what does your classroom FEEL like?

LMA:

Classrooms can take many different forms. Some aspects of the classroom can change depending on the class content, the students, etc. There are also more traditional classrooms, with the standards depending on location and/or type of school. For example, Sumerian schools were outside, lined with stone slab seats. The general architecture of learning environments has evolved over time as well. But, that leaves us with a question of progression in the realm of classrooms. (What do classrooms look like, and is it possible to learn outside of these traditional interpretations?)

The purpose of our Field Experience was to engage in learning outside of the classroom and its familiarity. We learned how to absorb the world as a classroom of its own. More specifically, we traveled to an open park to listen to several sound installations, and analyze the feelings and thoughts being evoked.

I learned that various ways feelings can be applied, environmentally. I only observed two sound installations, however, the contrast was apparent in the sound and the audience reactions. These reactions are great examples of the way we apply feeling and observation to our surroundings. Different sounds can evoke feelings of anticipation, serenity, or fear. They can also influence reactions like dancing or sleeping. When thinking about this in the context of school, it is important to keep in mind how our bodies and minds react to different environments. This means that the designs of our spaces play a large role in the learning within.

Although most of my independent research and observations were based on the taiko drum sound installations, I connected mostly with the synthesizer piece “Along Dusk,” by Natalie Chami. I find music to be a great source of comfort, and so listening to the ambiance and textures of the synthesizers made me feel more comfortable and connected to myself and those around me. I felt so safe and secure that I was able to lie comfortably in the sound, or, rather, the grass.