A New Design?

It is a rare opportunity when teachers are able to participate in the redesign of a school.  It is a once-in-a-career event.  For us, the possibility of a new Lower School may be just over the horizon, and conversation has started as to how a school's physical space can improve learning and teaching.

The factory model of education provided an easy-to-follow physical layout for classrooms.  Quadrilateral room.  Desks in rows.  Teacher at the front.  Thankfully, times have changed. Collaboration and creativity are embedded in lessons to promote 21C academic and social curricula that will help students be successful in the future.  

What should a new classroom look like?  How can an entire school be redefined through physical space?  Here are my initial thoughts. We need:

-Space that promotes our understanding that students learn in different ways.

-Natural light and opportunities to easily observe and engage with nature.

-More than one "front" of the classroom to provide for small group instruction and multiple student presentations.

-Nooks and crannies for students to engross themselves with their work.

-Space that supports an ever changing technological landscape and houses traditional tools.

-Multiple whiteboards that students can use throughout the room.

-Space that encourages collaboration and fosters creativity.

-Space that houses long term projects.

-Furniture that is easily moved by students and can be rearranged in a number of ways.

-Gathering space where a number of classrooms can meet to exchange ideas and celebrate learning.

-Spaces that promote interaction among grade levels.

Here are some resources to get our wheels turning: How Schools Are Redesigning Their Space - ASCD: Ed Leadership How Should Your Classroom Look This Year - TeachThought 8 Tips And Tricks To Redesign Your Classroom - Edutopia Classroom Redesign Challenge - Mind/Shift 10 Ideas For Designing An Engaging Classroom Space  - Etale - Life In The Digital World An example of a classroom renovation: http://www.bobcatblog.com/1/post/2013/08/new-faces-places-and-spaces.html Assistance in gathering resources provided by @plennig and @MaineSchoolTech

Physical space is not the only factor in determining success of a school, but creating an engaging space that supports how students and teachers want to spend their day certainly helps.

Moving Forward

Like a video going viral, (example 1, example 2) the use of iPads in 4-5 is spreading leaving behind a satisfied smile.  Usage has increased as students experiment during their free time.  Learners are exploring iMovie, Explain Everything, Fetch Spanish, Slice It, and the many QR codes hidden in classroom spaces.  These QR codes link to websites that celebrate student work and highlight conceptual understanding across the content areas.

What is most exciting is the thoughtful integration of iPads in classrooms.  Up to this point, the power of the iPad was being constrained to simple substitution.  Apps were just replacing traditional tools.  As teachers have become more comfortable with the iPad and time has been allocated to focus conversations based on student learning and pedagogy, the possibilities have presented themselves and integration in the classroom has improved.  In the past few weeks, the students of 4-5 have used the iPads to generate documentation in preparation for student-led parent-teacher conferences using iMovie and Explain Everything.  Math classes have used Explain Everything to assess understanding of fraction and division concepts.  Science classes have used Nova Elements to provide a powerful visual of what cannot be seen and to begin an investigation of atomic structure.  Finally, Literature classes have used iMovie and the video recorder to capture reactions to reading assignments.  The common thread in all these applications is that the students are reflecting, synthesizing, and delivering their understanding in real time.  Furthermore, teachers can observe those comments later in the day and lead the students towards new understandings.

All if this activity leads me to think about our classrooms of the future.  If there were to be a 1:1 program, how would that impact our work as teachers and the ecology of learning in the classroom?  With 1:1 on the horizon, we have a real opportunity to redefine how we guide learning and provide instruction (not just content instruction but focused teaching on how to use the tools.)  With 1:1 we can really cater to the individual needs of our students and provide real world scenarios.  It’s time to start imagining how technology can create different roles for teachers and very personalized learning opportunities for students!

Apple TV

Happy holidays. 100% of the 4th/5th grade floor is now equipped with Apple TV and the changes are instantly noticeable. We all know that the device is immediately transformative but for the longest time I did not see one in action. My room was the only one with Apple TV. Now, with three more, I can see how other teachers are using this simple but powerful tool. I have noticed a more collaborative atmosphere as students and teachers engage with the information on the screen. The classroom appears to be a more “natural” space. Teachers are sitting with their students and having conversations. The teacher’s body language is that of community exploration and discussion rather than information dissemination. Lessons appear to be more fluid as notes and apps can be organized ahead of time and stored “behind the scenes.” Lastly, the tool has added instant depth to conversation because the power of the iPads is at our fingertips and clearly visible to all. Our challenge will be to reflect on how we implement this device and how we can use it to transform the way we teach and how students learn but I think we are on our way. It will take a great deal of tinkering, trial and error, and a great deal of reflection. We are at a pivotal point in education and can begin to redefine how learing and teaching happens in classrooms. I think positive change will start to occur only when the teachers see themselves as learners. Here is an opinion on that matter.