Blog # 26

How Classroom Environment Influences A Students Learning Experience

Introduction

            Many studies have been done in order to determine how the classroom environment can influence a students learning experience. I will be discussing how a teachers positive attitude and the space in a classroom can influence students learning experiences. Throughout my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher of a second grade classroom. The interview opened my eyes to a different way of a positive classroom environment. The interview focused on how the teacher expressed how her upbeat emotional state has actually increased her students learning experience. I also was able to analyze a research paper called “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments” written by Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu. The research paper focuses on classroom environment and student-centered learning which is being implemented into schools all over the world.

 As my research continued I began to understand that the classroom environment has a major impact on student learning experience. A positive classroom environment is a prime element to providing students with the best possible education and also allowing them to learn to the best of their ability. Many educators are unaware of the impact the environment has on their students. This leads me back to the main question, how does a classroom environment influence a students learning experience? I am writing this paper to prove there is more to teaching then going over the curriculum. In order to become a better educator, you need to have an understanding of why and how the environment of the classroom influences a students learning experience.

Literature Review

            One article that I decided to focus on for this particular study was “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments” written by Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu. This research paper focused on student-centered learning and how it influenced students learning. Zuhal firmly believes that “Learning is not only about knowledge making. Children need to be active learners within the context of culture, community, and past experiences”. This research shows that education is not what it was years ago, and many theorists have shared their knowledge about child development which is now being applied to the classroom. “Since both students and teachers participate in learning process, teachers are perceived to be a member of teaching environment and students to be the persons whose individual learning needs should be addressed. Thus, teachers by using more recent teaching methods involve students in learning process more actively. This improves and expands teachers' roles, which in time contributes to team spirit and the culture of working together”. (Cubukcu 50)

           

In order to be an effective teacher one must understand how students learn. As a teacher it is important to understand how students learn to the best of their ability and how the emotional and physical set up of the classroom can influence their experience with learning. Student-centered learning is a new way of setting up the classroom to ensure that each student is excelling with their education. This provides a unique environment for the students who are able to work with other students in their class. With student-centered learning the students are able to learn from one another, whether they are leading the group or getting extra assistance, each student is expected to excel and help assist their classmates with each activity provided by the teacher.

Dr. Zuhal’s research paper focuses on how specifically placing the students into student-centered groups will increase their education. The new way of educating is to allow students to applying their knowledge to something in real life. Providing with students with different activities will only increase their understanding of the topic. Zuahl’s research paper talks about student-centered learning being able to occur at anytime which is found to be a successful strategy in furthering a students education. “Student-centered learning environments evolved as a result of changing beliefs and assumptions related to the role of individual in learning. Student ownership for their goals and activities is essential for a student-centered approach. Teachers, while determining on educational models and approaches in their teaching-learning process, should ensure that they allow students to learn on their own”. (Cubukcu)

Student-centered learning is another way to set up your classroom environment as an educator. This technique allows students to be able to work together and learn from one another while encouraging students to learn on their own. The lecturing of a teacher is not the only option to teaching anymore and with student-centered learning students are able to take what they have learned and apply it to activities that further their education. As an educator it is important to establish what kind of classroom environment you want to create. Allowing the students to become independent is a successful classroom technique that allows students to create their own environment.

Methods

            Throughout my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher in a second grade classroom. The interview took place in the teachers classroom during the lunch break and took about 30 minutes. I chose to conduct an interview because first I enjoy communicating with others and second I wanted to get appropriate responses from someone who is already in the field and who can relate to my research question because they are in the classroom on a daily basis. It was a very relaxed interview and went very well. The teacher was honest and open with me about her opinion which is more than I could have asked for. The teacher and I sat in two separate chairs facing one another, I began asking the questions and the teacher proceeded to answer them. I asked the teacher to answer a few questions regarding her experience in the classroom as well as what changes have been made to the reading program for her school. I was interested to see how a teacher who has been with the school for four years feels about the importance of classroom environment. I also was interested in seeing how the teacher kept the classroom environment and if she felt there was anything else she could do to improve her students education. The interview opened my eyes to many things that never occurred to me before. Because I am studying to be a teacher I went into this interview not only looking for answered but also looking for advice, I am pleased to say that this interview helped me with both.  

Data and Analysis

            The focus of the data is to provide feedback on how the classroom environment can influence a students learning experience. The two categories of analysis that this paper will focus on are the space in the classroom and the teachers positive attitude. These two categories will provide an answer as to whether the classroom environment has an impact on student learning experience.

 

 

Teachers positive attitude

            The classroom is taught by a second grade teacher who I will refer to as A. She has been with the school for four years and has an outstanding amount of positivity that exhilarates the classroom environment. Her cheerful personality carries on to her students which leaves them eager to come to school every day. I was able to conduct an interview with A and she was asked how she feels about a new program called Project Read has influenced her classroom. Her response was, “I feel that it has been very helpful. Since they have been here I have seen an increase in many of the students grades. The program is focused on reading and allowing the students to become comfortable with themselves as readers and writers. The program also implements new ideas on how to arrange the classroom in order to ensure all students are learning to the best of their ability”. A is very confident in the program that has been implemented into her classroom.

I had the opportunity to observe A implementing the program into her lessons and it is clear that her positive attitude towards not only education but to this program is what makes it a success. The students can sense that A is very upbeat about teaching and when they see her positivity it feeds off of her to them. When A was asked about why she feels her classroom has been so successful she responded with, “You need to have the right classroom environment and it has to be happy and peaceful. The energy in the classroom is a major part to learning. It’s not all about the writing on the walls”. This statement reveals that A’s positive attitude towards being an educator is a major factor in effecting a students learning experience.  

