journals

Week 2: Stepping into the primary learning environment

This assessment task requires you to write one 400-word journal entry each week on the concepts explored in the first four weeks of the unit. In total you will submit, in a Word document, 4x400- word journal entries. The purpose of this assessment task is to reflect on the knowledge and understandings you acquire from the weekly online activities (specified below). You are expected to draw on the prescribed weekly readings and resources to help support your reflections, as well as independently sourced scholarly literature.

For each journal entry, you must include evidence of the completed weekly activity (clearly indicated in your submission). Please note that your response to the weekly activity itself will not be assessed, however, it must be submitted in order for you to at least pass the assessment task.

Responses to the weekly activities will not be included in the word count. Each journal entry will follow the Connect-Extend-Challenge thinking strategy:

Connect – how are the ideas and information you’ve explored this week connected to what you already know? Firstly, you need to consider how all of the information and new concepts you have read and thought about connects to your pre-existing knowledge and experience. Provide an example (1-2) here demonstrating this connection with theory to support.

Extend – in what ways has your thinking been extended by these ideas and this information? Then you need to consider how the new material and discussions on Bb with your fellow students has extended your thinking. What is something new you have learnt? How have your ideas been developed? Have we discussed something that you had not previously considered? Use examples and theory to support.

Challenge – what challenges do you think you will face in applying this knowledge/understanding to your classroom practice? Finally, you need to highlight the challenges you may face in applying the concepts and new knowledge from Week 1 into practice during your practicum and as a teacher into the future. Again include examples and theory support.

1. Understanding of concepts

The key concepts that underpin each of the activities have been accurately identified and critically reflected upon. A comprehensive and succinct knowledge of the concepts being explored has been demonstrated and well-supported with relevant and meaningful academic literature.

2. Link between theory and activity

The entries demonstrates a deep, insightful and sophisticated understanding of connections between prior and new knowledge. The ways knowledge has been extended are thoughtfully articulated.

3. Transfer of knowledge into practice

Insightful and succinct entries demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the challenges in applying new knowledge to practice. The entries are fully supported with meaningful and relevant examples and sophisticated integration of ideas from relevant, current and diverse bodies of scholarly literature.

4. Academic writing.

The journal entries are professionally presented, well-structured and logically ordered. The writing has no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. APA referencing is correct.

Readings

Focus: Creating a safe and effective learning environment

Last week we started our practicum journey by getting to know each other and examining the importance of effective communication within a school context. We then explored the significance of building professional and caring relationships with your mentor, students and families.

This week we continue our introduction to the primary setting by looking at the primary learning environment. We will begin by unpacking some of the key principles required to create a safe and effective learning environment and will then refine our exploration to focus on its various facets including the physical, social and emotional environments. We will conclude by focusing on strategies to manage the learning environment and exploring the multiple dimensions of classroom management.

The concepts that you cover this week will assist you in developing your understanding of the multiple dimensions of a primary learning environment and will help you prepare for your first practicum in a primary setting. They will also help you prepare for Assessment 2: Lesson plans, as many of these concepts are interwoven throughout the lesson planning process.

Before delving into our first concept for this week, take a moment to consider your own schooling experience in light of how safe, supportive and inclusive the learning environments were and also, how engaging and challenging your learning experiences were. Which learning environments stood out to you the most and why? How were each of these components structured within the environment?

Creating a safe and effective learning environment

To begin our exploration of the learning environment, we will start off by asking the question, what constitutes an effective learning environment? Nicholson (2013) explores this concept thoroughly through the 5 Key Principles Model (5KP), highlighting five areas required to create and maintain an effective learning environment. These principles (pillars) are as follows:

· Pillars 1-3: Safety, Support and Inclusion (socio-cultural pillars of effective learning environments)

· Pillars 4-5: Challenge and Engagement (the critical facilitators of learning).

Throughout the following reading, Nicolson (2013) unpacks this model in detail and provides real-life examples, scenarios, policies and insights into how the five key principles form the basis for creating effective learning environments. Furthermore, he highlights some of the possible implications for teachers and provides practical strategies, as to how each principle can be applied within a classroom context.

 Reading

Read Nicholson (2013), Chapter 9 Organising the Learning Environment, pp. 300-318. As you progress through this reading, carefully reflect upon the implications that have been identified. See if you can add any new ideas to the classroom applications/strategies that have already been suggested.

Exploring the physical learning environment

The way in which a classroom is organised not only sets the tone for how the students feel, think and behave, but it also shapes the social interactions and learning that takes place within it (Roskos & Neuman, 2011). In order to maximise the physical learning environment, a number of factors need to be considered including: safety, comfort, space, sound, equipment, mobility, attractiveness, storage and resources. Kostelnik (2004) explores each of these factors in the following reading and provides some practical examples on how each one can be optimised to enhance the learning environment.

 Reading

Read the following section 'Organising the Physical Environment' in Chapter 5 Organizing space, materials, time, and children's groups(Kostelnik, 2004), pp. 120-146. As you proceed through this reading, reflect back on your own schooling experience and consider how the environments were organised. In what ways did the factors mentioned throughout this reading influence the behaviour, social interactions and learning that took place?

