Lindsay


 *  Research Question ****: How is learning environment related to teacher excellence? **


 * Author ****: Lindsay Heckmann **


 * “Smaller, Better High Schools” (editorial) **


 * Summary: **

This editorial describes how New York City has opened 47 new high schools since 2002. Previously, New York City’s high school would sometimes have more than 3,000 students with a graduation rate of less than half. Opening these new and smaller schools were a part of the mayor’s education reform program. The goal was to bring down class sizes, create an intimate learning environment, and improve graduation rates. This reform would also promote teacher-student relationships. This program has improved graduation rates in the city to an overall 60% but the program still has a long way to go for the more impoverished areas. However, it is obvious that these smaller schools are a key part of the solution to New York City’s education issues.


 * Reaction: **

This editorial is an excellent representation of how having smaller class sizes improves student-teacher relationships as well graduation rates. This article is an exemplary example of how cutting down school sizes makes students school experience more intimate and personal. The most common problem in a classroom is having a class that is so large that the instructor cannot spend too much time with individual students. The New York City school district solved this problem in this education reform program. I think Rhode Island should follow NYC's good example and create a rule stating that a class shouldn't exceed a certain size. In doing so, schools would provide a better learning environment for every student. These students would also be guaranteed a more personal relationship with their teachers as well as better preparation for graduation. After all, isn't having students graduate the ultimate goal?

Smaller, Better High Schools. (2007, July 6).//New York Times//. Retrieved from []
 * Citation: **


 * “The Ideal Classroom” (scholarly article) **


 * Summary: **

This article specifies all the accommodations a proper school should have. According to this reading, schools should incorporate everything needed to maintain human values, function, and mechanisms. This means that a school shouldn’t be a dark, dismal, dated place. It means that a school environment should have good lighting, ventilation, heating, sanitation, updated technologies, updated materials, etc. Moreover, these schools should offer all the amenities needed for every student, including those with special needs. “The Ideal Classroom” explained what is needed to create an ideal classroom. In this piece, Rhode Island former commissioner of public schools and author of //School Architecture,// Henry Banyard//, s//tated this about one of Rhode Island’s district school houses “It’s location, construction, furniture and arrangements, seemed intended to hinder and not promote, to defeat and not perfect, the work which was to be carried on within and without its walls…to make an edifice good for school purposes, it should be built for children at school and their teachers.” This article was extremely interesting and informative regarding the topic of learning environment.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Reaction: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I completely agree with every aspect of this article. A student can’t be expected to put forth their best work if they are sitting in the dark, are freezing cold, or do not have the same advantages as their peers. Schools should assure that their students are well equipped and comfortable in their learning environments. In attending <range type="comment" id="951289">Pilgrim High School in Warwick, Rhode Island myself, I can attest that many of these problems occurred during a typical school day. There were times were it was too cold to focus on the material on the board, no toilet paper in the bathrooms, and no working computers available. This article directly informs our concerns about Rhode Island schools because it explains what they should aspir<range type="comment" id="65339">e to offer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Rydeen, F. (2005). The Ideal Classroom. //American School & University//. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid= 2d8dbd9b7ed049a0956f176e972b9b5f%40sessionmgr115&vid=2&hid=122
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 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">“Noisy Restaurants, Noisier Schools” (analysis article) **


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Summary: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">This article explains how outdated schools with architecture that prevents good acoustics is unfair to those students with auditory, learning, or behavioral problems. The poor acoustic condition of many public school classrooms is a concern and the implementation of acoustical standards for all learning spaces is under discussion by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. Budget limitations and ignorance are potential problems in the fight to obtain proper acoustic standards for public schools. However, is it the <range type="comment" id="593352">students t hat will suffer from these poor acoustical environments.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Reaction: **