The space in the classroom

According to Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu “Student-centered learning environments provide interactive, complimentary activities that enable individuals to address their unique learning interests and needs, examine content at multiple levels of complexity”. This second grade classroom is very spacious, and the students completed work is scattered around the walls. The teacher has her own desk and the students sit in cooperative learning groups of three to four facing the front of the classroom. The reason for the cooperative learning groups is so that each student can learn from their peers, they can work and learn from one another to complete activities that are assigned by the teacher. Cooperative learning groups are used in every classroom to increase student learning. (See image # 1)

In the classroom there is a carpet in the back part of the classroom and on the wall is a chalk board used as the word wall. The carpet area is used to make the student physically comfortable. While the teacher uses the back of the classroom for morning message and for writing time the students are able to relax and feel confident. “With respect to psychological component, the infrastructure has to provide students opportunities of establishing their own knowledge, recalling and activating their prior knowledge and experience, perceiving the natural context, using activities with their personal viewpoint and value judgments”. (Cubukcu 54) The classroom environment that has been established in this second grade classroom is peaceful and it gives the students the confidence they need to be independent and learn from one another and themselves. (See image 2, 3, & 4)

The theory behind the set up of the carpet area is so that students feel at ease while learning, therefore they be able to give their undivided attention to the teacher. There is also a reading corner which consists of many books color coded for the students to read pertaining to their specific reading level. The reading corner is placed to the right of the teachers desk and next to the writing corner. These two stations are strategically placed near by one another so the students can reflect on what they are reading by writing about it. The books are easily accessible  for all of the students which gives them independence when choosing what book to read. As stated before the writing corner is near by the reading corner. The writing corner is where the students can reflect on their reading or just be creative and write down what they feel.  Next to the writing corner is the technology station where the students are able to use laptops to work on practicing skills they are learning. “For effective use of place in terms of the technology component, places should ease communication, support learning visually, offer access to various information sources and be acoustically convenient”. (Cubukcu 54) The technology corer is used for the students to get used to using technology and for students to get extra practice on the lesson for that week or day. The computers are placed in the corner of the classroom and placed on desks. The students can access them during their station time where they are in their cooperative learning groups. All of these stations within the classroom are strategically placed in order to make the students feel comfortable and also to increase student learning. The set up of this classroom environment was purposely set up in order to positively influence students learning. By having the stations close by one another it allows the students to feel in control of their classroom and of their education which makes for a peaceful learning environment. (See image 1 & 2)   

Conclusion

            After being able to analyze the second grade classroom I came to the conclusion that there is more to teaching then instruction based on curriculum. The classroom environment a teacher establishes for her students has an immense impact on students learning experiences. Factors that have an impact on the classroom environment such as the space in the classroom and the teachers positive attitude should be taken into consideration for all new and current teachers. Being able to influence a students learning experience through the classroom environment is a key element to being a successful educator.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Cubukcu, Zuhal. "Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments." . N.p.. Web. 13 Dec 2013.

           

Blog 25

How the classroom set up can influence a students learning

Introduction

            Many studies have been done in order to determine how the classroom environment can influence a students learning. I will be discussing the different ways a classroom environment can influence student learning. Throughout my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher of a second grade classroom. The interview opened my eyes to a different way of a healthy classroom environment. The interview focused on how the teacher expressed how her upbeat emotional state has actually increased student learning. I also was able to analyze a research paper called “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments”. The research paper focused on classroom environment and student-centered learning which is being implemented into schools all over the world.  As my research continued I began to understand that the classroom environment has a major impact on student learning. A positive classroom environment is a prime element to providing students with the best possible education and also allowing them to learn to the best of their ability. Many educators are unaware of the impact the environment has on their students. This leads me back to the main question, how does the way a classroom is environment influence a students learning? I am writing this paper to prove there is more to teaching then going over the curriculum. In order to become a better educator, you need to have an understanding of why and how the environment of the classroom influences student learning.

Literature Review

            One article that I decided to focus on for this particular study was “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments” written by Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu. This research paper focused on student-centered learning and how it influenced students learning. Zuhal firmly believes that “Learning is not only about knowledge making. Children need to be active learners within the context of culture, community, and past experiences”. This research shows that education is not what it was years ago, and many theorists have shared their knowledge about child development which is now being applied to the classroom.

“Since both students and teachers participate in learning process, teachers are perceived to be a member of teaching environment and students to be the persons whose individual learning needs should be addressed. Thus, teachers by using more recent teaching methods involve students in learning process more actively. This improves and expands teachers' roles, which in time contributes to team spirit and the culture of working together”. (Cubukcu 50)

           

In order to be an effective teacher one must understand how students learn. As a teacher it is important to understand how students learn to the best of their ability and how the emotional and physical set up of the classroom can influence their learning. Student-centered learning is a new way of setting up the classroom to ensure that each student is excelling with their education. This provides a unique environment for the students who are able to work with other students in their class. With student-centered learning the students are able to learn from one another, whether they are leading the group or getting extra assistance, each student is expected to excel and help assist their classmates with each activity provided by the teacher.

Zuhal’s research paper focuses on how specifically placing the students into student-centered groups will increase their education. The new way of educating is to allow students to applying their knowledge to something in real life. Providing with students with different activities will only increase their understanding of the topic. Zuahl’s research paper talks about student-centered learning being able to occur at anytime which is found to be a successful strategy in furthering a students education.

