October 11

Final Spatial Ethnography

Moments after the 8:30 bell rang, several figures rushed into their Advanced Algebra Math Class. Rushing in, some of the students looked as if they hadn’t slept all night while others were smiling from ear to ear. While sitting inside of the classroom, one will notice the black and white speckled tiles One may even notice the tile that is brown because of water damage or something of such that hangs over the teacher’s desk. One will notice the projector covered in a blanket of dusts implanted into one of the speckled tiles. One will see the red, yellow, orange and green posters varying in sizes displayed all across the classroom. “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary” is a banner in the classroom that lays in the back of the room just above the poster explaining how to divide polynomials in big, bold red letters that one will notice. One will notice how the teacher’s desk sits off to the left of the classroom away from the students’ desks and how his printer makes “zzcwash” noises. One will notice how the desks are aligned in even rows looking as if they are army combats about to go to war. One will notice an interactive whiteboard that hangs in the center of the classroom covered in what looks like lines of blood because of the red marker that the teacher was using. While looking near the classroom door, one will see 2 brown tables with silver metal legs that are holding four, very modern gray and shiny desktops. One will notice the gray trash can that sits near the door that was filled with candy wrappers, chip bags and soda bottles. One will notice the black construction paper that covers the window that was on the classroom’s door that made it to where no one could see in or out of the classroom. Lastly, one will notice the gray and black fan that is in the back of the classroom rotating its neck from one side of the classroom to the other side.

Each of the objects in the room has a specific purpose and sent a message to the students and the teacher. For example, the alignment of the desks is to prevent the students from talking to each other and engaging in activities that they weren’t supposed to. The interactive whiteboard is used as an instructional tool for the students and the teachers. The whiteboard is also used for the purposes of keeping the student’s attention at all times. The desktops were there for the students to use as processing units. The garbage can that sat near the door is used for the purposes of throwing trash away. The black construction paper that covers the window on the door is to stop other students that may be passing by from attempting to talk to the students from the outside of the classroom. Lastly, the printer was there for the teachers and/or students to print information that they may need.

The people that one will see in this space consists of about 17 not engaged students and a very, very talkative teacher. The students were spread all across the classroom sitting in their distinct positions in the classroom. One will notice a group of about 3 or 4 boys sitting in back of the classroom talking about the most recent football game. One will notice 3 girls sitting up front talking among themselves. One will notice the couple sitting exactly 2 desks behind the 3 girls drawing on each other’s arms, giggling and smiling. One will notice the girl with pink hair sitting near the door asleep. One will notice that she had been sleep since the teacher had collected the warm up at the beginning of class. One will notice that the other 7 students were engaged in other activities. They were either texting, doodling on their desks, or sleeping. Then, one will notice the teacher. He was dressed in a purple button down shirt, with ashy black pants and black dress shoes. He stood at the center of the classroom with a red marker and a worksheet in his hand. He was trying to teach his students how to expand binomials. He was, however, having a hard time trying to grasp the attention of all 17 of his students. One will be able to tell that he was highly frustrated because of the 4 veins that were popping out of his classroom.

Many people in this space seem either completely focused or completely unreserved. An occupant of this space said, “I didn’t really choose to come here. I come here because I have to”, when asked why she chose to come to this space. She was on the girls sitting up front near the teacher. The girls most likely sit in the front to make it seem as if they are interested in what the teacher has to say. One will think this because every so often they will answer a question or two that the teacher is asking the class the answer to a problem. The three boys sitting in the back of the classroom apparently enjoy talking about football because for the entire hour and thirty minutes their attention was on each other and the topic. Unlike the trio of girls, they didn’t answer any questions that the teacher asked. Instead, they ignored him when he called their names. From the couple’s behaviors and how they talked back to the teacher when he asked them to refrain from touching each other shows that they have no problem with being affectionate in public. This space, an Advanced Algebra math class, appeals to a group of very different and interesting group of people.


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Posted October 11, 2016 by nterry4 in category Final Spatial Ethnography Report

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