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While researching on this and watching some TED videos on creativity, I came across Kids Design Glass™ formed by the renowned glass blower Chihuly. It began as a temporary education program in conjunction with Murano: Glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection, a traveling exhibition that came to MOG in 2004. The exhibition highlighted the symbiotic relationship between designers and glassblowers who make works of art in glass. Similarly, the underlying concept of the Kids Design Glass™ Program illustrates the interrelationship of these roles. A child draws a design—generally a fantastical creature—names it, and writes a brief explanation or story about his or her creation.

I believe in the idea and potential of collective action by the girls in our schools and ourselves. Similarly, as in the programme above, we could find an avenue where we allow our girls to share their creation for a project in one of our learning spaces and we help them realise their designs/creations. This could be the potential of an art learning space. Just a thought 😊 I think our girls wish to change the restrictions that we impose on them (though necessary at times) and allow them the flexibility and opportunities to create. If you would like to watch the TED sharing, it's by Adora Svitak on What Adults Can Learn From Kids.
Farhani

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What do students feel about learning spaces?
What do they wish to change?
What do they wish to see happen in the classroom?

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I believe that the best kind of learning space is actually during the lesson itself. Where we give children the TIME to explore what was taught and what they can do with what they have learnt.

In our classrooms, we rush to complete syllabus, homework and assessment. Even when the children are given projects, they are basically rushing it as they have to submit it for assessment. It's hard to see them enjoying the part of the project where they learn new things - actually, they are not even given the time to, there is just too much to do.

Once, I had a PE lesson with my girls where they were given some equipments and a short 20 minutes while I was completing some assessment. I just gave them this instruction "Create a game, and play it with your friends". They surprised me big time by coming up with games and even point system for their games. What's more important was, even without me telling them, they were able to include the skills that they have learnt in their games. At that point, I felt that actually sometimes in the midst of rushing through syllabus, actually it would be nice for the children to have some time to explore what they have learnt, or find out more about how they can apply what they have learnt.

Just like most of us, learning is mostly fun when it is not assessed. While i understand that assessment is important for learning and teaching to be more effective. I personally enjoying learning just for learning too.

Children are mostly interested to learn more, find out more. However, I feel that our system has made them so busy that they feel that they don't want to learn.

My ideal learning space is...
A room where students feel at ease, where there is a lot of space. There is only the students, teacher, pen, paper. The children get to interact with their peers to think of things out of their textbook. They get to doodle, challenge each other's idea and learn from one another.

Projects can be based on a topic in science, english or math or even things that are non-subject related. It can even be an interest group project. It can start with "What do I want to know more about this?" etc and the students get to ask more of "WHY, HOW, WHAT, WHEN"

They will learn how to ask questions and find out more about what they didn't know. The whole point about learning is to be able to ask questions to find out more. Learning is more meaningful when students take charge of their own learning.

The role of the teacher is then, to help the students or provide them aids to explore/learn. Ask them questions to challenge them.

-siew huai

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I believe learning spaces should provide non-threatening environments for pupils to take ownership of their learning. I remember when I was in Auckland for a learning journey, I was very amazed by their classrooms. Every wall was covered with pupils' work and learning was clearly visible. In one of the schools, every subject teacher embarked on his/her curriculum planning by using the same thinking routine - I see, I think, I wonder. Just being a visitor for a few hours, I could see and understand the approach they took. Every classroom was very welcoming and pupils' work decorated the walls. This inculcates a sense of pride and ownership. I hope to see this happening in RGPS, where learning is made visible.

The ideal learning space would be the classroom as that's where pupils spend most of their time in school. Of course, we can make use of broadcasting, verbal or visual. We used to have teachers sharing an article or learning point over the PA system in the morning before assembly (once a week). Visual broadcasting can be made possible by making use of the TV sets in the canteen.
- Xueyan

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Learning Spaces: Stimulate, Interact, Ignite!

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Learning Spaces: Stimulate, Interact, Ignite!

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Hi all!

With the learning spaces conversation and readings in mind, these are my thoughts.

In the Charter of Rights based on the ‘Reggio Approach’, it states that “Children have the right to be recognised as subjects of individual legal, civil, and social rights; as both source and constructors of their own experience and thus active participants in the organisation of their identities, abilities, and autonomy, through relationships and interaction with their peers, with adults, with ideas, with objects and with the real and imaginary events of intercommunicating worlds.” In this light, I believe that the students should be the center of our ideas of creation as mentioned by Mrs Png. Hence, I have taken time to figure out the child through my observations and interactions.

1.      Observations/Interaction with pupils:

Through my observations during recess security duties and my interaction with my own pupils and others, the sensing I get from the girls are that they enjoy spending time with their friends, some form of organised play (that’s why the playground is so popular), spaces for them to interact (some of them visit the garden or walk around the school area to talk). In my own classroom, my girls are very attracted to the carpet area, which I have set-up as the reading corner. They enjoy sitting there to read rather than at their own personal seats.

2.      Believe about student learning spaces:

With this in mind, I feel that learning spaces should be flexible to support diverse learners and different kinds of learning. I hope for it to be a stimulating space for the girls to share and learn. Definitely, it should have a safe and inviting atmosphere that will lure children to the space; somewhere they will enjoy spending their time. A lot of collaborative work can be done there amongst the girls; sharing of ideas and even sparking/ignition of a new movement/idea for change.

3.      How ideal learning spaces look and feel to me:

I believe in having a lounging space which can be transformed into many spaces for intellectual sharing that would spark interest and ideas. Some examples I have in mind would be to use it for 1. RGPS Got Talent for the girls who are interested to entertain their other schoolmates with their talents, 2. Speaker’s Corner for the girls who are interested to bring their ideas to life in front of a crowd, 3. For English lessons like debates, show & tell, project-based discussions and the list goes on. Through these experiences, the girls get the autonomy to interact and learn from each other. It will be a place to lounge yet, have discussions in a safe environment, rather than in a very formal setting like in the classroom.

Another suggestion would be to have broadcasting of information and current news available in a comfortable space. I have observed in my practicum school that they have made use of television sets to broadcast school news or current news in the canteen. As our girls are highly interested in information, why not make it easily accessible to them during their recess. During school events, like the recent Healthy Eating Week, the girls were reading the information boards from Yakult. Even the PVGs mentioned that the girls are very attracted to information based on their yearly observations. Hence, by giving them easy access, it could excite their minds.  �?N���

Not the exact image I have in mind, but this would be an image of something I feel will be an open space of the lounging area I have in mind. The stage is an apt addition as it would create the ability for performance, presentation or a speech.Farhani

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Student learning space should design based on the interests of the children to create a supportive and enriching environment.

I feel that an ideal learning space should put pupils at the centre of the design process.

When I visited one of the schools in Tianjin in March this year,  there is a theme for every level of their classroom block.

For example, the P1 level is “Author”, they have those introduction of different authors on the walls and display of pupils’ work related to the theme (book marks, book reviews…… )

We can let pupils vote for theme of each level, install plastic holder on each level (there is space beside lift lobby), teachers/pupils can just insert the relevant display each month based on the theme. This will create sense of belonging for the pupils as well as have the effect of environment immersion.

For example, for Art, each level they are introduced an artist (eg: P3 Paul Klee) ; we can have the introduction of the Artist, and display pupils’ work. We can do so for Sports & social studies……

--Fangyun

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What is your belief about student learning spaces?

What does an ideal learning space look and feel like to you?