“Student-centered learning environments evolved as a result of changing beliefs and assumptions related to the role of individual in learning. Student ownership for their goals and activities is essential for a student-centered approach. Teachers, while determining on educational models and approaches in their teaching-learning process, should ensure that they allow students to learn on their own”. (cubukcu)

Student-centered learning is another way to set up your classroom environment as an educator. This technique allows students to be able to work together and learn from one another while encouraging students to learn on their own. The lecturing of a teacher is not the only option to teaching anymore and with student-centered learning students are able to take what they have learned and apply it to activities that further their education. As an educator it is important to establish what kind of classroom environment you want to create. Allowing the students to become independent is a successful classroom technique that allows students to create their own environment.

Methods:

            Throughout my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher in a second grade classroom. The interview took place in the teachers classroom during the lunch break and took about 30 minutes. I chose to conduct an interview because first I enjoy communicating with others and second I wanted to get appropriate responses from someone who is already in the field and who can relate to my research question because they are in the classroom on a daily basis. It was a very relaxed interview and went very well. The teacher was honest and open with me about her opinion which is more than I could have asked for. The teacher and I sat in two separate chairs facing one another, I began asking the questions and the teacher proceeded to answer them. I asked the teacher to answer a few questions regarding her experience in the classroom as well as what changes have been made to the reading program for her school. I was interested to see how a teacher who has been with the school for four years feels about the importance of classroom environment. I also was interested in seeing how the teacher kept the classroom environment and if she felt there was anything else she could do to improve her students education. The interview opened my eyes to many things that never occurred to me before. Because I am studying to be a teacher I went into this interview not only looking for answered but also looking for advice, I am pleased to say that this interview helped me with both.  

Blog # 24

Original research question: How does the set up of the classroom influence a students learning?
New research question: How the classroom environment influence a students learning experience?

Research paper: Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments written by Zuhal Cubukcu
* Notes from research paper:
-How learning has changes in the classroom.
-Students need to be active in the classroom.
-Students need to be involved in activities and conversations to learn from one another.
-Teachers and students need to work together in order to succeed.
(time, place, and infrastructure)

Notes from presentation in class:
- Talk, people, identities, physical set up.
-Visual analysis (analyzing pictures) color, shape, size, scale.
- Cooperative learning groups
-How students feel(busy, overwhelmed, talkative)
-Emotional experience in the classroom environment

* Compare second grade classroom to space described in Zuhal Cubukcu's research paper and how they influence a students learning experience.
* Describe in detail how a teachers positive attitude can influence a students learning experience.



Data and Analysis:

Categories of analysis are Space and teachers positivity.

Space: quotes I would use in my research paper taken from Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments written by Zuhal Cubukcu 

* "Student centered learning environments provide interactive, complimentary activities that enable individuals to address their unique learning interests and needs. Examine content at multiple levels of complexity , and deepen understanding". (Cubukcu)

* "In student-centered learning environments, students' experience, content, and the construction of knowledge are important. Psychological foundations are rooted in beliefs about how individuals think and learn". (Cubukcu)
* "For effective use of place in terms of the psychological component, places should give students the opportunities for constructing their own knowledge, studying on their own, perceiving knowledge out of class-in, its real-life context, and guiding their learning according to their own individual characteristics". (Cubukcu)

* "For effective use of place in terms of the technological component, places should ease communication, support learning visually, offer access to various information sources and be

acoustically convenient". (Cubukcu)

* "For effective use of place in terms of the pedagogical component, places should support natural learning, relate to students' individual interests, encourage students to exhibit their skills and products, and support the improvement of problem-solving skills. Places should be established in such a way that teachers and students can communicate comfortably, students can produce and

observe their own products, perform group work and study in cooperation". (Cubukcu)

* "For effective use of place in terms of cultural component, places should offer students the chance of seeing conducted research and inventions for gaining in-depth knowledge, taking the social structure into consideration and offering solutions to problems". (Cubukcu)

 

This category of analysis will relate to the environment or space that the students are learning in. Student-centered environments provide students with the best possible learning experience in order for them to learn to the best of their ability. This portion of the essay will focus on a second grade classroom and how the environment creates a good learning experience for all the students. Particularly, the space within the classroom and how it is strategically set up in a particular way.

 

The Teachers positivity: quotes are taken from an interview that I conducted with a second grade teacher.

 

* "I majored in elementary education, and I love it".

* "Yes, one time I had the students make a book and their own stories. It went so well my whole class was recognized for how well everyone did. I was really proud of them".

* "I feel that it has been very helpful. Since they have been here I have seen an increase in many of the students grades. The program is focused on reading and allowing the students to become comfortable with themselves as readers and writers. The program also implements new ideas on how to arrange the classroom in order to ensure all students are learning to the best of their ability".

* "They first focused on the reading area and changed the order of the books, made it more organized and easy for the students to access on their own. Then they focused on setting up the classroom, having students in groups, and having the carpet area placed in the perfect spot. Really they made the classroom more comfortable which allows for a great classroom environment".

* "yes I feel that it has helped and has a positive impact, and the children love it. The children feel in control of their own classroom but also recognize that I am still the teacher".

* " You need to have the right classroom environment and it has to be happy and peaceful. the energy in the classroom is a major part to learning. Its not all about the writing on the walls".

