# data[].attributes.headline
Make Space 4 Learning: Premiere Educational Environment Resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Make Space 4 Learning: Premiere Educational Environment Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Make Space 4 Learning is a premiere resource for educators and institutions to learn about 21st Century learning spaces and environments.

# data[].attributes.headline
Design Tips for Science Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Design Tips for Science Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I wish I had the advice then of Dr. Sandra West from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She was a top-notch high school science teacher and now she is an associate professor of biology. Dr. West is one of the co-authors of the National Science Teacher Association Guide to Planning School Science Facilities. I asked her to share some of her wisdom about science learning spaces to help teachers and administrators to plan for adequate science learning from the ground up. And also, how to fix inadequate spaces so that science learning can continue unimpeded.
Edutopia: When it comes to science learning spaces, what is the biggest mistake schools and teachers make?
Dr. West: Schools do not have enough science classroom/labs. For some strange reason the number of science rooms is typically based on an enrollment that almost never incorporates an adequate number of science rooms. For example, a recent conversation with a school architect revealed that the typical plan submitted to a school district for a high school for 2,000 students, where 17 science teachers are needed to teach the three-year science requirement that only 12 science rooms are planned. So, architects and schools plan for only 12 rooms and the first year the school opens with five teachers who have no rooms and have to "float" from room to room on carts. This immediately creates safety and instruction quality problems. The National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) recommends there be a science classroom/lab for each science teacher.

It's neither safe nor effective science instruction when science teachers have to move from room to room (float) on a cart. The carts must hold the lab materials, equipment, and chemicals to conduct the activities or investigations through crowded hallways during passing periods. There is no time to set up the room for the activities or labs so instructional time is lost and the teacher has to struggle with setting up in a different and unfamiliar room each period.
What are the requirements for an elementary science learning space, middle school science learning space, and high school science learning space?
Dr. West: One problem is that most of the current science classroom/labs are too small. The NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities recommends 60 square feet per student for grades 6 to 12. For grades PK to 5, NSTA recommends 45 square feet per student. This means that if the science room is built for 24 students, then no more than 24 students will occupy that room in any one period. There are also state fire codes for "room occupancy" that allows only a limited number of students in a science lab based on the size of the room (check your local requirements). Safe egress during a fire is a requirement.
With limited time and money, what are a couple of things that a typical science teacher could do to create more space for science learning?
Dr. West: One thing science teachers can do is to clean up and organize the science materials already in the science room and science storerooms. Free up space by clearing out the shelves and drawers of items that can be collected from students each year such as plastic jugs, toilet paper rolls, etc. Another thing would be to schedule an appointment with your principal for a tour of your room and science storerooms.

Then, demonstrate to your principal (not just tell) the storage needs and ask for his/her input of how those needs can be met to enable safe and effective science instruction for your students. An easily accommodated request could be something as simple as some extra shelves for the shelving units. It typically comes with only five shelves per unit, but seven are really needed so glassware is not stored higher than eye-level or stacked on cardboard on top of a layer of glassware.
What do you think about dedicating a room for science learning so all teachers can rotate in using it?
Dr. West: Students need to "do" science regularly and students need to be able to move seamlessly back and forth from lab group investigations to whole class discussion sense-making. This is best done in a combination lab/classroom, not a room with only lab benches. Elementary students should use 80 percent of their science time "doing" science in "hands-on" lab or field activities. Grades 6 to 8 should use 60 percent and grades 9 to12 should use at least 40 percent of the time in hands-on lab or field activities.
Aside from assigning contiguous rooms, what other space considerations should math and science teachers have?
Dr. West: Following the best-practice format of concrete to pictorial to abstract in both math and science instruction requires having "stuff" to teach/learn with, such as math manipulatives or simply grocery store items. So, adequate storage and adequate work surface areas are as important in math as they are in science. However, the storage must also be specifically designed for storage of the materials, manipulatives, and equipment for each discipline. Physics uses equipment such as bicycle wheels, six-foot air tracks and other equipment that doesn't fit in typical shelving or cabinets. Chemistry needs obviously needs safe, secure, properly ventilated chemical storage not in the preparation room, glassware, ring-stands, etc. Biology needs microscopes, specimens, glassware, chemicals, etc. Earth Science needs stream tables, rock and mineral samples, glassware, rainfall gauges, etc. Grades PK to 8 teach all sciences and need equipment from all of the disciplines.

In Summary

Well-designed science learning spaces must include enough room to perform laboratory experiments, investigations, and sense making, but they also must include enough room to safely store all of the laboratory equipment and consumables. As Dr. West reminded me, "Form must follow function. The design of the science facilities can either enhance or impede effective science instruction." De-cluttering and increasing storage can increase the science learning space to some extent, but ultimately designing the science classrooms/labs according to NSTA standards in the first place is the best way to go.

What tips can you share to for improving science learning spaces? Please share in the comments section below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Design Tips for Science Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I wish I had the advice then of Dr. Sandra West from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She was a top-notch high school science teacher and now she is an associate professor of biology. Dr. West is one of the co-authors of the National Science Teacher Association Guide to Planning School Science Facilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
3 Unused Teaching Tools: The Furniture, Floors, and Walls | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
3 Unused Teaching Tools: The Furniture, Floors, and Walls | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The students had helped to decorate the room, and they knew exactly what was going to happen. I wanted to give the students an opportunity to use authentic language in a realistic situation, and I used the tables, walls, and chairs to create that learning environment.

One of my mentors often said, "You can't change people, but you can change their environment, and that will make the change happen." This saying can also apply in the classroom. You can change the environment to promote a desired behavior.

Some of the least used tools a teacher has to create optimal learning environments are the furniture, floors, and walls in the classroom. Taking these three underused teaching resources into account will help teachers to better engage the bodies and minds of their students.

Mash-Ups With Desks

The first underutilized spaces are the desks, chairs, and other furniture in the classroom. The set-up of my tour bus classroom was not the traditional straight rows facing forward, nor was it the collaborative grouping of four to a table I normally use. I had changed the arrangement of the desks because I had a particular purpose that changing the seats would facilitate: Straight rows lend themselves to giving the teacher more control over student behavior (reducing talking). They also help students to focus on the side of the room they are facing. When the teacher (or students) are presenting, this is ideal.

Back-to-back, side-by-side, circles, triangles, squares, and multiple other desk combinations can promote different behaviors. If trained correctly-within a lesson-students can quickly move their seats as necessary to accommodate the learning needs without causing disruptions. Here are five ways you can organize desks to promote specific outcomes:

1. Debates: Split the class and put the desks on opposite sides facing each other.

2. Jigsaw (where your students move around, teaching each other): Set up stations in the corners of the room.

3. Paired work: Desks can be face-to-face or you can do double pairs-four to a group.

4. Socratic Seminars: Create an inner and outer circle with your desks.

5. Performances: Position all the desks on the perimeter of the class facing inward.

How About the Floor?

In early elementary, teachers place sitting carpets to gather students for storytelling. When my students perform the 10-second practice vocabulary quizzes, I have them stand in two lines, face-to-face with a partner. They quickly review the vocabulary, and when I call out, cambien! ( switch in Spanish), one partner moves down to the next student and they have 10 seconds to teach their new partner their vocabulary words.

Activities like Simon Says, Do as I'm Doing, Verb Basketball, Conjugation Relay Races, Head Shoulder's, Knees, and Toes, and dancing the Macarena all require floor space in order for the students to engage their bodies and brains.

I observed a math teacher place tape on her floor to represent graph paper, and the students had to physically graph the equation in groups. I have seen students use the floor for storyboarding, experimentation, and data gathering. So, go for it-move that furniture out of the way and help your students become totally engaged.

Walls That Talk

The wall spaces are just as changeable as the furniture and should match the learning activity. Word Walls are one way to make this happen. Typically, Word Walls are located on one section of the classroom wall. Depending on what is being studied, the words are changed periodically. Because I am a firm believer in total physical response learning, I spread my word wall all across the room. Additionally, I used non-verbal clues, such as pictures and drawings to represent words and phrases for the unit we're studying. I ask my students to point to, stand under, or touch the picture represented by the words I speak.

I can imagine a geometry teacher placing various geometric structures around the room and asking student to point to the rhombus, parallelogram, or stand under the isosceles triangle. An algebra or chemistry teacher could use formulas. In English, types of writing-expository, persuasive, descriptive, and narrative-could be displayed on the walls. In social studies, you could have illustrations of events. It only takes a few minutes to have all of the students participate in recall-learned information, and you can do it every day.

In my tour bus classroom makeover, the students walked in with ooh's and aah's and, surprisingly enough, sat down with little fanfare and began the warm-up writing assignment. Students were prepared when I called the first tour guide to give her presentation.

Effective use of the furniture, floors, and walls will further motivate students to learn through active participation and high engagement. Please share your creative use of classroom spaces in the comments section below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Unused Teaching Tools: The Furniture, Floors, and Walls | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The students had helped to decorate the room, and they knew exactly what was going to happen. I wanted to give the students an opportunity to use authentic language in a realistic situation, and I used the tables, walls, and chairs to create that learning environment.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Science of Effective Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
The Science of Effective Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Daytime Light Exposure Can Boost Learning

Light does more than just allow us to see the world around us. When light enters our eyes, it also engages a non-visual system that affects the timing of our sleep-wake cycles and our cognitive performance. In fact, parts of our eyes connect directly to a part of our brain that secretes hormones influencing our levels of sleep (melatonin) or alertness (cortisol).

Even more importantly, all light is not the same. While the presence of any light can influence hormonal secretion via this non-visual system, blue light has the most powerful effect. People are more alert and less sleepy when exposed to blue light versus other wavelengths. Sunlight, full-spectrum LEDs, and most digital screens are rich in blue light.

One study of 21,000 U.S. elementary students showed that, over one school year, kids who were exposed to more sunlight during their school day displayed 26 percent higher reading outcomes and 20 percent higher math outcomes than kids in less sunny classrooms. However, even if your classroom has less natural light than you'd like, other studies have shown that replacing your artificial lighting with blue-enriched bulbs can improve students' cognitive performance.

Daytime blue-light exposure may have a powerful effect on adolescents in particular. Biological changes during puberty delay the sleep-wake cycle by shifting melatonin secretion to later in the evening (making it harder for teens to fall asleep early) and later in the morning (making it harder for teens to wake up early). This means that teens often accumulate sleep debt during the week, which has negative effects on academic performance. First, it leaves them less alert and able to pay attention during the school day, and therefore less able to learn. Second, the quality and quantity of sleep are affected, interfering with the brain's ability to store the day's learning. Later school start times can help reduce these challenges, but blue-light exposure throughout the school day may also help. Light resets the body's circadian rhythm, so exposing teens to light can increase their alertness and improve academic outcomes.

Nighttime Light Exposure Can Hinder Learning

Given that American teens spend an average of nine hours per day using digital media (not including media time for school or homework), there are growing concerns about the blue-light exposure from all of this screen time. If such exposure happens as kids are preparing for sleep, the blue light may be compounding the sleep disruptions caused by asynchrony between school start times and their delayed sleep-wake cycles.

By disrupting kids' sleep patterns, blue-light exposure before bed also interferes with learning by leaving them sleepier and less able to learn the next day, as well as by disrupting the storage process of the day's learning that occurs during sleep. In fact, one of the easiest ways to boost learning is to improve the quality and quantity of sleep (and by putting some sleep between studying and testing). Reducing pre-bed screen time can effectively maximize sleep's benefit on learning.

Interaction With the Natural Environment Is Good for Learning

Think your student is spacing out when she's gazing out the window during class? She may be instinctively seeking a cognitive reset that will improve her ability to focus. Many studies have demonstrated the power of the natural environment-whether real or simulated in video games-on kids' learning and well-being.

One study of over 10,000 fifth-grade students showed that kids in schools with unrestricted views of nature tested higher in reading, math, and language arts than students in schools with urban views (or no views at all). Other studies have shown that interaction with nature can be particularly helpful for kids with ADD and ADHD, and that the greener the child's play spaces, the more reduced his or her attention deficit symptoms.

Again, don't worry if your classroom or child's bedroom lacks views of nature. In a 2009 study, researchers introduced leafy plants into the classroom and found a positive impact on students' well-being and behavior, with fewer hours of sick leave and disciplinary events.

Classroom Design May Distract From Learning

The many factors that make up classroom design have been studied for their influence on learning. Factors that can interfere the most with learning are noise, temperature, and (surprisingly) seating arrangement.

1. Noise: The interfering effects of noise during learning-particularly noise that includes voices (language)-is quite profound in young children. The likely reason is that the brain systems which allow us to filter out distractions and focus on the task at hand (executive functioning) are still developing in children. Thus, children are particularly vulnerable to the acoustics of noise. Because noisy interference makes it difficult for kids to stay on task, it has widespread effects on learning. Noise has been shown to profoundly impact reading, writing, and comprehension skill learning, as well as overall academic performance.

2. Temperature: If the temperature of a classroom or home studying environment is outside of a comfortable range, it can be a source of distraction that interferes with learning. A review of studies investigating the relationship of temperature and learning outcomes revealed ideal thermal ranges for optimal learning: between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit, with about 50 percent humidity.

3. Seating arrangement: Another source of distraction can be a classroom's arrangement of desks and chairs. In a classic study, researchers tested three seating models with different levels of independent versus interactive arrangements. They showed that elementary school students were least on task when desks were arranged in rows, better on task when arranged in clusters, and best on task when in a semicircle. Another study, however, suggests that the best arrangement should be determined by matching it with the task at hand: More interactive tasks benefit more from interactive arrangements (semicircle and clusters), and independent tasks from independent (rows) arrangements.

In sum, there are many things about the built and natural environments that can impact student learning, with some researchers suggesting that 10 to 15 percent of variance in academic outcomes is influenced by the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Science of Effective Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Light does more than just allow us to see the world around us. When light enters our eyes, it also engages a non-visual system that affects the timing of our sleep-wake cycles and our cognitive performance. In fact, parts of our eyes connect directly to a part of our brain that secretes hormones influencing our levels of sleep (melatonin) or alertness (cortisol).

# data[].attributes.headline
Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Flexible Seating Elevates Student Engagement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Breaking up rows of desks fosters collaboration and empowers kids to think about how they work best.

# data[].attributes.headline
EDUCATIONAL MAKERSPACES | Teacher Librarian

# data[].attributes.subject
EDUCATIONAL MAKERSPACES | Teacher Librarian

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Editor's Note: This article, reprinted from the June 2014 issue of Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals, is a thoughtful and insightful examination of the philosophy and pedagogical underpinnings of the maker movement. The authors' analysis and argument are strong, and the benefits they tout are inspiring. The authors will follow up with two more articles on the maker movement which will be published in the next two issues of Teacher Librarian.

To download a PDF version of this article, click here.

Educational makerspaces (EM) and maker education (ME) have the potential to revolutionize the way we approach teaching and learning. The maker movement in education is built upon the foundation of constructionism, which is the philosophy of hands-on learning through building things. Constructionism, in turn, is the application of constructivist learning principles to a hands-on learning environment. Thus maker education is a branch of constructivist philosophy that views learning as a highly personal endeavor requiring the student, rather than the teacher, to initiate the learning process. In this philosophy of learning, teachers act as a guide for inquiry-based approaches to the development of knowledge and thinking processes. Upon reflection, it is natural to believe that the learner should initiate learning, as it is physically impossible for any teacher to mechanically rearrange and reinforce the physical neuronal pathways developed in the brain during the learning process.

In practical terms, educational makerspaces are the ideal environment for maker education. Thus it is necessary to explore maker education to properly understand educational makerspaces. In an ideal constructivist environment, the line between learner and instructor becomes blurred. For instance, consider a student experiencing a roadblock in designing a gear reducer. As the first student struggles in the design, another shares a solution he or she has used or is currently using. Then together the students work to overcome the obstacle; in this case one student is the classical "learner," while the other is the classical "teacher." Yet as the students collaborate to meet the challenge, they are both actively engaged in learning and teaching new concepts to each other. All the while the adult teacher observes from the outside, remaining out of the picture unless further rigor becomes necessary. The primary objective of the teacher in this case is to facilitate the acquisition of concepts by building a specific project. This is the ideal learning environment of an educational makerspace.

Makerspaces outside of the educational environment are adult playgrounds for thinking and whimsical construction. Learning may occur, but it is not the primary objective. Educational makerspaces, on the other hand, harness the same intellectual playground concept for the purpose of inspiring deeper learning through deep questioning. However, to preserve the true aspect of maker education, it is imperative that the process remain learner driven rather than teacher driven. In this case, the teacher is a master strategist considering the army of tools at their disposal-notice that the students are not the army; rather the tools are the army. The teacher then commands and arranges the tools in such a way that the enemy-ignorance and small thinking-is effectively banished and replaced with intense questioning, playful curiosity, and deeper thinking. In this approach the learners are being gently guided by the army of tools-the educational makerspace-to create their own learning for their own reasons. At any random moment, the makerspace may appear to be simply a chaotic melee of students, tools, and strange creations. However, in reality, it is a well-planned design to allow students discover the concepts the teacher intended them to learn all along.

The maker education approach to learning is highly individual yet lives within certain boundaries. It recognizes that no two students will learn the same concepts at the same rate. It even recognizes that some peripheral concepts may not be learned by all students. Yet students faced with a common challenge to design their own unique solutions will naturally come to some common understanding. This occurs because there are laws in the universe that we have found to be quite consistent: gravity, the speed of light, vector math, material science, and a host of others. These rigid boundaries do not bend, even for the most stubborn of students. No matter how hard a student wants the pen to float in mid-air, with the rules of physics, it is doomed to crash to the earth. However, the curious and innovative student may decide that the pen simply needs a little encouragement from a helium balloon or a catapult or quad copter. This type of innovation naturally arises from students being challenged to find a solution to a particular challenge.

The individuality within such an environment comes from the solutions that students create. While the laws of nature preclude certain solutions, there are thousands-if not millions-of workarounds in which the laws can be harnessed by innovative thinking. Thus one of the overriding themes in maker education is individuality. At some level, maker education is a grassroots reaction against one-size-fits-all education designed for mass warehouse-style instruction. Deep inside we know that we are each very unique, and we strain at the ropes of conformity that have been imposed by many aspects of modern education. The effective use of educational makerspaces form the basis for a new paradigm in education which is actually a remaking of former systems, such as the artisan system, in which a master or mentor took an understudy. In our technicolor society, we desperately need to move from the gray hues of our recent educational past to a panoply of vibrant colors and a desire for our students to experience the ecstasy of creating their own stunning masterpieces.

