Situation Analysis in a Learning Environment - Essay Example

Situation Analysis in a Learning Environment Name of Institution Abstract A learning environment presents an ideal set of situations that serve as a lesson on how best learning can be improved. As learners interact with their environment, several situations arise which can either be supportive or detrimental to the achievement of learning goals. An analysis of different situations therefore can be insightful in helping the teacher to know how best to utilize the environmental conditions in the best interest of the learner. This paper analyzes different situations and explores a variety of decisions that can be made in each case. The Situation of Joanie’s class The situation presented in the case of Glenbrook South High School is normal in most schools, where students with demonstrable capabilities end up failing their exams. After the results that Joanie gets, despite having spent time delivering the content as effective as she could, there is need to come up with a plan that can facilitate effective learning, application of the content and responding to questions in an exam situation. Firstly, in order to facilitate effective learning, Joanie can consider diversifying the teaching and learning style that she uses. One of these ways is to let students do the teaching. (Mwenda, 2012). For instance, a student can be assigned a single theme and allowed some time to carry an in-depth research then come and share the same with the rest of the class. In essence, learners grasp more what they have actively participated in than what has been imposed on them from the teacher. (Mwenda, 2012). Secondly, Joanie can consider engaging the class in group work through discussions and simulations. By doing this, learners will have an opportunity to bring out what they initially thought was right when it was wrong. (Mwenda, 2012). In addition to this, the levels of confidence will be built as the learners correct each other in addition to having the freedom to share what they could have dismissed as irrelevant ideas. Further to this, low achievers can have an opportunity to learn how their well performing colleagues manage to do it. (Mwenda, 2012). In order to have the learners improve in their performance in exams, there are a number of considerations that can be included in Joanie’s teaching plans. Firstly, since the questions that the students failed were to do with memory or remembrance, a catchy and memorable plan should be in place. For instance, apart from being given a chance to read the text on their own, the teacher can organize a video show or an acted presentation of the text in order to have the students remember what they have learned. The use of visual aids and dramatization makes learning not only enjoyable but also memorable. The Situation at Andre’s class The fact that Andre’s always remains with at least ten minutes at the end of each lesson is a likely pointer of poor lesson planning or time management. If this is not the case, then students are unduly rushed through the lessons that he carries out. If these sentiments are disputable, then additional activities that Andre can take his class through in the ten minutes can include the following:- Firstly, paired or guided group discussions can be fruitful if well used within the few minutes that Andre spares. For instance, Andre can come up with a discussion question that encourages brainstorming and argumentative answers. With this, learners will be left with much enthusiasm waiting for the next lesson in addition to broadening the knowledge and skills. (Mwenda, 2012). Another way through which Andre can have the class utilize this time productively is by allowing them to take a small test within the ten minutes. For instance, he can come up with ten multiple choice questions and have the students answer them. After this, the students can exchange their answers and mark them together as a class, after agreeing with each other on the best answer. This can help to stimulate a friendly co-existence between the learners and an exam environment. Thirdly, the teacher can use the time for quick consultations where one or two students can be allowed to raise an issue concerning the lesson, the topic, the subject or the learning experience in general. This can be a good opportunity for disambiguating a number of ambiguities that the learners encounter and fail to seek clarification on. (Mwenda, 2012). The Situation at Eileen’s class Eileen’s plans to have the students make presentations on what they have learned before their colleagues and learners is a good way of ensuring that they not only grasp what they are learning but also learn how to share the same to the others. In order to achieve this, there are a number of considerations that the Eileen should put in mind in as far as the presentation is concerned. In terms of the resources needed, there are a number that can be considered. However, most importantly are those resources that will facilitate visual perceptions, sound perception and demonstrations. (Mwenda, 2012). For visual presentations, the teacher can consider availing a projector with PowerPoint slides. In absence of this, or where not necessary, a chalk board or a white board can also work. For sound enhancements, a microphone and a public address system can be used. However, this will highly depend on the number of attendants. For demonstrations, the use of teaching aids such as different wooden shapes can also be considered for usage. Eileen can use a number of criteria to assess whether the students have met the expectations during the presentations. The assessment criteria can include assessment of content mastery, presentation effectiveness and involvement of the audience among others. If for example, the student asks questions, allows the audience to ask questions and responds to the questions asked, then he can get a good score in the assessment. In addition to this, other individual skills such as confidence and the ability to convince can also be assessed. There are different ways through which Eileen can offer feedback to her students. Firstly, she can give remarks immediately after the completion of each presentation by word of mouth. Immediate feedback would be a motivation to the students. In addition to this, Eileen can also write short evaluative and congratulatory reports to the students after they are done with the presentation. The Situation at Jeff’s class Jeff’s intention to come up with a self-reflection project is a welcome one as it will enable the students to think through, evaluate and appreciate what they have so far gone through in as far as their experience for the term is concerned. Being an Arts class, there is a lot that the learners can reflect upon. As such, the project description would look closer to this:- Your experience with Art throughout the term can be looked at from both challenging and enthusiastic dimensions. There are definitely a number of lessons that you have so far learned through your interaction with different artistic works. As the term closes, you are required to come up with a reflective essay that captures your experience as an Arts student. Be sure to include the gains you have so far made in the subject and also the challenges. In addition, give your general feeling of what art is and what lies ahead of this faculty in the days to come. Remember to authenticate your sentiments or propositions by drawing from existing artistic works that we either covered in class or those that are of interest to you. Feel free to choose between the APA and MLA writing styles. Kindly keep in mind that plagiarism is a highly condemned practice in the world of education. Conclusion To conclude, the reviewed scenarios pose different types of challenges that call for a diversity of skills and adaptability. The teacher’s role is thus revealed as that of creating a suitable environment through which a student can achieve the best that they can. The analysed situations are simply a selected few for illustrative purposes. A real learning situation has hundreds of situations daily that teachers have to think through. Reference Mwenda, N. (2012). Motivation and Learning. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag. Read More