Bernadette Ratnayake

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Assignment 3: Dream Classroom:
Introduction:
Some classrooms which I have seen during my professional experience included some
positive and necessary tools which facilitate the teaching and learning of humanities,
however some have included things which are not effective or necessary to allow for
sufficient learning and teaching within a humanities classroom. his essay will endeavour to
illustrate what is considered to !e a "Dream Classroom#, a classroom which is !est suited for
effective learning and teaching, discussing what would !e included within my dream
classroom and what I might remove from my dream classroom to create an idyllic
environment.
$ramewor%s for Curriculum:
$irstly, within the current Australian Curriculum, there is no main um!rella for the humanities,
therefore in my ideal classroom, I feel that there should !e an overarching topic which
includes all topics associated with humanities such as history, geography and education for
sustaina!ility &'fS(. his is important as it is crucial to educate the children of the future on
what is happening in their world at present, what has happened in the past and what they
can do for the future. his statement is supported !y the curriculum framewor% of the
Australian Capital erritory which states that all learning is implemented in the society and all
!ac%ground is understood !y the students &he AC )overnment, *++,(.
Inclusive 'ducation:
A classroom which allows for effective teaching and learning to !e inclusive as it is
considered as one of the most imperative matters not only within schools !ut even in the
!roader community &-ichards . Armstrong, *+//(.
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-esponse to Culture in the Classroom:
0ithin my classroom I will include an awareness of the different cultures which may !e
present in the classroom and !roader society. In a lecture conducted !y 1aomi 0olfe, this is
given the title "Cultural Safety# and involves active listening !y students and teachers,
respecting others while they are tal%ing, spea%ing from one2s own experience rather than
resorting to generalisation, as%ing 3uestions respectfully without initiating aggression, and
attempting to understand rather than simply agree with what the other person is saying.
4hysical Classroom 5ayout:
It is important that the classroom has a physical layout which reflects an inclusive nature.
0hen teaching humanities in a classroom, I would intend to arrange students !oth on the
floor and in groups at des%s throughout the lessons, this not only %eeps students engaged
!ut also provides opportunities to wor% colla!oratively therefore assisting them in developing
socially and intellectually . In teaching humanities across the whole school, it is important to
%eep the concept of an inclusive classroom in mind, therefore I would aim to %eep students
within my vision, as stated in 4etty &*++6( students within a teachers 7arc of vision2 are more
li%ely to feel involved in the lesson and actively participate, thus demonstrating an inclusive
classroom setting.
In formulating a seating arrangement, I will ensure that student2s needs are assessed and
will find out how they wor% !est at home and utilise this information to plan a seating
arrangement to suit the needs of every student in the class. An example of this is where a
learner may study more effectively whilst lying on the floor at home, ideally this would !e
permitted occasionally in my classroom as it caters for and nurtures this student2s a!ility to
thin% and reflect on the topic at hand &1ovelli, /66+(. Seating arrangements in my ideal
classroom will not only support an inclusive nature, !ut will also ma%e possi!le colla!orative
learning. In allowing for flexi!le grouping of students, I am allowing for social learning. A
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seating arrangement in which there is the possi!ility of at least two students wor%ing
together is ideal in facilitating social interaction and discussion &4ritchard . 0oollard, *+/+(
8uestioning:
o allow for students to learn effectively in a humanities classroom, certain 3uestioning
techni3ues must !e used. he types of techni3ues that could !e used include the
com!ination of factual 3uestions9 conceptual 3uestions and provocative 3uestions and allow
significant thin%ing time &'ric%son, *++:(. $actual 3uestions will !e as%ed to students in
order for them to lengthen their retention of the information that is !eing taught a!out a topic9
however the com!ined use of conceptual 3uestions will allow students to intellectually
process the information at a deeper level. In as%ing students conceptual 3uestions, we are
inviting students to !ring their own thin%ing to the study which is crucial for the student2s
development of their own uni3ue understanding of the topic !eing discussed. $urthermore to
the use of factual and conceptual 3uestioning techni3ues, students who are presented with
provocative 3uestions will ma%e an emotional and personal investment in a topic which will
result in them ma%ing their own personal meaning and therefore increasing the student2s
willingness to learn &'ric%son, *++:(.
