I approached this week’s readings from an anticipatory point of view. That is, I attempted to read the titles of the readings and hypothesize their connection to the class. I first considered the chapter on experts and novices. I wondered how this discussion could inform a class on designing learning spaces. My first thought was that teachers are experts and thus should be able to think about a learning space in a domain specific fashion. Upon further thought, I wondered if perhaps the goal of learning is to produce experts. After reading this chapter as well as the executive summary, I realized that expertise allows a unique understanding of successful learning. Therefore, if we can pin down how experts think about and approach problems then perhaps it will be easier to create a learning environment which supports this type of approach to problem solving and learning in general. The one criticism I found in this reading was that there seemed to be an assumption that students should be thinking about problems as an expert does. However, I am not sure this is true or even feasible. I also wonder if learning facts and thinking as a novice is a necessary step toward expertise. In general though I found this chapter to be an interesting start to this class, as it was not apparent from the topic of the chapter how it would relate to the topic of the class. The article by Malcolm Brown, despite having an obviously related title, surprised me. I think this is because, being an early childhood educator, I am not always thinking about new technology. I am glad that this reading was able to unpack some of the traits that children these days tend to have, the theory behind learning as well as the practical aspects of implementing technology into the classroom to fulfill the specific traits of these rising students. However, being an early childhood educator, it is less clear to me how technology can be used in a preschool classroom, something I hope this class will inform me about.I went into the chapter “Development as Transformation of Participation in Cultural Activities” a bit blind, not knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that it was very informative about the way in which child development research has been thought about in the past as well as a proposal regarding how it should be considered in future studies. I found this useful because I have a background in psychology (it was my undergraduate major) and I often felt that the child was being removed from contexts in order to be studied. Also, as a teacher I am often trying to understand the relationship my students have with the larger culture and with several different learning spaces. As I knew intuitively and Rogoff argues, the relationship between an individual and the greater contexts within which they reside is codependent and inseparable. This, I think, is difficult for a teacher and a researcher, as it is much easier to think about children and their influences and not the child as part of a larger context which is also dynamic. Overall I thought the readings were very interesting and I am looking forward to this class.
Dan Gilbert Thanks for sharing this. I particularly like your point about whether or not learning facts is a necessary precursor to becoming an expert. I can think of examples where learning facts is important, but I am now thinking of other things like how to become an expert problem solver (perhaps a detective) or an expert creative type (ballet dancer) or an expert at thinking fast (firefighter). I'm not sure that these examples would hold up under scrutiny but thanks for raising this important point.
I understand learning as a process. I also see it happening at specific moments, but I think that those moments are tied to the history of learning and development that has taken place by the individual and the culture. Learning is a change. Learning cannot take place without a change. This change can be conceptual, behavioral, or even unnoticed by the individual. Learning can take place in unexpected places, at unexpected times or learning can be the objective of a space or time. This is an abstarct idea of learning but I am not sure how else to describe this complex process.
Dan Gilbert Thanks for including the point about learning being unnoticed. For me, there are many things that I didn't realize I learned until long after the experience.
I have been to several museums in my life (the Met, the Guggenheim, the MOMA in New York, the Museum of Science in Boston, and the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT). However, I have never left a museum with a “wow” feeling. In fact, I simply feel drained from the experience (especially when I am escorting children). Perhaps this is partially due to the fact that I had to travel a distance to a city to visit most of these museums. I grew up in Connecticut so day trips to Boston or New York were common but also very tiring. Therefore, I think that the locations of the museums that I have gone to have impacted my enjoyment of them.
I am not sure if an aquarium necessarily counts as a museum but I would have to say that my visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium this past summer was much better than any other museum experience I have encountered. My experience at the aquarium, however, was unique (not like many other peoples’ visits to the aquarium). This is because I went with a group of friends, one of which is getting a PhD in molecular biology and works on the evolution of the nervous system using sea anemones. This friend gave my friends and me a personal tour through the aquarium. She was able to tell us about sea anemones, jelly fish, and other sea creatures in much more detail than the written descriptions of the exhibits on the side of the tanks. It was a great experience to have someone personally telling me about the different animals and the research that has been done on them. Her enthusiasm for the subject was contagious.
Nuree Choe Sara, I have to agree with you on the tiring aspect of museum visits, particularly when you are chaperoning a class field trip. Making sure kids don't straggle when they're suppose to be following the class or making sure that they're paying attention to the guide or whoever is leading the tour prevents you as a teacher from fully enjoying the experience. It would be horrible and stressful to lose a child, especially in a museum as big as the Met! I also found it difficult when you have to travel long distances...bus rides with 30 squirmy young children just isn't fun sometimes. Your aquarium experience...you were quite lucky! The social interaction and the level of expertise reflects the reading about solitary vs. paired museum experiences. I'm sure you would have had benefitted from being a solitary learner, but it definitely doesn't beat the learning opportunity your friend created for your group! Does make me also reflect a bit on the parent-child interaction reading...do you think gender matters as an older person when explaining scientific concepts or are we already aware of such differences (especially after reading that article) that gender wouldn't matter?
Sara Nuree, that is an interesting question about how gender comes into play when we are adults. I went to an all women's college so I am used to hearing really intelligent women discuss science. There was one guy in our group of friends but my friend who is getting the PhD is a woman and responded equally to our questions (as far as I can remember). However, I do recall a situation when my father was describing his job to my friend's brother. Although my friend (a woman) and her brother have a similar academic background, my father went into much more detail about his work (he is a chemical engineer)with my friend's brother than with my friend (when she had asked at another time). I remember this specific incident because I remember thinking that Ididn't even know that much about my father's work. So I do think that gender differences surrounding conversations about science can come into play even as adults.
