“When we think differently about the things we are used to seeing daily, we can create innovative learning opportunities”– George Couros
As educators, the thing that we are most used to seeing daily is the learning environments in our schools- our classrooms, libraries, computer labs, etc. We see these spaces every day, and many haven’t changed in decades, maybe even forever. They reflect what a traditional school is ‘supposed” to look like. Innovation can simply start by creating a learning environment that is reflective of the world around us- familiar, comfortable, purposeful, and natural for learning to take place. Thinking about the different learning and working styles that we have as adults, can lead us to think differently about how we expect students to learn. Not many adults would find it reasonable to only be allowed to use technology (ie. phone, ipad, laptop, etc.) while sitting on a rigid chair at a desk. We choose where we are most comfortable for the task we are trying to accomplish- reading on the couch, spread out on the floor, perched on a stool, tweeting while standing, thinking and moving about. Innovation is allowing our students these same freedoms and choices.
We decided to think differently about our daily surroundings to see how we could create innovative learning opportunities. We looked at how lighting, seating, colour, sounds, furniture placement, and wall space all have an impact on learning. We have created different learning environment that offer places to think, create, relax, collaborate, listen, inquire, remember, gather, wonder, reflect, and communicate. Students are empowered to choose the best learning space for the task at hand moving about their day, in and out of different areas. Technology is integrated in different forms as a natural part of the day. The journey of creating this innovative environment will be an ongoing process of meeting learners’ needs as the world around us is ever changing.
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/flexible-classrooms-providing-learning-environment-kids-need
http://www.topdogteaching.com/
Sue and Tiffany
Sargent Park School
Cluster 2010
Thank you for inspiring us to think outside of our ‘traditional classroom’ box. We need to incorporate more choice and more creativity in our physical environments.