Learning Environment Plan Phase I

Taskstream Assignment Phase I: Learning Environment

(Classroom Layout and Rationale)

This is the first phase of a two-phase assignment and is the Taskstream artifact for this course.  For this assignment (Phase

1

), you are to design and present (via a computer generated diagram) the physical classroom layout for a class of elementary students described to you. Then, following the guidelines provided, you are to provide a narrative description of that layout and its rationale. The rationale for this assignment is for you to have practice creating an effective classroom learning environment for you and your diverse students to engage in varied learning activities.

For this assignment, you are expected to design an effective learning environment plan. The plan must be typed (12 point-Times font) double-spaced. Clearly identify each section/subsection of the plan. Please make sure your assignment is grammatically correct and be sure to proofread your work.

Below is the information that you will need to complete Phase I. Be sure to read this carefully. I look forward to seeing your classroom designs.

Phase I- Learning Environment (FEAP 1.a.2.a; 1.a.2.f) (ESOL 4.1.b)

·
Physical Layout: A computer generated diagram with the physical layout of your elementary classroom with a minimum of
20 students including:

• 3 students with limited English proficiency:

· 1 student with limited English proficiency is of Cuban origin, Spanish being their primary language.

· 1 student with limited English proficiency is of Haitian origin, Creole and French being their primary languages.

· 1 student with limited English proficiency is of Brazilian origin, Portuguese being their primary language.

• 5 students who have been identified as part of the Exceptional Student

Education (ESE) program:

· 1 student has been identified as dyslexic. This student confuses letter names and sounds, demonstrates difficulty with blending sounds into words and exhibits a slow rate of reading while also struggling to remember what was read.

· 1 student has been identified as having a visual processing disorder, struggling to interpret visual information.

· 1 student has been identified as having Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), demonstrating issues with concentration and focus. This student is easily distracted, impulsive, can’t sit still, loses interest easily and tends to daydream.

· 2 students have been identified as gifted, depicting high achievement capabilities and exceptional ability to reason and learn. These students tend to produce above average (above grade-level) work.

• 3 students with more than typical behavior problems

• 9 general education students

The computer generated diagram must graphically display the below noted items and
must be individually labeled; do not use symbols or abbreviations as they relate to each physical structure:

A. Seating arrangements that promote a cooperative learning environment (please include an arrow to display the direction of seats)

B. Labels for desks of
each of the students described above. Please include a legend if you choose to use acronyms as labels. This is the
only location where acronyms will be accepted if a legend accompanies the layout.

C. The teacher’s desk: Keep in mind that teacher’s should spend minimal time at the teacher’s desk, using proximity to evaluate behavior and understanding-even when students are testing. Teachers should only be at the teacher’s desk when students are out of the classroom or when conferencing with a student.

D. Small group teaching station: Small group instruction is most readily associated with reading instruction. This is a teacher-directed area where 5-6 students are homogeneously grouped based on academic performance. Here, the teacher is able to meet individual student needs while differentiating instruction. While the teacher works with a small group, the remaining groups (homogeneous in nature as well) should be rotating centers where academic concepts are reinforced. All groups should have an opportunity to experience each center by the end of the week.

E. A minimum of three center areas (such as library center, math center, etc.) in addition to the small group teaching station and the computer station.

F. Computer station

G. Classroom door(s)

H. Board(s) and storage area(s)

**Please note that while classroom door(s), board(s) and storage area(s) are predetermined in most cases, student should specify their location as an indication that such predetermined structures affect classroom arrangement and must be considered.

·
Narrative Explaining the Learning Environment:

Following with the diagram, write a narrative description of how you will set up the learning environment to maximize learning time in the classroom. In the narrative provide:

· An introductory paragraph describing the importance of effective classroom setup

· At least one reason why you are making
each environmental arrangement listed above (arrangements A-H).
Each of the noted items (A-H) must be justified in
paragraph form.

· Please make sure to include the justification of seating arrangements for each group of students as described above.

· One paragraph must justify the seating arrangement for students with limited English proficiency, speaking specifically to individual needs

· One paragraph must justify the seating arrangement for students identified as part of the ESE program, speaking directly to individual needs

· One paragraph must justify the seating arrangement for students with more than typical behavior problems.

· One paragraph must justify the seating arrangement for general education students

· Justifications should be solid and based on course text, video content and additional research

· A concluding paragraph

1

Phase I: Learning Environment

I believe effective teaching starts with a well planned, organized, and ananged

classroom.

An effective classroom setting can help a teacher to monitor the class, facilitate teaching, and

engage students in learning. It should be able to meet all students’ needs as well. Also, a good

room anangement can increase the desired behaviors and supervise negative behaviors. For this

assiglllilent, I have pictured I have a classroom of twenty first graders in my classroom. In

addition, I have decided where I would place my students during different learning activities.

Moreover, I would have the students’ name written on the sticker of their desks where I wanted

them to sit, so that they can locate their sit easily on the first day of school. My classroom is

divided into five areas: the Computer Stations, the Centers, the Small Teaching Area, the Carpet

Area, and the Whole-class Teaching Area. Fmihe1more, I have sufficient spaces for storage

which keeps all the materials accessible, organized, and neat to avoid traffic congestion in my

classroom.

Center

Carpet (Rug) Area

·•

I
Whole-dass Tead1 ign Area Computer Stations

Small Group Teaching Station

i –

Centers

Whole-class Teaching Area: The whole-class teaching area has twenty desks that are

grouped either in clusters of three or pairs. Each student is assigned to a desk. The anow shows

that all students should be facing the main chy erase board. Depending on the projects and class

activities being worked on, there is sufficient space for students to move their desk around to

from groups of four as well. In addition, if one of the students is not behaving well, I can always

ask the student to sit by himself/herself and give time for him/her to calm down.

Visual Processing

Disorder

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Behavior Problem

Dry Erase Board

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Exceptional Student \

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English Language Learners 0
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1. Behavior Problem: I have put two students whose behavior problems are more

serious to the front and the other one to the second line. All of them are close to the instructional

board; thus, I can see them clearly while I am teaching. None of these students are close to each

other in order to lower the chances of them misbehave. In addition, I placed them to the sides of

the clusters to minimize the distractions they might create.

2. Exceptional Students: I have placed a student who has visual processing disorder

to the front of the class so that the student can see the board better. Also, I can check if the

student has difficulties while learning by seeing his/her face. For the student who has been

identified as dyslexic, I would put the student on the second line so that the student can listen to

the sounds clearly meanwhile he/she can look at my mouth movement while I am pronouncing

the words. For the student who has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), the

student is distracted and loses interest easily; thus, I have put the student at the front so that I can

always keep an eye on him/her. I can ask him/her to stay focus when needed. Lastly, for the two

gifted students, I placed them at the back because they are more capable in learning. Each of

them is sitting with a general education student; I believe they can work well with their peers.

3. English Language Learners: I have placed the English Language Learners (EL Ls)

in the middle of the classroom because they do not have as much behavior problems as others do.

Since their primmy language is different, it is not necessary to place them close to each other. In

fact, I have general education sh1dents who are proficient in English placed next to the ELLs so

that the general education students can help them.

Carpet (Rug) Area: In a first grade classroom, the classroom teacher always does read aloud

with students. The teacher usually asks all students to join him/her on the carpet before he/she

reads a sto1y. The teacher would sit on the rocky chair and read the stories. Sometimes, a student

who has elected to be the stmyteller would sit on the rocky chair too.

Books in other Books in English
languages (Classroom Library)

Behavior Prob! m
Gifted

E c pt

AD/HDRocky Chair En lish l..lnguage Learners
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Visual
Processing Gifted

Disorder

1. Behavior Problems: For the three students who may cause problems or distract

other students, I would like them to sit at the back of the carpet. I do not want them to disturb me

while I am reading aloud.

