Inquiry Project

Guiding question: How does the physical classroom design (e.g., seat plan and room decoration) enhance students in learning?

Annotated bibliography:

Martin, S. H. (2002). The classroom environment and its effect on the practice of teachers. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22, 139-156.

The paper describes the impact of the classroom design on the practice of teachers.

Barrett, P., Davies, F., Zhang, Y., & Barrett, L., (2015). The impact of classroom on pupils' learning: Final results of a holistic, multi-level analysis. Building and Environment, 89, 118-133.
It is about how the physical classroom features influence the learning of pupils.

Ramli, N.H., Ahmad, S., & Masri, M. H. (2013). Improving the classroom physical environment: Classroom users' perception. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 101, 221-229.
The paper examines the perception of classroom users on their conventional classrooms and their preferred version of classroom environment.

Castellucci, H. I., Arezes, P. M., Molenbroek, F. M., Bruin, R., & Viviani, C. (2017). The influence of school furniture on students' performance and physical responses: results of a systematic review. Ergonomics, 60(1), 93-110.
The paper uses a systematic review to determine how the design and dimensions of school furniture affect students' responses and their performance.

Tondeur, J., Herman, F., Buck, M., & Triquet, K. (2017). Classroom biographies: Teaching and learning in evolving material landscapes (c. 1960-2015). European Journal of Education, 52, 280-294.

The paper explores the impacts of physical learning environment on teaching practices.

Romina, A. (2014). Students' perception of the condition of their classroom physical learning and its impact on their learning and motivation. College Student Journal, 48(4), 716-726.
The paper investigates how secondary school students perceive the condition of their physical learning environment and its impact on their learning and motivation.

Lei, S. A. (2012). Classroom physical design influencing student learning and evaluations of college instructors: A review of literature. Education (Chula Vista), 131(1), 128-134.
The paper reviews how specific classroom physical attributes can influence student learning and subsequent student evaluations of college instructors.

Hill, M. C., Epps, K. K. (2010). The impact of of physical classroom environment on student satisfaction and student evaluation of teaching in the university environment. Academy of Educational leadership Journal, 14(4), 65-79.
The paper analyzes the influence of classroom environment features on student satisfaction and student evaluation of teaching in the university environment.

Yang, Z., Becerik-Gerber, B. & Mino, L. (2013). A study of student perceptions of higher education classrooms: Impact of classroom attributes on student satisfaction and performance. Building and Environment, 70, 171-188.
The paper explores how classroom attributes affect student satisfaction and performance in higher education classrooms.

Marx, A., Fuhrer, U. & Hartig, T. (1999). Effects of classroom seating arrangement on children's question-asking. Learning Environments Research, 2(3), 249-263.
The paper is about the investigation of the relationship between the classroom seating arrangements and the question-asking of grade 4 children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kOh1VYCsRs

The video talks about difference kinds of classroom setting (i.e., traditional. U-shape, and cluster) and their pros and cons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNN-LqngvIE

The video talks about different types of standing desks and effects of sitting vs standing at work.

Role models and equity in the classroom

Most people think males are better than females in mathematics but actually research shows there is no difference between the two genders, no matter where they are in the world. Actually, there are a few famous mathematicians who are females, like Mary Cartwright, Maryam Mirzakhani and Shafi Goldwasser. Thus, in classrooms, teachers should not stereotype that scientists and mathematicians are males only. Also, one of the classmates mentioned that when she was in high school, her teacher always asked boys to lead a project or an activity and girls to help boys as assistants. This was very unfair to girls and so as a future teacher, I would treat all students the same and assign tasks based on the students' competencies.

Welcomed or less than welcomed

I think there are several ways that can make me feel welcomed :
- people are friendly and smiling at me (body language)
- people are willing to answer my questions
- people remember my name
- people treat me like an old friend (interactions between people)
- appreciate what I have done
- willing to accept my mistakes
- not being the target of others

Since my teachable subjects are science and mathematics, I hope I can make these subjects interesting to students. There are some ways that I can do:
- make the subjects related to their daily lives and the things they like to do
- honest and open to critiques
- understand the needs and backgrounds (culture) of students so that I can make them comfortable   without embarrassing them

Embodied learning

I think bodily experiences might be helpful in learning aspects of chemistry because students can do experiments to learn and understand more about the concepts or theories of chemistry. Many experiments involve color or temperature changes (exothermic and endothermic reactions) that students can see or feel respectively. These sensory experiences can impress students, making them remember the chemical ideas related to the experiments. Also, this sensory information can act as a "flag" to remind students's prior knowledge. All these sensory experiences can be easily provided in laboratories.
In addition, bodily experiences can be applied in learning mathematics.  Based on the TED talk given by Erik Stern and Karl Schaefer, dancing related to mathematics can happen in the classroom. They taught students to use dance to count combinations by shaking hands. This activity was interactive and fun for students to learn. Therefore, it is possible to use sensory experiences and movement as resources in the classes.

Inquiry Topic

I think I would choose to investigate the way of how to design the classroom arrangement or interactive activities to promote student engagement in learning . I always want to find a way to get students more engaged in classroom learning.

