Learning Environment Examples

Directions: The information below identifies effective practices and responses for an inclusive
learning environment.

Task:

1. Prior to watching the video, review the best practices listed below.
2. Scroll down and read the questions.
3. Observe the teacher and the teacher’s interaction with the students, the classroom, and
the teaching materials.
4. After watching the video, answer each question and provide specific examples of what
you have observed.

Video link: Math Grade 7: Math

What to look for in a 7th grade math Classroom

The students will:

Making sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
Model with mathematics
Use appropriate tools strategically
Look for and make use of structure
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
● Developing an understanding of proportional relationships and applying proportional reasoning
to solve real world problems including problems of scale
● Developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions
and linear equations
● Solving problems involving informal geometric constructions and with 2- and 3-dimensional
shapes involving area, surface area, and volume
● Drawing inferences about populations based on samples

The classroom layout and exhibits will:

● Support a variety of tasks and learning formats
● Provide positive reinforcement and motivators
● Clearly display expectations, rules, and routines
● Use clear and effective displays of information, tools, resources, prompts,
● Support student use of resources and scaffolding
● Be safe and respectful of all cultures and backgrounds
● Be rich with connections to student experience and interest
 Learning Environment Examples

● Be conducive to collaboration and group work

● Allow for smooth physical movement of students and educators
● Create a nonthreatening, positive, and academically rigorous atmosphere

The Teacher's will:

● Focus attention on mathematical language (e.g., linguistic complexity, conventions, and
vocabulary)
● Establish classroom routines that support students to communicate their thinking
● Ask students to respond to the thinking and arguments of others
● Represent and relate solution methods orally, visually, with concrete objects, or by using
technology to create dynamic models
● Highlight when students draw explicitly upon class content during discussions with peers
● Provide actionable feedback to students about their problem solving processes
● Use multiple formative approaches to assess student learning (e.g., student discourse,
completion of class work)
● Conduct frequent checks for student understanding and adjusting instruction accordingly

The students will:

● Understand what they will learn in a lesson and how it connects to prior learning
● Persist when engaging with mathematical tasks
● Apply mathematical strategies and concepts when engaging with meaningful real-world
problems
● Use everyday and mathematical language to express their mathematical ideas
● Use mathematical language precisely to convey meaning and understanding of concepts
● Justify a solution method and critiquing the reasoning of others
● Identify important quantities in a given relationship and representing situations. (e.g. using
diagrams, or formulas)
● Reference mathematical elements using specific vocabulary and symbols when expressing their
mathematical ideas to othersUse Exemplars to inform their work
● Use quantitative reasoning to communicate ideas to others •Using equations and diagrams to
represent patterns
● Evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of solution methods orally and in writing
● Engage in challenging learning tasks regardless of learning needs (e.g., linguistic background,
disability, academic gifts)
When answering the questions below explain your answer and provide examples from the video.

Mackenzie Smith 11/17/20 EDU 205 - 47

Does the teacher create culturally responsive lessons that engages and sustains student attention?
 Learning Environment Examples

The lesson in particular that the teacher has provided her students with in this video engages the and
sustains the students’ attention because it talks about downloading an app and selling the idea to a
company.

Does the teacher communicate the learning objectives for the lesson orally and visually in student
friendly terms?
The teacher does communicate the learning objectives both orally and visually, on the board, in the
front of the classroom where all students are able to see.

Does the teacher design lessons that support successful cooperation in culturally sensitive ways?
Yes, the teacher does design lessons that support successful cooperation in culturally sensitive ways.
No matter what race, ethnicity, learning style, religion, etc. the student is, all are able to work well
with each other in groups.

Does the teacher provide opportunities and structures for students to communicate their ideas and
thinking with each other?
The teacher does provide opportunities and structures for students to communicate their ideas and
thinking with each other by allowing students to work in small groups to cooperate and share ideas.
When they share their ideas, the students are able to recognize how each of the students’ methods in
the group interconnect with each other.

Does the teacher model critical thinking strategies to help establish problem solving and processing
expectations?
Yes, the teacher explains to the students that they are able to use graphs, equations, explanations,
and tables. Students are able to choose whatever strategy they’d like to complete the problem.

Does the teacher conduct frequent checks for student understanding and adjusting instruction
accordingly?
While the small groups are communicating with each other, the teacher walks around to explain how
some students’ strategies are easier than what the other students had used. She also helps those who
aren’t understanding the material.

Does the teacher use scaffolding as needed and provide multiple opportunities for students to practice
skills?
Scaffolding is used as needed to provide multiple opportunities for students to practice skills. Students
work on their own or in groups while experiencing differentiation of teaching styles to accommodate
to all students.

Does the teacher provide examples of work (e.g. mentor texts, student work)?
The teacher provides examples of students’ work by hanging them up in front of the class and
allowing students to complete a “gallery walk” to look at all the others’ work.
 Learning Environment Examples

Does the teacher use multiple formative approaches to assess student learning (e.g., writing and oral
responses during reading group)
The teacher uses formative approaches to assess student learning by requiring students to come
together to write on their group’s white paper to turn in at the end of class. She also asks students
questions, trying to monitor their progress.

Do the students respond to teacher feedback to improve their work?

The students do respond to the teacher’s feedback to improve their work by fixing the questions they
have answered incorrectly.

Do the students demonstrate learning in multiple ways (e.g., writing and oral responses during reading
group)
As stated before, the students learn orally and visually: the task is displayed on the board for all
students to see while they have a paper with the task on it in front of them at their desk.

Do the students engage in challenging learning tasks regardless of learning needs (e.g., linguistic
background, disability, academic gifts)?
The students engage in challenging learning tasks regardless of their learning needs. It seems as if all
students are able to successfully succeed within this classroom, due to the multiple teaching styles,
warm environment, and positive reinforcement.