 

This category is focused on the teacher and how her positive attitude toward her students and everything that teaching involves has an impact on the environment in the classroom. The teacher has a positive outlook on her students education which influences the students to try even harder at everything they do. When the teacher in the classroom, who students look up to is happy and positive it creates a peaceful learning environment for the students.

 

    

Blog # 23

How the classroom set up can influence a students learning

Introduction

            Many studies have been done in order to determine how the classroom set up can influence a students learning. I will be discussing the different ways a classroom can be set up that have an influence on student learning. Throughout my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher of a second grade classroom. The interview opened my eyes to a different way of a healthy classroom environment. The interview took a more philosophical turn when the teacher expressed how her upbeat emotional state has actually increased student learning, along with the way her classroom was set up. I also was able to analyze a research paper called “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments”. The research paper focused on classroom set up and student-centered learning which is being implemented into schools all over the world.  As my research continued I began to understand that it is not just the physical way a classroom is set up that influences student learning but it is also the emotional set up of a classroom that has an impact on student learning. These two factors are the main elements to providing students with the best possible environment to work in and having students learn to the best of their ability. Many educators are unaware of the impact that the physical and emotional environment has on their students. This leads me back to the main question, how does the way a classroom is set up influence a students learning? I am writing this paper to prove there is more to teaching then going over the curriculum. In order to become a better educator, you need to have an understanding of why and how the physical and emotional environment of the classroom influences student learning.

Literature Review

            One article that I decided to focus on for this particular study was “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments” written by Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu. This research paper focused on student-centered learning and how it influenced students learning. Zuhal firmly believes that “Learning is not only about knowledge making. Children need to be active learners within the context of culture, community, and past experiences”. This research shows that education is not what it was years ago, and many theorists have shared their knowledge about child development which is now being applied to the classroom.

“Since both students and teachers participate in learning process, teachers are perceived to be a member of teaching environment and students to be the persons whose individual learning needs should be addressed. Thus, teachers by using more recent teaching methods involve students in learning process more actively. This improves and expands teachers' roles, which in time contributes to team spirit and the culture of working together”. (Cubukcu 50)

           

In order to be an effective teacher one must understand how students learn. As a teacher it is important to understand how students learn to the best of their ability and how the emotional and physical set up of the classroom can influence their learning. Student-centered learning is a new way of setting up the classroom to ensure that each student is excelling with their education. This provides a unique environment for the students who are able to work with other students in their class. With student-centered learning the students are able to learn from one another, whether they are leading the group or getting extra assistance, each student is expected to excel and help assist their classmates with each activity provided by the teacher.


Methods:

            Throughout my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher in a second grade classroom. I asked the teacher to answer a few questions regarding her experience in the classroom as well as with changes that have been made to the reading program for her school. I was interested to see how a teacher who has been with the school for four years adjusts to changes make to the way her classroom should be set up.

  

Blog # 22

Interview:

D: Are you ready?

A: Yes (she laughs)

D:Okay so lets begin with simple questions ( I laugh)

D: Where did you go to college?

A: I went to Kean University, same as you.

D: What was your major?

A: I majored in elementary education, and I love it.

D: What grades have you taught?

A: I have only taught second grade.

D: Oh wow, would you ever consider teaching other grades if you had the opportunity?

A: Um yes and no. I love second grade but I like the older grades as well, they are much more independent.

D: How long have you been a teacher for?

A: I have been teaching for four years and this year I was tenured!

D: Wow congratulations! What an accomplishment!

A: Thank you! (she smiles)

D: Do you have any success stories of lessons you have taught?

A: Yes, one time I had the students make a book and their own stories. It went so well my whole class was recognized for how well everyone did. I was really proud of them. (she smiles)

D: That's so great! I would love to see them if you have any you saved.

A: I think I have one somewhere I can show you.

D: How are you adjusting to project read and their program?

A: I feel that it has been very helpful. Since they have been here I have seen an increase in many of the students grades. The program is focused on reading and allowing the students to become comfortable with themselves as readers and writers. The program also implements new ideas on how to arrange the classroom in order to ensure all students are learning to the best of their ability.

D: What specific changes have project read made to your classroom?

A: They first focused on the reading area and changed the order of the books, made it more organized and easy for the students to access on their own. Then they focused on setting up the classroom, having students in groups, and having the carpet area placed in the perfect spot. Really they made the classroom more comfortable which allows for a great classroom environment.

D: That's great to have honestly what a great program!

D: Do you feel that it has helped you with instruction in the classroom?

A: yes I feel that it has helped and has a positive impact, and the children love it. The children feel in control of their own classroom but also recognize that I am still the teacher.

D: Do you feel that the way a classroom is set up can influence a students learning?

A: You need to have the right classroom environment and it has to be happy and peaceful. the energy in the classroom is a major part to learning. Its not all about the writing on the walls.

D: I understand what you mean, there is much more to teaching than many people think. Well thank you so much for your time! I greatly appreciate your time. ( I smile)

A: Your welcome! And anytime. ( she smiles)

Blog # 21

I am in the process of analyzing my other research paper as well as conducting my interview. My next step it to analyze the interview.

I would like feedback on my introduction that is posted on blog 23 and also feedback on analyzing my interview which is on blog 22.

Blog 20

Today I will be asking you a few questions about how you feel your classroom is influenced by the way your classroom is set up. I appreciate you spending this time with me today to inform me on the knowledge of influencing students learning experiences within the classroom. If you have any questions let me know and if you do not want to answer a question also just let me know. This interview is strictly for me to utilize within my research paper and the only people viewing it will be my professor and my classmates.

