Looking into the inspiring culture

          In order to understand more about the Japanese culture , I had borrowed the book from NAFA library which was called JAPAN The Arts of Living . It was a quite nice book as I could learn the  knowledges of traditional Japanese culture that inspired me . 

        Traditional furniture design was strongly influenced by architectural considerations . Architecture was basically in harmony with the natural environment . Inside and outside were joined by architectural elements that defined space . To be very honest , the shoji doors and the low-tables inspired me a lot .

          The shoji doors was the ancient Japanese furniture that I liked the most . It is made of natural materials such as woods , bamboos and papers . Carpenters with an intuitive grasp of proportion infused the feeling of warmth and beauty into these otherwise inanimate objects , giving them a strong appeal that transcends time .

       

          I had found some pictures of the shoji doors from the book . The wash-paperd shoji at the windows has created an atmosphere of warmth and dignity . It could be implemented in the classrooms that when fused with the practical values of comfort and simplicity , the aesthetic values of elegance and creativity added dimension to the classrooms . Seamlessly combined , these values could create some of the most impressive rooms . 

Inspiring culture

          What is culture ? Culture is in the words " that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society . " Culture is a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social  learning in human societies . The word is used in a general sense as the evolved ability to categorize and represent experiences with symbols and to act imaginatively and creatively. 

          The culture that inspires me is the Japanese culture . Japanese culture has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jomon period, to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe , and North America . The reason of Japanese culture inspires me is that the Japanese culture always gives the feeling of natural and convenient to me . 

          How does the culture help with the design of classroom ? Well, it is simple actually as I have looked back the ancient culture of Japan and compare it with the contemporary culture of Japan . The comparison between both of the periods of Japanese culture is important because the more I compare , the more the differences and similarities I will get known . By studying the Japanese culture, my opinion is that the implementation of Japanese ancient culture is good to let the students who have born and grown up in the contemporary era to known more about it . For instance , the Shoji Door can be used in stead of the normal classroom doors . More ever , the low-tables and the low-chairs with the cushions can be used in stead of the normal height tables and chairs . These are the kinds of traditional living styles that the students supposed to get known . All these will be fresh to them .  

Case study - Classrooms are Boring ( inconvenient environment)

          One more case study regarding the project title ' Classrooms are Boring ' is about inconvenient environment . Inconvenient environment means the surrounding that causing the people feel uneasy , troublesome or even difficulty .

   

          The reason that brings to the problems of inconvenient environment is

1) Noisy environment

          Environmental noise is the summary of noise pollution from outside, caused by transport, industrial and recreational activities. Noise is frequently described as 'unwanted sound', and, within this context, environmental noise is generally present in some form in all areas of human activity. The effects in humans of exposure to environmental noise may vary from emotional to physiological and psychological . Noise at low levels is not necessarily harmful; environmental noise can also convey a sense of liveliness in an area, and is not then always considered 'unwanted'. However, the adverse effects of noise exposure (i.e. noise pollution) could include: interference with speech or other 'desired' sounds, annoyance, sleep disturbance, anxiety, hearing damage and stress-related cardiovascular health problems.

          As an area of work or study, environmental noise is often extended to include human perception and response to vibration caused by environmental sources, typically due to exposure to ground vibration or building vibration . Noise from transportation is typically emitted by the machinery (e.g. the engine or exhaust) and aerodynamic noise caused by the compression and friction in the air around the vessel during motion. Industrial and recreational noise could be generated by a multitude of different sources and processes. Sound propagation outdoors is subject to meteorological effects (e.g. wind, temperature) that affect the distance, speed, and direction with which environmental noise travels from a source to a listener.

 The construction area of Singapore at Marina Bay Sands that causes the noise pollution .

                                    The traffic jam at Singapore that causes the noise pollution .

                    The sound of MRT traveling along the barriers that causes the noise pollution . 

          

Case study - Classrooms are Boring ( the problems of teachers )

The case study is important to find the root of the problems so that we can exactly know about the problems in order to find the practical solutions to deal with the problems .

There are some reasons of why the students feel bored in the classrooms :

The problems of teachers ( teaching methods)
1) Power Point
     PowerPoint is a very valuable tool, but this only applies in certain situations. When a teacher writes paragraphs upon paragraphs on a single PowerPoint slide, and then proceeds to read them all verbatim to "teach" the class, the students completely zone out. The teachers are not advisable to use the same method all the way for their teaching . It definitely makes the classes become boring and the students will not pay much attentions to it .

2) Sitting to long
     Although it’s important to increase the  students’ stamina for both paying attention during lessons and focusing during independent work, if they’re made to sit too long, the teachers are asking for trouble. Good teachers are observant and thus learn to know precisely when to switch gears and get their students up and moving . 

3) Talking too much
     Sometimes ,  the teachers keep talking and teaching in the classroom without giving the students for the short break . Students need room to breathe or they’ll form an unspoken mutiny and turn your classroom upside down. Talking too much is especially smothering . The students do not have the opportunity to express their own opinions during the lesson as they just keep listening to what the teachers has taught them .  What is important is the more economical and concise the teachers are with their words, however, the more attentive the students will be.

4) Making the simple to become complex
       Many teachers misunderstand the oft-heard mandate for more rigor. They take it to mean that they need to make their instruction more complex, more involved, more verbose—which is a major reason why students don’t progress.

5) Talking about behavior instead of doing something about it
     Teachers who struggle with classroom management tend to talk endlessly about behavior. They hold class meetings. They hash things out. They revisit the same tired topic over and over, much to their students’ eye-rolling chagrin. Effective classroom management is about action. It’s about doing and following through and holding students accountable. It isn’t about talking.

