Module 5 Summary

In Learning Module 5, the emphasis was on classroom and instructional design to best facilitate literacy development and learning. Because I am a huge nerd, this is the portion of my job that I enjoy the most. I love developing classroom space, centers, and procedures that puts the focus on the content and not on procedural clarification due to unclear expectations.  This enjoyment of setting up classroom space and observing how others use their space to improve my own classroom is what is encouraging me to purchase the Spaces and Places book by Debbie Diller in the featured video. I’d like to see what I could do to improve my classroom layout and design.

When setting up your classroom, you have to keep in mind what the student expectations in each area will be. You will want to provide areas that encourage students to either work independently, in groups, or engage in teacher led instruction. The best way to do this, at least the best way that I’ve found because I have Kindergarten special needs students, is to incorporate centers in the classroom. My centers look a little different than in some rooms because the students are not expected to work collaboratively without an adult to model appropriate social and language skills and because we also work on things such as fine motor and self-help skills that are integrated into our centers. However, in any classroom the centers are where the students review, practice, and apply the skills they have been learning in whole and small group instruction. Because the students are expected to work independently, in pairs, or very small groups, the tasks need to be simple and relevant to minimize confusion. It is also helpful if the tasks involved are contributions toward a larger class project, the students are usually more motivated if they are working to produce something that they can reflect on and be proud of.

When designing instruction, not only is it important to use the classroom space wisely, you also have to select materials and design instruction so that everything that the students are doing is relevant to the learning objective. This may include adapting, supplementing, and extending the reading program used by your school. This is something that usually takes a while, you have to be familiar with the program to determine how and when necessary. In my classroom, we use a technology-based reading program that is on a first grade level. The program itself is tremendously motivating to my students because of the technological component. Because it is a multi-grade level classroom I have begun supplementing the program with skills-based activities to address appropriate grade and developmental-level instruction.