A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms I was supervising a teacher who was enrolled in our program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that focused on developing student self-knowledge, ego strength, trust and community in classrooms. We had created a manual with over 50 classroom lessons. She was teaching at a high school in an economically depressed district in northern Appalachia. She called me in a state of frustration. "I've used dozens of the exercises you guys developed, and they're not the least bit interested. There's no sense of community, and the trust level is non-existent. Students Take Ownership So I visited the class. I suggested that she ditch the exercises and work with the class to totally change the physical environment. They spent six weeks doing little else. There are at least two lessons from this story. The physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in affecting student morale and learning. The Custodian’s Favorite Arrangement Here's a related story. More Ideas, More Resources
untitled 8 Technologies That Will Shape Future Classrooms What does the future of learning hold? What will classrooms of the future be like? Emerging technologies such as cloud computing, augmented reality (AR) and 3D printing are paving the way for the future of education in ways we may have yet to see. However, just as the original intentions for new technology often give way to innovative and unpredictable usage, we can never be sure if a twist is waiting for these rising stars. Recommended Reading: Major Tech In Education Trends In 2013 [Infographic] 1. We’re still waiting for Augmented Reality to take the world by storm by way of Google Glass, gaming and awesome apps for astronomy. It’s expected to wow audiences with its AR capabilities, which allow users to see additional information layered over what they see through the lens. Read Also: 5 Top Augmented Reality Apps For Education Read Also: How Augmented Reality Is The Next Big Social Experience A New Way To Teach Virtual field trips are also possible with AR. 2. 3D Printing 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Books and Music Dealing with ALL the Feelings! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you will know that I am a huge fan of books which deal with big issues and the really BIG feelings for young people such as grief, dementia, disability in a parent, childhood cancer, adoption, diversity in family life, family breakdown, the endless nature of love and the crushing emotional pain of bullying – hyperlinks take you to specific books. Young people need to see their lives reflected in literature and in music – to know they are not alone and to know they are understood. Books and music which deal with issues and feelings give children the vocabulary to help them articulate their feelings and the strategies to deal with tough situations. I recently had a friend staying with me who shall remain nameless, though she’ll probably out herself and we did a fair bit of driving around places. The Youtube clip below gives you an overview of most of the songs or you can download the album here. You can download the album here.
20 Classroom Setups That Promote Thinking 20 Classroom Setups That Promote Thinking by TeachThought Staff This is part 1 in our #iteachthought campaign. This is our equivalent to “back to school,” and is intended to help you focus in the 2015-2016 school year on taking a thoughtful approach to your craft as a teacher. Among these shifts we’ll talk about is turning our focus from content and teaching to thinkers and thinking. This is a student-centered approach to pedagogy (and heautagogy), and will consist of three parts: Part 1: Classroom Setups That Promote Thinking Part 2: Learning Profiles: What Great Teachers Know About Their Students Part 3: 50 Questions To Ask Your Students On The First Day Of School Learning Is An Ecology Can how you setup your classroom impact how students think? Desks are a staple of the ‘modern’ classroom as we know it. So what can we do? So, the bit about “classroom setups impacting thinking.” Note, we’ve placed an asterisk* beside those approaches that are more strongly suited to “thought” than others.
