Learning with Technology

Instead of focusing solely on 'what we teach and how we teach it' as teachers, creating the right environment can provide additional support for improved learning outcomes. In my classroom, I could utilise the second strategy of this article (rethink the classroom layout) to transform learning. Traditionally, in a maths classroom, the questions are written on the board for students to complete. Students are expected to complete the questions individually and discussion is often perceived as off task behaviour. By changing the layout of the classroom to include groups of desks, students can begin to learn through collaboration. It opens up the opportunity for students engage in higher levels of thinking such as creating questions for their peers and evaluating peer answers. Students can support each other and engage in participatory teaching methods where knowledge retention is at its highest.