Elizabeth Sigler I really related to your experience at the Aquarium in Monterrey Bay. I took my 7th and 8th graders there a few years ago, and they loved the jellyfish exhibit but mostly loved the freedom they had in the museum and gift shop. I don't remember much else about the experience. On the other hand, I remember a time when a museum docent took me to the basement of the Dallas Museum of Art to show off all of the hidden treasures that rarely made it upstairs. Like you, I found his thrill at explaining why some pieces of art merited display and others were just for collecting completely infectious. More than once, I've wished that museums offered different types of tours for different audiences -- those who would really like to go deep in just one exhibit or even for one piece of art, and those who just want a general description of a lot of things. At Hoover Dam, for example, they offer a general tour for a few bucks, and a "hard hat" tour for about $30 which takes you deep into the workings of the dam. It's terrific, and great to have that option when you want it.
Sara Elizabeth, I think that your idea of having several layers of tours available is great. I think that allows people to come out of the experience with as much information as they want. I really don't like having to read the little placards next to the exhibits. Those pieces of information are usually very bland and general. I'd much rather have a guide. Now that I think about it though, I really enjoy having someone tell a story about the exhibits, a narrative of some sort. It makes me want to know more and it is easier to digest all of the information you are getting. I guess this kind of relates to using narratives for writing about education issues to general audiences from our writing class...it makes it easier for a novice to understand.
Amanda Sara, I totally agree with you that the experience of going to a museum can be really draining (at any age), especially when you have to travel a long way to get there. I definitely lose steam if I've been in the car for too long beforehand. I think this brings up issues of location and access to transportation when designing a new learning space. If it's too difficult to get to the place, allowing people to enjoy themselves once they are there is an added challenge. Anyway, I have not been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but I hear it is amazing. How lucky you were to go with an expert who could act as a private tourguide. I also don't like to read the placards next to the exhibits, so having someone walk around with you is much more ideal.
As I walked into the Bender Room on the fifth floor of the Green Library I felt excited yet a little timid. I was excited because I had been told to go there by several of my classmates but I had never gotten around to it. I was timid because I'm always a little reluctant to enter a new space. I was relieved when I opened the door and found a soothing retreat. The room is large, sunny, and offers several different seating options. I think what struck me most is how the space is set up for collaborative work but everyone in the room was spread out and working individually. There are several clusters of big comfortable chairs and couches along with several circular wooden tables with wooden chairs all around. All of the chairs are facing each other but no one was taking advantage of it. I wondered what influence peoples' preconceptions about library spaces, and more specifically reading rooms, have on the use of this space. Are they afraid to talk because they are under the impression they are supposed to be quiet? Perhaps I was just there at a time of day when groups of people were not meeting. I thought that it would be interesting if libraries offered quiet rooms, for individual workers who enjoy a quiet study space, and talking rooms for people who enjoy collaboration. Also, I kept thinking that it would be interesting if there was a way to know what other people in the room are working on. If there was a way for people to share their work and questions in a library reading space then there might be other people there who would be willing to engage in a conversation about the topics.
I wondered if I was getting too carried away with the aesthetics of the space so I started to think about it functionally. First, I realized that I was surrounded by books but I had no idea what the books were -- there were no signs! I finally found a placard in the rear left hand corner of the room. It stated that the collection of books was given to the library as a gift from the Stanford Bookstore and that the collection included both classic and contemporary authors...this still did not help me. I still had no idea what the contents of this room included. Also, I had no idea how the books were arranged (alphabetical by author? by topic? by date?). As I continued to read the placard I noticed that this room was also known as the "Gentleperson's Reading Room." What implications does this nickname have on the use of this room?
I noticed a very interesting use of technology in this room. There were signs on all of the tables urging people to Instant Message the reference desk if they had any questions. I looked around and there were no library computers in the room. Then I noticed that I was the only person in the room without a laptop. I think that this is a very innovative use of Instant Messaging but I was surprised at the assumption that everyone would have their own computer in order to use the technology.
Overall I found the room to be relaxing and aesthetically pleasing...a good room for working and reading. However, I continue to wonder why people are not using this space in a more interactive manner, seeing as it is set up to do so.
Dan Gilbert:Sara, nice work here, I too got carried away by the aesthetics of that place the first (and second) time I wa there. I too was also confused by the nature of the book collection in there. Lastly, I wonder how the Bender Room would be different if it were not in a building called 'library' and instead was somewhere else with a name like 'student union', 'commons', or 'history department' etc. I wonder how much the context of that space colors how people use it.
I consider space a facilitator for the interactions between people and materials. Space can offer an idea on how to use a particular material or interact with a person. For example, round table instead of individual desks might imply that collaboration should take place. There can be learning without ample space but space can help in learning. People can learn in many different types of spaces...a farm, a constructions site, a classroom. Therefore, there is not just one type of space that allows for better learning. I think that to make a successful learning space the space must provide for an experience that includes the maximum potential for the use of the materials.
I think that this set of readings on after school and community spaces allowed insight into spaces that are very relatable to typical classrooms yet more informal. Afterschool programs offer a space for children to interact and learn but do not have some of the same constraints as classrooms. I also think that the idea of ownership changes when the idea of typical school is out of the conversation, espeically in community organizations.
Hi. It’s Sonia. I think you make a great point about learning happening in lots of different kinds of places – who says that classrooms are the best places to learn? A lot of the socioconstructural research people say that you need real experiences in the real environment to make learning the most powerful. You make a good case for that as well. I guess, though, that sometimes you just have to make do with what you have, and then things like round tables can be a small detail that has big benefits for the type of learning that goes on in that space. Are you and Christi talking about this kind of stuff in designing your preschool? I wonder how similar your ideas are to my group and our design scenarios for young children, middle-age children, and adults. I bet a lot of the same concepts apply.