;alues:
A main focus for humanities education is values. As children, our values are usually formed
!y our parents, our community, ac3uired %nowledge, personal experience and peers as we
grow older &-eynolds, *+/*(. In creating an ideal classroom and nurturing values education,
I will include opportunities for students to interact with the wider community !y exposing
them to the environment and encouraging them to converse with and experience the events
that ta%e place within the wider population. Ideally I would provide opportunities at least once
a wee% for incursions where depending on the topics !eing discussed, the school invites an
expert into the classroom to discuss the topic, as% 3uestions, answer 3uestions and provide
different insights to the topic at hand.
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In this community engagement we are attending to the important idea that in humanities
education the curriculum should !e !ased in a set of 7shared values2 that encompass what is
positive for !oth individuals and society &<a=da, *++6(. Students interacting with the society
are formulating their own set of values which assist them in formulating positive values for
society, which is a fundamental aspect of humanities education. According to <a=da &*++6(,
the 3> approach when teaching values is very effective. he 3> approach includes
7teaching that informs decisions must !e made in ma%ing moral choices, teaching how to
thin% for themselves as autonomous moral agents and teaching children to want to !e moral2
&<a=da . Daun, *++6(. ?y lin%ing values education with humanities, students will !e a!le to
7understand the multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points2
&1ational Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, *+/+(.
?eyond the -egular Classroom
@ne of the main themes throughout the 1ational Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
framewor%, is glo!al connections and wor%ing cohesively with the community. In teaching
humanities to the students I will allow for regular excursions to places in which students are
granted with opportunities to experience the world and phenomena which is !eing learned at
the time as it allows students to construct personal meaning and facilitates motivation to
delve deeper into the topic &4aris, /66:(. I intend to wor% very closely with organisations
within our community and !eyond.
>useums ;ictoria provides many opportunities for these types of excursions where!y
students are !eing immersed in memora!le experiences ma%ing possi!le a potential passion
for the topic which is !eing discovered. he Immigration museum in particular presents a
range of history programs which may !e chosen and adapted to suit what is !eing learned in
the class. $or example, when studying a unit on migration, he Immigration >useum not
only offers hands on experiences for students to o!serve !ut provides the teacher with
resources, and discussion points which can !e used as a follow up to the excursion.
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In facilitating ideal humanities education, each year level will visit each of the four museums
&one per term( and will explore the topic which is currently !eing studied in humanities
related to Aistory, Immigration or Indigenous Australia. 0hen students underta%e a study on
'fS, it would !e ideal that they pay a visit to C'-'S environmental par%. It has !een seen
from personal experience that day long excursions to C'-'S permit children to thin% a!out
their lives and how they can affect the environment through their choices, which is one of the
main aims of 'fS. Students can see how the environment is !eing affected !y the choices of
people on a small scale in their local community and !egin to ma%e their own change, once
this is done at a personal level, for example in the home, it can !e !ought into the classroom
and school, then transferred to the wider community and world &C'-'S 'nvironment 4ar%,
*+/*(.
Integrated Curriculum:
In incorporating humanities education into other aspects of the curriculum I will not only !e
enriching the content and understanding students have of humanities, !ut of other aspects
of the curriculum. An example of this would !e allowing for an online aspect of humanities
education. his would !e !eneficial to my ideal classroom as it would highlight to students
the changes that have !een ta%ing place in society over time. @nline teaching and learning
are !uilt from different pedagogical assumptions and therefore re3uire different pedagogical
strategies &Aoffman, *+/+(. his doesn2t necessarily mean that the whole curriculum will !e
delivered over the internet, however there may !e times when a class may !e spent on
S%ype with someone in another location in the world discussing what it was li%e to migrate
from one place to another, providing students with the opportunity to as% 3uestions and
receive first hand answers.
