New Learning is Noisy

In chapter 2 of the Teaching the New Writing book, Marva Solomon writes, “Online writing is not quiet... All the children had strong physical reactions to the multimodal elements they added to their pages” How do you feel about a noisy classroom?

A noisy classroom to me means that the students are actively engaged in their learning. This will allow the students to be more involved in what they are learning thus retain the information for a longer period of time. A noisy classroom is not something that educators should be afraid of. Instead, they should embrace the noise as a sign that their students are a part of a rigorous and relevant learning experience.

Too often educators are afraid to let the noise levels rise within their classrooms. They worry that they will not be able to regain control of the classroom. The key to having a successful noisy classroom is to teach the students what an active, noisy classroom looks and sounds like. This will help the students know what is and isn’t allowed during these “noisy” learning periods. If students know and understand what to expect from the teacher and their peers during these times, they will be able to be more actively involved in the learning experience.

A website that I found called The Noisy Classroom, http://noisyclassroom.com/index.html, gives some information about why noisy classrooms are necessary for learning.

Image used with permission from http://fics.us/dailey