not passing around training aids I take the class out to the lab for part of the lecture.
The teachers at my school are not allowed to place any posters on the walls or to use music during class hours or any time.
I like to take care of my departement bulletin board and make it cheerful and informative at the same time.
I use different colore markers to state the daily objectives and also for drawings on the board pertaining to the topic I lecture on.
I find having the students at larger tables together always seems to work better in a classroom setting - they seem more focused. I find a lecture or discussion is always more interesting with visuals, and so are classrooms - it gives the eyes something to focus on. Music works well when the students are working on individual projects. It drowns out the quietness and the sounds that could be distractions from others in the classroom.
The easiest and most effective way would be to use color to enhance the peripheral material in the classroom. Make it more attractive. We already use music during lab and group work time to keep the mood light and energetic.
I use music. Teacher's are not permitted to put up anything on the walls, and all materials must be cleaned up and the board wiped at the end of class everyday. I use music during work periods, to help students feel comfortable in the classroom, and a lot of alpha wave brain stuff.
I've used a lot of instrumental music to aid in my own learning, so I truly believe in it. But I've never used it in a teaching setting. And wouldn't really know how to get uncopyrighted material. You just look on the internet? I don't understand.
I could use seating to help me learn students names and it could allow students to see the chalkboard easier. It can also help with group projects as well.
Colors help set the mood, visuals such as poster on the wall can aid with learning and retention. Rewards such as sugar free candy can aid motivation and raise energy levels. Music can help set the tone and mood in the room.
Because I do not have my very own classroom, I will have to take a different approach when using color, visuals, and seating. However, this lesson has enlightened me on techniques to 'liven' my classroom. I have noticed that placing students in groups usually generates more interaction with my students, and it really helps during group discussions. I believe that I will try to bring instrumental music in my classes. I played a video in class one day, and the video had 'active' music throughout its length. The students seemed as if they really enjoyed it, and they asked questions after we completed the video.
I could create "What did I Learn?" type of self-evaluation handouts to be given to my students at the end of each week and rotating a different soft-colored paper choice for these handouts. For visual cues, I could come up with "Pictionary" type of student activity geared to a current topic in my classes. I would start the graphic design by gradually adding one line to a picture at a time waiting for the student(s)to guess the topic and it's significance to the picture. After modeling this activity, pass it on to each student to present for a future class. When it comes to seating arrangments, I could switch the tables and chairs around on a regular basis as recommended in this forum in order to fit the learning activities for my students. Utilize more creative supplies from popular table games, empty containers from household products such "Pringles" potatoe chip containers, and
wacky party favor ideas. With music, I've used instrumental(non-lyrical)or classical music to add to white noice in the classroom during focus group activities or individual assignments. Found the use of music during quizzes to be generally acceptable by my students but not for exams. They prefer quiet time only for exams.
