Evolving Classroom and School Design
The expansion of student learning beyond the traditional classroom and school building presents real challenges for teaching professionals and administrators who may not be as comfortable as their students are with unstructured and open learning spaces and time. One can safely predict that if our educators do not fully embrace the effects of technology, electronic communications, social networking, and market globalization on the lives of students, then what they teach in the classrooms will have no relevance to the future lives of the young people as they progress. Students’ hunger for openness, flexibility, dialogue, and use of technology in all aspects of their lives is a blessing and a curse for teachers and parents alike. A blessing because this tells us how to keep them engaged about learning and how to effectively structure lesson plans and classroom spaces. A curse because some adults are simply not equipped to interact with and lead these students within and outside of the classroom or even create teachable formats that can be successful learning tools.
The old public school paradigm that has been mostly confined to chairs, desks, and school buildings seems more and more obsolete, especially when you compare it to the kinds of innovative classroom settings springing up across the country. While many “old-school” communities remain stuck in their past classroom configurations, administrators and teachers everywhere have been experimenting for years with smaller and more flexible spaces. These progressive educators are utilizing hallways to carve out much needed small group sessions and school yards as they move beyond the classroom walls. The desire for more adaptable spaces, smaller learning groups, and learning that is not confined to the school building underscore the changing face of what is known as a “classroom.” For example, as the younger generation embraces its role as environmental stewards, schools will likely integrate even more outdoor learning projects. The expansion of wireless technology will surely provide greater flexibility and movement across rooms and school systems.
To facilitate greater compatibility between what students are learning in classrooms with the skill sets needed to be successful in all kinds of workplaces, practitioners across professions, industries, and sectors are collaborating with public school administrators to develop alliances, models, and mentoring arrangements that create offsite classroom spaces in real-time and in a type of live incubator. Corporations are working with school districts in ways that both increase student interest in their particular fields and provide students with exposure to proprietary systems and resources that allow them to apply their textbook knowledge in live work settings. Colleges and universities are granting K-12 students access to their professors, matriculating students, and their educational resources. University professors can be great partners for elementary and secondary teaching professionals especially as students begin to think seriously about areas of academic interest. The willingness of so many professionals to engage educators in new ways that help train young people should make the shift in the “classroom” space easier for those who have been resistant to change and more exciting for those who have hungered for something new.
The old public school paradigm that has been mostly confined to chairs, desks, and school buildings seems more and more obsolete, especially when you compare it to the kinds of innovative classroom settings springing up across the country. While many “old-school” communities remain stuck in their past classroom configurations, administrators and teachers everywhere have been experimenting for years with smaller and more flexible spaces. These progressive educators are utilizing hallways to carve out much needed small group sessions and school yards as they move beyond the classroom walls. The desire for more adaptable spaces, smaller learning groups, and learning that is not confined to the school building underscore the changing face of what is known as a “classroom.” For example, as the younger generation embraces its role as environmental stewards, schools will likely integrate even more outdoor learning projects. The expansion of wireless technology will surely provide greater flexibility and movement across rooms and school systems.
To facilitate greater compatibility between what students are learning in classrooms with the skill sets needed to be successful in all kinds of workplaces, practitioners across professions, industries, and sectors are collaborating with public school administrators to develop alliances, models, and mentoring arrangements that create offsite classroom spaces in real-time and in a type of live incubator. Corporations are working with school districts in ways that both increase student interest in their particular fields and provide students with exposure to proprietary systems and resources that allow them to apply their textbook knowledge in live work settings. Colleges and universities are granting K-12 students access to their professors, matriculating students, and their educational resources. University professors can be great partners for elementary and secondary teaching professionals especially as students begin to think seriously about areas of academic interest. The willingness of so many professionals to engage educators in new ways that help train young people should make the shift in the “classroom” space easier for those who have been resistant to change and more exciting for those who have hungered for something new.
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