A well thought out and well designed classroom facilitated learning. Adding some personal touches does much to enhance a stirle atmosphere even though this may bring back thoughts of high school.
Hi Angela,
Good approach to helping students develop what can be a life long skill in the development of personal growth following the man-fish theory. Life long learners are going to continue to grow and expand their knowledge base leaning to more satisfaction in all aspects of their lives.
Gary
Hi Ashaa,
You make a very important and critical point about helping students. They do need this type of instruction because as you say upon graduation the safety net has been removed. The more confidence, knowledge and skills we can help them achieve now the better prepared they will be upon graduation.
Gary
I utilize on line jornals related to the field I teach. A large number of these have interactive scenerios that walks you through a case. The studnets enjoy the challenge and this also helps to reinforce that learning extends past school. I frequently remind students they need to learn the love of improving their knowledge base. I try to teach that learning is not just a topic or subject, but a set of skills that will help them throughout life. Sort of give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish theory. If they enjoy learning they will continue the rest of their life. The learning environment we develop at school should encourage this love of learning.
The learning environment is an important part of the whole instructional process. If it is comfortable, it can help students to stay focused and learn better. In many cases, broken chairs, graffitis, and even broken windows and doors can make students wonder if they are welcome, and whether they can learn anything at all in this environment.
For adult learners, it is critical. This is true especially in regards to the physical environment. So, I regularly check about the tempature. Is it too cold or too hot or is the porridge just right.
I am very real with my students about my past experiences and I give it to them straight no chaser and let them know to take advantage of having an instructor/s that are willing to help them now becasuse upon comletion of their schooling and they get out in the real world no one will be there to teach them and walk them through the skill one on one with them like the teacher has they may not have compassion but all in all I tell them to learn any new skill they can from a co worker because if the learning environment changes or they move onto a differnt location they can take those experiences with them and then maybe become the teacher to a student that is now in their position
Hi William,
So true. It is a daily effort to keep engagement at the highest level. So we need to always bring our A game to the class.
Gary
We need to make an ernvironment so that the students wnat to come back for class the next day.
Everyone desires a space where they are comfortable and feel safe and non-threatened. I we fail to meet these needs at the onset of education, all of our work on providing instruction is wasted.
I teach in a Veterinary Technician program and I try to make the school environnment as close to the real situation as possible. We will do mock procedures prior to the ones on real animals and then we perform the procedures on real animals before they go out into the job setting. I try to present the many possible outcomes while they are still in school.
As a learner myself, I feel that the learning environment is vital to the instructional process. At home, my mother would make sure that there was no noise such as television or radio, clean room with no clutter and motivational thoughts strategically placed. My parents did not encourage gossip or negative talk about teachers, but instead they chanelized my energy towards my learning.
This positive energy is what I like to use while teaching my students. An ambience of learning and a progressive culture, promoted by a synchronous learning environment, is the best that a student could ask for.
Hi Michelle,
So true. This is why we can't overlook the environment in our planning efforts.
Gary
I believe that the learning environment can make or break a student. It sets the tone for a class. if the environment is out of order... it is a good responsiblility that your class could be out of order
The learning environment must be conducive to the tasks at hand. Therefore the lighting must be proper, the climate contolled appropriately, seating correct for the class (lecture, discussions, small groups, lab excercises and so forth).
A student in an uncomfortable or inadequate classroom is not in their optimal "learning zone".
By, Edwardo Mojena
I always challenge my students to learn in the class room so in order they can overcome the challenges in the professional world, since they will be competing in the real world for positions or the job in itself against other people.
When working with students in the laboratory doing testing, we will occasionally time the students test. This creates an environment that they will experience when they are working in the field; a limited amount of time to do testing. This classroom environment will prepare them for their work environment, as it should.
Students need to see result .of any plan
Hi Nancy,
Right you are. A supportive environment really contributes to student comfort and engagement.
Gary
That is correct. It also help the student get a better understanding of the topic being discuss.
