0.5 Theory meets practice  (Page 2/3)

Stand in your own classroom and, using this list as a starting point, carefully consider the various aspects of your room as aspace for teaching and learning:

Student seating: How is student seating arranged? Do students sit alone, in pairs, or in groups? How flexible is it? Can it be movedor re-arranged easily?

We suggest that some arrangements of the room itself lend themselves to effective teaching. Some arrangements do not. Ifstudents are asked to listen to a presentation, the rows might work. If students are to work on projects, their chairs and the room should be arranged to meet these needs. In short, the physical space makes adifference.

Circulation: How easy is it to move around the space? Are there aisles? Which areas cannot be reached? Where is the natural place tostand? Can everyone see? Can students get to the teacher? To each other?

Learning resources: How much of your needed resources are in the room? How will students have access to these resources? If there areresources, how many students can use them? What teaching equipment do you have? Do you have electricity?

The room itself: Is it lit well or poorly? Is it hot in the summer? Can everyone hear? How can you and other teachers use this spaceeffectively?

Assignment 10: starting with your classroom

Assignment 10: Starting With Your Classroom

HOW TO GET TO ASSIGNMENT 10

One Way

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Another Way

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GOAL: To make practical improvements in your classroom that also reflect your thinking about Multiple Intelligences.

GIVE: Feedback to others on their assignments at the TWB Learning Cafe by clicking here .

Assignment 10: Starting With Your Classroom

• Describe your classroom addressing the categories and questions listed on the previous page. ("Student Seating, Circulation,Learning Resources, and the Room Itself.") Also, filter your written description through each of the five senses - what do you see, touch,taste, smell, and hear when you're in your classroom. (2-3 paragraphs)
• In "Assignment 7: Applying Multiple Intelligences" you were asked to incorporate some of the intelligences into your course planning.Revisit this assignment and review what you wrote. For each of the four multiple intelligences you chose, discuss how you could improvesomething in the physical setting of your class to enhance that intelligence goal. (1-2 sentences for each of the four intelligencesyou chose.)
• "Student Seating, Circulation, Learning Resources, and the Room Itself" are four areas we've discussed. Name 2 other areas to considerin making your classroom more open to learning. Explain their importance to you.