Curiously, the tools that are ushering in the maker education renaissance are so modern that many have still not heard of a 3D printer, used 3D design software, or programmed a mobile application to control their refrigerator. Yet these are the very possibilities educational makerspaces are bringing to the average school. It is precisely here that many institutions are balking because there is a feeling that bringing in such technology requires experts in order to teach it. However, this is not strictly true. Some expertise may be needed to use certain tools common in makerspaces, but in general, educational makerspaces do not need to be overly complicated or formidable.

Of all the aspects required in a makerspace, environment is at the very top of the list. No makerspace survives and thrives without a supportive environment. There is no amount of bright, shiny new technology that can take the place of inspiration, and inspiration is a direct result of the environment created by the space. A simple and relatively unadorned makerspace with an electric atmosphere of learning will invariably succeed where a fully instrumented, equipment-rich space lacking that same spirit is doomed to fail. Thus when considering the installation of a makerspace in school, it is crucial to first consider the environment necessary for success. The aspects of the environment can be broken down into three areas: the feel, the guiding principles, and the spacemakers.

The Feel of an Educational Makerspace

The feeling students perceive in the makerspace is of the utmost importance. For inquiry-based learning to occur, students must be attracted to the space and be inspired to use it. Attracting students to the space is the first big challenge. A makerspace without makers is just a workshop full of lonely tools. How does one attract students hungry to learn? Create an environment that inspires students with the principles highlighted below.

Invite curiosity. Students are naturally drawn to things that pique their curiosity. If you have ever watched young children, it is obvious that the power of curiosity is a deep motivator. Curiosity has the ability to reach deep into the soul and draw out the best and most engaging aspects of our personalities. A gentleman by the name of Sugata Mitra has done some fascinating studies in which he introduces a computer with Internet access to rural Indian villages for the purpose of studying the power of curiosity to motivate independent learning. His results are some of the most compelling evidence for the dynamic effects of curiosity on knowledge acquisition.

Thus one of the most important considerations in the educational makerspace environment is how to invite curiosity.

Inspire wonder. Closely linked to curiosity, wonder is a fast-fading ethic in our culture, yet the awe that comes from the unexplained is a very necessary component in connecting to curiosity. To illustrate this point, consider the last time you were truly awed by some technology or experience. It has likely been days, if not weeks, since a deep sense of transcendence has washed over us. We have been trained by our society to respond with, "Been there, done that," rather than, "Wow!! How did that happen?!" As a researcher, there is no more powerful ally in the search for truth than the wonder that gives rise to the deeply probing question, "Why does it work that way, as opposed to all the other possibilities?" A deep sense of wonder is poignantly missing in many learning environments, and finding ways to create it in an educational makerspace is a crucial ingredient for success.

Encourage playfulness . As educators of teenagers, we rarely consider learning in the very young. Yet in the space of time from birth to three years old, humans develop a complex sensory-motor feedback loop known as "balance," enabling them to walk and run. They develop an auditory library of phonemes and cadences that can be recognized in milliseconds and repeated back with variances to communicate intricate meaning, such as, "More juice please," which results in another human engaging the previously mentioned complex motor-sensory feedback loop to walk to the fridge, grab a bottle of juice, and pour the liquid into a cup without spilling any of it. They also learn to identify regularly appearing optical disturbances, focus them onto the retina of the eye, and interpret them using edge-recognition algorithms, color analysis, and pattern recognition. This level of feedback control loop complexity is currently not even found in the most sophisticated artificial intelligence developed by the military. Thousands if not tens of thousands of scientists have worked on these challenges for over fifty years and still cannot learn as much as a two-year-old who is learning by playing! Playfulness is an extremely important tool in the engagement of learning. Students who play will learn without even knowing it has happened. We may not yet thoroughly understand the power of play, but an effective educational makerspace will engage students through the medium of playfulness because it works.

Celebrate unique solutions. We are all familiar with the power of praise. Not all individuals are highly motivated by affirmation, but to the significant fraction who are, being recognized for a talent or creation is a powerful motivator. Even the individual who is not as highly motivated by being recognized typically appreciates that someone has noticed. Thus a makerspace will be much more likely to thrive in an environment where unique solutions and one-of-a-kind devices are noticed and put on display for all to see. To keep the excitement and confidence of students high, successful educational makerspaces will regularly recognize student contributions and achievements by displaying them, having show-and-tell sessions, or simply by saying, "I think you should go see Shauna. She has a couple of fantastic examples of how to do that!"

The Guiding Principles of an Educational Makerspace

While we should encourage students to explore their unique interests and pursuits, there are still some basic principles that are important to articulate by posting them and talking about them often.

It's OK to fail . In fact, we encourage what most of society calls "failure," because in reality, it is simply the first or second or third step toward success. No amazing innovation is created on the first try. Truly paradigm-shifting technologies and devices are the outgrowth of many iterations. Thus the path to success is paved with failures. There is a famous concept in business that to reach success more quickly, one must find ways to double their failure rate. Educational makerspaces must be failure tolerant, and it would be even better if exploration and productive failure were explicitly encouraged by signs, words, and responses to failure. Big ideas are built on the lessons learned from smaller failures!

Breaking things is not a cardinal sin . In light of the previous paragraph, a truly vibrant makerspace is likely to have the carcasses of broken things lying around. While it is a good idea to discourage indiscriminate destruction, sometimes the advancement of a truly brilliant idea may result in unintended damage. This is normally not fatal. Good training is important for expensive machinery, but consider the power of saying, "Oops! I suppose that was a bad idea. How do you think we can get this running again?" This type of proactive statement empowers a budding engineer or scientist to solve a bigger problem-the broken device-while garnering the confidence of a trusted adult. Contrast this with the words, "I can't believe you did that. You aren't allowed to use this anymore!" One statement encourages learning and growing, while the other has the capability of permanently shutting off a student's willingness to experiment, tinker, and make things. This single topic is much too large to cover in detail in the present article, but suffice it to say, mistake tolerance is critical. Educational makerspaces must be able to tolerate the occasional broken instrument by communicating that mistakes happen, but we fix them and move forward.

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! The best companies, engineers, and researchers in the world know the power of teams-today's science is not a solo sport. The challenges are simply too complex for any single individual to create the solution. Thus the only practical way forward is to collaborate with others. Then each member of the team works within their strengths to move the project forward. The same principles hold true in a makerspace. To encourage growth and collaboration, challenges beyond the natural ability of any single individual can be given. Then students can band together in groups to come up with creative solutions that they would never have invented individually. Thus within the framework of a makerspace, the typical mantra of, "Don't cheat from your neighbor," simply becomes irrelevant. Students are encouraged to share knowledge, help each other, and work in teams. The challenges presented should simply be too large for any single individual to solve on their own. Great educational makerspaces embrace the power of collaboration.

The Spacemakers

Every successful makerspace has individuals that start and manage the space. We are going to call them "spacemakers." Spacemakers, like every leader, will be likely to face challenges and obstacles. They must be resourceful, failure tolerant, collaborative, and always learning themselves. In short, they need to be able to live out the principles and ethics of the makerspace in front of the students. It is particularly important that questions be answered with another question-good old-fashioned Socratic wisdom. If spacemakers spout off answers too often, they become "experts," and students will not surpass their knowledge. In contrast, a spacemaker who asks questions need not feel threatened by not knowing the answer because unanswered questions are a sure sign that the makerspace is still serving its purpose. In fact, as students gain confidence, they will begin to be the experts, and the spacemaker can then help them become mentors. This recursive process will ensure lasting success and inquiry by even the most timid of newbies.

In effect, the spacemaker becomes what Liz Wiseman calls a "multiplier." Multipliers bring together groups and are able to extract the fullest potential of individuals. They do this by recognizing talent, liberating potential, challenging others to grow, encouraging productive debates, and investing resources into the space and the makers. These individuals do not feel the need to be the experts but stand on the side to alternately cheer and challenge the makers. Make no mistake, individuals who aspire to starting or managing an educational makerspace must be leaders who practice the philosophy of the multiplier, but if followed, this philosophy will help to create a thriving educational makerspace.

Many concepts of maker education and educational makerspaces have been briefly touched on in this article, but there are three main take-away lessons: (1) maker education inspires deeper learning, (2) educational makerspaces are based on student ownership of their learning, and (3) it is not necessary to be a technical expert to start a makerspace in your school or library. We could review those concepts here, but instead let's summarize some of the benefits of maker education spaces. Maker education fosters curiosity, tinkering, and iterative learning, which in turn leads to better thinking through better questioning. This learning environment fosters enthusiasm for learning, student confidence, and natural collaboration. Ultimately, the outcome of maker education and educational makerspaces leads to determination, independent and creative problem solving, and an authentic preparation for the real world by simulating real-world challenges. In short, an educational makerspace is less of a classroom and more of a motivational speech without words.

Mitra, S., Dangwal, R., Chatterjee, S., Jha, S., Bisht, R., & Kapur, P. Acquisition of computing literacy on shared public computers: Children and the "hole in the wall." Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 21, 407-426. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves

Gopnik, A. How babies think. Scientific American, 303, 76-81. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think

Oech, R., & Willett, G. (2008). A whack on the side of the head: How you can be more creative (rev. & updated ed.). New York: Grand Central.

Cameron, J. (2002). The artist's way: A spiritual path to higher creativity (10th anniversary ed.). New York: Tarcher/Putnam.

Rath, T. (2007). Strengths finder 2.0. New York: Gallup.

Wiseman, L., & McKeown, G. (2010). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter. New York: HarperBusiness.

R. Steven Kurti is the chief maker at Table Top Inventing(http://www.ttinvent.com). He has been building and making things professionally since his PhD research at Case Western Reserve University. His goal is to inspire a new generation of makers to find their passion and proactively change their world. Steve can be reached at answers@ttinvent.com.

Debby L. Kurti completed an MA in educational technology from Pepperdine University. She focuses on fostering communities of practice among students and educators. Her philosophy of teaching is that learning is not about transmitting knowledge but rather showing the power of ideas. She can be reached at answers@ttinvent.com.

Laura Fleming has been an educator in the state of New Jersey for sixteen years. She has been both a classroom teacher and media specialist in grades K-8 and currently serves as a library media specialist for ninth through twelfth grade in New Milford, NJ. Her goal is to create learning experiences that empower and equip students with necessary skills to effectively produce and consume content across multiple media platforms. She can be reached at larfleming@yahoo.com; her website is http://www.worlds-of-learning.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Editor's Note: This article, reprinted from the June 2014 issue of Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals, is a thoughtful and insightful examination of the philosophy and pedagogical underpinnings of the maker movement. The authors' analysis and argument are strong, and the benefits they tout are inspiring.

# data[].attributes.headline
6 Strategies for Funding a Makerspace | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
6 Strategies for Funding a Makerspace | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Find or Repurpose a Space

Finding a room is easier than you think. Many cities and school districts have underutilized or forgotten spaces that can be repurposed for a very low cost. For example, Andrew Coy, high school technology teacher and Executive Director of the Digital Harbor Foundation, established Baltimore City's first free, public, neighborhood makerspace in an empty Parks & Recreation building that was about to be shut down. Andrew explains, "Elementary principals I talked to about making also had ideas for how the spaces next to their buildings could be used . . . turning one of them over to us for all maker programming. Although this whole process took almost an entire year, was full of moments of delay or doubt, and was not without mistakes, the end result was well worth the effort and has made for a great partnership."

Likewise, high school math teacher Casey Shea walked his maker class off campus in Sebastopol, California. In the second year, he convinced his school administration to let him clean out a storage facility only to find that the old woodshop was buried underneath. Students uncovered old tools and machinery, built the furniture and designed the space. Math classes are held in the makerspace all day.

Rick Shertle, middle school teacher and founder of the Washington Maker Workshop in San Jose, California recently opened his doors to the community by securing a space from a local church for free. The space is within walking distance of several schools.

2. Start a Maker Club

Start a maker club to raise money for the project, engaging the campus and local community. Conduct a "tool drive" within your school or neighborhood, asking parents to donate tools. You wouldn't believe how many extra tools people have in storage. While we'd like families to save some tools for making things together at home, many would be happy to donate their extra tools to schools.

Many teachers and students may try school club fundraising strategies on campus, such as hosting a "make-a-thon" or another type of "a-thon" (i.e., a pedal-a-thon with bicycle hacks). At Pittsburg High School in Contra Costa County, California, the math and woodshop classes sell what they make. Past fundraisers included 3D-printed cell phone cases or engraved student mementos using their laser cutter.

Search for civic organizations, societies and religious groups to bring the community into what the students are making in the schools. The local Rotary Club may not have heard of the Maker movement, but why not bring a mini Maker Faire to them? Maker clubs and teachers can showcase student work at a local Rotary meeting. This strategy worked for Casey Shea.

3. Apply for Company Sponsorships

PG&E Bright Ideas: This is a great opportunity for getting alternative energy related materials. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) funded a truck conversion and solar powered scooter last year at Oakland's Lighthouse Charter School. At another school, a teacher funded an alternative energy fair where students built their own wind turbines, biofuel generators, etc. with this award.

Botball Robotics sponsorships: Some teachers seek team funding from sources like Botball, which offers a scholarship.

ING Unsung Heroes: Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000.

Lowes Toolbox for Education: This is another opportunity that many teachers have used. Raise $5,000 in minutes from Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, which will help your parent-teacher group achieve even more for your school.

4. Seek Grants

Schools can secure a grant from their state's Department of Education or local funders. Aaron Vanderwerff at Lighthouse Charter School is now on release time from the classroom to serve as a "maker coordinator" supporting K-12 teachers. He will use the makerspace to coach others throughout the East Bay area.

Grant funding is often an issue for those who don't have nonprofit status, so you may need to seek an organization to represent you, such as Tides Center. Fiscal sponsorship is a cost-effective way to implement new programs, bring together groups to collaborate on an issue, and test new approaches to social change.

5. Fund Project Materials Online

Teachers will often use DonorsChoose.org for project materials. DonorsChoose lets teachers share their classroom needs with a thriving community eager to help. We suggest using this tool to raise money for materials to be used during Spring semester, building in time for up to four months of posting projects, planning, and receiving supplies.

6. Start a Campaign

Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform where people who want to raise money can create fundraising campaigns to tell their story and get the word out. You can design your own campaign around your new makerspace.

A makerspace is a learning environment rich with possibilities. Makerspaces come in all shapes and sizes and serve as a gathering point for tools, projects, mentors and expertise. MAKE: Magazine says a collection of tools does not define a makerspace. Rather, it is defined by what it enables: making.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Strategies for Funding a Makerspace | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Finding a room is easier than you think. Many cities and school districts have underutilized or forgotten spaces that can be repurposed for a very low cost. For example, Andrew Coy, high school technology teacher and Executive Director of the Digital Harbor Foundation, established Baltimore City's first free, public, neighborhood makerspace in an empty Parks & Recreation building that was about to be shut down.

# data[].attributes.headline
Getting to Know the Makerspace Movement in Education — Emerging Education Technologies

# data[].attributes.subject
Getting to Know the Makerspace Movement in Education — Emerging Education Technologies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Makerspace Movement is Making Waves in Classrooms Everywhere. So What's it all About?
I've been increasingly interested in learning more about the Makerspace Movement as a teaching and learning tool. Technology can certainly play a part in being a "Maker" as a student in a classroom, but it doesn't necessarily have to. But even when it doesn't, it fits right in with concepts like Active Learning and Project Based Learning that we love to explore here (these can also use tech, but do not have to). Today's post from guest writer James Broadbean gives us a good overview of this growing trend in today's innovative teaching practices. - KW
Have the children of today lost the ability to create and invent? Has the replacement of Legos and Play-Doh with iPads and Xboxes' removed the natural curiosity to make things in our youth? Pioneers of the emerging 'Makerspace Movement' will disagree and instead suggest that students just need the space and time to let their creativity flourish.

Part of the trending 'DIY Culture', the 'Maker' subculture refers to the ideology of cutting out the middleman and creating your own product or idea which can then be shared or improved upon. The ideology of the Maker Movement is to discover through the sharing of ideas and many enthusiasts use the internet to find like-minded people to commune with.
Image Source: http://selkirklibrary.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/its-the-new-library-thing-the-makerspace-movement/
Maker culture utilizes the developing technological advances to further knowledge rather than allowing the technology to replace it. Extremely popular websites such as Etsy, which showcases handmade goods and makes huge revenues, are essentially maker communities that demonstrate the growing power of the trend.

Making Space for Makers in Education

Today, learning institutions are beginning to embrace the Maker culture and are providing children with 'Makerspaces' that deliver a platform for making things and learning through hands-on design. The makeshift areas are often just unused storage spaces, classrooms or libraries with resources such as- electronics, metalwork, woodwork, robotics and arts and crafts that children can use.

The idea of these Makerspaces is to allow the student to discover, invent and understand through 'making'. To engage students and teach them the practical skills that are important in today's technological age. The program does not intend to replace the traditional educational format, rather it is supposed that they can coexist.

A school in Virginia, US has hit the headlines with their Makerspace Program and the schools innovative philosophy has other institutions re-thinking their learning environments. The school has transformed their library into a Maker Space area with 3D printers and computer repair and programming zones which students can attend, run and share ideas within.

Several schools, colleges and universities are considering implementing such areas in their establishments but it doesn't have to be big budget. Makerspaces can be as simple as a room with building blocks and paint as long as the viewpoint of the teachers is to champion creativity and innovation through making. However, for more advanced tools schools can apply for sponsorships or grants through sites such as 'Botball' or they can fund the project materials online through DonorsChoose.org.

Resources to Learn More

Here is a selection of web resources that are great sites for learning more about what's going on with the Makerspace movement in our schools:

The current educational system is often criticized for being stale and outdated so it is important that projects such as the Makerspace Movement are recognized. The world is changing rapidly and it is essential that our teaching techniques follow suit to maintain their relevance.

The Makerspace Movement is here to stay and should be welcomed and encouraged!

