Rethinking and Remaking the Classroom (Blog Post 1 - EDCI 569)My original classroom arrangement in September...boy the designers from The Third Teacher + would've had a field day!Far too often, the idea of physical space isn’t considered when we rethink how to maximize our teaching ability.
I have always been fascinated by architectural and interior design, and love the possibilities that physical arrangement and color can positively influence student learning. I dream of the opportunity to have the funds and time necessary to remake, reform and refresh my working, and my students’ learning environment. On a superficial level, I have tried to take the resources available to me, to create a classroom that encourages collaboration and cooperation. I do not have desks, and all of my students sit in teams at large tables. I try to choose teams that feature between 3 - 4 students of mixed ability and gender. My hope is that students stronger in one academic area will be able to help those who are perhaps struggling, and to help model good study habits. I also try to mix the groupings up every month, so that they can learn how to adapt to working with different personality types.
The physical arrangement of the team tables are situated around the periphery of my rectangular classroom, so that there is a large open area at the front of the class where students or I can present when necessary. I have intentionally created a small work space at the front of the class where I have a laptop and LCD projector that are on a wheeled cart that can easily be relocated if necessary.
My biggest frustration is that, while I have tried to maximize the flow around the classroom and minimized the clutter, but my room still feels drab and uninspiring. What I would really like to do is redesign, customize and add some much needed colors to bring it into the 21st century, and more importantly make it a place that my students and I are inspired to work and learn in.
During the course of my research into how physical space and color impacts learning, I came across this series of 3 videos from Edutopia, that demonstrate the importance of good design can positively impact a learning environment, but also how undertaking such a classroom improvement project can facilitate creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and community action.
I have always been fascinated by architectural and interior design, and love the possibilities that physical arrangement and color can positively influence student learning. I dream of the opportunity to have the funds and time necessary to remake, reform and refresh my working, and my students’ learning environment. On a superficial level, I have tried to take the resources available to me, to create a classroom that encourages collaboration and cooperation. I do not have desks, and all of my students sit in teams at large tables. I try to choose teams that feature between 3 - 4 students of mixed ability and gender. My hope is that students stronger in one academic area will be able to help those who are perhaps struggling, and to help model good study habits. I also try to mix the groupings up every month, so that they can learn how to adapt to working with different personality types.
The physical arrangement of the team tables are situated around the periphery of my rectangular classroom, so that there is a large open area at the front of the class where students or I can present when necessary. I have intentionally created a small work space at the front of the class where I have a laptop and LCD projector that are on a wheeled cart that can easily be relocated if necessary.
My biggest frustration is that, while I have tried to maximize the flow around the classroom and minimized the clutter, but my room still feels drab and uninspiring. What I would really like to do is redesign, customize and add some much needed colors to bring it into the 21st century, and more importantly make it a place that my students and I are inspired to work and learn in.
During the course of my research into how physical space and color impacts learning, I came across this series of 3 videos from Edutopia, that demonstrate the importance of good design can positively impact a learning environment, but also how undertaking such a classroom improvement project can facilitate creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and community action.
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Take aways from the Videos:
The Third Teacher + blog site
· Designers are in the classroom to take a critical look at “Things that work and things that could work better.”
Christian Long: TEDx Overlake Video Link
· Focus on sustainable design by using Recycled, Repurposed and Reclaimed Materials
· All designs for educational spaces need to have a realistic but manageable budget
· The best designs and executions of new classroom spaces involve community support & volunteers
· Any redesign of a classroom needs to match teaching and learning goals
· Involving student input in the process is important:
o Gallery wall of possible design elements to facilitate the students’ visual listening
o Incorporating the students’ preferences into the final design
· The final classroom design should increase teacher/student mobility and overall flow
· To help finalize and mesh together the ideas, host a “Solution Session” involving friends/colleagues or experts to critically assess, brainstorm and refine the design in regards to the following aspects:
o Teaching zone
o Personality
o Display
o Storage
o Furniture
· Prior to redesigning the space, it needs to be decluttered and cleaned
· Scott Doorley – Creative director at the Stanford D school
Design priorities
o Open people up
o Enhance Creative Collaboration
o Help share learning experiences
o Enhance peer-to-peer learning
Studio situations with whiteboards where students can collaborative problem solve / share ideas
The Third Teacher + blog site
· Designers are in the classroom to take a critical look at “Things that work and things that could work better.”
Christian Long: TEDx Overlake Video Link
· Focus on sustainable design by using Recycled, Repurposed and Reclaimed Materials
· All designs for educational spaces need to have a realistic but manageable budget
· The best designs and executions of new classroom spaces involve community support & volunteers
· Any redesign of a classroom needs to match teaching and learning goals
· Involving student input in the process is important:
o Gallery wall of possible design elements to facilitate the students’ visual listening
o Incorporating the students’ preferences into the final design
· The final classroom design should increase teacher/student mobility and overall flow
· To help finalize and mesh together the ideas, host a “Solution Session” involving friends/colleagues or experts to critically assess, brainstorm and refine the design in regards to the following aspects:
o Teaching zone
o Personality
o Display
o Storage
o Furniture
· Prior to redesigning the space, it needs to be decluttered and cleaned
· Scott Doorley – Creative director at the Stanford D school
Design priorities
o Open people up
o Enhance Creative Collaboration
o Help share learning experiences
o Enhance peer-to-peer learning
Studio situations with whiteboards where students can collaborative problem solve / share ideas