Sounds

Noise was not something we had originally considered in a classroom environment when recalling our prior knowledge. Noise is something that is so closely related to both the physical and social environments of the classroom.  Noise can be interpreted it many different ways within a classroom depending on the teacher and the students.  In our research we discovered that noise was much more than we had originally assumed it was.  Westwood (2004) describes that noise that can affect students learning may come from many different areas of the classroom such as other students, teachers, movement, and the building itself (p. 58). Prior to this  inquiry when speaking about noise level it was solely based on the understanding that students were the main noise makers.  When discussing student learning styles or needs Reid (2007) mentions that just as students have preferred areas to sit in a classroom they may also have a preference to the amount of noise that is present during their learning process (p. 7). For instance some students may need complete silence where others may prefer to have music playing while in class. We need to remember that different students may be sensitive or insensitive to different types of noises, we should encourage students to let us know if something is hindering their learning and also regularly assess the classroom environment’s effectiveness.

Songza is a great website to find appropriate music with and without lyrics for a light background noise in your classroom for those students who prefer it.