What do marks do in school?

As a student, I think that assigning letter grades is not a good way to motivate learning. However, some students may think the percentages or letter grades can show the level of their performance in classes and this may remind them whether they should spend more time to study the subjects. If I were a teacher, I would need to find a way to assess my students' performance and assigning percentages is one of the possible ways to achieve my goal. The percentages are based on the students' performance on homework, tests and group projects. Also, teachers can discuss with students about how a certain percentage of the performance will be graded so that students would feel they are fairly assessed. Although tests or examinations produce certain pressure on students, I think this may be an opportunity for them to experience so that they will not be so frustrated by the pressure when they are working in society.

Since many people view grades as an indicator of whether a student is smart or not, grading would certainly create pressure on both students and their parents as they think bad grades would hinder the students' future. Also, grading would make people focus on the academic performance, neglecting the importance of other skills and qualities like interpersonal skills and morality. In addition, the grading system would create a competition environment in a classroom or a school and I'm not sure whether is is good or bad to students because competition can be a motivator to students but at the same time, it can put pressure on them too.

I think it is possible to teach mathematics/science without giving grades if people do not view the student's future success in society is determined by grades. Teachers can focus on connecting the students' interests with mathematics/science in daily applications to encourage learning among students.

Exit slip about media for teaching

Media like YouTube or other video channels can be used for teaching in classrooms. I remember I read a paper and it says that the impact of images/pictures is more powerful than that of words. Watching video clips or listening to the interviews related to the subjects can help students learn more easily. They can remember the content more easily or even be inspired to set their educational goals. Also, if the video clips are related to their interests, students can be more engaged in learning. There are some online software (e.g., Kahoot! and Meetoo) or simulation platforms (e.g., Phet) providing useful and interesting activities for students to learn. These interactive tools can help students learn in a fun and relaxing way so that they can enjoy learning in classrooms. Students can also understand technology is not only for fun but can be used for teaching and learning. 

Exit slip about the children's gardening program

After participating in the activities designed by Susan, I believe teaching gardens are beneficial to students. First, students have more opportunities to observe the nature and this would promote the student-directed inquiry, as well as increasing their interests in protecting the environment. Also, asking students to draw things (which they like) in gardens would make them focus on different aspects of plants and organisms, motivating them to learn how these living things interact with humans. Second, I found drawing natural things took more time since the features and details of the plants and organisms are usually complex and not easily portrayed by simple straight lines or curves. This sort of drawing can help students develop creativity and patience. These two traits can help students learn in other areas or subjects. Finally, introduced by Susan, the dance comprising the component of mathematics is an innovative way for students to learn mathematical concepts. Besides exercising their bodies and enjoying the dance, students can learn mathematics in a relaxing and joyful way which can help them remember the mathematical concepts more easily.
The disadvantages of teaching in gardens are the restrictions due to weather and the students' allergies to plants. During rainy or chilly days, it may not be suitable for kids to learn in gardens. Also, if some kids have some pollen allergies, teaching in gardens is not appropriate for them. 

Entrance slip about the children's gardening program

After reading the paper, I think the children's gardening program is a good way to educate children of different cultural backgrounds. Besides teaching children about the benefits of growing food, gardening and cooking, the program is also beneficial to cultural exchange and language learning. The garden environment makes students more relaxed to learn and it is also good to their health. Also, what they see in gardens may arouse their interests in other subjects.

Without the constraints they feel in the classroom, they are more likely to speak and share their ideas with one another, and discuss the given topics more easily. Also, nowadays students mostly spends time on their electronic gadgets and do not do much exercises. The garden program is a good way for children to do exercises outdoor. The flowers, plants, insects and animals in gardens can ignite their interests in biology and other science subjects. So I believe the gardening program is very good for students to learn outside the classroom.

Exit slip topic: Your thoughts on praise, blame, mindset, and student engagement in learning

After the discussion, I think teachers, as a role model, try to foster an environment which everyone appreciates other people’s contributions and praises each other (social praise). Then the one who gets praises would not be embarrassed or isolated. Teacher should also praise students based on their actions, not their identities. Regarding mindset, it is important to help students develop a growth mindset so that they keep improving themselves. A growth mindset can help student engaged in learning because they know they can make themselves better in term of knowledge and skills. No one likes being blamed by someone. So I think the best way to do it is to interpret it as a responsibility to students. This would make students become more responsible for what they do.

Entrance slip about Max Van Manen on 'tact in teaching'

"But a problem with giving recognition is that it may lead to feelings of inequality." Teachers always want to recognize brilliant students but this may simultaneously embarrass those students too. Therefore, teachers should figure out the most appropriate way to recognize students, i.e., publicly or privately, under different situations. To have this tact, teachers should develop a practical wisdom to sense the norms of students in classrooms. Some students love to be recognized in public but some do not. Therefore, teachers should understand the students' characters and backgrounds, creating a carefree and comfortable environment for students to learn. This would be beneficial to both students and parents, but teachers need to spend some time to study the norms of their classes.