~After the interview is over: Thank you again for your time and participation.



1) Where did you go to college?
2) What was your major?
3) What grades have you taught?
4) How long have you been a teacher?
5) Do you have any success stories about lessons you have taught?
6) What were the reasons for why the lesson worked so well?
7) When did Project Read join forces with the school you work in?
8) How are you transitioning to the new standards of the classroom set up?
9) What changes have they made to your classroom?
10) What stayed the same?
11) Do you feel that it has helped you with instruction?
12) Do you feel that it is a successful program? If yes, How so?
13) How have the students acclimated to the changes?
14) Would you change anything on your own about the way your classroom is set up?
15) Do you think there is more that can be done in the classroom to influence your students learning?

Blog # 18

For class on Thursday I will be looking into my research paper that I will be using to analyze how a classroom is set up can influence a students learning experience. The research paper is based off of this question of how a childs learning experience can be influenced just by the way the classroom they are in is set up. I will also be doing more research on a website, specifically the childrens literacy initiative. I will be studying a program called project read that implements literacy strategies in classrooms in order to increase a students learning experience. I have the website and plan to analyze it in order to find supporting evidence to this specific research question. My plan is to use these resources to gather as much data on the research question, compare and contrast data in order to find an answer to this research question.

Blog # 17

Research Article: Student-Centered Teaching Environments (Assoc. Dr. Zuhal CubuKcu)

What I am writing about:

For this research paper I am writing about how the way a classroom is set up can influence a students learning experience. I will be writing about the different ways that a classroom can be set up to ensure that a child is having a positive learning experience and also to make sure that all children are learning to the best of their ability. I am also writing about a program called project read that has been implemented into a school in order to make sure that the students learning is being positively influenced. This paper will also include different types of multiple intelligences that the program is focusing on in order to look out for the best interests of all children.

What I am doing to add:

I will be interviewing a teacher of a second grade class that has had experience with classroom set up and also is working side by side with project read. I will be writing about this in the paper describing how they work side by side to ensure the students are learning to the best of their ability.
I will also implement into the paper the "Student-Centered Teaching Environments" research paper and writing about different techniques of changing the way a classroom is set up to influence the students learning.

Structure of paper:

The paper will begin with me introducing my research question which is "Does the way a classroom is set up influence the way students learn"? I will give some background on the topic and inform the reader how classrooms are generally set up verse how they should be set up to increase student learning. Then I will relate my research question to a topic found in the research paper about what others have to say about the topic and what studies have found. I will then go on to explain what will be in the paper and why it is important. The body of the paper will focus on the interview and the research paper results. The paper will end with by relating the topic to the interview and research paper.

Intro:
Many elementary schools from different districts all over the country are struggling to meet the academic scores for testing. Therefore, administrators are being forced to change the way they teach. Resent studies have shown that its not just how the students are being taught but also how their classroom is set that has influenced their learning experience. Does the way a classroom is set up influence the students learning experience? This paper will focus on how administrators are setting up their classroom in order to influence their students learning. The main goal is prove that the way a classroom is set up does have a major impact on a childs learning. This paper includes an interview with a second grade teacher that works side by side with a program called Project Read which is implemented into the school to ensure that all multiple intelligences are being met within the classroom. The paper also refers to an research paper called "Student-Centered Teaching Environments" which relates to the classroom set up and how it influences students learning in the classroom.

Blog # 16

Today I was able to interview Mark B. I went into the interview with questions that I knew I already wanted to ask. As I began asking the questions to Mark the conversation began to flow. Although I was able to ask the questions that I planned on asking, I also asked questions that came up in the conversation as we continued. I asked Mark about 7 different questions about his experience of 9/11. He was very open with me and was willing to describe his experience in detail. While Mark answered the questions I recorded him with my phone, I also took notes on the side on important facts that I knew I wanted to remember from his story. The use of technology in this activity word very well, I was able to listen to the story being told as well as write down key facts about it.

As I was being interviewed I felt very  comfortable. Mark asked me the same sort of questions that I had asked him and I too was willing to share all details about my experience on 9/11. The conversation went very well and flowed into each question. Both of our experiences were very different but we were able to relate to one another through out feelings from the event.

It was great practice interviewing. I feel like I have a good start on the interview process but one think I would change would be to make sure we are both comfortable physically and mentally. I would also get some background information on the person I am interviewing just to get a better understanding on what questions to ask.

Blog # 15

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to identify if and how the way a classroom is set up can influence a childs learning experience. The purpose is to analyze a second grade classroom and determine whether or not the way the classroom is set up has an influence on the childs education. Whether it be a positive or negative effect, I will be studying the classroom to determine the outcome.

Detailed research question: My research question is, how does the set up of a classroom influence a childs learning experience? This research question is aimed toward the physical and verbal set up of the classroom. I am looking to see if the way the classroom is set up has any influence on the childrens educational experience.  

Preliminary Sources:
-The teacher is the second grade class.
- Employee of Project Read.
- Research paper on classroom set up.

List of information I need:
-Interview with teacher of second grade class( how she sets up the classroom, is it effective, her results).
- Information about Project Read( what the program is about, how they implement reading and classroom set up, if their program is effective).
- Research paper about classroom set up( techniques used by other teachers, studies done with results of classroom set up effectiveness)

Plan for gathering information:

- I will be studying a second grade teacher to see how she feels about the effectiveness of the way a classroom is set up can influence a childs learning experience.
- I will also be communicating with an employee of Project Read to see their goal of influencing a childs learning experience through changing how the classroom is set up.
- I will collect my information at the Elementary School the teacher works at through an interview.
-I will be studying three subjects, the teacher, the employee of Project Read, and the students to see if the efforts are effective.
-I will be using an interview and observations.

