Visualizing 21st-Century Classroom Design

Problem-based learning, makerspaces, flipped learning, student blogging -- these are becoming perceived staples of 21st-century learning. With such ambitious practices taking the spotlight for how people regard modern classrooms, it's not surprising that a murmur of impracticality or skepticism is still a frequent response when they're first introduced. So how do we encourage teachers everywhere to believe that great changes can happen in their classrooms? By helping them envision small, practical steps that will lead them there. Here are five elements of 21st-century classrooms, along with concrete suggestions that teachers can visualize and implement today. Element #1: Zones 21st-Century Learning Principle Instead of requiring students to learn, work, and think in one place all day, consider how your space might become more flexible. Practical Steps Element #2: Accessibility Ask your students for feedback on how they use and would like to use classroom resources. Element #3: Mobility

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/visualizing-21st-century-classroom-design-mary-wade

Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign 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.

Learning zones Report on learning spaces in schools Adapting learning spaces is set to become an increasingly important issue for policy makers and school leaders, as it facilitates innovative pedagogies using technology in the classroom. For this reason, EUN has published Guidelines on Exploring and Adapting Learning Spaces in Schools. The report provides practical advice and support to schools on how to develop and adapt learning spaces to facilitate the innovative use of ICT and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. It aims to inspire school leaders and teachers to rethink their current classroom practice, and demonstrate how even small changes to existing learning spaces can significantly improve students' active learning. A key finding is that the situation is varied across Europe, with some countries being more advanced in addressing the need to develop more flexible learning spaces, while others are yet to recognize it as a policy priority.

TrySakai : Gateway : Welcome Sakai is a truly open learning platform with sophisticated core tools designed by educators. Need more? Sakai supports the latest standards so you can plug in external services to customize Sakai. So explore Sakai here and read our whitepapers, then contact us for a guided demonstration or just to talk about the LMS process. We’re here to help! If you don't already have a TrySakai account, sign up for one find out why so many top institutions have trusted Sakai as their learning platform for over a decade. 5 Ways Innovative Classroom Design Can Help Students In Schools About ETR Community EdTechReview (ETR) is a community of and for everyone involved in education technology to connect and collaborate both online and offline to discover, learn, utilize and share about the best ways technology can improve learning, teaching, and leading in the 21st century. EdTechReview spreads awareness on education technology and its role in 21st century education through best research and practices of using technology in education, and by facilitating events, training, professional development, and consultation in its adoption and implementation.

Lycée d'Ørestad - Copenhagen With a dramatic architecture that encourages visitor experience, the school has found itself a major architectural attraction in the city of Copenhagen. The school and students have used the various cultural facilities in the school such as the multi-functional auditorium, the multi-media rooms, and the television studio to take part in major international events. During the UN Climate Conference held in Copenhagen, the school hosted the ‘Children’s Climate Conference’ which brought students from around the world together under its roof and were able to broadcast live to national television each day as part of the conference coverage.

Classroom Furniture: Does it impede or improve learning? *Donate to my Donor’s Choose Project: Any donations made before May 17th qualify for a dollar to dollar match when donors use the code LIFTOFF during check out. My first year teaching I remember spending the week before school setting up my new classroom. I hung pictures, organized my desk, and set up all of the desks and chairs into neat rows. I believed that putting students in rows facing the front of the room would make them easier to manage. I also believed that an effective classroom was a quiet classroom.

Israeli school builds cool classroom for ADHD teens Imagine the perfect classroom for kids with attention and learning disorders: bouncy chairs made from yoga balls, distraction-free décor, walled-off study/tutoring cubicles, desks on wheels and a touch of the outdoors. Only there’s no need to imagine it. The unique “Yes I Can!” classroom at Darca High School in Kiryat Malachi opened this school year. And if it proves to be a good working model, the Darca network will implement this totally Israeli innovation in its other 24 high schools serving the socio-economic periphery of Israel. “The students already report that it is much easier for them to study and concentrate in the new classroom, thanks to the clean design – no notice boards, posters, accessories, decorations etc., as in a regular classroom,” principal Michal Hazan tells ISRAEL21c.

Does Your Classroom Tell a Story? Do you have mystery objects that attract the curiosity of students, leading them to ask questions that foster meaningful conversations? Is your classroom visually stimulating for the students? Does it cultivate creativity, and more importantly, is it filled with objects, images, and even props that help your students learn -- even when they think they're not learning? 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.

edutopia Most educators have little choice about the (usually) over-crowded, (often) unappealing rooms they teach in -- but they intuitively know that the spaces children spend their time in can have an effect on how they learn. I've gathered a collection of videos to explore the questions: How important is environment to learning? And what small changes can you make in seating, organization, lighting, and decor to build your own space into a better place to teach and learn? Video Playlist: Innovative Learning Spaces 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.

edutopia There are many elements to consider as you plan for the next school year. You always review critical pieces like standards, curriculum, instructional activities, and testing, but you also think about the classroom space and how to arrange desks, set up bulletin boards, and organize materials. You can bring these seemingly disconnected components together in a system of seven learning zones. The discovery, news, supplies, community, quiet, teacher, and subject area zones will help you establish routines, save time, and maintain your sanity from the first through the last days of school. 1.