Chapter+One+on+Envisioning+English

a) Invitation to Reflection 1-4 on page 7 1. There are actually several set ups listed that I really like, but if I had to choose one over the rest it would be the one depicted in picture b. 2. The arrangement that I chose is not the one that was most common in my school experience. The one that I was most accustomed to was the one depicted in picture a, where all students face one direction (the front of the classroom). The one that I chose in b, suggests that teacher is in prominent display in front of the class, but that if a student were to be presenting something, then they would be the focus since they would be standing in the middle of the horse shoe shape. I think that this type of set up would allow for students and teacher alike to be equally active and engaged in the lesson. It is easy for everyone in the class to see one another, and the teacher will have an easier time placing focus in the group. 3. The one that I picked would definitely make me more comfortable as a teacher. From a student standpoint, I think that I would have preferred the setup in picture d, where the students are placed in even groups. I always liked doing group work and being able to collaborate with others. 4. In my imagined classroom I think that it would depend on the activity my class was doing as to where I would be in the classroom. I think that for the most part I would sit at the front of the classroom in a chair that sits higher than the students so this way I could keep an eye on my students. If I had the students working independently or in groups, then I would definitely walk around the classroom so that I could make sure that all of the students were staying on task and so that they could ask me questions if they had any. 5. If I were to have an alternative classroom design, it would probably be the one depicted in picture e. There are large groups, small groups, and even some single groups or simply pairs of desks. This would be ideal for setting up students in a working environment they are more accustomed to. I think that it would definitely change my teaching method because I would have some students facing odd directions, so it would require me to move around the classroom more, or have them face a different direction while I was actually presenting something. 6. I could see my classroom doing a variety of things from listening to lectures, to working individually or in groups on various activities. I'm not so sure that the physical design of the classroom would change depending on the assignment. If it were to change at all, it would be due to certain activities or presentations, not on content alone. 7. Pictures listed in order going from the most student-oriented to the most teacher-oriented: c, d, e, b, a

b) I think that when it comes to traditional practices vs. alternative beliefs, the Milners think that there should be a balance between the two. Traditional practices believe that teaching should be teacher-centered, where teachers are constantly giving the students information. Alternative beliefs focus on the active involvement of students in learning, and try to accommodate lessons in a way that will have students more actively involved. It is great that students should be actively involved, but you can't get the teacher out of the picture completely. The teacher still needs to guide the students and layout expectations for them. It is in this that teachers should find a balance between both traditional practices and alternative beliefs.

c) I think that the Invitation to Reflection was definitely the most helpful thing I found in the chapter. I had never considered how the set up of my classroom my affect the way my students are involved in the lesson. It definitely makes me want to find a set up that will work well for all of my students and ensure that they can always be directly involved in their learning.