Related Posts (if the above topic is of interest, you might want to check these out):
Education Technology Thought Leader Interview - Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D.
20 Fun Free Tools for Interactive Classroom Collaboration
Student Created Content is an Exciting and Inspiring Learning Tool that Teaches Many Skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Getting to Know the Makerspace Movement in Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I've been increasingly interested in learning more about the Makerspace Movement as a teaching and learning tool. Technology can certainly play a part in being a "Maker" as a student in a classroom, but it doesn't necessarily have to.

# data[].attributes.headline
8 Techniques and Tools for Creating Lessons That Actively Engage Students — Emerging Education Technologies

# data[].attributes.subject
8 Techniques and Tools for Creating Lessons That Actively Engage Students — Emerging Education Technologies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A Fresh Look at Ideas and Tools to Create Lessons & Assignments That Don't Bore Students

A couple years ago, I wrote the article 8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren't Boring. This article offers dozens of powerful free tech tools, and ideas for using them to create fun lessons that position students to create their own learning experiences.

While a few years in real time can be like a decade in "tech time", these ideas are as fresh and relevant now as the moment I first wrote them.

When I stumbled across this article again recently, it struck me that was a great target for a "make-over". Some content is just ideal for re-creation in another format. Turning a post like this into a slide deck provides a vehicle that allows for a more gradual exploration of the ideas and resources offered in it. It shines a light on the concepts and tools being written about.
If you like this, click on over to Slideshare and check out our other great presentations!

Kelly Walsh is Chief Information Officer at The College of Westchester, in White Plains, NY, where he also teaches. In 2009, Walsh founded EmergingEdTech.com. He frequently delivers presentations and training on a variety of education and technology topics at schools and conferences across the U.S. Walsh became the Community Administrator for the Flipped Learning Network in June of 2016. He also writes the "Technology Perspectives" Column for University Business magazine. In his "spare time" he writes, records, and performs original music ... stop by kwalshmusic.com and have a listen! [Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are my own, or those of other writers, and not those of my employer. - K. Walsh]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Techniques and Tools for Creating Lessons That Actively Engage Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A couple years ago, I wrote the article 8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren't Boring. This article offers dozens of powerful free tech tools, and ideas for using them to create fun lessons that position students to create their own learning experiences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Acronyms Used in E-Rate For a complete USAC list, click here. ADA Anti-Deficiency Act. , new E-Rate commitments are limited to un-obligated funds on hand, leading to funding freezes and delays. E-Rate is operating under a temporary ADA exemption for 2005. Legislation is pending to make this exemption permanent.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Tips to Help Get the Most out of E-Rate 2.0 | EdTech Magazine

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Tips to Help Get the Most out of E-Rate 2.0 | EdTech Magazine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Technology Solutions That Drive Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These tips can help schools and districts as they apply for broadband funding.

Schools and districts have the opportunity to take advantage of increased funding available through E-Rate - a federal program intended to ensure that K-12 schools and libraries, particularly those in low-income or rural areas, have affordable access to telecommunications and Internet services.

Changes to the program in 2014 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) increased funding from $2.4 billion to $3.9 billion. Schools and districts looking to take advantage of this increase should consider some best practices and tips when applying for E-Rate funding.

1. Read the two E-Rate Modernization Orders. There is no better way to understand the full scope and reasoning behind the FCC's changes than to read the Modernization Orders, which are available on the website of the Universal Service Administrative Company, which manages the E-Rate program, says Mel Blackwell, vice president of USAC's Schools and Libraries Division.

2. Start early. Do not wait until the last minute. Applicants should start early and ask USAC any questions they have about E-Rate. This will provide ample time to understand the program and to ensure that the application is filled out correctly, which speeds up the funding process, Blackwell says. Filing early also has its perks. Schools and districts that apply first get reviewed first; if their application is filed correctly, they will receive funding in the first wave of approvals.

3. Plan for several years into the future. FCC no longer requires schools to submit a technology plan to get funded. But it's still important for schools and districts to look beyond the current E-Rate funding cycle and plan two to three years out so they can prioritize projects and apply for funding accordingly.

4. Use USAC's free educational resources. USAC's website includes a library full of print resources, educational videos and tutorials that walk users through each step of the application process. School and district leaders can also sign up for training events throughout the country, take part in live webinars, or schedule one-on-one meetings that can be held in person, over the phone or through video conferencing, Blackwell says. Applicants with questions can also call USAC's call center.

Want to learn more? Check out CDW's white paper, Get Ready for E-Rate 2.0.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Tips to Help Get the Most out of E-Rate 2.0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These tips can help schools and districts as they apply for broadband funding. Schools and districts have the opportunity to take advantage of increased funding available through E-Rate - a federal program intended to ensure that K-12 schools and libraries, particularly those in low-income or rural areas, have affordable access to telecommunications and Internet services.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Networkmaine's E-Rate page for the state of Maine

# data[].attributes.headline
Designing a School Makerspace | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Designing a School Makerspace | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An approach to defining and designing the right space for your school.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Cooper

Makerspaces, STEAM labs, and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering.

A makerspace is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab or art room, but it may contain elements found in all of these familiar spaces. Therefore, it must be designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, tools and materials. Diversity and cross-pollination of activities are critical to the design, making and exploration process, and they are what set makerspaces and STEAM labs apart from single-use spaces. A possible range of activities might include:

Cardboard construction

Prototyping

Woodworking

Electronics

Robotics

Digital fabrication

Building bicycles and kinetic machines

Textiles and sewing

Designing a space to accommodate such a wide range of activities is a challenging process. Educators and administrators can help guide the process and generate the space that works best by researching, brainstorming and clearly articulating their needs, while keeping in mind inevitable changes in the future.

Some schools have chosen to incorporate makerspaces within multiple classroom spaces. This works well for many activities, particularly in elementary schools. As maker activities expand to require more tools, it makes more sense to create a dedicated makerspace that includes appropriate tools, work areas and materials. The following design approach focuses on creating dedicated makerspaces and STEAM labs.

Ask the Right Questions

Because of the constantly evolving activities that a makerspace accommodates, a flexible design is critical from the outset. Therefore, the first moves should be the right moves to result in a space that's as usable as possible. Project leads must ask critical inquiring questions to guide and inform the design process.

What range of subjects will be taught in the space? What types of activities and projects could be done there? Determine the needs and desires of all teachers in the school who will or could possibly use the space. Imagine what projects they might initiate with their students. Ideally a science, math, technology and/or art teacher would lead or participate in the brainstorming. The Makerspace Playbook is a helpful guide to envisioning the projects and activities that could happen in the makerspace. The new book Invent to Learn is a great resource for making, tinkering and engineering project ideas. The main point here is to clarify the types of activities that the space would ideally accommodate.

Which tools are most needed? Will digital fabrication tools such as CNC routers, laser cutters or 3D printers be included? Which materials will be used? The Makerspace Playbook and Makerspace's Tools & Materials PDF document are both very useful tools for addressing these questions. They provide detailed lists of the diverse tools and materials that you might consider. Many types of equipment have special requirements, including ventilation and other elements to ensure a safe working environment. The list of tools and materials will naturally grow as specific projects and programs generate new needs, so it's good to allow for flexibility and expansion. Depending on the projects and activities, the space required for materials and project storage can be significant.

Who are the kids that will be using the space? Will others use the space as well? Who is staffing and managing the space? Having a space that is functional for a range of ages is key in school settings. Additionally, the space might be used for maker activities outside of class time, such as clubs (like Young Makers groups) or parent groups, as makerspaces grow into popular community hubs. At some point, the school may hire a part- or full-time makerspace teacher. In fact, some see this as critical from the outset.

When will the space be used? Students will use the space during the school day, perhaps in a dedicated class time or with their teacher. Other opportunities may arise to maximize utility of the space after school or evenings and weekends. In this case, the design would need to accommodate access outside of school hours and for multiple users.

Where in the school or on the campus would be ideal? What considerations are important? To accommodate the need for access to materials and tools, it's useful for the space to be easily accessible by cars and trucks, ideally during school day. A location close to or including outdoor work areas allows for larger or messier projects. Access to plumbing and electricity are critical. The space should be located where noise won't disturb classroom learning. Given the need for flexibility, it's good to find a place where the space could expand in the future. Finally, the makerspace would be centrally located so that it can be accessible to students, and visible so that work can be seen.

How will it be built? Is a new or separate structure needed, and if so what type? What is the budget? Will the design and construction team be a combination of contractor and volunteers, all-volunteer or fully contracted?

If you're lucky, there is a large space, classroom or portable just waiting for a new use, and building out the interior will be the main project. If space is at a premium, however, a new structure, portable or shipping container could potentially provide the space or some portion of it. Knowing your budget range will help determine the best way to proceed and whether you'll be able to employ contractors or need volunteers for some of the work.

Going Forward

Answering these questions will allow schools to create a design program for their makerspace, defining the specific needs and requirements. Because makerspaces and the activities they accommodate can vary so much, the design program is one of the most critical steps in ensuring the space will be functional and well used. The school could work with designers or architects to articulate the best ways of meeting those needs. Visits to other makerspaces or labs can be valuable and insightful during this phase, as educators envision what their space could be. A subsequent blog post will provide more information about design patterns typically found in makerspaces.

Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An approach to defining and designing the right space for your school. Photo Credit: Jennifer Cooper Makerspaces, STEAM labs, and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Considerations for Designing Makerspaces | K-12 Blueprint - Linkis.com

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Considerations for Designing Makerspaces | K-12 Blueprint - Linkis.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Four library media specialists share stories about transforming libraries into next-generation resource centers that students and teachers love to visit.

# data[].attributes.headline
7 Ways to Creatively Fund a Classroom Makeover - WeAreTeachers

# data[].attributes.subject
7 Ways to Creatively Fund a Classroom Makeover - WeAreTeachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When teacher Abby Brown wanted to add stand-up desks to her classroom, she quickly learned there wasn't really an option for her students. This was about 10 years ago, before the benefits of standing desks were really known and widespread. However, she wasn't about to give up. Brown applied for a $500 grant to create them on her own, which became the start of an amazing classroom makeover.

If you're in similar shoes as Brown and looking to make a change-up in your classroom, here are seven tips for finding the money to make it happen.

1. Look for teacher grants.

Some of our favorite grants include the Fund for Teachers program, Thank America's Teachers from Farmer's Insurance and Lowe's Toolbox for Education. Trying to get funding for furniture items? Start with Stand Up Kids, an organization working to get every public school child a standing desk within the next 10 years as a way to combat sedentary lifestyles and inactivity. For other ways to get funding for furniture, look for words like "classroom supplies" or "innovative learning" where you can interpret it to meet your needs. For instance, this grant from NewSchools says they "invest in entrepreneurs and teams of educators whose bold ideas have the potential to help students reach their highest aspirations." There's been a lot of research about how classroom design and setup impacts learning, so don't be afraid to go big!

2. Look for niche grants.

Are you a math teacher? Science teacher? Oftentimes you can find grants by focusing on your subject area. For instance, the National Science Teachers Association lists grants specifically available for their members. Another one is the Toshiba grant, which targets science and math teachers for grades K-5. Grants for Teachers is a great site where you can search by grade, subject area, state and more!

3. Work with your PTA.

If you have a special classroom or school request, be sure to talk with your PTA. They often have funds that are completely separate from the school or district, so they can use their own discretion on how to spend it. Tanya McGrury has been a PTA president for four years at an elementary school in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and her first piece of advice to teachers looking toward the PTA for funding is to just come to a meeting. "Bring examples of what you're looking for, along with the costs and a few different options," McGrury says. "This way we can discuss it as a group and ask the teacher any questions we might have. It's also helpful to know why it would benefit a classroom or how it's helpful to the teacher."

4. Go to your school board.

If you have an idea that will better your classroom and students, consider approaching your school board-with permission from your principal or supervisor, of course. Victor Hurlbert is a member of the school board in the North Kansas City School District (NKC Schools), and he says most school board members are easy to approach and welcome the chance to hear from teachers.

"Teachers should feel free to reach out directly to board members without repercussion or fear," Hurlbert says. "You can usually find the email addresses on the district website, or try contacting someone through social media."

He recommends coming to a board meeting just to get a feel for how they're run. Then prepare your case. For instance, if you want alternative seating, know what the research says and be prepared to prove the benefits.

5. Find funding within your community.

Because companies like to give back to their own communities, it can help to look at local funding opportunities. You can look at the city level, like the rotary club or local government grants, or at companies based in your state. For example, Target has grants only for Minnesota schools because that's where the company is headquartered. Insurance companies and banks also often invest heavily in local schools. Again, try the Grants for Teachers website for state-specific grants. You can also check with your local United Way-they will likely be able to point you in the right direction.

If you have an idea on how you want to give your classroom a makeover, think about raising the funds yourself to prove out the concept. Bake sale, anyone? This might be the jump-start you need to get additional funding. For example, if you're trying to get stand-up desks or new technology like iPads, you might have to start with just one. Then document the impact it had on your class through videos, photos and overall numbers. This will help you develop a strong case when you're trying to get money for grants and from companies.

7. Try crowdfunding.

In this day and age, there are plenty of ways to take fundraising online. The best-known option is Donors Choose, where you can post a project and solicit donations from acquaintances and strangers alike. Another crowdfunding source to check out is AdoptAClassroom.org. You register your class online, add a few details and then wait for your classroom to get adopted. Hint: The more information and photos you can provide about your needs, the more likely you'll get your request fulfilled.
If you're interested in bringing alternative seating to your classroom, we're giving away three stand-up desks right now on WeAreTeachers! Click to enter now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Ways to Creatively Fund a Classroom Makeover - WeAreTeachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When teacher Abby Brown wanted to add stand-up desks to her classroom, she quickly learned there wasn't really an option for her students. This was about 10 years ago, before the benefits of standing desks were really known and widespread. However, she wasn't about to give up.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning Spaces : The Center for Teaching and Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning Spaces : The Center for Teaching and Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Space - a teaching and learning frontier. No longer are classrooms defined by the front of the room, with row upon row of individual desks.

Imagine instead a space that engages learners through collaboration and creativity! Educators are transforming their environments from the limitations of the past to innovative, state of the art learning spaces. Join us on our mission at MCC as we explore the deep enriching universe of learning spaces.

The Space Race - Tradition to Transformation

Technology and the needs of learners are changing at the speed of light, but educators and educational spaces have fallen into a black-hole. At Mesa, explorations into this bold frontier are re-imagining spaces to mirror the world outside. Faculty have been challenging the traditional paradigm and discovering new options to transform from the factory line industrial approach to the future - education 3.0.

This video describes the history of teaching environments from Education 1.0 (the one room schoolhouse), Education 2.0 (the factory line delivery) to Education 3.0 (new frontiers).

Going from the Education 2.0 to Education 3.0 takes more than just the movement of furniture to successfully engage the learners. The space has to be flexible to meet the instructional approaches for lesson design. For example, consider the types of learners and spaces that one may consider:

1. The cave: the quiet focus space or researching and deep thinking

2. The campfire: pulling the learners together in small groups to share their knowledge

3. The Mountaintop: pulling the whole class together to share their group discoveries

Creating a dynamic space, that meets modern teaching and learning needs, requires furniture that is as flexible and as mobile as the people using it.

The concept of transforming classroom space is not new. Educators have moved desks and tables to collaboratively engage students to create classrooms that match what they know about learning. What is new, is that educators are now realizing that the design of a classroom is much more than the rearrangement of furniture, buying new carpet and adding colorful paint. It is the purposeful integration and alignment of pedagogy, technology and space to inspire learning.

With flexible furniture and the purposeful planning of space we can fluidly adapt the classroom and assess teaching and learning-a universe of possibilities.

Planning a Space Mission - Vision to Assessment

Step 1: Create a Vision

This is high level brainstorming; pie in the sky! Gather the stakeholders together and discuss where they want to be in the future. Talk about how they teach now versus in 5 years or even 10 years. Discuss their learners' needs and how to best support them. Ask them to envision how the learners will connect and engage with the space.

Step 2: Research the Vision

Tour the campus or nearby facilities that demonstrate dynamic spaces. Compile photos and spaces to analyze the options. Also, include IT for any technological needs for the room and other stakeholders such as media, facilities, maintenance and operations, purchasing, etc. Do not assume that the room will have the sufficient capabilities to complete the vision. Narrow it down to the top 3 choices that best represent the vision and invite vendors to the table.

Step 3: Design the Space

Partner with your furniture vendors. Meet with the sales person and designer in the space while discussing the team's vision. It is important to have the designer present to save time translating the space to paper with furniture. Provide them with a CAD drawing for room specifics and measurements. Come to a consensus, choosing the best plan that represents the vision. Don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board if your needs aren't met. Meet with the sales person from the selected design and be sure that all items are represented in the bid. Begin the purchase order process.

Step 4: Order of Operations

Create a schedule to organize the installation process for the remodel. However, be sure to have included all stakeholders such as painters, carpenters, electricians, etc. Have the room completed before the new furniture arrives. You need a coordinator from your institution to orchestrate the installation of the vision. Be sure that the room is available with sufficient time to complete the installation and pad the time. Meet with the installation company's manager to show them the space and check that the plan matches the final copy. Check in frequently and test everything at the completion of install to make sure that it is functioning properly. Sign off for completion.

Step 5: Develop Training

Provide training for the pedagogical and functional (mechanical) usage for the space. When things go wrong...who does the instructor call? Guide instructors through a demonstration of the purposeful integration and alignment of pedagogy, technology and space to inspire learning. Plan a diversity of training deliveries formats (face-to-face, online, hybrid, etc.). Scaffold the training to help them reach the full potential of the space. Additionally, communicate changes, updates, etc.. Develop a user-group to discuss their teaching and learning experiences. Showcase instructors and their stories in future trainings.

Step 6: Assess and Scale

Assess the effectiveness of the space. Create a survey for both instructors and learners. If you are evaluating a classroom, administer the survey about 6-8 weeks into the semester. This allows for both the instructors, as well as the learners to adapt to the new environment and best practices. Consider a post-semester survey to capture further experiences using the space. Review the data with the stakeholders involved in the process such as the department, instructors, IT and administration. Then, decide how to adapt the space. If the space is effective, scale up and continue the training process.

Make the Case for Space - The LSRS

How does one measure innovation when it has not been defined, yet? Use the Learning Space Rating System (LSRS) to guide planning and design, as well as the potential performance of the learning space. The LSRS was formulated to create a shared vocabulary and philosophy of space. This rating system is a platform to have meaningful discussions about space and how to implement purposeful design to support teaching and learning. By rating a space, one can systematically assess the potential performance of a learning space.

