EDE 4504 Blog 3

Jessica Garcia
Sep 24, 2015
2 min read

Chapter Three in Classroom Spaces That Work was all about the whole-group meeting area of a classroom. "...the whole-group meeting area is the heart of the learning environment, the place where the community is built and nourished"(Clayton and Forton 62). The whole-group meeting area of my classroom is at the colorful carpet by the book shelves. We meet their daily for our read-alouds. After our read-aloud we normally have discussions about the book. The students are seated on the carpet in rows, however I believe it would be more effective for them to sit in a cirlce.

"Having students sit in a circle greatly increases student participation and investment"(Clayton and Forton 62). One of the reasons for this is because students will all be able to make direct eye contact with each other. This will build the notion that they are a community/family and look at their peers when they are speaking. It will also lessen students talking over other students. Some students do this because if someone is answering a question in the front row, they might think no one will see or hear them if they are whispering or off task in the back row. It helps to minimize the number of distractions.

After reading chapter four in the same book, I realized just how important furniture and materials are in setting up for the curriculum. Before reading the chapter, I did not know there was a reason the display boards in my classroom were a certain size for a specific reason. They are all at or below children's eye level as they should be(Clayton and Forton 76). If these dispplay boards are out of sight for some children, they will not take interest in them or use them. I have also notcied that they are kept simple and clear. Students wil become overwhelmed if there is too much information crammed into one display board.

The furniture in the classoom is set up so there is plenty of space for students to work in different areas. There is also plenty of space for students to walk from one location to the other without bumping into each other. Regarding materials, it is crucial to think about the effects they will have on the students and also the kind of use the teacher will get out of them. First off, it is both cost effective and wise to choose materials with multiple uses. Examples of these would be math manipulatives, writing materials, and recycled materials(Clayton and Forton 92). Materials should cater to a variety of interests and ability levels. No student in the class is the same as another and for them to be engaged, it is important for them to see and use materials that reflect them as an individual.