Using Your Physical Space.

 Using Your Physical Space

Apr 6, 2020

Activity centres can be said to be an important element of any classroom and student learning and development. We intend to make use of an activity centre. When I teach Psychology I encourage peers to interact with each other during activities, which adds to a positive classroom experience and the classroom atmosphere. Activity centres can be used to seat students in small groups, where they learn to share spaces with each other, which give them the opportunity to get to know one another and participate in team work. By using activity centres, students also get the opportunity for indirect observational learning and each person has a full opportunity to take part in the activity. The activity centre can be applied to create a positive teaching environment and make student’s feel safe which supports their learning.

This idea is also supported by Hilberg, R.S., Chang, J., & Epaloosse, G. (2003) in their research paper on Designing effective activity centers for diverse learners. They encourage the use of activity centres and mention that this method of learning/teaching promotes aspects of teamwork and supportive learning relations within the educational setting. They would like one to consider that several different activities should occur simultaneously in the classroom, and further stating that activity centres offers students higher quality of instruction due to the fact that they are required to work independently and cooperatively while the teacher is busy providing instruction to other students.

Reference:

Hilberg, R.S., Chang, J., & Epaloosse, G. (2003). Designing effective activity centers for diverse learners: A guide for teachers at all grade levels and for all subject areas. Retrieved from http://manoa.hawaii.edu/coe/crede/wp-content/uploads/Hilberg_et_al_20031.pdf