The LSRS is a formative scale defined by 6 Principles:

S ection 1: Integration with the Campus Context (ICC)

Measure the alignment of the design of the classroom to the wider campus vision such as the academic strategy, learning space master plan, and IT infrastructure, etc. This section also focuses on promoting evidence-based practice to inform future designs.

Section 2: Planning and Design Process (PDP)

Develop a campus culture for active learning spaces. To create an inclusive process engages all of the key stakeholder groups such as future users of the space, their deans and administrators charged with classroom oversight. Make sure the design process is based on research and documented best practices, and that pilot projects are evaluated for effectiveness before scaling up.

Section 3: Support and Operations (SO)

Identify the learning spaces capabilities pedagogically as well as functionally. Provide a plan to support faculty. How will you help them take full advantage of the space. Consider training (pedagogical and technical), maintenance, scheduling, capabilities, etc.

Section 4: Environmental Quality (EQ)

Determine the environmental factors that influence and impact the learning environment such as room temperature, lighting, comfortability and personal space. Learners spend a lot of time in the classroom space. Each aspect of the environment matters. Recent trends to include the development of informal spaces such as cafes and coffee shops addressing the full range of human needs.

Section 5: Layout and Furnishings (LF)

Anticipate what the learners will be using in the space, and how they will be using it. Include seating density and reconfigurability, visibility of learning activities, writing surfaces and comfort of the furnishings. The design provides opportunities for learners to express and capture the learning process.

Section 6: Tools and Technology (TT)

Integrate technology. Some technologies are foundational to a classroom's design, such as adequate electrical power or sufficient network capacity. Other, more readily visible, technologies provide what the LSRS calls "distributed interactivity." In both cases, the critical issue is not how advanced the technology is, but rather whether it is truly capable of supporting the activities anticipated for the classroom.

Planning Innovative Spaces

Think outside the box. How do you define scoring criteria for innovations that haven't been invented yet? To address this, a credit for innovation has been defined in each section. The idea is to encourage out of the box thinking going beyond the current practices to explore future possibilities of how to best design space.

For more information about the LSRS, explore at:
http://tinyurl.com/LSRS-Educause
Spaces Around Our MCC Galaxy

One does not need an intergalactic passport to see how innovative spaces are transforming the learning environment. By implementing incubator-learning spaces, MCC faculty have been able to "experiment" with creative layouts and furnishings right here in our own galaxy. Through this process they have been able to determine the needs to design active learning classrooms and then scale based on the results of assessment.

AS Building ( Campus Map) is located at Mesa Community College's Southern & Dobson Campus. The AS Building is as unique space that houses both student and instructional support services including the Center for Teaching and Learning. The building also features a cafe connected to a unique breezeway where students, faculty and staff can relax, study, and enjoy the life of an active campus. Additionally, AS supports several classroom spaces.

A few quick stops in our journey through our galaxy:
AS191: Goodman's with tables on casters, lounge and cafe chairs, and wall to wall whiteboards AS192: Steelcase with tables, chairs and individual whiteboards AS196: Hon with individual cafe and standard height desks and chairs
For more information about other spaces such as the World Language Lab, the Learning Enhancement Center, the Library Classroom, or even informal spaces, stop on by the CTL and Book a Tour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Space - a teaching and learning frontier. No longer are classrooms defined by the front of the room, with row upon row of individual desks. Imagine instead a space that engages learners through collaboration and creativity! Educators are transforming their environments from the limitations of the past to innovative, state of the art learning spaces.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Revamp Your Learning Spaces on the Cheap -- Campus Technology

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Revamp Your Learning Spaces on the Cheap -- Campus Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
21st Century Classroom

How to Revamp Your Learning Spaces on the Cheap

When funds are scarce, a little experimentation can go a long way in keeping technology-enhanced classrooms up-to-date.

Often, the learning spaces that get the most attention are the big, flashy projects, complete with all the bells and whistles associated with cutting-edge technology-enhanced classrooms. But for many colleges and universities, those kinds of facilities are a dream, not a reality.

"While a complete remodel or building a new space is wonderful, those opportunities don't come along that often," noted Laurie Sutch, director of the library and academic technology at Bentley University. "More often, learning space technology replacements must wait for a standard three- to five-year cycle, but technology is changing more rapidly than that. By choosing wisely, there are lower cost or pilot tools, equipment, etc. that can be tested off-cycle."

With that in mind, Sutch and her colleague Mark Frydenberg, senior lecturer in computer information systems and director of the CIS Learning and Technology Sandbox at Bentley, presented the session "Spruce up Your Campus Learning Spaces without Breaking Your Budget" at the recent Campus Technology Conference in Boston, offering ideas on how campus technologists can outfit their learning centers "on the cheap."

Frydenberg and Sutch shared their experiences with a number of purchases for Bentley's CIS Sandbox (a collaborative space dedicated to exploring and learning new technologies), ranging from interactive white boards and portable document cameras to a video wall of four stacked monitors. All were purchased at low cost and suitable to the task at hand - but some involved more work than others. Success with each was a mixed bag.

"Not everything you try is going to work exactly how you've envisioned it, even though it may work exactly as advertised," Sutch noted.

Still, Frydenberg said, "A space can stay current with technology without having to invest large sums of money all at once. This allows for gradual and constant updates."

"If one area of a learning space - but not necessarily everything - seems particularly outdated or is no longer functioning, experimenting with inexpensive solutions is a good way to test new ideas without spending a great deal," Sutch added.
Tech in the Sandbox
Overall, Frydenberg said, the CIS Sandbox team's technology investments have been a positive experience. "We got to play around and experiment with new technologies that met the needs of today's learning spaces, mostly centered on collaboration and sharing of information from a variety of devices and platforms," he pointed out.

One of the biggest successes, according to Frydenberg: the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter, which provides wireless screen sharing from any Windows 10 or Android device to another display device. "For us, this was a great solution," he said. "A new computer powering a large screen display was located on the opposite wall from the VGA cable that was snaked through the wall when the room was set up several years ago. For $50 and an HDMI to VGA adapter, we could share the video from the computer to the projector wirelessly, without the need to run an HDMI cable through the ceiling and down the wall."

Another area where great savings can be had is with large-screen displays, said Frydenberg. "Large-screen displays are becoming popular on campuses, replacing smaller 42-inch displays, and in some cases, projectors and Smart Boards," he explained. "These are more costly items, but their prices are continuously dropping. For example, we looked at getting a 75-inch display a year ago, but the price was prohibitive. This year, the price dropped by about half."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Revamp Your Learning Spaces on the Cheap -- Campus Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
21st Century Classroom When funds are scarce, a little experimentation can go a long way in keeping technology-enhanced classrooms up-to-date. Often, the learning spaces that get the most attention are the big, flashy projects, complete with all the bells and whistles associated with cutting-edge technology-enhanced classrooms. But for many colleges and universities, those kinds of facilities are a dream, not a reality.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning Commons: The School Library of the Future

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning Commons: The School Library of the Future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this Demco-sponsored webcast, Janet Nelson, Demco's Director of Library Engagement, and Angie Schoeneck, Demco's Manager of New Business Development, explore how the future of the school library is in creating a dynamic learning commons, anchoring the entire school around knowledge, expression and collaboration, and developing both virtual and physical spaces. Current trends in education require school libraries to evolve from book warehouses to multifunctional learning resource centers in order to support these needs. Throughout the presentation, you will develop an understanding of how furniture and spaces can be designed to create a variety of zones to support multiple learning activities and the needs of the students, staff, parents and the community.

Learn to:

1. Explain how shifts in teaching strategies and learning styles impact educational environments; in particular the school library/media center

2. Understand the current functions of a 21st century library (learning commons) and the space requirements for supporting these functions

3. Describe how flexibility, adaptability and variety should be incorporated into these environments

4. Identify ways to incorporate different zones within an environment to support Thornburg's Primordial Learning Metaphors

Ideas and examples will be shared to spark even more ideas for you to consider in your library. In addition, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and gain insight into what has worked for other libraries across the country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Commons: The School Library of the Future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this Demco-sponsored webcast, Janet Nelson, Demco's Director of Library Engagement, and Angie Schoeneck, Demco's Manager of New Business Development, explore how the future of the school library is in creating a dynamic learning commons, anchoring the entire school around knowledge, expression and collaboration, and developing both virtual and physical spaces.

# data[].attributes.headline
3 Tips for Implementing a Tech-Based Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
3 Tips for Implementing a Tech-Based Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Making a digital leap isn't simply a technology initiative; it's planning and implementing a technology-based learning environment for all students -- a digitally-enabled ecosystem that is continuously improving, according to one organization. But when educators have a limited understanding of how to successfully integrate technology within education, it might seem as though they're facing an abyss.

To assist schools grappling with these efforts, three large, national professional education associations combined forces, offering practical guidance, best practices and examples of model technology-enabled schools.

In 2014 the School Superintendents Association (AASA), Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA) formed Leading the Digital Leap, a nonprofit that has set out to help schools learn from and avoid spectacular problems, such as those associated with the controversial Los Angeles County Unified School District's iPad program rollout and the bankruptcy of ConnectEDU Inc., in which confidential student data was sold.

Where does it all begin? With a focus on education, not technology, according to Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. He and officials from the aforementioned organizations have offered up three key tenets for planning a successful tech-based learning environment.

1. Plan Before Purchasing

"This initiative is about saying, 'Let's define what our vision is around the learning, and then let's find the right tools," Krueger said. "You start with the questions of, 'How do we prepare students to be college-ready, career-ready and life-ready? What are the skills that we want them to have? What does the learning environment look like that enables that? How do we enable the enterprise of learning and use technology to create better learning?' "

Answering those questions and getting answers from all stakeholders - educators, administrators, school board members, community members, civic leaders and business people - is the first step, Krueger said, and equals approximately 70 percent of the work involved in planning a digital leap.

The second step -- getting technology into the school, classrooms and hands of educators and students -- is only 30 percent of the effort, and it comes at the end. While it is, in fact, important, he said that most schools get into trouble because that's where they start.

The Digital Leap offers resources (see below) that any school community can utilize and adapt to address where it is on the continuum of technology adoption, from just starting out or advancing an existing program. This takes the guesswork out of leveraging technology, says Ann Lee Flynn, director of education technology for the NSBA.

"There is not a single silver-bullet solution out there that works as a one-size-fits-all," she says. "It really is dependent on a district. Every community comes at this with a different set of criteria and needs. That's why it has to be thought about as customizable."

2. Replicate Technology Success

The Digital Leap resources are organized into four main categories that articulate the best approach to the implementation process:

see offers successful programs;

hear gives advice from digital leaders;

learn teaches how to become a digital leader; and

do offers action steps to follow.

Flynn suggests a practical way to begin with the end - visiting a school with a clearly defined vision that supports a technology-enabled learning environment.

"[Try] going somewhere that's further along than where you actually are to see some good examples in practice," she said, "to understand and talk to the key players, to understand how they did it."

A few key elements of a tech-enabled learning environment are: leadership support, a realistic vision, making technology usage part of the school culture, providing/maintaining the essential infrastructure, teacher training, educating the community about what 21st century education looks like, and sustainable funding.

Without a comprehensive approach, schools can fall into the trap of experimenting with different initiatives but never exiting the beta testing stage for any of them. It's important to learn from this and other mistakes, says James Minichello, director of communications and marketing for AASA.

"But in order to make an impact," he said, "we have to spend the time and resources ... to learn properly how to use the particular [technology] we're working with."

3. Usher in a Culture Change

Even though this cost-free resource is available to any school district that wants a technology-based education environment, it's useless until the main source of resistance to making the digital leap is addressed - people.

"There are technological challenges in education, but those are not as challenging as the culture and people challenges," Krueger says. "The big, hairy problem is people -- getting people who have grown up doing things a different way to do things in a new way. What we're talking about is getting most of the teachers and administrators and maybe even parents to understand what learning looks like for kids today. [Kids] don't view it as 'technology.' They view it as life. It's just the way it is."

To illustrate, Krueger describes how television was "new technology" for his parents, but for him, it was just TV. In much the same way, the radio was part of everyday life for his parents, but was an amazing innovation for his grandparents.

"Alan Kay, one of the Apple chief scientists, says, 'Technology simply means it was invented after you were born.' Today's mobile, internet-enabled, cloud-based technology is just life for today's students. We as adults need to figure how we create a new learning environment that leverages these new possibilities."

A recent CoSN survey (PDF) of educational leaders revealed that 80 percent of technology budgets for the current academic year are flat or declining. This affects everything from classroom learning and student counselling to administration and building operations, so schools need a vision and plan for making sure technology is available and functional.

The best way to accomplish that digital leap? "Technology has got to become engrained in a district's DNA," Flynn said. "This is how we do things."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Tips for Implementing a Tech-Based Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Making a digital leap isn't simply a technology initiative; it's planning and implementing a technology-based learning environment for all students -- a digitally-enabled ecosystem that is continuously improving, according to one organization. But when educators have a limited understanding of how to successfully integrate technology within education, it might seem as though they're facing an abyss.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning Environment: 20 Things Educators Need to Know about Learning Spaces - InformED

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning Environment: 20 Things Educators Need to Know about Learning Spaces - InformED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Environment: 20 Things Educators Need to Know about Learning Spaces - InformED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 21st century is challenging old notions of learning spaces. The idea that students must be seated at desks working in rows is quickly becoming archaic. Technology and collaborative work environments are changing the design of learning spaces. Experts hope that the emerging paradigm will translate into improved learning spaces and influence future architectural design....

# data[].attributes.headline
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Learning Environment

# data[].attributes.headline
Emerging Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Enable Active Learning | EDUCAUSE

# data[].attributes.subject
Emerging Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Enable Active Learning | EDUCAUSE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Key Takeaways

Providing dedicated space to engage faculty and studentswith emerging educational technologies while encouraging their exploration of the possibilities brings about new opportunities in teaching and learning.

Being intentional and innovative in the design of informal learning spaces captures attention and promotes awareness of new ideas, empowering faculty and students.

Tracking and exploring new technologies while monitoring trends in teaching practiceshelps a campus respond to faculty needs in teaching and students' desires for the optimal learning experience.

Eric Kunnen, Associate Director of eLearning and Emerging Technologies, Information Technology, Grand Valley State University
What will the classroom of the future look like? What technologies will a student's backpack include in the next five years? Will students need a backpack? How will faculty and students interact, collaborate, and leverage technology in the next generation of education? These questions, among many others, often permeate campus conversations, conferences, and discussions around the faculty "water cooler." Through collaboration and the intentional infusing of technology into informal learning spaces, we can invent the future of teaching and learning.

Importance of Informal Learning Spaces

Never underestimate the importance of informal learning spaces and the time students have between classes. While classroom time is highly valued, equally important is the environment that faculty and students use while they reflect, study, and actively engage with content and collaborate with others outside of the "formal" classroom and scheduled class time.

Perhaps too often, more energy and thought go into designing classrooms where students spend limited time, whereas the rest of the spaces across campus where students and faculty spend the most time are not as carefully thought through. Without intentionally designing these informal learning spaces, campuses lose opportunities for encouraging students to collaborate, study, and personalize their learning. The between-class informal learning spaces are crucial in students' overall educational experience. Diana Oblinger underscores the importance of informal learning spaces: "Good learning space design can support each institution's mission of enabling student learning. In fact, the convergence of technology, pedagogy, and space can lead to exciting new models of campus interaction." ¹ This notion is where the new library at Grand Valley State University and the Atomic Object Technology Showcase is squarely focused.

One of the newest buildings on the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) campus, the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons (figure 1), maximizes informal learning spaces. In the design of the new library, one of the goals was to inspire, energize, and engage students - and to draw them into a high-quality and dynamic informal learning space. Dean of University Libraries Lee Van Orsdel describes the new library at the university as a "radically student-centered" design and a new learning commons concept that supports serendipitous learning. The $65 million library and intellectual hub of campus opened in June 2013. The library proved instrumental in the creation of the Atomic Object Technology Showcase, which is one of its dedicated and deliberate spaces providing unexpected learning opportunities, encouraging student engagement, and generating awareness - specifically around educational technology. The showcase intentionally infuses technology into the new library and learning commons as an informal learning opportunity.

Engaging Students and Faculty in the Atomic Object Technology Showcase

The Atomic Object Technology Showcase at GVSU is a collaborative initiative of the information technology department and university libraries that embeds technology into a dedicated space. The showcase aims to deliver an immersive and engaging environment for faculty, staff, and students to interact, discover, learn, and share how innovative emerging technologies can enhance teaching and improve student learning. The underlying goal is to elevate and accelerate the conversation about instructional technologies at GVSU and how they can transform education: "To spark new ideas and inspire innovation."

The key experiences targeted for visitors of the showcase include the ability to:

Interact with innovative and emerging technologies

Discover new tools and techniques for teaching

Learn how to leverage and apply technology for learning

Share new ideas that promote student success

Essentially, the showcase is a drop-in space meant to increase student engagement and spark new ideas around using emerging technologies in and out of the classroom. It's a safe place to become aware, to experiment with technology through hands-on use, to tinker, and to try new things. See figure 2.

The showcase's objectives include the following:

Investigate, acquire, test, prototype, pilot, research, and evaluate cutting-edge emerging technologies that have the potential to transform education, enhance teaching, and improve student learning.

Leverage innovative technologies to improve course quality, enhance faculty effectiveness, and increase student success and retention.

Partner with leading faculty, staff, students, and vendors to showcase, advocate, and increase awareness of the application of innovative emerging technologies in education.

Accelerate the application and evaluation of technologies and dynamic learning environments by assisting, equipping, and empowering faculty and students.

Build institutional capacity to integrate and implement technologies into teaching and learning practice, and to scale their deployment across the institution.

By researching and monitoring trends, showcase staff focus on identifying emerging and innovative technologies that have potential application across campus. Where do we find our ideas? Some come from faculty, some from students, and we also watch closely what is happening in educational technology through resources such as the New Media Consortium Horizon Project and report, the EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues list, and the Top 10 Strategic Technologies assembled by the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research.

Highlighting these emerging technologies produces opportunity and encouragement for faculty to think differently about technology and its role in teaching. Students are also challenged to investigate new options for learning. In addition, hands-on time allows faculty and students to explore and use new technology as they dream about ways it can help them solve instructional problems.

