Kara Styron

July 2021
Learning Environment & Situational Factors to Consider

1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

How many students are in the class? Is the course primary, secondary, undergraduate, or
graduate level? How long and frequent are the class meetings? How will the course be delivered:
live, online, blended, flipped or in a classroom or lab? What physical elements of the learning
environment will affect the class? What technology, networking and access issues will affect the
class?
Typically, there are around 20/25 students in a classroom. This is for a fourth-grade, primary
classroom. The classroom is a self-contained classroom, which teaches all subjects. We meet in
person, and each student has their own Chromebook device. These devices also go home with the
students daily. Students are asked to provide their own headphones, but many break throughout the
year and aren’t replaced. Students sit at tables of 4/5 students.

2. General Context of the Learning Situation

What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the school, district,
university, college and/or department? the profession? society?
The district provides the curriculum and TEKS or standards that must be followed. However, it is
up to the educators in our school to choose how and when the information in the unit is taught, so
long as every team member in that grade level agrees upon it. Teacher must input number and
letter grades in Skyward.

3. Nature of the Subject

Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination? Is the subject primarily
convergent or divergent? Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?
I would say history is practical, but maybe it could be a combination of both if it becomes political.
Especially in regard to teaching about Indians and the early years of America, I feel like there
have been more controversies surrounding how this subject should be taught, and this could have
effect on the lesson.

4. Characteristics of the Learners

Learning environment & Situational factors adopted from: by L. Dee Fink, (2003) Creating Significant Learning
Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
 What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., socio-economic, cultural, personal, family,
professional goals)? What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually
have about this subject? What are their learning goals and expectations?
The students are mostly from low-income families. There are a lot of single-parent households.
Students typically aren’t super interested in social studies because they think it’s a lot of
memorization of people, places, and dates, which sometimes it is. The learning goals are: Identify
American Indian groups in Texas before European exploration (Caddo, Karankawa, Jumano,
Comanche, and Lipan Apache), compare their political system, compare their economic system,
and compare their social system. With the creation of the virtual museum, student learning
outcomes would also be: Developing research skills, fostering creativity, and developing digital
literacy skills.

5. Characteristics of the Teacher

What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning? What is his/her
attitude toward: the subject? students? What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have
with this subject? What are his/her strengths in teaching?
I mostly align with the cognitive-constructivist theory. I believe every learner is unique. I value
hands-on learning, digital learning, collaboration, and student-led environments. I love teaching
history and social studies because I feel like it is the perfect subject to do big projects that can be
cross-curricular and engaging. I have a love for literature, and I love incorporating reading into
social studies and history.

Learning environment & Situational factors adopted from: by L. Dee Fink, (2003) Creating Significant Learning
Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass