Observation of the Public Spaces - Assignment Example

Public Spaces – Observation Assignment We can define a public space as an open and accessible space that is mostly free to thepublic. Many activities happen at the public spaces as different types of people use the public spaces. We are free to observe and interact with different personalities and public spaces. Ideally, public spaces play a fundamental role of promoting social interactions, offering an opportunity to learn, changing the relationship between different people, and allowing individuals to illustrate their thoughts, and derive a sense of relaxation to the people at the public spaces especially the students. As such, it is significant to establish the geography, characteristics, visitors, and activities that happen in a given public space. Eng105 is an English composition class offered by the University of Miami, which acts as a public space that provides freshmen with an opportunity to learn how to write undergraduate-level essay. Ideally, the Eng105 class reverses the traditional image of literature class by changing the relationship of the instructor and students. As a student in this class, I am a witness that this public space allows the teacher and students to create an environment of equality. In this class, students and teachers can illustrate their thoughts through speaking and analyze the topic of discussion. Nevertheless, other students would listen and continue to contribute to the class, ideas exchanges within the whole classroom. Most assuredly, I can confirm that the members of Ms. Leary’s class minimize the distance of instructor and student, and create a place where intimacy and work efficiency coexist. Indeed, the Eng105 class is a public space that becomes the mixture of lecture and literature salon. This paper presents an argument about how the Eng105 class functions. While attending the Eng105 class, I witnessed many activities as students and the instructor expressed their thoughts at any time during the class. In fact, at the beginning of the class, the instructor raises an interesting topic to draw the attention of all students and heat the feeling of literature salon. Ideally, the center of attraction in this public space moves around and during the class since the person who is speaking and demonstrating becomes the center of attraction. The students and the instructor pays attention to the person speaking since the audience develop a sense of interest to the speaker. As such, the center of attraction keeps moving within the Eng105 class. Subject to the fact that the Eng105 class accommodates many students from diverse backgrounds all the speakers seek to communicate and present their views in a relevant and clear manner that the audience would understand. As such, the Eng105 class serves the purpose of adopting diversity in the operations of the University. Notably, the students have a right to choose where to sit in the Eng105 class by deliberately seeking to achieve convenience in the most ethical and dignified manner which represents their self-confidence and pride. In the Eng105 class, the seats are fixed but students can sit on any chair at any location within the Eng105 class to suit their convenience. The aspect of moving around the Eng105 class to a space that a student wants to occupy represents their level of confidence. Notably, the students have authority and experience no limitation over the Eng105 class as seen in how they willingly move around the Eng105 class. Indeed, subject to the many students in the Eng105 class, most students prefer siting by the window to access fresh air and avoid the generated heat. There is a lot of heat in the Eng105 class. However, the air conditioners in the Eng105 class ensure that the students and the instructor are in a better learning environment. More so, due to the presence of many students in the Eng105 class and the interest in the discussion topics introduced by the instructor, there are heated feelings and immense competition as every student seeks to present their views. As a result, the center of attractions moves across the public space as the instructor is always fair in allowing students in different locations within the Eng105 class to present their views. Moreover, the instructor allows students from different backgrounds to participate in the heated debate. As such, the Eng105 class serves the purpose of enhancing equality, fair participation, racial integration, and cultural diversity. In fact, students in the Eng105 class have the right to participate in the interesting debates at their free will although almost all students are eager to contribute. For instance, when an instructor introduces the topic of discussion, she welcomes all students to participate in the debate and only allows the willing students to present their views. Notably, the willing students lift up their hands and the instructor chooses on student at a time. However, in most cases three quarters of the class are always ready to present their views and the instructor encounters a hard time in choosing the speaker. Nevertheless, by the end of the Eng105 class most willing students are able to make their presentations as the instructor ensures that every speaker uses a maximum of 5 minutes. In fact, the instructor ensures the successful completion of the topic of debate by the end of the Eng105 class. Before the beginning of every Eng105 class, the instructor and the students engage in a small talk geared towards establishing unity of purpose, welcoming the students, setting the standards for the debate, and introducing the context of the debate. Indeed, the instructor and the students also catch up on the current news thus developing a sense of interaction, cordial relationship, and reducing the distance between the instructor and the students. This negates the traditional image of literature class by changing the relationship of the instructor and students. Indeed, the members in the Eng105 class engage in fun moments before the class begins. This creates a place where intimacy and work efficiency coexist. Indeed, the social interactions that exist in the Eng105 class ensure that the members offer sound arguments, feel free to contribute, and identifies with the discussion topic. Notably, there are no tensions between the students and the instructor in the Eng105 class. As such, the Eng105 class serves the purpose of encouraging fair participation, enhances social interactions, and provides freshmen with an opportunity to learn how to write undergraduate-level essay. The Eng105 class takes place in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and students have the right to sit at their preferred places in different days. More so, the students are at liberty to attend the Eng105 class although the instructors always warns them that failure to attend the Eng105 class can lead to failed grades. Although, students have the free will to sit anywhere within the Eng105 class, I observe that some students like Steve and Jessica opt to sit at the same point. Indeed, the two students always sit at the exact same desk every class in the first row. This demonstrates their levels of self-confidence. At the same time, Llana and Sydney who stay at the same floor always stay at the second row within the Eng105 class. Notably, other students stay at different places within the Eng105 class. However, it is clear that the students who stay at the same position within the Eng105 classes offer valuable opinion to the topic debates initiated by the instructor. Indeed, Llana, Sydney, Steve, and Jessica are some of the most focused students in the Eng105 class who provide quality debates in all topics within the Eng105 class. As such, the Eng105 class allows the students to express their self-confidence. Furthermore, I can ascertain that those students who stay at the back and those who come late or miss the Eng105 class offer inadequate opinion in various debates within the Eng105 class. As such, these students have low self-confidence and lack the intellectual knowledge to participate in the debate. These same students seek to conceal their discomfort by manipulating objects and the surrounding scenery. In some cases, I saw them scrolling their phones as others made deliberate noise within the Eng105 class thus distracting the public space. Indeed, the level of participation in the Eng105 class varies among students with some students always registering their willingness to participate while others absconds such debates. Nevertheless, the university recommends this class and values it as the best opportunity for freshmen to learn how to write undergraduate-level essay. Ideally, the class offers a chance of analyzing the communication skills of the students as they participate in the debates. While some students like Hamad presents insightful views of the topic of discussion, others offer shallow responses. Indeed, while Hamad has a good command in oratory skills and is fluent in English, some students struggle to communicate and make reasonable arguments. As a result, the instructor faces the challenge of analyzing and understanding the views of different students. Nevertheless, the difficulties in communicating using the English language relate to the cultural differences of the students who come from different countries. Moreover, some students lack the self-confidence to present their views. Furthermore, the instructor creates an informal and social feeling within the Eng105 class by coming to this public a space with a star buck. As such, the Eng105 class derives a comfortable and informal feeling that enhances participation and the subsequent learning of the freshmen. Most assuredly, sitting at the Eng105 class is a personal and firm commitment by the students. The perimeter surrounding the Eng105 class acts as an enclosure to the freedom of the students although the members are socially free. Read More