Transforming Teaching and Learning with Technology

The showcase is a frequent stop for campus tours ranging from new student orientations to K-12 parents, students, and teachers to a wide variety of higher ed visitors (figure 3). Further, with over two million library visitors in the past two years, the showcase has enabled a collaborative ed tech conversation and a shared experience across the university.

One of the most exciting aspects of the showcase has been the reception by students and faculty. Students frequently enter the showcase to try out a variety of technology as they explore the library, finish up a group study session, take a study break, or stop in on their way back from lunch. Faculty have also begun to hold classes in the showcase or create assignments around the technologies deployed there.

"The GVSU technology showcase offers faculty, students, and community members opportunities to learn about and 'play' with new and emerging technologies. This is an incredible resource, as it provides hands-on learning and experiences. I value sharing this resource with my students and using it to grow my own learning too!"
-Erica R. Hamilton, Assistant Professor, Literacy Studies, College of Education, Grand Valley State University

"Each semester GVSU students in the Introduction to Computing course have the opportunity to explore and interact with cutting-edge technology at the Atomic Object Technology Showcase. Instead of just talking about technology in the classroom, students have the opportunity to experience it; jump off a cliff in a hang glider using Oculus Rift virtual reality, gesture to dissect a skull with Leap Motion, create an object with the 3Doodler Pen, and use their brainwaves to operate a remote control helicopter are just a few examples. The hands-on experience is invaluable for learning about technology. Students have so much fun, they forget they're learning!"
- Cheryl Kautz, Affiliate Instructor, School of Computing and Information Systems, Grand Valley State University

"I enjoy learning about new technology and the showcase is a great place to go in the library to relax and relieve stress. In the showcase I can try out a variety innovative technologies and it's fun to explore. It is a really unique way of learning."
- Nicole Fizell, Student, Grand Valley State University

The ongoing effort to transform teaching and learning with technology attempts to identify an emerging technology for successful deployment in the classroom. This effort came to fruition recently when faculty discovered a technology called Swivl in the showcase, which they actively deployed and implemented as remote video capture solution for GVSU's Graduate Teacher Certification Program.

Showcase staff don't just wait for faculty and students to visit - we also actively reach out to the classroom. For example, showcase staff became involved in re-envisioning a chemistry classroom, working to research, pilot, evaluate, and implement 3D projection technology that provides a new way to visualize and understand highly complex molecules. It provides faculty with a new opportunity to create an immersive experience for their students and demonstrates moving forward and implementing technology to help improve student success.

Makerspaces and Exploring New Technology

The showcase aims to encourage "knowledge creation" as much as "knowledge consumption." Our exploration into making and makerspaces includes 3D printing (figure 4), allowing students to build, rapid prototype, and learn about this emerging field of technology.

In addition to 3D printing, the showcase highlights over 20 different technologies throughout the year (see figures 5-7). Currently students, faculty, and staff can stop in to learn about, to try, and to experience virtual reality with Oculus Rift, wearable computing with Google Glass, a teleprescence-based robot from Double Robotics, gesture computing with Leap Motion, and mobile devices such as the Epic Laser Projection Keyboard and the Swivl personal video capture solution. In the future we also plan to bring in new technologies and to change the exhibits on display every quarter.

Lessons Learned

Over the past two years of taking the showcase from conception to reality, we learned the following lessons along the way.

It Takes a Village

While technology initiatives benefit from having an advocate and coordinator, good project management strategies rely heavily on collaboration. The showcase vision became reality through the collaborative work of the library and IT department. Showcase staff reaching out to the bookstore, Faculty Teaching and Learning Center, and a variety of academic departments has enabled the number of events and participation in the showcase to grow. Connecting to existing campus events such as super science Saturdays, science Olympiads (figure 8), or other technology-based activities has generated a lot of excitement as well.

As part of the eLearning and Emerging Technologies group, instructional designers, instructional technology specialists, our Blackboard team, and our digital media developer help identify new technologies and work to integrate them into the classroom where possible to solve an instructional problem.

Through the showcase, we are reaching out beyond the walls and working with a wide variety of campus constituencies to envision the future of teaching and learning at Grand Valley State University.

If You Build It

Do not just create space and insert technology; engage with the campus community and students. For example, working with a variety of clubs and student organizations and reaching out to innovative professors helps us embed the showcase into the campus ecosystem.

The User Experience

Think about the user experience as faculty and students walk by or enter the space. Creating an inviting and exciting room includes open doors and visibility into the space. The more glass, the better. Positioning the space near other activities or a major thoroughfare is also helpful in creating exposure to the cool things happening in the space.

In the Future

Because learning is in large part social and informal, deliberately expand the time between classes and leverage it. The showcase aims to surprise and engage students in discovery and serendipitous learning. Engaged students are successful students, and the showcase encourages a unique experience, captures attention, and taps into the students' interests. Among faculty, the wealth of new technologies generates an overall awareness of educational technologies and their potential use in teaching as they work to envision the future of education.

As we work together to reimagine learning spaces and to press in on the future of the classroom, to discover new ways of teaching, or even to think through what the students' backpack of the future might look like, we do so by creating an environment for exploration. We are building the future together, one with tremendous opportunities to explore as we enhance teaching and learning at our institutions.

Note

Diana Oblinger, "Leading the Transition from Classrooms to Learning Spaces," EDUCAUSE Review, January 1, 2005.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
emerging technologies to enhance teaching and enable active learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emerging Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Enable Active Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Providing dedicated space to engage faculty and studentswith emerging educational technologies while encouraging their exploration of the possibilities brings about new opportunities in teaching and learning. Being intentional and innovative in the design of informal learning spaces captures attention and promotes awareness of new ideas, empowering faculty and students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Classroom in the Cloud: Technology as a Learning Environment | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Classroom in the Cloud: Technology as a Learning Environment | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In September 2013, I was recruited by then-principal Eric Sheninger to be the new library media specialist of New Milford (New Jersey) High School, and was tasked with seeking to improve student performance by developing an exciting and engaging learning environment for all. My vision was of a learner-centered space where students and teachers would have access to exciting technologies, digital and print resources, and productive spaces offering scope for collaboration and creativity. In seeking to turn what been a largely unvisited and unused library into a vibrant part of the school community, I felt challenged by the limitations of the physical space. The library had not been renovated in decades, and it offered very little in terms of what a modern-day learning "commons" should be.

My inspiration at this point was Pixar Animation Studios. I'd read that Pixar had set itself on the path of being a constant learning organization, and I remembered that part of the impetus behind their mission had been attributed to their flexible, creative, and collaborative office spaces. I combined the ideas that I garnered from Pixar's quest with a quote from Winston Churchill that I have always liked: "We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us."

Bringing Churchill's maxim into the digital age, I decided to try broadening the concept of a "building" by extending the physical attributes into a virtual space that we could shape to contribute to learning success in the school. So Pixar, Churchill, and the needs of the school community all helped me lay out a blueprint for transforming our library into a constant learning organization -- by creating a virtual campus for New Milford High School.

A New Learning Space

Many virtual learning solutions exist in the market. Their uses are varied, and most need to be customized and personalized for different needs and contexts. I formed a partnership with Proton Media, a company that provides a solution called Protosphere. This is a 3D virtual environment that enables organizations to deliver online, instructor-led training programs and to foster immersive virtual collaboration. Given that it was intended primarily for corporate and enterprise use, we had to think very carefully about how to recast it into a 3D virtual learning environment suitable for our school. I envisioned shaping it to allow us to explore how 21st century libraries can use the virtual terrain for creating fluid, flexible learning spaces.

We designed our virtual space to include five rooms: a theater, a hall, large meeting rooms, and different learning spaces. Protosphere has enabled us to explore and experiment with different pedagogies in a virtual environment. Additional inspiration for this idea came from Sugata Mitra's TED talks on how students can teach themselves and building a school in the cloud. The cloud allows for both synchronous and asynchronous learning, attributes that we utilized in NMHS. And since content and materials are available at all times, this allows students to come into the environment outside of class time.

A pilot group of teachers and students explored how to communicate and collaborate in a virtual environment through interacting via avatars. The virtual space proved much more participatory than the regular physical classroom. For example, we were able to design experiences for the avatars to get up and move around as much as possible. Our learners were able to talk, view, and interact with presentation and media content, record notes, and access the web, all at the same time, from anywhere. We were able to embed learning into collaborative processes to improve performance and extend the learning culture beyond the usual constraints of the physical classroom. We also felt that we were helping to prepare students for the 21st century labor force in which many of them will have to work, communicate, and collaborate virtually -- something I refer to as cloud literacy.

The Always-Open Library

CBS News thought the project interesting enough to broadcast a story called "New Milford High School Gets 3-D Virtual Classrooms" (see the video below). The piece gave the students' perspectives on the experience of breaking down the barriers of a traditional classroom. It also showed how the role of the teacher shifts to facilitator of knowledge acquisition, a role that is critical in a virtual classroom, although the teacher still has to design and deliver the structure needed for a successful lesson. The clip also showed that the learners themselves can become facilitators in the virtual environment.

Immersive environments are a viable option for learning. Thanks to our virtual learning environment, we were able to have an always-open library where teachers, students, data, and content came together to increase the speed, richness, and effectiveness of knowledge creation and transfer. We were able to overcome collaboration barriers that so many students face in the physical world, allowing our students to work on group projects any time or place. Classrooms in the cloud present us with a universe of limitless knowledge and boundless possibilities that we all should embrace.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Classroom in the Cloud: Technology as a Learning Environment | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In September 2013, I was recruited by then-principal Eric Sheninger to be the new library media specialist of New Milford (New Jersey) High School, and was tasked with seeking to improve student performance by developing an exciting and engaging learning environment for all.

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating Learning Environments | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating Learning Environments | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A while ago I witnessed students that were taking computer-based classes. It surprised me that they were passing their tests with ease until I figured out what they were doing. They had two screens open -- one was the computer-based course and the other screen was Google, Wikipedia, or Ask Jeeves. When they ran across a question they did not know, they just looked up the answer on one of those other sites (we had to shut that capacity down in a jiffy).

This incident made me think a bit. What do teachers have to offer students when students can learn anything they want from searching for it on the Internet? Why should a student sit in class (or classes) all day long when they can find all the information they need instantly? With so much knowledge everywhere, aren't we trying to sell a product they already have?

Come to think of it, I'm no different than those students in the computer-based learning class. When I wanted to install radiant barrier insulation in my attic all I had to do was go online and look it up. Hundreds of videos, websites, and resources popped up. I read through a few, saw that they were selling more than explaining and I went on to others. I watched a couple of how-to videos that seemed to know what they were talking about and so I used them as my model (disclaimer: installing the radiant barrier is not as easy as the videos make it appear). Voila! So with a little bit of research, I became an instant expert on something I did not know anything about previously.

Here's another example. The other day in class, I couldn't remember how to spell a word and before I could turn around and find a dictionary, a student had already looked it up on her phone. I had it right, but it got me thinking again. How is the instant knowledge (that is available almost everywhere) changing how students learn and view education? Deep stuff. We are not quite to the point of the science fiction concepts of instant knowledge, though rapidly science fiction becomes science fact. It seems to me that we are in a transition period, primarily because we still have a huge digital divide -- some students and schools have access to technology resources, while others do not.

Even if the technology were ubiquitous (I really like that word) in school and out of school, the answer to that question is simple: Instant knowledge has changed how everyone learns because the questions we need to have answered are just a few clicks away, and this brings up more questions-Can I trust the answers? How can I double check for accuracy? What information is missing?

In the Classroom

With so much knowledge available, good and bad, for students, it boils down to a consistent focus on what they need to know. What is the role of a teacher in such a scenario? Well, we need to put aside the traditional knowledge acquisition model, "You need to know this just in case" to a new model, "You need to know this in order to (build, create, resolve, discover...) that." The main effort of teaching shifts to designing learning environments that enable the students to realize they "need to know" certain things in order to accomplish others. How do we do this? Let me illustrate:

In my Spanish II classes, I create scenarios that motivate students to learn Spanish. For example, in order to have a reason to learn the vocabulary and phrases for travel, we recreated a hotel and the students were the employees and the guests. They created the registration forms, brochures, letter head, menus, television guides, and most importantly they researched, designed, and practiced the interactive dialogues that typically occur in hotels across the Spanish speaking world. This learning environment gave them an authentic reason to learn the verbs and the Spanish phrases that pure book-work could not provide.

The same kind of thing happens in an English class when they create newspapers, or publish books, and in social studies or history when they role-play the armistice of World War I, or the debates between Lincoln and Douglass. Science teachers do this when they design inquiry lessons about the nature of salt, or experiments concerning plant growth and fertilizer. Math teachers create rich learning environments for students to practice their skills when they set up a bakery business and students have to make financial decisions that can make the shop successful or can make it go out of business.

When the micro-computer came into vogue in schools, doomsday prophets predicted the demise of the public school teacher. Now, we have so much more technology in schools and student's pockets, and we still have teachers. What then, will be the role of the teacher when each student can look up every answer on their wrist phone, or with their eyeglasses? My answer is that we will always need great teachers. The teacher's role will be to motivate and inspire the students to want to learn, but for this to happen, the teacher must first provide a compelling answer to the oft-repeated question, "Why do I need to know this?"

How do you create learning environments that motivate students to learn? Please share in the comment section below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Creating Learning Environments | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A while ago I witnessed students that were taking computer-based classes. It surprised me that they were passing their tests with ease until I figured out what they were doing. They had two screens open -- one was the computer-based course and the other screen was Google, Wikipedia, or Ask Jeeves.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reimagining Learning Spaces: Admin Perspectives - YouTube

# data[].attributes.subject
Reimagining Learning Spaces: Admin Perspectives - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reimagining Learning Spaces: Admin Perspectives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the 2014-2015 school year, the Piner-Olivet Union School District embarked on a pilot focusing on redesigning learning spaces. In this video, administrators discuss the vision and purpose behind this initiative.

# data[].attributes.headline
Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

# data[].attributes.headline
Is Your School’s Network Ready for the Future of Education? | EdTech Magazine

# data[].attributes.subject
Is Your School’s Network Ready for the Future of Education? | EdTech Magazine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Technology Solutions That Drive Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A few weeks ago, " The NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K-12 Edition " outlined coding, online learning, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality as the key education trends for the next five years.

But is the average school's network ready for such developments?

That's what the State Educational Technology Directors Association wants to ensure. As identified in its 2016 reported titled " The Broadband Imperative II: Equitable Access for Learning," SETDA recommends that making sure enough high-speed internet is available is paramount to a school's future.

"Bandwidth capacity is required to support these digital age learning opportunities, and determines which digital instructional materials and educational applications students and educators can effectively leverage in the classroom," the report states.

In terms of bandwidth, the SETDA's suggestions for upcoming yearly increases are broken down by the size of the school district. According to their predictions, an average school district will likely need to triple their bandwidth within the next 3 years.
SOURCE: SETDA, "The Broadband Imperative II: Equitable Access for Learning," September 2016
Marie Bjerede, the director of Consortium for School Networking's Smart Education Networks by Design Initiative, says that this increasing bandwidth demand is something that CoSN has seen with recent tech programs.

"We discovered that as most districts commit to one-to-one, their bandwidth needs to grow 60 percent year-over-year," Bjerede says. "Schools need to look at their trends are and make sure they are always above the average peak performance so there's not a bottleneck for teachers and students."

SETDA also recommends that districts heavily monitor networks to anticipate growth and set attainable upgrading benchmarks. They suggest districts install circuits that can support 25 percent more capacity so upgrading can be a seamless process.

Bjerede says that by monitoring to anticipate needs, districts are able to cost-effectively expand and buy more bandwidth when the price point is best.

As Curriculum Goes Digital, the Homework Gap Widens

Both the Horizon Report and SETDA's report recognize that the need for digital equity becomes paramount when curriculum focuses more on tech. The SETDA report states:

"Gone is an era when students are automatically given textbooks to support their learning. Equity of access includes ensuring access to devices and sufficient high-speed broadband in school, at home, and everywhere else in the community to utilize digital instructional materials, complete homework assignments, and to connect with students, educators, and experts throughout the world anytime/anywhere."

Bjerede said school districts have done a number of creative things to insure that students who don't have internet access at home are able to acquire digital resources.

"Some districts actually provide devices that are connected through LTE, so if you don't have internet at home, LTE will serve and ultimately give students 24/7 ubiquitous access," she says.

This past summer, EdTech: Focus on K-12 reported on Watkins Glen Central School District, where 18 school buses were outfitted with Wi-Fi to help ensure students could get their homework done.

"It's completely seamless, so students just stay on the BYOD network when they get on the bus, and then they can do their homework during their ride home from school," explained Melanie A. Chandler, the school district's director of technology, in the article.

SETDA suggests that states leverage their resources to expand access and funding for broadband access, and that school districts provide outreach to families.

"Education leaders should continue to collaborate with communities to ensure that all students have broadband access anytime, anywhere," the report states.

For more information, read the full report here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is Your School's Network Ready for the Future of Education?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A few weeks ago, " The NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K-12 Edition " outlined coding, online learning, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality as the key education trends for the next five years. But is the average school's network ready for such developments? That's what the State Educational Technology Directors Association wants to ensure.

# data[].attributes.headline
Architecture’s Pivotal Role in the Future of K 12 Learning | EdSurge News

# data[].attributes.subject
Architecture’s Pivotal Role in the Future of K 12 Learning | EdSurge News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School buildings and their learning environments have remained relatively static over time. The majority of our schools are decades old, and have not undergone a major redesign since they were originally built. These classrooms were built for traditional, "chalk-n-talk" modalities and passive learning-they are not prepared for today's more active learning approaches.

The United States has over $2 trillion invested in its school buildings, the majority of which were designed as " cells and bells." Cells are the classrooms students inhabit until the bell rings, at which point they move on to another cell. This model for schools has been prevalent for over a century, finding its roots in the Industrial Revolution and large-scale manufacturing ideals.

But what does the future of learning look like? If we apply principles from architecture, learning should be flexible, collaborative, sustainable, and filled with daylight.

How to Make Spaces More Learning-Driven and Personalized

In our rapidly changing world, today's students need the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be successful in the complex future that awaits them. Specifically, 1) they must learn to work and thrive in an increasingly connected economy, and 2) they must solve problems, collaborate and create.