Blog # 14

I am interviewing a teacher to hear her thoughts about a program that was set in place to change the way a classroom is set up in order to influence a childs learning.Therefore, some interview questions I might ask her would be:

1) Where did you go to college?
2) What was your major?
3) What grades have you taught?
4) How long have you been a teacher?
5) Do you have any success stories about lessons you have taught?
6) What were the reasons for why the lesson worked so well?
7) When did Project Read join forces with the school you work in?
8) How are you transitioning to the new standards of the classroom set up?
9) What changes have they made to your classroom?
10) What stayed the same?
11) Do you feel that it has helped you with instruction?
12) Do you feel that it is a successful program? If yes, How so?
13) How have the students acclimated to the changes?
14) Would you change anything on your own about the way your classroom is set up?
15) Do you think there is more that can be done in the classroom to influence your students learning?

Blog # 13

* The transcript that I choose to use is the chat Room. After analyzing the conversation I was able to determine that S was the person who was interviewing A. S did not have to say much, it must have been a entertaining interview because it seemed as though A was willing to share a lot of information with S. S would say one question and A would continue on and on about a story. Because both S and A were using past tense I was under the impression that the events that they discussed occurred in the past. The spoke about events that happened to A in younger grades in his/her life which led me to the impression that A is long out of college. S is also very laid back as an interviewer. At one point S tells A that he/she will be careful what to put in the interview just incase A didn't reveal certain information to his/her parent. After analyzing the conversation I came to the conclusion that the dominant discourse that both A and S would be involved in would be social media specifically chat rooms, which they referred to as web tv. Every time S would ask a question A would provide a full and complete answer. Maybe it was the type of questions that S was asking but it seemed as though A was very comfortable with sharing information with S. The conversation stays on topic most of the time speaking about chat rooms and the experience A has had with them, whether they were good or bad. The conversation is guided due to the mutual discourse that both A and S are familiar with.

* Research question:
1) Did the tone of the conversation shape how A responded to the questions from S? Why? How?

* Supportive Evidence:
- multiple times S laughed which made the conversation more relaxed.
- S only asked 9 short questions where as A spoke about 18 times about his/her experience. This proves that A is comfortable with S.
- Both S and A were using past tense which indicates that these events took place in the past.
- S is a laid back interviewer, laughing and giving A time to answer the question. S only has to say a few words at a time for A to give a full answer.
- Both A and S are involved in some sort of social media related discourse, specifically chat rooms. Both A and S use the term chat room. As well as A telling stories that happened to him/her about experiences in the chat rooms specifically called web tv.
- They both have a general understanding of other computer programs that came with the older computers. Such as paint, emails, and messaging systems.

Blog # 12

The gaming script speaks about how people already have the basic functions to interpret and unknown program. CH is writing in a very laid back tone, which implies that he/she is just trying to make B feel comfortable and to understand that he is capable of learning more about these programs. Although both involved in this conversation are a part of the video game discourse community they use different language when communicating with one another. B is more questionable when he/she speaks and is more reserved, at one point he even tells CH that he/she is laughing. Where as CH is straight to the point and comes across more knowledgeable of the topic at hand. The gaming script was a conversation between two people, CH and B. It is clear that they are part of the video game discourse community. I noticed that they used specific terms to describe different programs that they both had knowledge of, such as fontpage, powerpoint, and excel. They also offer one another pointers on how to navigate different programs in a way that people with no video game experience would not understand.

Some research questions that I might ask about the transcripts are:

* Did the relaxed tone of the conversation alter how the conversation went?
* Is one person in the conversation more knowledgeable about the discourse?

Blog # 11

My name is Debra and I am a student at Kean University studying to become an Elementary School teacher. My research project will be focused on how the set up of a classroom can influence a childs learning experience. The research will be conducted in your classroom. I am aware that the school you work at is teamed up with Project Read which purpose is to have each classroom in the school set up with specific standards in order to ensure every student learns to the best of their ability. I will research other papers that involve this topic as well as get information from your classroom, also how your students react to this programs changes to the classroom will also be used as evidence whether or not the program is effective. I will also be analyzing if the changes to the set up of the classroom are effective. I will ask you questions about the program and see how you feel it has effected her classroom. My professor and classmates and  will be seeing it. This should take a school days worth of time. Thank you for your time.

Blog # 10

Data Set 4.1 (Describing a Discourse Community)

-Global Comments:
* Positive feedback
* More general comments
* Correlates with bubble comments

-Bubble Text:
* Positive feedback
* Organized and direct.
* Not overwhelming
*Provides insight on exactly what to work on
* Correlates with global comments

Research Question:
* Do the close similarities between the global comments and the bubble texts effect the way the student chooses to revise the paper?

Data Set 4.2 (How to Guide: Argument)

-Global Comments:
* Straight forward
* Slightly unorganized
* Lists exactly what teacher would like to see in paper

-Bubble Text:
*Positive Feedback
* Straight forward
* Encourages students to think outside of the box
* Asks further questions to guide students thought process

Research Question:
* How does the directness of both the global comments and bubble texts effect the students revisions?