I believe that this article raises a major concern for all the public schools because the question of “how can a student be expected to learn if they cannot hear what is being taught?” comes to mind. I believe that a classroom should have all the necessary accommodation available for any type of student to learn. With that said, it is a <range type="comment" id="190322">major issue that there are classrooms all over the country in which students cannot hear properly. This problem applies to Rhode Island Schools as well as any other outdated schools throughout the nation. I feel as though a proper classroom environment is vital to a student’s success and that appropriate acoustic standards should be mandated by all school districts to assure that every student’s needs are met. If administrators are concerned with academic achievement on state mandated tests, they should make sure that those students taking the tests are able to learn the material without environmental factors preventing them from doing so.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Collings, D. (2000, August 13). Noisy Restaurants, Noisier Schools. //New York Times//. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/13/nyregion/l-noisy-restaurants-noisier-schools-641065.html?scp=28&sq=hostile+classroom+environment&st=nyt
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Citation: **


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"A Memorable Day Out" (summary article) **


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Summary: **

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This article was about how changing a child’s learning environment can be beneficial for both student and teacher. In this article, students were taken on a field trip to visit Charles Darwin’s former home “Down House.” This article demonstrated how teachers can take children out of the classroom every so often to “promote children’s observational skills and scientific thinking in any learning environment you choose to visit.” On field trips such as these, it is shown in this article that students engage with what they see and focus better to remember what they observed, heard, or thought on their day out of t<range type="comment" id="60109">he classroom. Teachers prepared the students by giving them questions to think about before the trip, providing something to look for and focus on. Students showed interest and put forth effort during their visit to this new learning environment.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Reaction: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This article was extremely interesting and informative. I think this reading displays how the classroom can sometimes be restricting and students should be able to have varying learning environments occasionally. These minor changes promote better, more effortful work. I think that Rhode Island schools should encourage, not discourage, educational field trips. <range type="comment" id="765652">Funds should be set aside for educational excursions such as the one analyzed in this article. I feel as though students need something to get excited about every so <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; line-height: 23px;">often, and providing an activity that both excites and educates students is beneficial for both teacher and pupil. Speaking as a student who was not able to have field trips from 4th to 7th grade due to a teacher strike, I know the amount of excitement builds up when about to leave for a field trip and the amount of disappointment that occurs when they're taken away. When the ability to hold field trips was reinstated, they were still discouraged by administrators because of the costs of transportation alone. Classroom environment, and variation in that environment are <range type="comment" id="363665">extremely important.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Goldie-Morrison, K., Johnson, S., & Maloney, J. (2011). A Memorable Day Out. //Primary Science//, 30-32.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Citation: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">I believe that having an appropriate <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> learning environment is vital to achieving teacher excellence. Through my research, I provided several examples of how poor learning environments negatively affect students. These examples also demonstrate the adverse effects on instructors attempts at effectively teaching said students. I enjoyed conducting my research and learning about the numerous issues that are prominent in schools all over the country. For example, I was not aware that there were students that were having trouble hearing lessons in classrooms that were not acoustically up-to-date. On the contrary, it is interesting to learn how enriching and valuable field trips or changing a students learning environment occasionally can be.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Overall Reaction to my Research: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Speaking as a student who attended an institution that was outdated, had limited resources and ran on restrictive budgets, I am certain learning environment effects both student and teacher excellence. There were numerous instances where one of my teacher would explain a field trip they would like to plan but how they could not finalize it due to budget cuts. Moreover, my peers and I were often, if not always, distracted by freezing temperatures or falling ceiling tiles. Therefore, I am adamant about schools providing proper learning environments for both student and teacher due to my research and personal experiences. If teacher are expected to achieve excellence, they should have access to whatever is needed to fulfill this goal.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Relevance** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> in Rhode Island Schools: ** <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">My research is relevant in Rhode Island schools because many if not the majority of these institutions are outdated and ill-equiped. These negative factors directly impact the quality and effectiveness of student's learning environment. My research has proven that smaller class sizes, proper classroom accommodations, access to necessary resources, and variance in said environments are all vital in achieving teacher and student excellence. Rhode Island schools need to focus less on things such as state testing and more on providing the important aspects of a students educational experience--learning environment. Maintaining a proper learning environment is an integral part of student and teacher excellence.