2. Exceptional Students: I have put the student who has been identified as dyslexic

in the front so that he/she can look at the words while I am reading. It is also an advantage

because he/she can look at my mouth movement while I am reading aloud. This can help the

student to improve their letter-sound skills . On the other hand, the student who has visual

processing disorder has been placed in front or the class too because the student can look at the

pictures of the stmy books which helps them to inte1pret the visual infmmation while listening to

the stories. The two gifted students have been placed in the second and the third line because

they perfonn like the general education students do . I have also placed a student with AD/HD

next to the students with behavior problems because the AD/HD student may be dismptive when

he/she loses attention.

Computer Stations: As technology is very important to present life, I would like to have

students starting to build up their skills in using computers. I also believe that some online

instructional gan1es would engage students in learning. Moreover, using the mouse and

keyboards can help students to improve their eye-hand coordination as well as fine-motor skills .

Fmihe1more, there are billions of instrcutional resources that suppoli students with special needs

and ELLs students ‘ learning.

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B h.livicr rob em

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E gl is Language Learners
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Boxes (Computer Storage)

1 . Behavior Problems: Two students who have behavior problems have been placed

at the end of the table which is far from the computer storage container where they cannot reach

the computers before I assigned to them. Another student who also has behavior problem sits in

the middle of the table. They are all far away from each other so that it would not be as

disruptive as they sit together. Their locations are also visible as I need to make sure they are on

task and behaving.

2 . Exceptional Students : I have placed three exceptional students who have learning

disabilities on the outside rows where is visible so that I can assist them when they needed. And

the two gifted students have been placed on the inside rows as they do not need as much

assistance as others .

3 . English Language Learners: Two o f the ELLs have been placed at the outside

rows because it is easier for me to assist them. The other one has been placed on the inside row

in between two general education students because those students can help the ELL when he/she

needed.

Small Group Teaching Station : There are four tables in the small group teaching station.

Students are homogeneously grouped based on their academic performance where five students

will be seated as a grnup at this station. Students work together as a group in this area. Also,

helpers or teacher assistance can also assist students other groups while the teacher is teaching

one group. Teacher can conduct assessment because this setting can help teacher to communicate

with the small groups or individual student one at a tin1e. According to the students ‘ academic

level, gifted students have been placed with general education students who are above average

and students who have behavior problems have been placed in different table to ensure that they

do not disturb one another. Other students have been placed according to their academic

performance. Also, all students are facing the dry erase board with no students ‘ back facing the

board.

Dry Erase Board

B h.:ivior Prat I Smal l Group Teach ing Station

ptio n I tude nt

Engl ish Language Learner!.

The Centers : I have set up four centers in my classroom. They are the writing center, the

art table, the Mathematics center, and the reading center. There am enough seats for all twenty

students. In addition to that, I have my writing center located close to the wall. Students’ will be

sitting facing the wall so that they can be focus while they are writing. The reading center is

located near to the classroom library so that students can have an easy access to the book shelves.

There are sufficient materials such as papers, pencils, and crayons at each center for students to

use.

Reading Center Classroom l ibrary Books in other languages

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Mathematics Center

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Writ ing Center Art Center

The rest of my classroom has been designed for students to play in their free time. Also,

there are adequate spaces, boxes, cabinets, containers, and shelves for storage. Moreover, there

are several bulletin boards and regular boards for displays. Displays include pictures, students ‘

work, weekly assignments, instructional materials, behavior board and literature, etc. There is a

classroom libnuy where books are appropriate for their age and reading levels. In addition to that,

there are three book shelves especially for the three ELLs. The book shelves contain books in

their primruy languages. The teacher desk has been placed close to the comer because I do not

spend much time on my desk. Lastly, there are ample spaces among different ru·eas which avoid

traffic congestion in my classroom. I believe my classroom setting facilitate effective teaching

and learning.

Reference

Carolyn, M.E. , & Edmund, T.E . (20 1 1 ). Cl assroom management for el ementary teachers. United

States of America : Pearson Education, Inc.

Alicia, M. (2009). The essenti als of el ementary educati on and cur rent controversi es. United

States of America: Kendall Hunt, Co.