his activity may not necessarily occur in a humanities lesson !ut could !e given in an
Information Communication echnology &IC( class or even in an 'nglish class as part of
student2s oral language assessment or the new digital age has opened great doors for
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teachers and students to experience learning in a whole new way &Aoffman, *+/+(. 0hen
accessing the Immigration >useum we!site, students may wish to find out historical
information regarding a certain period of time. his information is readily availa!le and easily
accessi!le to students through the internet and directly aids the development of their report
writing s%ills.
hings that would not !e included within my Dream Classroom:
In creating an idyllic classroom environment which facilitates the learning of humanities,
there are many things which would not !e recommended to include, mainly concerned with
the issue of classroom management. Classroom management is often viewed as a
prere3uisite for effective teaching &'ngleheart, *+/3(. Although my "Dream Classroom2
contains a theme of inclusion where I would encourage all students participation, I will not
frustrate, em!arrass or disrespect students !y calling their name out to answer 3uestions or
ma%e statements. As stated in 'ngleheart &*+/3(, this %ind of act may !e perceived !y a
student as a pu!lic argument in which the student feels they must win. In a peer group
situation, this %ind of an action may actually !e !eneficial to a student2s learning as there can
!e a mild sense of competition !etween students which may then instil intrinsic motivation
for a student to learn.
Another thing which I feel will inhi!it student success in humanities education is a classroom
where the students and myself, are expected to sit or stand still for the duration of the whole
lesson. he teacher sitting !ehind his or her des% yelling to a student who is across the
room, is not effective for the student or the teacher and instils a poor morale within the
classroom where the teacher may !e perceived as laBy or uninterested &'ngleheart, *+/3(.
In my classroom, I will !e moving around engaging in the class activity and also utilising time
to underta%e some informal assessment of the student2s progress.
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Conclusion:
As a final examination, it can !e seen that an ideal classroom in order to facilitate for the
learning and teaching of humanities education, must !e inclusive in nature as to allow for a
range of thoughts, ideas and approaches to education. As society further develops, new
technologies and ways of finding out information are made availa!le to our students. his
therefore provides them with the opportunity to excel in their Aumanities education and
experience firsthand the changes that they can ma%e now to allow for a !etter future within
the home, within the school, within the !roader pu!lic and the world.
*,*33 0ords
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References:
C'-'S 'nvironment 4ar%. &*+/*(. Education Programs. -etrieved from C'-'S Community
'nvironment 4ar%: http:CCwww.ceres.org.auC'ducationCschools.html
'ngleheart, D. &*+/3(. $ive Approaches to Avoid 0hen >anaging the >iddle. The Clearing
House: A Journal of Educational, /+3E/+,.
'ric%son, 5. A. &*++:(. Concept Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking
Classroom. ;ictoria: Aaw%er ?rownlow.
Aoffman, S. D. &*+/+(. Teaching the Humanities online. 1ew For%: >.' Sharpe Inc.
1ational Council for Social Studies. &*+/+(. National Curriculum tandards for ocial
tudies: A !rame"ork for Teaching# $earning# and Assessment . >aryland: 1ational
Council for Social Studies.
1ovelli, D. &/66+(. Seating Solutions. Instructor , :,.
4aris, S. ). &/66:(. Situated >otivation and Informal 5earning. Journal of %useum
Education# &&, **E*:.
4etty, ). &*++6(. Teaching Toda': A Practical (uide. Cheltenham: 1elson hornes.
4ritchard, A., . 0oollard, D. &*+/+(. Ps'cholog' for the Classroom. 1ew For%: -outledge.
-eynolds, -. &*+/*(. Teaching Histor'# (eograph') *E in the Primar' chool &*nd ed.(.
South >el!ourne: @xford 4ress.
-ichards, )., . Armstrong, $. &*+//(. Teaching and $earning in +i,erse and Inclusi,e
Classrooms : -e' Issues for Ne" Teachers. 1ew For%: -outledge.
he AC )overnment. &*++,(. E,er' Chance to learn. Can!erra: he AC )overnment.
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<a=da, D. &*++6(. ociet' and the En,ironment. >el!ourne: Dames 1icholas 4u!lishers.
<a=da, D., . Daun, A. &*++6(. (lo.al /alues Education: Teaching +emocrac' and Peace.
Dordrecht : Springer.