During this week’s reading, David Kirkland’s following quote caught my attention:

In third spaces, both researchers and educators, teachers and students move away from trite notions of space that harden into formal and informal categories. Instead, space gets repositioned around more flexible boundaries and forged in the stuff of both official and unofficial dimensions. This “hybrid” context, as it has been called, is believed to sanction a more inclusive and, for some, more just pedagogical reality. In this way, Hochman (2006) views the third space as “a fertile ground for educational projects and initiatives, particularly those that educate around issues of differences”(p. 200). Importantly, she sees third space as “physical” and “dialectical,” “a space that is neither school nor home” (p. 200) (Kirkland 12).

I strongly agree with the idea of “third space” and view it as an ideal learning environment. I feel that sometimes schools settings can be so formal that it can cause nerves or anxiety among students. It seems that this third space concepts exhibits perfect characteristics for a learning environment, especially because it combines some benefits of both official spaces (such as regulation) and unofficial spaces (such as comfort). Although not completely implemented according to “third space” definition, I am still reminded of the way that my CT in my student teaching placement runs his classroom. My CT emphasizes the importance of participation and explains that students must take risks and be willing to make mistakes. In order to learn optimally, a classroom environment should not be filled with anxieties but rather interactions and experiences to learn and improve. This concept in the classroom itself functions well alone, however I wonder if my CT were to complement this practice along with true online “third space” concepts, what type of impact would occur on student’s learning. I believe that lowering any feelings of anxiety is extremely important in learning experience and the “third space” concept is a great way to achieve this.