Data Set 4.3 (Plagiarism)

-Global Comments:
* Informs student what they did correctly
* very positive
* Lists three specific suggestions teacher would like student to incorporate into paper

-Bubble Text:
* Asks questions to encourage student to think more about topic
* Questions specific areas in students paper
* Not formal

Research Question:
* Does the informal demeanor of the comments make the writing process more or less challenging for the student?

Data Set 4.4 (Analysis of a Writers Process)

-Global Comments:
*  Provides direct positive feedback
* Clear on what teacher is looking for
* Correlates with bubble texts

-Bubble Text:
* Provides accurate feedback on what teacher is looking for
* Provides suggestions in a formal way
* Correlates with global comments

Research Question:
* Could the comments from the teacher subconsciously change the original viewpoint of the writer?

Blog # 9

1. Identify your focus.  This is a general statement of what you are interested in.
 
*My research paper will be on identifying how a classroom set up can influence a child's learning.

 2. Identify your research question:  What in particular do you want to find out?  State your question in as specific terms as you can: the age/identity of your subjects, the location of your study, the particular activities/features you will focus on. 

*How the set up of the second grade class at the Elementary School in Perth Amboy NJ influences the students learning.

3. Who has studied this question and what do they say.  For this prompt - mention any article that you have read where researchers have explored answers to your question.  If you can't find any articles - tell me something about what you searched for and what you found (even if it wasn't right).
* I do not have an essay to research yet.

4.What do I need to find out to answer this question?  This prompt is to help you clarify and deepen your research question.
* I need to find out the different techniques that are used to set up a classroom for the best learning environment.
* I need to find out the school policy of how the classroom should be set up.
*I need to find out what learning styles the children have in the classroom (multiple intelligences) in order to set up the classroom so each student can learn to the best of their ability.

 5.  What do I need to do to gather information that will answer my question?
 This prompt is to help you think about how to design your study.  Who will you work with?  Where?  what will you do together?

*I need to research essays or articles about this topic.
* I need to interview someone within the school district that has prior experience setting up a classroom.

What I need to do is speak with my cooperating teacher and speak with the specialists on how they go about setting up their classrooms and the school standards for how the classroom should look.

I need from my professor to help with research essays online.

Blog # 8

1) When students entered the program they were not sure what field to use their degree in. The graduation survey showed that most of the graduating students were eventually able to determine where they wanted to use their field of study. As shown in the responses, the answers are more specific instead of just general responses.

2) As far as confidence in student writing they are more confident in their abilities in their writing when they leave. For Example, they are able to write a 25 page paper, they are able to write a primary research paper, and they are more confident in using their writing in their future profession.

3) Their knowledge of writing studies theorists increased. Peter Elbow went from 33% to 100%. Also, the students started out having knowledge about five particular theorists and as they came closer to graduating the students had obtained knowledge of nine of the theorists.

4) When the students are asked if they would like to take any additional courses one students said "no" and others had a vague idea of what courses reflected on the program. As the graduating student they were more aware of what programs would correlate with their study and also they had a better idea of what they would like to learn in addition.

5) When the students first entered the program they had no knowledge of the research paradigms. All sections (positive, social constructivist, liberatory, pragmatic) were filled out "I don't know". It is clear that along the way the students gained knowledge of the research paradigms, all of the boxes for social constructivist were filled out, one for positive and liberatory and three for pragmatic were completed.  

Blog # 7

What does this data reveal about social dynamics in this class?


1.      Most of us do not know each other well: all the questions that were being asked and answered

Classmates asked names

Classmates asked majors

Classmates also asked for favorite colors

Classmates also asked where other classmates were from?

The general questions that were asked demonstrated that classmates did not know others very well. The questions that were asked were questions one asks to "get to know" someone

2.      Those who did somewhat know each other from other classes gravitated towards each other – recognized faces.

                                                     #3 had class with Emily and Angie before

§  Also states “Upon beginning the activity I began talking to people I was more familiar with in the class.”

§  Also states “I also noticed that many people began talking to people they already knew before getting to know the strangers.”

o   #5 had class with Angie and Kristina before

o   #10 went to same High school as Dina

o   #1 was in same classes as Emily, Kristina, Megan, and Courtney

o   #7 had classes with Angie and Emily

o   #2 states “I remember that people started out speaking with others who they already knew before they went on to speak with others in the class.”

 

 

3.       Some people were more commanding (in charge) of the conversations.

   

          In general everyone in the class was able to hold a conversation. As usual, there is always others who tend to be more outgoing which may come across as being in control of the conversation. According to out data Marc Bergen, Courtney, and Emily were the most outgoing for this activity. Marc was mentioned asking questions in headnotes, jottings, and things remembered. Courtney was mentioned asking questions in jottings, and Emily was mentioned asking questions in headnotes and in things remembered.

 

 

4. People felt uncomfortable because of this forced situation. Give examples from data.

- People felt uncomfortable because of this assignment especially in the beginning. When Dr. Chandler told everyone to get up and head towards the middle, at  first no one got up from their seats or rushed up to the middle of the room. Only when a person decided to get up that was when everyone else began moving. People didn't seem to want to speak with others, were either shy or nervous to ask others questions. Some people were hesitant to ask questions that would make both comfortable. There were some people who didn't feel comfortable moving from one group to another. Just the awkward spacing made people at first feel uncomfortable until the end of the assignment was when people began feeling comfortable with each other. 

