I am a person that perfers silence when I study. I also do well on tests. My teenagers on the other hand have test anxiety and always play music at home when they study. I don't know why there is this difference but my guess is that most students today are used to having noise of some sort in their lives at home. Many have earphones on much of their life or tv's or computers.
The quiet work environment is not condusive to learning for everyone. Why shouldn't the student have a choice of listening to music if it helps them take a test? Sometimes I put on music in the classroom and a student will say they can't concentrate but most of the students prefer to listen to music. Then I will split the time half with music and half with out. Many educators need to lighten up and evaluate what is really condusive to a learning environment. Rules should have a strong presence in what is best for the learning of all students not just to have rules to make students miserable. Students are more likely to learn if they are comfortable in the environment. If a student is stressed then the test is most likely not going to be a true representation of their knowledge.
Final Blog Synthesis....
15 years ago
Hi Mary! Firstly, I want to thank you for your comments on my last two bog entries:)
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to read that you are also open to questioning whether students should be allowed to listen to music while they study/take a test. On another similar kind of thought to such test-taking ideas. How about chewing gum???!!! This year my school decided to allow gum chewing for the first time in history....
I wrote a blog with this same exact title! :) I didn't address the fact that our school has outlawed ipods. I wish they hadn't. I play music in my classroom, all the time, but my students are usually working in clay, and not reading or writing. I'm with you Mary, I prefer quiet when I study. My whole Masters degree has been done with movies playing, or video games. It has been really tough to concentrate, but I have adapted.
ReplyDeleteMary - I like your idea to test the status quo and try new things with music in the classroom. I am a big proponent of quiet when I study and take tests (and Caroline, I think I would go bananas if someone were chewing gum next to me while I took a test), but I think that with certain classroom activities it might be nice to have some music playing. It might make the students better learners if they can adapt to working with music playing. In this day and age there is never really any true quiet!
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