While the architecture of schools is not an answer to transformation in and of itself, school design holds huge potential for both creating and supporting the daily habits of successful schools. Not only are some spaces more inspiring and healthier to occupy, but simply investing in a space provides the messaging to kids that they matter. That they deserve a beautiful space to be in, because we care that they are learning and constantly improving.

We know that people learn differently from one another-so why do classrooms all look the same? In learner-driven + personalized spaces,the architecture supports collaboration among groups of students and educators, with plenty of space for inquiry and hands-on learning such as makerspaces, and lots of space for students to move around and be active. These spaces will have:

Lots of flexible seating options so that the space can be easily reconfigured for different purposes

Soft seating options for students to be comfortable as they investigate independently and learn

Movable walls so that teachers can create quiet breakout instructional areas based on needs

Interior Sketch of a Collaborative, Personalized Learning Space (Source: Catherine Lange)

Creating these flexible interior environments is a giant step toward personalizing learning for students. Giving them a fun space to occupy helps to create a culture of learning and exploration, and this is a necessary change if curricula are going to continue to trend toward more personalized strategies. But I argue we need to take one more step back and look at the school building and its systems as a whole. Redesigning the architecture of schools to be more sustainably-focused is where we begin to see measurable impact on learning.

Greening school design provides an extraordinarily cost-effective way to enhance student learning.

Gregory Kats, Environmentalist and Managing Principal at Capital E

Benefits of Sustainable Design on Learning Outcomes

Sustainability (environmental stewardship, social consciousness, and economic feasibility) and schools go hand-in-hand. First, we are educating our kids for the future world they will live in, and learning how to be a productive steward of the environment is an important lesson for schools to teach. Additionally, green schools are an effective way to implement cost-effective strategies that benefit learners.

From an operations/management perspective, green schools achieve indirect savings of nearly $70/square foot (sf). According to a report co-authored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the U.S. Green Building Council, usually $12/sf goes back to the school directly in the way of energy savings, lowered water costs, improved teacher retention and lowered health costs.

Sketch of Rooftop Garden Learning Space (Source: Catherine Lange)

"Greening school design provides an extraordinarily cost-effective way to enhance student learning," says environmentalist Gregory Kats, Managing Principal of Capital E -a venture firm that invests in green organizations.

The benefits of green schools extend beyond the economic. High performance schools provide hands-on educational opportunities that conventional schools do not. For example, on-site renewable energy generation, water conservation features and other green technologies provide valuable opportunities for hands-on learning and increased student performance. In a survey of hundreds of school leaders, 70% of those in green schools reported reduced student absenteeism and improved student performance. A 2005 study of the cost and benefits of green schools in Washington State estimated a 15% reduction in absenteeism and a 5% increase in student test scores.

Hold on-are you saying that the building itself can affect attendance and test scores? Certainly.

A major feature of green schools that contributes to this increase in student performance is the abundance of daylight and openness.

A major feature of green schools that contributes to this increase in student performance is the abundance of daylight and openness. Daylight has proven effects on increasing happiness and ability to concentrate. Until the 1950s, daylight was the predominant source of light in classrooms, but as electricity costs declined, so did the use of natural light in buildings. In one illustrious study comparing daylight in classrooms and holding other factors constant, student performance in the classrooms with the most daylight increased by 21% when compared to the least. Another report, published in the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, states that "students with limited classroom daylight were outperformed by those with the most natural light by 20% in math and 26% on reading tests."

Increased Student Performance in Daylight-filled Classrooms, Relative to Windowless Spaces (Source: Catherine Lange)

Those numbers are no joke. Natural light has proven to be a significant factor in happiness and performance in the workplace and at home, and we need to begin bringing daylight back into schools.

Rethinking School Buildings

Creating a space that can catalyze school transformation is not a one-size-fits-all solution; each school has its own goals and challenges that it must design for. However, the common refrain of a more "personalized," healthy future for students helps us think about the broad needs of learners, and the specific spatial qualities that support that mindset shift.

Innovative school design isn't simply about taking away walls and making spaces moveable; it's about creating a variety of spaces that cater to specific learning needs, and providing a safe and healthy environment where kids feel valued. It's about investing in healthy, environmentally-conscious schools that will inspire the future generation. School buildings and classroom spaces play a major role in the transition to the Future of Learning.

With so much effort going into changing teaching and learning practices, maybe it's time to rethink how our physical school buildings need to change, too.

Catherine Lange (@catBTV) is the Lead Designer at 2Revolutions, an education design lab (otherwise known as 2Rev).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Architecture's Pivotal Role in the Future of K-12 Learning - EdSurge News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
School buildings and their learning environments have remained relatively static over time. The majority of our schools are decades old, and have not undergone a major redesign since they were originally built. These classrooms were built for traditional, "chalk-n-talk" modalities and passive learning-they are not prepared for today's more active learning approaches.

# data[].attributes.headline
Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Becky Fisher, the director of educational technology at Albemarle County Public Schools, is interested in learning about the thinking that drives student choice. "What we're really striving for are those choices that have a lot of thought behind them. We want kids to really be strategic about where they go," Fisher says.

She painted the picture of walking into a classroom and seeing kids:

Lying on the floor

Sitting at low tables on their knees

Standing up

When Fisher walks into a classroom, she asks the students the reasoning behind why they choose their particular learning space.

"Why are you standing right now?" she asks one TK student.

"Well," says the student, "we're using math manipulatives, and I move better when I'm standing up than when I'm sitting down."

Fisher once heard a kindergarten student articulate that she was a belly reader. She loved reading on the floor while lying on her belly, her class was reading, and that's why she was sprawled out on the floor. "That's awesome that, at five or six years old, you know your preferences," Fisher says. And that's critical to their work.

Justin, a seventh grade student from Sutherland Middle School, was also able to articulate his preferred learning environment. He chooses a table and chair, unlike the couch that many of his fellow students choose. "When I get down into a couch and am more comfortable, it's almost like it's a bit distracting. It's not exactly the environment I want to be working in, but for the other people, clearly they have their optimum working environments," Justin says.

Krishan, also in seventh grade at Sutherland, likes that his teacher gives him a choice in how he works. "Since she lets us choose, we ultimately choose what's best for us. We work better together and individually," Krishan says.

The First Step

According to Lisa Molinaro, the principal of Woodbrook Elementary School, the first thing that needs to happen for Albemarle teachers to successfully create a flexible classroom is:

The teacher must have a vision for his or her room.

The teacher must be willing to say, "I'm going to throw out some of this stuff. I don't need this traditional schooling equipment."

Design a Collaborative Learning Space

"We're really looking at how we support kids working collaboratively," Fisher says. "And we can't do it if we're isolated in rows and every kid is an island."

She believes that Albemarle classrooms work well with these design elements:

They have at least three kinds of classroom seating.

They use flexible bookshelves.

Instead of individual workspaces, they use large round or rectangular tables, or put four desks together to form a more collaborative space.

"You'll see flexible bookshelves that can be moved so that the room can be totally opened up -- or little nooks and crannies can be created -- so that everybody can see everybody, and we can participate as a community," Fisher says.

Create a Variety of Seating Options

"My kids love to be under things, behind things, around things," says Collins about her second grade classroom. "We have five-gallon buckets in my room that we sit on. We sit on crate seating that I made in my backyard out of a crate and some plywood and some foam. And I also just threw a lot of pillows on the floor."

For classroom seating, Collins also uses:

Fund Your Flexible Classroom: The DIY Approach

Teachers at Albemarle use these low- to no-cost strategies to furnish their classrooms:

1. Seasonal purchase: Teachers purchase furniture from college students the week that they leave campus after graduation or for the summer. This is the time when students often want to get rid of most of their belongings, and they will give them away or sell them at a cheap price.

2. Parent donations: Teachers ask parents for furniture. Cheryl Harris, a seventh grade language arts teacher at Sutherland, asks her parents to donate furniture at the beginning of the year. She started to build her collection by saying, "If any of you have a couch or a chair that you have just sitting around, the kids would like to read on it, and it could be a reading corner." The flow of donations grew and grew from there because parents wanted to contribute to their kids' learning environment.

3. Previously used: Teachers purchase items in good condition from a Salvation Army or Goodwill. Second-hand shops in upscale neighborhoods or college towns will usually house quality finds.

4. Crowdsourcing: Teachers set up a crowdfunding campaign, like DonorsChoose, Classwish, or GoFundMe, and have their students send their online campaign to family, friends, and parents to raise money for classroom furniture.

Fund Your Flexible Classroom: The District Approach

Over the past ten years, Albermarle district leadership has been very intentional in changing the physical nature of classrooms. Although not every classroom in its 26 schools has gotten a makeover, when the district budgets for a furniture-replacement cycle, there are some core pieces to redesigning a classroom. Before picking those core pieces, teachers need a vision for redesigning a classroom, and they should be willing to get rid of the traditional school furniture for more innovative pieces.

When comparing quotes for traditional and more innovative furniture, Fisher was delighted to learn that the cost is almost the same. "You pay roughly the same amount, and our durability has been good. There has been no reason to not go in that direction," she says.

When Albemarle "does" a room, you'll see:

Flexible seating: Albemarle provides at least three different choices of seating for students -- so you might see a stool, a beanbag, or chairs that look more traditional but allow kids to rock without tipping over.

Teacher stations, not teacher corners: Instead of a teacher corner taking up 25 percent of the classroom, teachers have workspaces similar to students' workspaces. The amount of real estate teachers now use is minimal, giving more space in the classroom for creating student corners, or the ability to move furniture around.

Flexible tables: Many tables have wheels on them, making it easy to reconfigure a room. Albemarle also chooses big tables, round or rectangular, to support collaborative work. Tables can be written on, as well as flipped up, converting them into whiteboards. They also come in different heights -- some are standing desks, others are more traditional heights, and some are low to the ground.

Evolving the classroom space to meet students' individual needs impacts how they learn, how they interact, and the entire classroom experience. Moran has noticed that when a learning space evolves, students' work improves immensely, their grades improve, and "just the conversations they have with each other are so invigorating to hear," Moran says.

Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Flexible Seating Elevates Student Engagement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Becky Fisher, the director of educational technology at Albemarle County Public Schools, is interested in learning about the thinking that drives student choice. "What we're really striving for are those choices that have a lot of thought behind them. We want kids to really be strategic about where they go," Fisher says.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Malcolm Brown
Dartmouth College
© Malcolm Brown

New ideas about learning spaces represent a significant opportunity for higher education to make learners-and learning-more successful. Through the application of information technology, today's learning spaces have the potential to serve the new learning paradigm and at the same time meet the needs and expectations of the most recent generation of students: the Net Generation. Since education is the core mission of higher education, learning and the space in which it takes place are of the utmost importance. In order to best serve the educational enterprise, we must design leaning spaces that optimize the convergence of the Net Generation, current learning theory, and information technology.

This chapter establishes the links between Net Gen students, learning theory, and IT, showing their relevance to the concept of learning spaces. The definition of learning space has become broader and much more inclusive over the past decade. Learning theory will be discussed, as well as its implications for both Net Gen students and learning space design. The ties between this new conception of learning spaces and the habits and characteristics of Net Gen students will be established. Finally, scenarios will illustrate what these new spaces might look like.

What Are Learning Spaces?

What does the term learning space mean? Why not use classroom instead? As recently as a decade ago, classrooms were the primary locus for learning in higher education. Other spaces included the library, the faculty office (for individual mentoring), and perhaps the café in town. But classrooms were by far the single most important space for learning.

Since then, a great deal has changed. The World Wide Web has emerged as the primary way most people use the Internet. The Web has spawned a wealth of new, network-based applications, from digital music stores to new venues for scholarly publishing. Indeed, the availability of network access, in one form or another, is today almost taken for granted. Handheld devices have acquired a growing set of functions, providing a telephone, a digital camera, and an operating system running a variety of applications. Laptop prices have declined while increasing in functionality-to the point that their use exceeds that of desktops for most students.

In parallel with these developments in IT, an entire generation of learners has grown up using computers and other networked devices. While for previous generations IT was a kind of exotic overlay or an optional tool, for the Net Generation student IT is essential. It is clear that IT and Net Gen students have had a mutually influential-almost symbiotic-relationship. The characteristics of Net Gen students mesh very closely with IT and IT's increasing mobility, its 24 x 7 availability, and its increasing value as a communications tool. Net Gen students are social and team oriented, comfortable with multitasking, and generally positive in their outlook, and have a hands-on, "let's build it" approach-all encouraged by the IT resources at their disposal. Net Gen students have embraced IT, using it in ways both intended and unforeseen by programmers. Their rapid and enthusiastic adoption of IT has in turn influenced its development, particularly with respect to Web-based services.

The New Classroom

These developments impact the locus of learning in higher education. The notion of the classroom has both expanded and evolved; virtual space has taken its place alongside physical space.

Over the past decade, higher education has invested millions of dollars in classroom technology. The addition of document cameras, DVD players, Internet access, and projectors (to name a few) has added new functionality to the classroom. It is now possible to bring much more diverse materials to the classroom, to present them in a variety of ways, and to devise new classroom activities for students. As a result, the concept of the classroom has expanded to include this set of new functions.

These new classroom capabilities have, in turn, sparked interest in new pedagogical approaches. Wireless networking, for example, makes real-time or synchronous interaction (such as real-time polling) among all class participants a very real (and increasingly practical) possibility. Videoconferencing makes it feasible for an invited expert from a remote institution to join a class session. Discussions, notes, and other in-classroom events can be captured and disseminated for further study. It is important to note that these approaches mesh well with the habits of Net Gen students, such as their enjoyment of social interaction, their preference for experiential learning activities, and their use of technology. In these and other ways, technology acts as the lever that makes it possible to develop new and more effective pedagogies. Hence the classroom and the activities associated with it are evolving.

The resources used in higher education are increasingly digital and delivered via the network. In addition, network connectivity is increasingly portable. These two developments make it possible for learning to happen informally, in areas outside the traditional classroom, library, and faculty office. Student project teams can meet outside on the green, in a lounge, in any campus café-and they can meet almost any time of day. With wireless networking, numerous digital devices, and longer battery life, we are closer than ever to realizing the goal of fully ubiquitous access. This means that learning, too, can occur any time and anywhere.

Net Gen students, using a variety of digital devices, can turn almost any space outside the classroom into an informal learning space. Similar to the traditional classroom, educators have an important opportunity to rethink and redesign these non-classroom spaces to support, encourage, and extend students' learning environment.

Virtual Space

These changes catalyzed by technology make it clear that the term classroom, at least in its traditional sense, can no longer encompass where learning takes place. Equally obvious is that the space in which learning takes place is no longer just physical; it is virtual as well. The virtual space is an entirely new environment. Virtual space is any location where people can meet using networked digital devices. We should understand virtual space in its widest sense, referring not just to synchronous, highly interactive functions (such as chat, blogs, and wikis) but also to asynchronous functions such as e-mail and discussion threads.

Unlike physical spaces, virtual spaces come and go. They can be spontaneous as well as deliberate, synchronous or asynchronous. Participants and their relationships in the virtual learning space can shift rapidly. Participants can also multitask, "inhabiting" more than one virtual space at a time. As networking technology matures and costs for devices such as laptops and handhelds decline, these virtual spaces play an increasingly larger role in all aspects of higher education.

Again an IT-based function-virtual space-meshes closely with Net Gen characteristics. Net Gen students are mobile, as is virtual space. Net Gen students are facile at multitasking and moving back and forth (sometimes rapidly) between real and virtual spaces. Net Gen students are comfortable with the fast tempo that this kind of multitasking implies. In short, virtual space is tailor-made for the work habits of Net Gen students.

It is clear that the virtual space is taking its place along side the classroom and other physical locations as a locus for learning. The result is that we are compelled to expand our concept of where learning occurs. Learning spaces encompass the full range of places in which learning occurs, from real to virtual, from classroom to chat room.

Learning Theory

A shift in the teaching and learning paradigm is well under way, moving away from a transmission paradigm to a constructivist paradigm. In 1900, basic literacy skills included reading, writing, and calculation. Knowing meant being able to remember and repeat, which was appropriate to an industrial age in which practices changed slowly (at least by today's standards). Workers anticipated having a single profession for the duration of their working lives. Education was based on a factory-like, "one size fits all" model. Talent was developed by weeding out those who could not do well in a monochromatic learning environment.

The postindustrial age is characterized by rapid change. Literary skills now include critical thought, persuasive expression, and the ability to solve complex scientific and organizational problems. Knowing now means using a well-organized set of facts to find new information and to solve novel problems. In 1900, learning consisted largely of memorization; today it relies chiefly on understanding.

This shift has come about partly due the emergence of a constructivist theory of learning. Stated simply, this theory holds that learners construct knowledge by understanding new information building on their current understanding and expertise. Constructivism contradicts the idea that learning is the transmission of content to a passive receiver. Instead, it views learning as an active process, always based on the learner's current understanding or intellectual paradigm. Knowledge is constructed by assimilating new information into the learner's knowledge paradigm. A learner does not come to a classroom or a course Web site with a mind that is a tabula rasa, a blank slate. Each learner arrives at a learning "site" with some preexisting level of understanding.

Knowledge exists at multiple levels, ranging from novice to expert. It is the sophistication and depth of this understanding that differentiates experts from novices. Experts have a deep and rich set of well-organized facts, as well as the capacity to use that understanding to solve problems in their fields of expertise. Novices lack that depth and, as a result, have a much harder time solving problems.

The constructivist theory has important implications. The theory implies that learning is best served when it is:

Contextual-taking into account the student's understanding

Active-engaging students in learning activities that use analysis, debate, and criticism (as opposed to simply memorization) to receive and test information

Social-using discussions, direct interaction with experts and peers, and team-based projects

Problem-based learning, which encourages learners to construct knowledge based on the experience of solving problems, is significantly different from methods such as recall and repetition. This is but one of many ways the older, traditional teaching paradigm contrasts with the learning paradigm. Table 1 summarizes some (though by no means all) other important ways these two paradigms differ.
Table 1. Differences in the Teaching and Learning Paradigms

Traditional Paradigm
"Teaching"

Constructivist Paradigm
"Learning"

Memorization

Understanding

One size fits all

Tailored; option rich

Talent via weeding out

Talent cultivated and sought out

Repetition

Transfer and construction

Acquisition of facts

Facts + conceptual framework

Isolated facts

Organized conceptual schemas

Transmission

Construction

Teacher = master and commander

Teacher = expert and mentor

Fixed roles

Mobile roles

Fixed classrooms

Mobile, convertible classrooms

Single location

Plurality of locations and space types

Summative assessment

Summative and formative assessment

Learning science research also highlights the importance of learner engagement, or as the American Psychological Association describes it, intentional learning. This means that learners must have a "metaperspective" from which to view and assess their own learning, which is often referred to as metacognition. An active learning environment provides the opportunity to assess one's own learning, enabling learners to make decisions about the course, as well as reflect on and assess their progress. In the past, the measure of learning was the final grade (a summative measure). But a final grade is merely a measure of the student's performance on tests. It does not measure the learning that did-or did not-take place. To encourage learning, summative testing or assessments must be combined with formative assessments. Formative assessment is not directly associated with the final grade; it helps learners understand their learning and make decisions about next steps based on that understanding.

