How to transform your media centers into makerspaces. Even with tight budgets, it’s possible to repurpose your libraries or media centers into 21st century makerspaces For many of us in education, budget cuts are always a possibility.
The challenge becomes how to make our services and programs truly stand out to stakeholders, so that we’re truly transforming what we’re doing to meet the needs of our students in today’s world. With that in mind, we recently re-introduced our media centers to our district community, Brevard County Schools in Florida, as a valuable and integral part of a student’s education that supports 21st-century skills Our “a-ha” moment about how to make this rebrand a reality came at a tech conference. With a colleague, the two of us stopped at a 3D printer booth and we both had the same vision. We approached the Brevard Schools Foundation and shared our vision. We conducted a great deal of research on the internet, at conferences, and through collaboration with others who were already implementing a similar program.
4 Ways Furnishings Can Enhance the 21st Century Classroom. Classroom Design 4 Ways Furnishings Can Enhance the 21st Century Classroom Furniture can make or break an educational space.
Whether it’s wheels for mobility, plugs for devices or cushions for comfort, furnishings help create the environment best suited to an individual classroom’s needs. Here four educators discuss the furnishings they use to help motivate and engage their students. Traditional student desks and chairs are a relic of the 19th and 20th centuries. Active Learning Center at Saluda Trail Middle SchoolSaluda Trail Middle School in Rock Hill, SC was a recipient of one of Steelcase Education's 2015 Active Learning Center grants. Saluda Trail Middle School emphasizes mobility in the classroom, with Steelcase chairs and desks that are easily reconfigured to allow for regular small-group breakouts.
Marshall uses project-based learning for all of her English language arts classes, with mandatory and student-selected projects. Edutopia. I remember exactly where I was when I had a watershed moment that changed me as a teacher forever.
In fact, it inspired my EdSurge column, Why the 21st-Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks. I was working on my TEDx presentation at my local Starbucks and, looking around, I realized that everyone seemed to be happy, engaged in their work, and relaxed. Some people chose the traditional chairs and tables while I opted for a big, comfy chair with my MacBook on my lap. The quiet music, perfect lighting, and overall aesthetics of the coffee shop were favorable for a variety of learners. Pay it Forward: Stools are cool new tools for Obsidian students. REDMOND, Ore. - Thirteen-year-old, Cayden Porfirio says he rushes to class every day to sit at a desk with a Hokki stool.
"It gives my body something to do,” says Cayden, “Usually, when I'm not moving my body that's a distraction. " Cayden's teacher, Mrs. "The students who have sensory needs or need to move to get an outlet or students with ADHD who need to wiggle while they work,” says Mitchell. Sam Platt is on the board for the Redmond Education Foundation and is a former Redmond School District student. "I see students who in a typical classroom sit in a chair that is connected to the desk and they are fidgety. Platt says the Redmond Education Foundation works hard to fund learning resources like Hokki stools. On behalf of Mid Oregon Credit Union, Co-Energy Propane and NewsChannel 21, we have awarded the Redmond Education Foundation $500 and this month’s Pay it Forward recipient. Platt says the help of $500 will allow teachers like Mrs. Why the 21st Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks. It’s been my dream to make my 2nd grade classroom look more like a “Starbucks for kids”, and less like, well, a classroom.
Think about when you go to Starbucks to complete some work. Why do you choose to work there? Where do you choose to sit? I usually gravitate towards the comfy seating choices like the couches and big chairs, and yet, I see people choose the tables and chairs over and over again. Regardless, when you walk into Starbucks, you have choice.
As I sat in our local Starbucks this past summer, I looked around and thought—why can’t my classroom look like this? After several weeks of planning and a little bit of faith, what resulted was this: But how did I get to this point? What did your process look like? Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign. Edutopia. Forarchitects.