Environment

Color-coded: Considerations for the 21st. Century Learning Environment:
 * Linda Nelson **
 * Environment**
 * constant, ubiquitous connectivity
 * moving beyond just 4-walled classrooms
 * flexible, blended learning environments
 * imagining the future
 * students as designers of their environments
 * class size limits as fundamental to thinking about learning spaces
 * collaborative environments allowing global connections
 * studio-based learning
 * empowerment and autonomy of teachers and students to design spaces
 * connections to communities and access to tools
 * space for reflection and creativity
 * design based on pedagogy
 * bringing the real world into the classroom, and the classroom into the real world
 * empowering teachers to learn creative classroom management techniques

> - Adequate lighting > - Absence of glare > - Attractive/appropriate colors > - Adequate sound amplification > - Any noise to be reduced or eliminated > - Temperature adequate for the season > - Adequate ventilation or adequate air conditioning
 * __A physically & emontionally safe, orderly, caring school & classroom climate__**
 * 1) There is a place for quiet and noisy activities to go on at the same time.
 * 2) A variety of materials are available and easy for students to obtain.
 * 3) It is clear where each type of material may be used.
 * 4) Students may choose to use material alone or in groups.
 * 5) Students are allowed time to explore, experiment, and discover.
 * 6) The adults observe carefully, intervening to expand an activity by providing additional material or providing some scaffolding by making a suggestion, asking a question, or helping to settle a dispute as necessary.
 * 7) There are centers and teachers implement center rotations to teach, re-teach and embellish concepts within a small group of students through differentiated instruction based on learning levels.
 * 8) The sensory environment includes:
 * 1) Integration of resources from school, businesses, and communities can to help students make a smooth transition from school to work environment.

"In the 21st century, learning environments extend beyond brick and motar buidlings. Learning occurs in classrooms, but it also occurs virtually and through afterschool programs. It happens in the environment that surrounds the child, 24/7." These learning environments should accomodate the needs of each student and ensure thier academic development. (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 3/2011)
 * __Physical environment consistent with educational goals & student needs__**

The learning environments have appropriate technology infracture and have online school records, assignments and student performance data that parents and students can access online. (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 3/2011)

The Interpersonal Environment: - There is a feeling of mutual respect between adults and adults, adults and students, and students and students - The adults spend more time observing and interacting with the students than setting limits. - The adults have specific objectives for each student’s learning. - There is ongoing cooperation and collaboration. - Adults model the kind of behavior they want the students to learn. - The adults give ample appropriate positive reinforcement and encouragement.

The Importance of Resiliency in the 21st Century Environment Bernard (1993) found that there are 4 personal characteristics that resilient children typically display: McMillan and Reed (1994) describe 4 other factors that appear to be related to resilience: Such a framework could help educators design more effective educational interventions that take into account “alterable” factors that promote resiliency.
 * __Supportive of whole child concept in education__**
 * Social competence
 * Problem solving skills
 * Autonomy
 * A sense of purpose
 * Personal attributes such as motivation and goal orientation
 * Positive use of time (e.g., on-task behavior, homework completion, participation in extracurricular experiences)
 * Family life
 * School and classroom learning environment (i.e., facilities, exposure to technology, leadership, and overall climate)

Rutter (1997) found that the school environment contains important protective factors, such as fostering a sense of achievement in children, enhancing their personal growth, and increasing their social contacts.

Waxman, Huang and Wang (1997) found that overall, resilient students perceived their classrooms much more favorably than non-resilient students. - Resilient students reported that they were more involved and satisfied in their classrooms that nonresilient were. - Teachers spent more time explaining rather than questioning, cueing or prompting students. - The predominant culture of the classrooms observed was related to “getting work done” rather than emphasizing authentic learning situation. - Few instructional strategies are effective for nonresilient students.

Redesign classrooms into heterogeneous ability groups, rather than tracking students by ability level – similar to the environment in the workplace.

Bernard (1991) found that teachers who model the resilient behaviors they desire from their students model 3 protective factors that buffer risk and enable positive development by meeting students’ basic needs for safety, love and belonging, respect, power, and accomplishment and learning. The 3 factors include caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities to participate and contribute.

Waxman, Padron and Arnold (2001) described 5 explicit practices that have been shown to improve the education of at-risk students: Research-based, instructional practices
 * 1) Cognitively-guided instruction
 * 2) Culturally responsive teaching
 * 3) Technology-enriched instruction
 * 4) Cooperative learning
 * 5) Instructional conversations

Student-centered model of classroom instruction that emphasizes more active student learning with teachers acting as facilitators of learning.

Sanchez (2008) found that ritualized environments focus on teaching what the educators want students to do and establishing times when the behavior will be practiced, monitored and reinforced. Highly ritualized settings allow struggling individuals the opportunity to become accustomed to the environment more quickly because it is predictable.

Effective Programs cannot survive in difficult school climates. (Zins and Ponti 1990)