Net Generation and Learning Theory

As with IT, there are overlaps between the working characteristics of Net Gen students and practices that research has shown encourage and strengthen learning. For example, the Net Generation is social. They like to stay in touch with peers (and even parents!). They have a preference for group activity and working in teams. This dovetails with research indicating that learning is encouraged when it includes social components such as debate or direct engagement with peers and experts. Learning is strengthened through social interactions, interpersonal relations, and communication with others.

Net Generation students are achievement and goal oriented. Their question is not "What does it mean?" or "How does it work?" (as previous generations were inclined to ask), but rather "How do I build it?" This predilection maps to learning theory's emphasis on active learning. Discovery, exploration, experimentation, criticism, analysis-all represent active learning, a style that suits the Net Gen well.

A pedagogy that emphasizes active learning has additional "targets of opportunity" among the Net Gen characteristics. Net Gen students are experiential, tending toward learning by doing rather than listening. Research indicates that learners need to be active with respect to their own learning process and assessment. Net Gen students' goal and achievement orientation comes into play here: that achievement focus can be directed toward quizzes and exercises that assist learners in evaluating their progress toward learning goals.

Obviously not all forms of learning must be social or team-based. In a variety of learning contexts, individual work is important. It may well be that Net Gen students' strengths are also their weaknesses. The expectation for fast-paced, rapidly shifting interaction coupled with a relatively short attention span may be counterproductive in many learning contexts. Repetition and steady, patient practice-key to some forms of mastery-may prove difficult for Net Gen students. Designing courses for them necessitates balancing these strengths and weaknesses.

Learning Space Implications

There are a number of implications of learning theory and the Net Generation for learning spaces. The convergence of the learning paradigm, IT, and the Net Gen is occurring now at colleges and universities. Current and future planning must encompass and encourage this convergence by thinking of learning spaces (classroom, informal, virtual) as a single, integrated environment. We should not neglect the informal for the formal, or assume that Net Gen students somehow will figure out the virtual space on their own. We should connect what happens in the classroom with what happens in informal and virtual spaces.

This implies that institutions may need to rethink their vision for learning and the spaces in which it occurs. Creating a vision for learning and learning spaces is a powerful leverage point; it informs almost all other decisions about learning space design. A vision also allows us to effectively articulate to all constituents what we are trying to accomplish. The vision helps organize all participants in the design and implementation of these spaces as well as the activities they support. Simply installing wireless access points and fresh carpeting isn't enough if done in isolation; such improvements pay real dividends only if they are in concert with the institution's overall teaching and learning objectives. It is the vision that generates the design principles that will, in turn, be used to make key decisions about how learning spaces are configured.

One important implication is that the vocabulary we use to describe what learners do in these spaces must become active. We must go beyond describing ways to help the instructor to be active; we must include students as well. The vision and design principles should emphasize the options students have as active participants in the learning process. Design principles should include terms such as analyze, create, criticize, debate, present, and classify -all directed at what the space enables the students to do. For example, students should be able to present materials to the class. Outside class, they should have access to applications and materials that directly support analysis of data, text, and other media. Forums for discussion and critical debate, both real and virtual, are key to encouraging learning and will be looked for by Net Gen students.

Learning spaces should accommodate the use of as many kinds of materials as possible and enable the display of and access to those materials by all participants. Learning space needs to provide the participants-instructors and students alike-with interactive tools that enable exploration, probing, and examination. This might include a robust set of applications installed on the computer that controls the room's displays, as well as a set of communication tools. Since the process of examination and debate leads to discovery and the construction of new knowledge, it could be important to equip spaces with devices that can capture classroom discussion and debate, which can be distributed to all participants for future reference and study.

Learning does not stop once the instructor has left the classroom. Instead, the end of the class meeting marks a transition from one learning mode to another. As a result, institutions must address real and virtual spaces outside the classroom to ensure that they, too, encourage learning. For example, there should be access to class materials (which are increasingly digital) so that the active and social work of learning can continue outside the formal classroom. The design of "neutral" spaces, such as hallways and corridors, could be rethought and re-equipped to promote learning. Some institutions provide small discussion spaces in corridors so that discussion begun in class can continue when class ends. As for the virtual space, institutions should consider well-integrated work environments that support collaborative projects and resource sharing.

Informal learning spaces-those outside the classrooms-present particularly intriguing opportunities for pioneering and cultivating new teaching and learning practices. These spaces, while informal, are key areas for student academic work. Students spend far more time in these spaces than they do in formal classrooms. Research, Web browsing, writing, statistical analysis, and compiling lab reports all take place in the library, study hall, media center, dorm room, and learning commons. Because of their enthusiasm for IT and their experiential, hands-on approach to learning tasks, Net Gen students will easily "tune into" the virtual aspects of informal spaces. Well-designed and integrated physical layouts and IT "tool sets" will find a ready audience with Net Gen students.

Scenarios

If we could implement this new vision of how learning occurs by buying the right kind of chair, purchasing projectors with sufficient lumens, or installing digital whiteboards, learning space design would be simple. Obviously it is much more complex-the task of designing and implementing learning environments that encourage good learning practice and accommodate the Net Gen learning style is a challenging one.

A starting point is to try to imagine what these new spaces might look like and how students would function in them. Creating scenarios helps define functions, usage practices, and design goals. Consider the following three scenarios as examples.

Scenario 1: The New Lecture Hall

Sandra, a junior, is heading to her psychology class, which meets at 10:00 a.m. It's a relatively large class for her liberal arts college, with some 150 students, so it meets in a lecture hall. As she arrives, she sees that the professor has, as usual, both projection screens lowered, one showing course material, the other displaying the familiar "voting" screen. Sandra finds a seat among some friends and begins "moving in" to her space. This lecture hall is of relatively recent vintage; its seats and paired tables make it much easier to deploy and use her "tools," which include printouts of the day's reading, as well as a small laptop computer. Her fellow students are doing likewise. Each of them is using some device to access the course's Web site-some with laptops, others with tablet computers, still others with handheld computers. Using wireless connections, they all access the course's Web site and navigate to the site's "voting" page.

The professor commences her lecture. In one of the older lecture halls, she might have been tied to the lectern so that she could click through her PowerPoint slides. Or she might have abandoned her slides in order to write on the blackboard while her students scribbled notes in their notebooks. But in this newly renovated lecture hall, she and her students have many more options. She has what the campus technology office calls a "magic wand," a radio-frequency controller that enables her to operate her computer-as well as many of the classroom's functions-wirelessly, from any point in the room. She can capture anything she writes on the blackboard and make it available to her students on the course Web site. Freed from needing to take extensive notes, the students are able to participate more fully in the class discussion. Finally, the professor is carrying a small recorder that captures her lecture, digitizes the audio, and uploads it to the course Web site for the students to review when they prepare for finals.

Figure 2. PDA/Handheld Computer

Photo: Joe Mehling, Dartmouth College

Today she begins class by circulating through the room, using aisles that create paths through the students' seats. As she roams, she calls on students to share reactions to the readings. She encourages other students to offer additional comments. Soon there is some debate about the reading, which is facilitated by the room's rows of paired tables and swivel chairs, making it possible to maintain eye contact with nearly everyone in the room.

At one point in the discussion, Sandra sketches a diagram on her laptop that she feels helps explain the concepts being discussed. She asks the professor if she could show it to the class. The professor agrees, and Sandra launches the classroom's screen sharing application. Within a few seconds, her computer's screen is projected on the room's main screen. The class discussion focuses on this diagram, and the professor, using a virtual pencil, is able to make notes on the diagram. The diagram and notes are captured and placed on the class Web site for review.

Soon the debate gets stuck; the students can't resolve the issue. The professor goes to the podium, types briefly, and then asks the students to go to a URL to see a question and to choose the answer they feel is correct. The students access the Web page from laptops, handhelds, or wireless IP-based phones. In two minutes they have completed the poll and submitted their responses. The results are quickly tabulated and displayed. The wide diversity of opinion surprises everyone. The professor reframes the issue, without giving the answer, and the students continue to discuss it. She repeats the poll; this time there is more agreement among the students, enabling her to move the discussion forward.

Halfway through the class period, the professor pauses the conversation. She goes to the podium computer and clicks on a few links, and soon a videoconferencing session is displayed on the right-hand screen. She has arranged to have a colleague of hers "drop in" on the class to discuss a point that is in the colleague's particular area of expertise. The class has a conversation with the expert, who is at large research institution more than 500 miles away. Students listen to the expert's comments and are able to pose questions using one of the three cordless microphones available to the class. On the left-hand screen, the visiting professor shows some images and charts that help explain the concepts under discussion.

The professor concludes the day's class by showing a lab sign-up form, available on the course's Web site. Sandra is able to access the Web page almost instantly with her handheld computer and succeeds in signing up for lab times that work well with her schedule. It was good she didn't wait, for within 10 minutes of the end of class, the other students in her class have signed up for most of the slots, conferring with friends using chat programs to ensure that they sign up for the same lab slots.

Scenario 2: Using the Virtual Learning Space

When the class concludes, Sandra turns to her neighbor to ask about several points the professor made in class. This attracts two other students, who enter the conversation. As the discussion continues, they are joined by the professor, who is heading out. Since another class is beginning to file in, the professor suggests they move outside the room to continue the discussion. They find one of the "discussion pockets" unoccupied and move in. The discussion pocket is the college's term for a small, curved space with a table and bench to accommodate a meeting of four or five people. Found outside the newer classrooms, they are handy for informal, spontaneous discussions. Sandra's group moves into the pocket and for the next 15 minutes continue their "spill over" discussion of the class.

After this informal discussion concludes, Sandra heads to the library; she has an hour until her next class and needs to get some work done. She finds some table space, pulls out her laptop, books, and iPod and sets to work. She checks on her e-mail and sends some responses. Three friends "drop in" on her via the chat program, and she spends a few more minutes conversing with all three on separate subjects. That done, she fires up her iPod to listen to some music she downloaded using her subscription to the official campus online music service.

Figure 4. Technology in the Library

Photo: Will Faller, Vassar College

Now she begins work on a term paper for a history class. She rummages through the library's online collection, looking for a map she needs to illustrate a point about 19th-century Asian history. She finds what she is looking for: although the map image is held by the library at a college on the other side of the country, Sandra has access to these resources. She is able to retrieve the map and insert into her document. She then traces arrows over the image to point out items important to the points she is making.

Again a friend drops in via chat, but this time it is about the joint presentation they are preparing for another class.

They are able to have an audio chat; Sandra's friend is in her dorm room, and Sandra is in a remote corner of the library where conversation will not disturb others. As their discussion progresses, they go to the course's Web site and launch the virtual whiteboard to diagram some concepts. They develop a conceptual diagram-drawing, erasing, and revising it until they agree the diagram is correct. They both download a copy. Sandra volunteers to work on polishing the diagram and will leave a copy of the final diagram in her share folder in her online portfolio "locker."

Sandra returns to work on her term paper and decides a half hour later to take a break. She again checks e-mail, chats briefly with a friend about their upcoming soccer game, and switches playlists on her iPod. Then she remembers that she needs to review some Italian newscasts for her Italian class. The files containing the newscast video are on her iPod, so she plugs her iPod into her laptop, finds the video files, and launches her viewer application. Plugging her headphones into her computer, she is able to watch the entire segment, making notes on parts she did not fully understand. She then checks the class's Web site and sees there is an additional set of video files for reviewing. She downloads these quickly onto her iPod. Noting the time, Sandra packs up her gear and heads off to her next class, stopping once at a stand-up e-mail station to see the latest messages that have arrived in her inbox.

Scenario 3: From the Information Commons to the Learning Commons

Had sophomore Martin come to the university at the same time as his older sister some six years earlier, he would have found, as she did, a computer lab. This was a large room, located in the basement of the science building, filled with benches and seats. At each seat was a computer. A set of documentation racks were on one side of the room; some documents were in short supply, while others were obsolete. On the other side was a help desk, staffed by students with a finite set of answers to the infinite variety of questions directed at them. Finding a free computer, particularly at the end of the term, was a challenge. Once you arrived at an available computer, there was little room for all your study materials: books, backpack, coat, and folders. The administration, anxious to maximize student access to computers, had crammed as many workstations as they could into the space.

While the computers worked fine for the most part (though cleaning them up after previous users was sometimes a chore), getting help was a problem. To get help-for the use of an application or for a research question-required going to the second floor for IT help or to the main floor of the library for research help. That meant leaving your computer unguarded, possibly to be claimed by another student equally hungry for computer time. So you ended up rarely going for help but instead muddled through as best you could, perhaps asking the student next to you when you were desperate.

But today Martin arrives at the first floor of the library and goes to a set of rooms collectively called the Learning Commons. At the threshold of the commons is the peer-tutoring room, a place where students can drop in and receive peer-based help with writing, research, or IT issues. Martin stops by to ask about incorporating MPEG-4 audio files into a PowerPoint presentation he's due to give next week for an anthropology course. At the same time, he is able to get some questions answered about relevant online journals for his research project in psychology.

Martin checks the time and heads to a work team pod-a small, horseshoe shaped table with a computer and large display-where he meets classmates from his chemistry course. The pod enables the work group to share the display and collectively work on materials. Martin works for an hour with three other students, reviewing drafts for their essays, checking online materials, and revising the Web site they are putting together for their collaborative project on the molecular properties of the surfaces of liquids.

Once that meeting is complete, he locates a free spot, pulls his laptop out of his backpack, and spends the half hour before his next team meeting doing a wide variety of things, including chatting with half a dozen friends about their party plans for the weekend. At the same time, he sends an e-mail to one of the TAs for the chemistry course, asking for clarification of an assignment. He also browses the Web, zeroing in on a Web site at another college that is relevant to his anthropology course work, as well as seeing if the latest CD from his favorite band is available through the Music Store. In a few minutes, he has purchased several tracks from it and downloaded them onto his computer.

Martin checks the time again. It's 10:00 p.m., and there's still a great deal to get done. He divides his time across several course assignments, numerous chat sessions, and reading (both from paper and from his computer screen). After a time, feeling drowsy, he goes to the Midnight Café, buys a soda and some chips, and returns to his work.

At 11:30 p.m., Martin packs his gear and heads to another part of the commons, the Media Studio, which offers a number of stations for students to use for more advanced work with video and audio. Martin is working with a team of four other students on an assignment for a film studies course. Their task is to find clips from a set of films that illustrate a particular filming technique and to explain why it is effective. They rendezvous at a group station and spend the next hour reviewing films and identifying the clips they will use. They ask the student consultant on duty about whether it would be better to collect these in a single clip or as separate clips. By 12:45 a.m. Martin and his teammates have made their selections and given themselves tasks for the next phase of the assignment.

Martin calls up a Web page that contains a form for reserving one of the small group study rooms. He and some classmates have made an arrangement to meet with their anthropology professor. This meeting is to check on the progress Martin's group is making with their research project. The group wants the professor to review the video clips on their project Web site. Having found the reservation form, Martin is relieved to find that a room is available for the time they need; he reserves it. Noting it is now nearly one in the morning, Martin decides to turn in early for once (he has a language drill session at 7:45 a.m.). While walking back to his dorm, Martin prepares for the drill session by listening to some language lab audio files, which are streamed from the language lab server to his wireless iPod II.

New Learning Spaces

These scenarios show Net Gen students and faculty engaged in learning practices that are leveraged by IT, a process that requires either improving current practices or creating new ones. The underlying theme remains the same, however: cultivating learning practices consistent with learning theory and aligned with the habits and expectations of Net Gen students (and soon professors!) who have been "raised on" IT. The scenarios suggest the importance of integrating all learning spaces, formal and informal. For most higher education institutions, the lecture hall will not disappear; the challenge is to develop a new generation of lecture hall, one that enables Net Gen students and faculty to engage in enlivened, more interactive experiences. If the lecture hall is integrated with other spaces-physically as well as virtually-it will enable participants to sustain the momentum from the class session into other learning contexts. The goal is not to do away with the traditional classroom, but rather to reinvent and to integrate it with the other learning spaces, moving toward a single learning environment.

Building on these scenarios, Table 2 illustrates how Net Gen characteristics (such as the proclivity for group work) and learning theory might be supported by learning space design and IT. Learning theory is central to any consideration of learning spaces; colleges and universities cannot afford to invest in "fads" tailored to the Net Gen student that might not meet the needs of the next generation.

For example, start with the Net Gen students' focus on goals and achievement. That achievement orientation ties to learning theory's emphasis on metacognition, where learners assess their progress and make active decisions to achieve learning goals. Learning space design could support this by providing contact with people who can provide feedback: tutors, consultants, and faculty. This could, in turn, be supported in the IT environment by making formative self-tests available, as well as an online portfolio, which would afford students the opportunity to assess their overall academic progress.
Table 2. Aligning Net Gen Characteristics, Learning Principles, Learning Space, and IT Applications
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of these new learning spaces is the need for integration. As institutions create an anywhere, anytime IT infrastructure, opportunities arise to tear down silos and replace them with a more ubiquitous learning environment. Using laptops and other networked devices, students and faculty are increasingly able to carry their entire working environment with them. To capitalize on this, campus organizations must work collaboratively to create a more integrated work environment for the students and faculty, one that better serves the mobile Net Gen students as well as a faculty faced with the initial influx of these students into their ranks. This will involve not only libraries and IT organizations but also facilities planning and buildings and grounds departments. Development organizations may also become involved as institutions look for the resources needed to implement these new learning spaces.