Transforming the school library for innovative learning The joy of reading is something that stays with someone for life and for many, this joy has its roots in the school library. Reading for pleasure is also inextricably linked with higher achievement and social mobility, making the school library a place of great importance in a child’s life. While the end goal is the same, the layout of today’s library has changed considerably from even a few years ago to accommodate high demand for technology and the shift from a quiet space to a learning hub for both groups and individuals. It is imperative, therefore, that the design and resourcing of the school library is meticulously planned by those with expert knowledge. School News spoke to industry insiders for advice on refitting the school library. Consider your space Start by looking at your space, advises Scott Reed from Resource Furniture, suppliers to hundreds of school libraries across Australia. Case study: Albany Senior High School, Auckland Questions to consider Space Signage Collection
The School Librarian as Learning Alchemist The landscape of learning is changing. Children and young adults learn not only in school but fluidly across home, school, peer culture, and community. This transformation in learning and the school environment has prompted educators to ask challenging questions about how to develop learning spaces to meet these needs within the sometimes competing economic, social, and political realities. At the same time, school librarians continue to serve their communities by linking children, young adults, and teachers with both the information they need and the skills to use it. We’ve identified three trends that we see as most affecting the role of the school librarian in the near future. Information on demand In the near future, there will be a significant reduction in physical library space and collections. Even as some schools move to virtual collections, the opportunities for school librarians to influence learning will actually increase. Connected learning The school librarian of the future
Ultimate Teen Space The Mix at the San Francisco Public Library is a teenager’s idea of paradise, with places to chill with friends, be creative and explore technology, as well as room to study and read. The Mix is based on the learning theory of HOMAGO, providing teens with spaces to hang out, mess around and geek out and allowing them to explore information and technology and design and create. The popularity of SFPL’s teen space can be attributed to the fact that teens were involved in the planning every step of the way. Entrance Area and Interactive Wall The Mix entrance has comfortable seating surrounded by glass walls. When teens learn that the touchscreen only works from inside the space, they’re excited to know that only they have access to this impressive technology. The touchscreen is a powerful communication tool.
ILE Classroom design should follow evidence, not architectural fads The past decade has seen a boom in the construction of trendy buildings with visually appealing interiors in schools and universities. Proponents highlight the potential of these flexible and technology-rich spaces, referred to as innovative learning environments (ILEs), to shape behaviours to enhance student learning. Economic and technological changes have caused a reconsideration of the nature of teaching and learning. This narrative has been used to underpin the call to re-imagine school learning environments. Critiques highlight the constrained, static design of conventional classrooms, which favours more traditional teaching practices. However, this claimed relationship between space and teacher practice is flimsy. What evidence is there for this relationship? Systematic investment in new learning environments is a matter of policy in many countries. The need for innovative classroom spaces stems from questions about how efficient existing classrooms are. What works
Inside ‘Room 21C’: This Iowa Classroom’s Redesign Inspired Seven Other Districts Put on your student glasses: the “shift” around the nation to personalized learning has begun. But that’s easier said than done. Luckily, in Iowa, there is a saying (popularized from the film, Field of Dreams): “If you build it, they will come.” As an educational service agency serving 33 public school districts in southeast Iowa, our role is to support students, teachers and administrators to bring about the best possible learning success for students’ education. But there’s a problem: while teachers would generally be excited about the new resources available, they would return to the same old classroom they left. So, we asked, “How can we change this in our in new and emerging 1-1 schools in southeast Iowa?” That led to a crucial idea. Designing a New Sort of Classroom: Research and Development The Great Prairie Area Education Agency endeavored to do that, and began by conducting two years of development and research on everything from brain to learning-to-learn research. Dr.
Smarter school spaces Alexandria Public Schools leaders re-envisioned classrooms a few years ago when planning a new high school at their central Minnesota district. The educators were driven, in part, by students who refused to enroll in industry skills courses taught typically in classrooms tucked away in dark basements. District leaders also hoped to change the stereotype that students who work with their hands are not college bound, says Julie Critz, Alexandria’s superintendent. “A lot of quality learning goes on in shop class,” Critz says. Now, the room—branded the “Design Build Lab”—has become a hallmark of the $73 million Alexandria Area High School, which was funded through grants, community donations and a $65 million bond. Students learn about engineering and manufacturing with hands-on projects—designing parts on the computer and then creating prototypes with 3D printers and using other machines to produce final products. The way schools across the country use space has changed. Rethinking space
Perrysburg demonstrates new classroom concepts - Sentinel-Tribune: News Posted: Monday, January 11, 2016 9:28 am Perrysburg demonstrates new classroom concepts By ALEX ASPACHER, Sentinel County Editor Sentinel-Tribune PERRYSBURG - A model classroom installed in the junior high library will allow teachers and students to experience new classroom concepts more than a year before they'll be incorporated into the district's new intermediate elementary school. With students gone for winter break, custodial and maintenance staff spent a few days adding white walls decked out in dry erase boards, technology that makes it easier to collaborate, and furniture which can be easily moved around. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Traditional classrooms look mostly the same - rows of pupil desks facing the same direction, with a board and the teacher's space at the front of the room, as well as a large desk of their own. "They'll have a desk, just not inside that classroom," Hosler said. "We don't want to impose it on teachers.