Sunday, November 11, 2007

Class Blog #3


We are now at the 4th stage of education that is called University / college including kindergarten, which means we had gone through a couple of stages before we actually reach our current level. In the past, I had studied in a classroom that looked something similar to the photograph I posted on the left hand side. In such a classroom, students were sharing a wooden bench and a wooden table. Usually the teacher would assign two students per bench. There is no such things call retro projector, computer, or any other technology equipment, but a big long blackboard that hung horizontally in front of the classroom, where the teacher usually stand and lecture. Plus, there was not heat in the winter, nor air conditioning in the summer in the classroom when I was little. I personally believe that such classrooms are fine. Not just because I was little so I didn't know how to judge whether the classroom was good and effective for learning. The one very important thing about learning is motivation. If the students are the people who love to study; it doesn't really matter how horrible the classroom is. As long as there are teachers, books, and writing materials, the students can learn effectively no matter what.



Back to our current level and classroom. The classroom that we are having classes in are most likely studio classrooms that looked something like the picture above. As a grown up person, we all know how to enjoy and relax while we are studying, or try pursuit something that we like the best when we have the alternative of classrooms. At this part of thinking, we often confused about what we are suppose to do in a classroom? What do we expect to receive from the teacher? Are we here to enjoy the classroom environment? Of Course it would be better if there are computers and retro projectors in the classroom, but whether the students learn effective and successful or not, are all depend on the students' motivation of studying.

1 comment:

Denise said...

Qi,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and insightful questions. It does boil down to motivation, doesn't it? I have taught in places where the "classroom" was just the ground with no roof overhead. Guess what -- those students learned and had fun too. Perhaps now we are spoiled by technology and education has become entertainment.