6) Directing too much, observing too little.
      Most teachers are in constant motion—directing, guiding, handholding, and micromanaging students from one moment to the next. This is not only remarkably inefficient, but it dampens enthusiasm for school. Instead, rely on sharp, well-taught routines to keep your students awake, alive, and responsible through every transition and repeatable moment of your day—while you observe calmly from a distance.

Our Mind map - Classrooms are Boring

          By week 2 of Design Process lesson , our class were told by both of our lecturers Mr Ang Chiat and Mr Micky Ho that we supposed to do the mind map that is related to our own group title .  Well ,  I was same group with the handsome Indian guys , Vivek , Andy Lim and Wen Li . We worked to each other and shared our own ideas with the group members in order to finish our mind map .

          At the beginning for doing the mind map , we had faced some problems as we did not have the good ideas for our project title ' Classrooms are Boring ' and we started to stuck there . We tried to do the basic research and got some points from the different websites . By doing the research , we had collected some useful informations . Furthermore , the group members tried their best to share the relevant as well as the practical opinions . Finally , we had successfully done our mind map !

          We used the mind map for our presentation . After our presentation , our lecturers gave some comments that our mind map points were not enough . They gave us the advise that we need to think more out of the box in order to make it more interesting and not too bored  .  We humbly listened and accepted all the advises from the lecturer so as to improve our mind map .

Different sources

Classrooms are Boring



Books

• “Classroom of Choice” by Jonathan C. Erwin. Chapter 4. Power in the Classroom Creating the Environment. May 2004.

• “Mirror” by Jeanie Baker. Walker Books. August 2010.
  

Periodicals (Journals/Magazines) 

• dezeen “Roc Apeldoorn Classroom” By Jurgen Bey 30 September 2007. Marcus Fairs.
  
• “Lectures Aren’t Just Bring, They’re Ineffective, Too, Study Finds” By Aleszu Bajak.
  SCIENCEINSIDER. 12 May 2014.
  
  

Electronic Sources

• “Boredom in the Clasroom: Why are So Many Students Bored – and What Can Be Done?” Educhatter”s Blog. Educhatter.wordpress.com
  
• “Classroom Environment” By Angela miller – Kathryn Cunningham . April 18, 2011 http://www.education.com/reference/article/classroom-environment/ 

Classroom of Choice
It is a fantastic book , packed with rich and highly practical contents, including some advices and activities. I have found some contents which are useful such as 'Laying the Foundation for a Classroom of Choice' , ' Survival in the Classroom ' , ' Love and Belonging in the Classroom ' , ' Creating the Environment ' , ' Freedom in the Classroom ' and ' Fun in the Classroom '. All these are about what the students needs and what we can do to fulfil their needs in order to help them in their study and school life . 

Mirror
Experience of : reflecting on text , sharing reading & viewing , reading & writing , speaking & listening , 
                             creating and research .
Values addressed :  Intercultural understanding ,  Care & Compassion and Respect . 
Themes :  Places , Belonging , Identity , Environment , Understanding Each Other and Tradition and
                   Heritage . 

Roc Apeldoorn Classroom

Jurgen Bey has completed a classroom interior project at the Roc professional training school at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.The classroom walls, floor and furniture are decorated with images taken from reference books used at the school.Everything in the classroom is coloured either white or grey. Spaces are divided by moveable hanging screens (below) that are also printed with technical patterns.

What I can say about this is that it's really amazing ! I never thought of graphic design in interiors can be this detailed and worked . It is unimaginable to see Bey gives careful and complete attention to just everything inside the room . 

Classroom Environment
The contents include ' The Physical Environment ' , ' Classroom Climate ' , ' The Psychological Environment ' , ' Measuring Classroom Environment ' and ' Implications and Considerations ' .  From the source , I know about that a classroom can be set up in a way that stifles creativity or does not promote a positive learning environment. There are many things that can affect this environment. There are physical elements such as wall art, arrangement of desks, or resources. Also, there are intangible elements such as the energy of the classroom, the rules, or the sounds within the room. Each of these can impact a student’s focus and achievement in the class. They can also affect a teacher’s attitude in the class. Included in each of these elements of the classroom is the emotional environment.

 

Empathizing

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E15sYx-cpso&index=2&list=PLD57742DD81BF1CE0

        Empathy is quite ordinary and important in our life. We may have this feeling when we face certain condition. Empathy is totally different with the sympathy as with empathy we can feel the connection whereas with sympathy we will dry the connection.

        For this year 1 semester 2 with the module Design Process, our group have chosen the title '' Classrooms are Boring'' to look into and deal with the problems. First of all, what we need to do after choosing this title is not immediately think about the solutions for the problem but we need to have empathy with the problem.

       At my study place, what I see is that the classrooms are really let the students to feel boring due to some reasons. For instance, the environment of the classrooms most of the times are untidy as there have some rubbish around the classrooms. Also, the lack of facilities affects the study mood of the students in the classrooms. Even nowadays is a era that advance technology is very much needed for every area but sometimes students do not have the opportunity to have and enjoy it. As a result, they may can not do well and be outstanding in their studies. In other words, this is the outcome because of the lack of advance technology. Besides that, the old furniture cause them to feel inconvenient when using. However, the school never change the new one for them. Furthermore, I also find that students are not satisfied with the classrooms design too. This problem is caused by the too common design in the classrooms. Most of the times the classrooms are not much design or even the old school design. That is why the design in the classrooms is not really interesting to most of the students. What they want is the ''interesting place''.

        In conclusion, classrooms are boring is the problem that the students face now. I myself also deeply feel that because I am a student student too and I can feel what they feel. In other word, I have the empathy with them. With empathy, I can make sense or more understanding what is happening in our surrounding. It brings ourselves to the solutions as we can feel the truth.  Last but not least, to make is to realise empathy. It is at the heart of the bottom of what it means to be. It is a human right.