One of the activities we did in class this past week in education 250 was the walking classroom. This is a way of learning where students listen to a podcast while walking around outside, and then after the podcast is over, students meet back in the classroom to review what they have learned. I think this is a very good idea to use in order to promote student learning. The walking classroom's official website states that "In addition to the obvious health benefits of walking, there is much research confirming the link between exercise and cognitive function. Students return to the classroom in better moods, more focused, and more likely to engage in post-walk discussions. Teachers regularly report that after implementing The Walking Classroom, students retain the information better, demonstrate better behavior and engagement in the classroom, and perform better on standardized exams" (Link at bottom).
The walking classroom will help teachers demonstrate the North Carolina Teaching Curriculum Standards (NCTCS) in many different ways. For example, the fourth standard of the NCTCS states that teachers should "facilitate learning for their students." Teachers should use strategies and tools that help the students learn best, and I think the walking classroom is a great way to help all different types of learners. Audio learners will be able to gain the most knowledge from the listening aspect of the walking classroom, kinesthetic learners will have the movement of walking outside as an advantage, and visual learners will have the option of taking notes as they learn. This activity applies to the majority, if not all different types of student learning and is a very beneficial tool in education today.
I would most certainly take advantage of the walking classroom when I am a teacher in the future. I think, kindergarten in mind, that the idea may have to be tweaked slightly for the age I hope to have, but it would still be very useful. I think in order to make the walking classroom most effective in my future kindergarten class, I would have the class walk together while listening to a podcast that is slightly shorter than a normal walking classroom may be. This tool that I plan to use in the future will be a great way to get students involved and excited about their learning as well as give students a chance to escape the norm of sitting in a classroom for a few minutes. I can't wait to apply this activity in the future.
Links: http://www.thewalkingclassroom.org/our-program/
I really enjoyed the walking classroom. I also would love to do the walking classroom in my future classroom as well. I really like how you explained that you would tweak the walking classroom for the younger grades.
ReplyDeleteI think it's amazing how the walking classroom applies to every type of learner. Often the different types of learners get left out if the teacher is only lecturing or only writing on the board, or only doing hands-on activities. Wanting to teach kindergarten myself as well, I think the shorter podcast would be a great idea! I also think that maybe going outside on a walk and just talking with the class as we walk might would help them. We could point certain things out and talk about them as we are walking. It's great we can compare ideas since we want to teach the same grade!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that you are a fan of the walking classroom! Keep on taking the time to research this strategy more so you can begin to develop ways of bringing this perspective into your future classroom!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the walking classroom allows students time to take a break. I love that students are able to process the information at their own and get a bit of exercise at the same time. I think that the idea of taking the class out of the classroom is always a great idea! I remember my teachers taking our class outside and having class outdoors when the weather was nice. I feel that allowing students to learn in more than one environment makes the information easier to process and relieves the stress that may be felt in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteI really like that you took the time to relate back to specific standards that the walking classroom relates to. I also like what you said about the kindergarten class. Ideas would surely have to be different for that age group.
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