ENVIRONMENT'S ROLE IN LEARNING

Environment's Role In Learning

Environment's Role In Learning

Environment plays a vital role in the development and upbringing of children, in terms of both etiquettes and education. A focus on results and its accompanying de-privatization of practice are dependent on a school culture that honors collegial sharing of technique, an environment in which it is safe to admit questions and concerns, and an atmosphere of collaborative problem solving. It also reflects a vision of student learning in which it is not sufficient for some students to excel while others flounder or receive an inadequate education. The culture of professional inquiry reflects the collaborative nature of the effort; the strong flashlight of analysis that shines into all the school's corners does not permit teachers to hide behind claims of academic freedom. Because the culture of inquiry is a supportive one, all teachers recognize that the challenge of low achievement by some students presents a challenge for them all to take on. Furthermore, a culture of respect pervades all the discussions (Charlotte, 2006).

In their concern for results, teachers and teacher leaders are creative about how to define results and what counts as evidence of student learning. Of course, all this takes place within a larger policy environment. Government agencies also insist on results. Generally speaking, the results demanded by governments consist of scores of a certain level on standardized tests comprising machine-scorable, multiple-choice questions. Only the sort of learning that can be assessed in this manner is included on the test (such as knowledge of facts and simple procedures, with few excursions into conceptual understanding, thinking skills, or communication skills). If there are high-stakes tests, with serious consequences for either students or schools, educators feel compelled to narrow their instruction to those categories of learning.

In their quest to improve results for students, ...