 

Blog # 6

Jotting:

Shook hands with Courtney
Asked Courtney where she lived
Laughed
Marc likes Kean
More laughing
Emily commutes to Kean
Shake hands
Sabrina lives on campus
Knew of similar place
Garden State Plaza
Paramus
Movie theater
Disney World
English writing majors
Graduating soon
Commuting
Hillside
Praxis

Head notes:

What makes me happy
My most favorite place to be on earth is on the beach
I don't want to talk about the praxis anymore
I should move form this spot
Everyone keeps smiling
Everyone spoke clearly
made eye contact with everyone I spoke with
Class laughed when professor interrupted
Some people already knew my major
I already knew some peoples majors
Angie lives where my dad works
Im glad I know more about my classmates

Things I remembered later:

People were still talking even though we were instructed to go back to our seats
Sabrina and Marc were writing down their notes on their phones
We stayed in one general area of the classroom
We needed some push from our professor at times
Everyone had different questions to ask
The first three people I spoke to were already sitting in my row

Observations about what happened:

At first when we began speaking to one another it was a bit uncomfortable. When we got to know a little more about eachother the conversation became more comfortable and relaxed. The conversations were very genuine which made it easy to keep the conversation going. For the most part everyone was willing to engage in conversation and ask whatever questions were necessary in order to get the information they needed. I think this activity worked very well because we were able to see what its like to take fieldnotes as well as being able to get to know our classmates a little better.

Blog # 5

Today in class we were able to come to the conclusion that our class compared to our school, English majors and English writing majors was the strongest discourse community. After seeing the results of our data, our class which is the smallest of the discourse communities we discussed, had the strongest opportunity to be a discourse community. We spoke about possible reasons for this result, one of them being that the smaller the discourse the more of an established discourse it was. Another theory of how we could prove our data is that a class is made for a particular reason, for people to choose to take for their own personal reasons. A classroom has all the same goals and genres and mechanisms that everyone must meet. Compared to a college or an English major or writing major people can choose to do anything, although there are guidelines for each there is still room for differences. There are many students in college achieving different things, and there are many English majors also on different paths, but when it comes to a classroom everyone is following the same guidelines.

             I feel that two of swales categories have a major impact on of a community can be considered a discourse. For instance, a discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members. Every discourse community communicates in their own way. Whether it be required or independently, looking at our data this category has the lowest numbers due to the fact that every community has its own was of communication. Another category I would consider to be critical is: a discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. Similar to the mechanisms this goal of Swales has to do with communication in a form of feedback. Whether you are giving it or receiving it there are guidelines that will provide right from wrong. This has resulted to be very different within the discourse communities. These findings changed my view of discourse communities. It is safe to say that my perception of a discourse community was not accurate before taking this course. My general understanding of discourse communities has evolved with this information and I am now able to understand that it takes effort and a tight night community to be considered a discourse. Is that all that a discourse community is made up of? Is there more to a discourse than what Swales suggests?

Blog #4

1) A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals.

            * Pass the class

            * Complete course requirements on syllabus

            * Produce essays through drafting process

            * Identify central ideas of a text through discussion

            * Give an interactive presentation

2) A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among

its members.

            * Class discussion

            * Email

            * Blog

            * Handouts

3) A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback.

            * Feedback from blog

            * Syllabus

 

 4) A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres

in the communicative furtherance of its aims.

* Readings

* Shaggy dog stories

* Looking at classmate blogs

             

5) In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis:

            * Discourse

            * Ethnography

            * lexis

            * Methodologies

6) A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable

degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.

            *Professor will always be in class

            * Students eventually graduate

1) A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals.

The shared goals aspect of a discourse community definitely applies to our class. The most common one, besides learning new things about writing, is that members  want pass the class and earn three credits. We also have to produce and present projects and assignments that apply to a particular curriculum.The need to understand and analyze class materials is also a goal of every member of the class.

2) A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among

it’s members.

In our class English 3029, we are a discourse community because intercommunication is very important within the classroom. We are working on ways of analyzing data, and it makes it essential to discuss ideas with the classroom because every person analyzes data differently. We communicate by bringing our ideas and research to other members within the discourse community, and we collaborate through that. That can be worked through class discussion, e-mail, blogs, and hand-outs.

3) A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback.

           

In our class English 3029  we have a discourse community because we use participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback. We get feedback from our blogs. It gives us information daily regarding what we are learning in class. It also lets us see what other people in the class think about what we are learning. The syllabus used in the class also provides information and feedback. It lets us know the schedule for the entire semester, among other important things regarding the class.   

 4) A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.

4) A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.

 

In our class English 3029 we utilize many different genres. Among these genres are different readings given to us by our professor. The Shaggy Dog Stories are a good example of stories given to us and discussed in class. Looking at and reviewing our classmates blogs is another way in which our community utilized genres. This furthers our learning process as a whole. In turn making us a discourse community. 

 

 5) In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis:

         Our class English 3029 is considered to be a discourse community. Many communities that are considered to be a discourse share common features, such as language. In every discourse community there is a particular set of vocabulary words that are used to communicate. Our class is a discourse community because we use words such as discourse, ethnography, lexis, and methodologies on a daily basis in order to communicate and understand one another. For someone who is not part of our discourse they would most likely not understand many of these terms.   

 

 6) A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable

degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.

The reason why  this applies to our class, is that as with all school classes, there is  always rotating number of new members, with new members who are always learning new things  from more experienced members. So the class will always have new members in the form of  a new semester of students, relevant material in form of education tools like scholarly articles, and discoursal expertise in the form of a professor teaching the class.