"....teacher practical knowledge must play an active and dynamic role in the ever-changing challenges of the school and classroom." This is not easy for teachers since the world is changing so fast. Thus teachers should keep track of the changes of the society and the learning style of students to "update" their practical knowledge. Nowadays students like to use digital tools to learn and so teachers need to make use popular technologies like AR, VR and 3D printing to enhance the learning experience of students. Also, practical knowledge is acquired through experience and to develop this tact, teachers should expand their horizons in different teaching environments.

"professional practice also requires active judgement that relies on interpretation and metaphoric association, on ways of seeing and imaginatively understanding what is required in practical changing situations." Active judgement is not something that can be learnt from textbooks. To have this tact, teachers should face and handle different real situations and reflect themselves after making decisions. They need to have opportunities to work in different classroom environments and learn by experience. Therefore, it takes considerable time for teachers to develop active judgement. When teachers have this tact, parents would feel more secure to let their children to learn at school.

Exit slip about the flipped classroom

I like the concept of flipped classroom. Students can watch the videos at their paces at home and teachers can spend more time to help their students answer their questions. Also teachers can check the progress of students based on the "record" of watching the videos. I think this type of teaching can work and be used as a supplement to traditional teaching. It is useful for many subjects, especially mathematics, science, chemistry and so on. However, some concepts are better to be explained in classes.

I think the online courses can help teachers spend more time to discuss the students' problems. Teachers can focus on other aspects about the subject or teach something else which takes more time to do. In general, I believe technology can help teaching a lot and make it fun. Students like technology a lot nowadays and so students may get more engaged in learning.    

Entrance slip about "On becoming a reflective teacher"

1.) Although it was written in a different time and place, this article really "speaks to me" as a new teacher candidate in Vancouver in 2017. The authors mentioned 3 attitudes (i.e., open-mindedness, responsibility and wholeheartedness) that a reflective teacher should have and I totally agree with them. Good teachers should be open-minded, responsible and take active control over their teaching. They should be open to changes since the world is changing everyday and their teaching should try to fit their students' needs. I also feel the authors' passion and professionalism in teaching. They mentioned teachers should consider the consequences and be responsible of their teaching, and this touches me so much. A teacher is not just a job but a professional. Also, the mention of the basal reader containing all white characters seems dated because this kind of readers is not popular nowadays as multiculturalism and inclusion are implemented in many countries.  

2.) After reading this article, I think the open-mindedness and the willingness to compare with others can help me develop my ideas in teacher inquiry and critical thinking. Good teachers should be open to all new ideas and not constrained by certain frames or policies. They should think out of the box and have independent thinking to consider what is good to students. No systems are workable forever and so the differences of students' learning, as well as the social change, should be included in the teacher inquiry.

Exit slip about the Frank McCourt's video

After watching Frank's McCourt's video, I think the teacher inquiry meant to McCourt is that teachers should understand their students' background. This can help teachers merge with the students' culture so that teachers can easily build rapports with students. He is also honest to his students and this helps him build trust with them so that students can learn more easily from him. He also mentioned that a teacher should always keep learning and I totally agree with him. A teacher who does not learn continuously is not a teacher.

Entrance Slip-Inquiry Topic Possibilities

The three areas of education I am passionately interested in may be engaging students in classes, evaluating my teaching methods and helping students apply what they learn in their daily lives. If students can't focus in classes, they can't learn anything so I think it is important to engage students in classes. The possible way to do it is to integrate innovative games and interesting videos into the classes. Also I want to know whether my style of teaching is effective and helpful to students. If students do not get what I expect them to know, my teaching effort is totally wasted and so I really need to find ways (e.g., feedback forms or other indirect methods??) to evaluate my teaching method for later refining or modification. The final area that I want to investigate is how to help students apply what they learn in classes. I always hear that students complain about what they learn at school is not applicable to their daily lives. Therefore, I hope I can find a way (e.g., design projects) to help them apply their knowledge in practical use.

After discussing with Ashley, she suggested I can create some homework related to students' daily lives so that they can see how their knowledge can be applied.

Six controversial statements about (mathematics) education - exit slip

Initially I believe the teaching of mathematics is merely about solving mathematical problems, not relevant to the history and philosophy of mathematics. However, after discussing with my group-mates and listening to the comments from other groups, I was mentally struck that it would be helpful to include the history and philosophy of mathematics in the teaching and to introduce some confusion in mathematical problems to help students learn mathematics. Mathematics does not come from nothing and the history and philosophy of mathematics can increase students’ motivation to learn mathematics. Stories behind some mathematical theories can give students an idea about the human side of mathematical knowledge, e.g., the bathing story about Archimedes’ Principle and this can engage students in learning mathematics as they know mathematics is not so abstract and its concepts can be developed from people’s daily lives. I also originally think teachers should not confuse students because this would discourage students to learn mathematics. However, as mentioned by one of my classmates, when a manageable amount of confusion is included in the mathematical problems, students can be induced to think deeply about the problems and this helps them develop their logical thinking in solving mathematical problems. I think this is a good way to train students how to handle problems they have never seen before. Therefore, when I become a mathematics teacher, I should include the history of mathematics in my teaching and introduce some confusion in the problem solving.

Stonehedge

Hello, Welcome to Leo's blog.