Exploring the social and emotional learning environment

Schools that create socially and emotionally sound learning and working environments, and that help students and staff develop greater social and emotional competence, in turn help ensure positive short- and long-term academic and personal outcomes for students, and higher levels of teaching and work satisfaction for staff.

Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (2011)

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a vital component of the learning environment and an important consideration for all educators. Social and emotional learning focuses on character development and the development of many essential life skills, such as developing a positive sense of self, building respectful relationships, recognising and managing one’s own emotions and making responsible decisions (DEECD, 2013). The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website (2013) provides a clear and concise overview of the benefits of social and emotional learning and directs you towards a wide range of practical websites and valuable resources that can be used directly to support the teaching of social and emotional learning.

 Online resources

View the following website Social and emotional learning (DEECD Victoria, 2013). As you explore these resources, consider developing your own toolbox of practical SEL resources that you can draw upon and further add to, throughout your practicums.

Managing the learning environment

We will conclude our focus on learning environments this week, by introducing you to a range of classroom management approaches within the primary context. Classroom management within a school setting refers to the overall management of the learning environment, including instructional factors, discipline strategies, relationships and overall management issues (Larrivee, 2009, p 33). It is often one aspect of teaching that pre-service teachers find most daunting/overwhelming. How do you control the whole class when there are so many different activities and interactions taking place? How do you discipline a student who misbehaves and what do you do if they continue with this behaviour?

In the final reading for this week, Larrivee (2009) explores the multiple dimensions of classroom management and offers valuable insight into a wide range of approaches. As you make your way through this reading, start to think about the different approaches to classroom management that particularly resonate with you, as well as, those that don’t. What is it about these approaches that particularly stands out to you and why?

 Reading

Read Larrivee (2009), Chapter 2 A multidimensional approach to classroom management, pp. 33-55. As you work through this reading, you may also find it helpful to take down some notes of the various strategies and reflective prompts that are mentioned. These notes will be a valuable resource to take with you on your first practicum, encouraging you to reflect on the various approaches to classroom management and furthermore, the choices that you are making.     

Activities

http://teacherevidence.net/professional-standards/ after waching this the you answer those questions

Physical Learning Environment- The physical environment within this video Year 1 Science shows that: -Teacher at the front of the class so students can see him at all times  -Visual posters all over the room  -Students to clear own desk and prepared for new learning  -Space in class very cluttered, not many separate learning areas for example quiet reading corner with cushions, group space where small groups for 2-6 people can work together quietly and interact together.  -No use of learning centres but the computer tables  -Just rows of tables and chairs with a walking path on either side of groups of tables  -Class room looks safe and comfortable  -One issue with students swinging on chairs due to boredom

Social and Emotional Learning Environment- The social and emotional learning environment within this video Year 1 Science shows that: -Collaborative learning involving students answering questions and watching the video on weather.  -A few students are looking disengaged  -Using technology to interact class and display how weather changes throughout the day  -Praise for when students answer the question  -Teacher is showing enthusiasm and interest in the topic -Slows the class down when becomes a little bit loud, pauses and starts again  -First time watching the video the students were told to just watch however then he started asking questions which leads to students feeling confused.  -Explains difficult terminology “predict” -Pointing out by using student names who’s doing the right thing, and students who aren’t  -Using gestures and encouraging tone of voice even when students are not correct  -Eye contact  How the class is being managed- The class at the start were told to clear their desk. The teacher used individual names for who were doing the right thing and who were doing the wrong thing. The teacher then said “okay were ready to start now. With that the class stopped talking and were all eyes and ears to the teacher. The students were all sitting at their tables watching and listening. The teacher recaps on what the class has previously learnt in science (weather). Technology was used to show students on how the weather changes throughout the day. While the video plays the first time the teacher is asking questions, that students should be thinking about. However he doesn’t really instruct this to the students which leads to confusion. Second time watching the video students were asked to predict what will happen. The teacher is asking questions about the video for example what’s changing throughout the day. The class was managed using discussion teaching method using question for students to answer.

 

 

 

Ways in which these particular learning environments could be modified to enhance its safety and the facilitation of learning. Physical environment:

· Provide more room within the class room it’s very cluttered and space out the tables

· In my opinion I wouldn’t use tables at all I would remove the tables and have all the students sitting in a semi circle facing the active white board.

· Learning centre in the class room environment a quiet sitting area, an area for small group activities, a large space for a whole class discussion.

Social and Emotional Environment:

· Remove chairs and tables can be a distraction, children rocking on the chairs etc.

· Get students to sit on the floor in a semi circle looking at the active white board

· Students watch the video once and then I would have placed them into groups

· Each group will get a question to answer and can work together.

· The class comes back together and share their answers to the questions this enables students to be engaged and interacting at the same time.

· I would not address individual students who are doing the wrong thing I will pause wait a minute and repeat the instruction some students make take longer to process the information

· Use clear precise instructions for example we will just watch the video first

· After the video then I would say are there any questions so students have a chance to clear up anything that does not make sense.

· I think students were disengaged after watching the video the first time breaking the class into group gives them a chance to take control of their learning.