Conclusion

This description of learning spaces is suggestive rather than prescriptive. Learning spaces are complex, containing a multitude of variables. One of the key variables is the institution itself. Learning spaces are institutional in scope-their implementation involves the institution's culture, tradition, and mission. These institutional factors must be taken into account in order to design learning spaces to meet the needs of Net Gen students.

We must remind ourselves that today's students are only the "first wave" to exhibit Net Gen characteristics. Soon they will be graduate students and assistant professors, bringing their Net Gen work habits to the faculty ranks. In addition, faculty who are baby boomers and Gen-Xers are acquiring Net Gen characteristics as they become more facile with-and dependent upon-IT. Planning for Net Gen requirements cannot be dismissed as catering to a single generation. IT and the work habits that IT encourages are here to stay; planning for the Net Generation is tantamount to planning for the future.

No single magic formula will guarantee successful learning spaces on every campus. It is clear, however, that it will not be enough if we simply place projectors, computers, and DVD players in the classrooms. Nor will it be adequate just to provide scores of publicly available computers. Such tactics, in isolation, may have little impact. Learning space design is a large-scale, long-term project, involving building and maintaining consensus, curricular vision, emerging technology, and layout and furniture options, as well as intracampus organizational collaboration. Learning space design requires a collaborative, integrated approach, with an overarching vision that informs and supports specific projects.

The starting point for rethinking learning spaces to support Net Gen students begins with an underlying vision for the learning activities these spaces should support. This vision should be informed by learning theory, as well as by recognition of the characteristics of the students and faculty who use these spaces. An institution's specific culture, organizational structure, and fiscal circumstances enter the equation, as well. Once a vision has been established, the more concrete phases of planning can begin.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank his friend and colleague, Joan Lippincott of the Coalition for Networked Information, for sharing insight and advice, as well as for her permission to use some of the ideas we articulated in our EDUCAUSE Quarterly article.

Endnotes

1. American Psychological Association, Board of Educational Affairs (BEA), "Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: A Framework for School Redesign and Reform," revision November 1997, http://www.apa.org/ed/lcp.html. ↩

2. National Research Council, How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice, M. Suzanne Donovan, John D. Bransford, and James W. Pellegrino, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 1999), pp. 12, 47; online edition available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9457.html. ↩

Further Reading

American Association for Higher Education, American College Personnel Association, and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, " Powerful Partnerships: A Shared Responsibility for Learning" (June 1998).

Robert B. Barr and John Tagg, "From Teaching to Learning-a New Paradigm for Undergraduate Education," in Learning from Change: Landmarks in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from Change Magazine 1969-1999, Deborah DeZure, ed. (Sterling, Va.: Stylus Publishing, 2000), pp. 198-200. Originally published in Change, vol. 27, no. 6 (November/December 1995), pp. 12-25.

Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks, In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms (Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1993).

Malcolm B. Brown and Joan K. Lippincott, "Learning Spaces: More than Meets the Eye," EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 1 (2003), pp. 14-16, http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0312.pdf.

Nancy Van Note Chism and Deborah J. Bickford, eds., The Importance of Physical Space in Creating Supportive Learning Environments: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 92 (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002).

National Research Council, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition, John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2000), http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9853.html.

Lennie Scott-Weber, In Sync: Environmental Behavior Research and the Design of Learning Spaces (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Society for College and University Planning, 2004).

About the Author

Malcolm Brown is director of academic computing at Dartmouth College. In this capacity he oversees IT support for teaching, learning, research, classroom technology, and media production. He has been active with the New Media Consortium (NMC), serving as chair of the NMC Board for 2003-2004, and is on the project board for the NMC Horizon Project for 2005. One of his areas of particular interest is learning theory and its application in the classroom. He has presented on these topics at the EDUCAUSE and National Learning Infrastructure Initiative (NLII) conferences and has participated in NLII focus sessions as well as Project Kaleidoscope's planning workshops for National Institute of Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) schools. Brown has also taught courses on topics in intellectual history in the Jewish Studies program at Dartmouth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Malcolm Brown Dartmouth College © Malcolm Brown New ideas about learning spaces represent a significant opportunity for higher education to make learners-and learning-more successful. Through the application of information technology, today's learning spaces have the potential to serve the new learning paradigm and at the same time meet the needs and expectations of the most recent generation of students: the Net Generation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Design Tips for Science Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Design Tips for Science Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I wish I had the advice then of Dr. Sandra West from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She was a top-notch high school science teacher and now she is an associate professor of biology. Dr. West is one of the co-authors of the National Science Teacher Association Guide to Planning School Science Facilities. I asked her to share some of her wisdom about science learning spaces to help teachers and administrators to plan for adequate science learning from the ground up. And also, how to fix inadequate spaces so that science learning can continue unimpeded.
Edutopia: When it comes to science learning spaces, what is the biggest mistake schools and teachers make?
Dr. West: Schools do not have enough science classroom/labs. For some strange reason the number of science rooms is typically based on an enrollment that almost never incorporates an adequate number of science rooms. For example, a recent conversation with a school architect revealed that the typical plan submitted to a school district for a high school for 2,000 students, where 17 science teachers are needed to teach the three-year science requirement that only 12 science rooms are planned. So, architects and schools plan for only 12 rooms and the first year the school opens with five teachers who have no rooms and have to "float" from room to room on carts. This immediately creates safety and instruction quality problems. The National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) recommends there be a science classroom/lab for each science teacher.

It's neither safe nor effective science instruction when science teachers have to move from room to room (float) on a cart. The carts must hold the lab materials, equipment, and chemicals to conduct the activities or investigations through crowded hallways during passing periods. There is no time to set up the room for the activities or labs so instructional time is lost and the teacher has to struggle with setting up in a different and unfamiliar room each period.
What are the requirements for an elementary science learning space, middle school science learning space, and high school science learning space?
Dr. West: One problem is that most of the current science classroom/labs are too small. The NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities recommends 60 square feet per student for grades 6 to 12. For grades PK to 5, NSTA recommends 45 square feet per student. This means that if the science room is built for 24 students, then no more than 24 students will occupy that room in any one period. There are also state fire codes for "room occupancy" that allows only a limited number of students in a science lab based on the size of the room (check your local requirements). Safe egress during a fire is a requirement.
With limited time and money, what are a couple of things that a typical science teacher could do to create more space for science learning?
Dr. West: One thing science teachers can do is to clean up and organize the science materials already in the science room and science storerooms. Free up space by clearing out the shelves and drawers of items that can be collected from students each year such as plastic jugs, toilet paper rolls, etc. Another thing would be to schedule an appointment with your principal for a tour of your room and science storerooms.

Then, demonstrate to your principal (not just tell) the storage needs and ask for his/her input of how those needs can be met to enable safe and effective science instruction for your students. An easily accommodated request could be something as simple as some extra shelves for the shelving units. It typically comes with only five shelves per unit, but seven are really needed so glassware is not stored higher than eye-level or stacked on cardboard on top of a layer of glassware.
What do you think about dedicating a room for science learning so all teachers can rotate in using it?
Dr. West: Students need to "do" science regularly and students need to be able to move seamlessly back and forth from lab group investigations to whole class discussion sense-making. This is best done in a combination lab/classroom, not a room with only lab benches. Elementary students should use 80 percent of their science time "doing" science in "hands-on" lab or field activities. Grades 6 to 8 should use 60 percent and grades 9 to12 should use at least 40 percent of the time in hands-on lab or field activities.
Aside from assigning contiguous rooms, what other space considerations should math and science teachers have?
Dr. West: Following the best-practice format of concrete to pictorial to abstract in both math and science instruction requires having "stuff" to teach/learn with, such as math manipulatives or simply grocery store items. So, adequate storage and adequate work surface areas are as important in math as they are in science. However, the storage must also be specifically designed for storage of the materials, manipulatives, and equipment for each discipline. Physics uses equipment such as bicycle wheels, six-foot air tracks and other equipment that doesn't fit in typical shelving or cabinets. Chemistry needs obviously needs safe, secure, properly ventilated chemical storage not in the preparation room, glassware, ring-stands, etc. Biology needs microscopes, specimens, glassware, chemicals, etc. Earth Science needs stream tables, rock and mineral samples, glassware, rainfall gauges, etc. Grades PK to 8 teach all sciences and need equipment from all of the disciplines.

In Summary

Well-designed science learning spaces must include enough room to perform laboratory experiments, investigations, and sense making, but they also must include enough room to safely store all of the laboratory equipment and consumables. As Dr. West reminded me, "Form must follow function. The design of the science facilities can either enhance or impede effective science instruction." De-cluttering and increasing storage can increase the science learning space to some extent, but ultimately designing the science classrooms/labs according to NSTA standards in the first place is the best way to go.

What tips can you share to for improving science learning spaces? Please share in the comments section below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Design Tips for Science Learning Spaces | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I wish I had the advice then of Dr. Sandra West from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She was a top-notch high school science teacher and now she is an associate professor of biology. Dr. West is one of the co-authors of the National Science Teacher Association Guide to Planning School Science Facilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Does Your Classroom Tell a Story? | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Does Your Classroom Tell a Story? | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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?

Like most teachers, I decorate my classroom with posters and objects that help promote learning, but that also lend a little pizzazz to an otherwise humdrum learning environment. It is typical, for example, for science teachers to have full skeletons and periodic tables in the classrooms, or for history teachers to have maps and portraits of famous historical figures pinned to the walls. However, the best teaching props are the ones that are not so obvious and that help the teacher reach students in unexpected ways.

Why is that Map Upside Down?

One of my favorite classroom props is the "south up map." This map is oriented in a way that many would consider to be upside down in that the southern hemisphere is at the top of the map, and east is to the left. Of course, we know that the earth doesn't have an actual top or bottom, up or down. Students are immediately curious about this map, and more importantly, a teachable moment about history, power, and cultural assumptions can be started in the best way possible -- driven by the curiosity of the student.

Another item that provokes conversation is an art object that I purchased at the museum store that consists of a dollar bill enclosed in a cellophane package and priced at 99 cents. From this one prop, I have had countless conversations about money, value, irony, and yes, contemporary art, with students who casually notice it and ask me about it.

Curiosity and Wonder

In short, you want your classroom to be more than just a visual showroom of your particular subject. Here are some suggestions that will help make your classroom into a palace of curiosity and wonder:

Objects that tell stories: Often, a time or thing that possibly inspired us to love what we teach doesn't necessarily fit into our lesson plans. I keep an old, metal film splicer on my desk. It both teaches students about how film was edited in the days of 16 mm celluloid reels, and reminds me of my days training as a filmmaker. This type of object allows students a different insight into your discipline and also allows you to share a bit of your biography with your students.

Toys: These are great to have in a classroom. Toys that tie into your subject are ideal, and show a sense of play and humor about your subject, but not all toys have to be subject-centered. Some toys like foam balls or fidgets have been shown to help students who are easily distracted concentrate by allowing engage their hands and thus more easily focus their attention. Nostalgic toys can tell something about one's background but also a bit about our cultural history.

Pop culture connections: I have the Inception movie poster on my classroom wall, and while this is not my favorite movie, I noticed when students often mentioned this as their favorite movie. So I chose this movie poster because it allows me to talk about surrealism and the nature of dreams to my art student in a way that that can better understand. Pop-cultural references that are posted in your room also is way for you to connect to the interests of your students so that they see you as a bit more human and aware of the world outside the classroom.

Curiosities and conundrums are always useful. I like old textbooks. I have textbooks over 70 years old that in their photos, language, and exercises reflect the cultural biases of another era. Typewriters, old political posters, and archaic learning tools like slide rulers are also worth having on display. Other objects are interesting just because they have become outmoded. Not surprisingly, for younger generations, this includes many analog technologies like typewriters and turntables.

Change is good so it is wise to periodically change your classroom environment. Simple changes and rearrangements can create an atmosphere that feels fluid and alive -- and never predictable for students.

What are the objects in your classroom that tell a story? Please share in the comments sections below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Does Your Classroom Tell a Story? | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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?

# data[].attributes.headline
Rethinking Learning Spaces | K-12 Blueprint

# data[].attributes.subject
Rethinking Learning Spaces | K-12 Blueprint

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Designing Learning Spaces

There is a growing interest in redefining what a "classroom" is and how the legacy spaces of schools can be transformed into vibrant and contemporary spaces supporting a variety of learning modalities.

There are good reasons for that interest. Educators have realized that the 800 square foot spaces of their schools, filled with steel-framed desks arranged in rows, are no longer sufficient for supporting a learning experience based in connection, where ubiquitous student technology affords new capacities for extending learning opportunities in completely new ways. Such spaces are now considered to be "old-school". They are being directly challenged by more contemporary, community-based informal spaces that students can utilize on-demand. Wanted are spaces that are comfortable, engaging and that resonate with today's student. Students also have access to an almost unlimited potential to learn in the digital spaces of the Web, making learning today a process that occurs not only face-to-face, but online as well.

It is obvious that learning in a school's space is only one aspect of where students can learn. In fact, learning today means learning across an ecology of space where school spaces are simply a single node in a larger and more complex network of potential learning spaces. In this context, it's appropriate to start developing strategies for improving classroom spaces so that they can connect with today's students, support the ways in which contemporary learning can occur and become a viable and memorable aspect of a student's education.

So, how can schools begin rethinking the traditional classroom?

A Space for Learning

First, schools must begin with a clear declaration of what they want the student learning experience to be. It's not the mission statement of the school or the district, and it's not even the vision statement. Does your school have a set of statements that describe what students will experience as learners? Redesigning space is not about tables, bean bags, and couches, which are things; it's about consciously designing around experience. Begin your space design by creating a manifesto of student expectations for learning, because these have definite spatial implications. In fact, such a manifesto should serve as the design drivers (guiding principles that direct design decisions) for all learning spaces in the school. The furniture and the "stuff" comes later.

How Learning Looks

Secondly, schools must be able think in a broader context about school change and not be limited or constrained by their own experiences when designing for new classroom spaces. The term "classroom" has tremendous baggage. Any teacher or student knows what that is and what it entails-and the temptation will be to design within the construct of that understanding. So, the first step in redesigning a classroom is to discard the notion that it has to be a classroom. Educators must extend beyond what they are comfortable with and challenge themselves to think beyond normal towards a new condition. To get started with this, focus on the identification of learning behaviors and then design a space that can help actualize those behaviors.

Tools for Design

For more, and practical steps to take once a manifesto has been determined, I have compiled a list of strategies and resources that will help in rethinking the spaces where learning occurs. You can access the resources here. (FYI: http://jakes.editme.com/classroomredesign )

Finally, it's important to remember that the classrooms of our schools have served students successfully for years. It's important not to forget that, but it's equally important to believe our "classrooms' can indeed be much better. As school starts for the coming year, how can you improve the spaces in which your students learn?
"How big is my classroom? Four walls or to the horizon line?" Christian Long David Jakes is a recognized leader in the educational technology field, David Jakes focuses on the increased need to develop agile, 21st Century, personalized, and digitally-enhanced learning environments. Based in Chicago, David works with the architectural firm of CannonDesign where he is a Digital Designer and Strategist for The Third Teacher+ and Cannon's K-12 education practice. David's thought leadership encompasses digital storytelling, cloud-based learning environments and their relationship to physical learning spaces, mobile learning, the use and impact of social media in education and how organizations engage in change and improvement. Before his current position with Cannon, David spent almost three decades in education as a teacher, technologist, administrator, designer and storyteller. David is a frequent presenter at national and international educational technology conferences where he speaks about the power and promise of a new expedition for learning, and the roles that all educators have in shaping that journey.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All About Design - Strategies for Rethinking Learning Spaces

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is a growing interest in redefining what a "classroom" is and how the legacy spaces of schools can be transformed into vibrant and contemporary spaces supporting a variety of learning modalities. There are good reasons for that interest.

# data[].attributes.headline
Transforming Classrooms and Schools for 21st Century Learners by Design - P21

# data[].attributes.subject
Transforming Classrooms and Schools for 21st Century Learners by Design - P21

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
December 1, 2014, Volume 1, Issue 9, Number 16

Driving Question: How can we design new learning environments that support 21st century learners?
"We Make Makers" says the 18,000 student Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) in Central Virginia. ACPS wants teachers who will "join the most innovative engineering and cross-curricular program in the nation's public schools" and asks "Will you be part of the transformational education happening in Albemarle County, Virginia?"

Maker Movement Reinvents Education (Newsweek, September 8, 2014) quotes ACPS Superintendent Pam Moran: "The superintendent ... "says many of her students are beginning to "see themselves as designers, makers." She says they're now "constantly looking at the world in terms of problems that they can solve." ...Moran says her district's goal is to create experiences for its students that "make learning so powerful and memorable" that they'll seek out those types of experiences post-graduation."

Across the Country.

Across the country, public district, charter, and independent schools are transforming classrooms and libraries into innovation labs, makerspaces, and learning commons.

In the past few years Shattuck-St. Mary's School (MN) opened the weCREATE Center. The Ross School (NY) and the Nueva School (CA) opened Innovation Labs. Mount Vernon Presbyterian School (GA) launched the I. Design Lab.

Newton Public Schools ( MA) and Da Vinci High School (CA) launched Innovation Labs, MC² STEM High School (OH) opened its FABLAB, Gunn High School's (CA) Library launched The Idea Lab, and Albemarle County's Monticello High School transformed its library into a Learning Commons.

Choate Rosemary Hall (CT) will open its first i.d.Lab in Spring 2015 for students to "Imagine, Invent, and Innovate". The school plans i.d. Lab spaces across the campus in classrooms and even in dormitories in the next few years.

Design Thinking In Action

Many of these new learning environments draw inspiration from Design Thinking leaders like Harvard's Project Zero, the Stanford d. school, and the Maker Movement. In 21st century schools, students become makers and learners, teachers become facilitators and activators, and classrooms become learning studios and learning commons.

Schools supporting 21st century learners realize that new pedagogies -- project-based learning and active student use of technology and making tools - are what enables and activates these learners. Existing classrooms inhibit "makers" from "making" and learners from collaborating. New learning environments linking the new pedagogies and space are needed to support 21st century learners.

Designing 21st century schools and new learning environments starts with asking "What knowledge and skills do students need for the 21st century?" But real design needs to go much further and address the following questions as well:
Bob Pearlman is a 21st Century School and District Consultant and Senior Education Consultant to the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and to Fielding Nair International, Architects and Change Agents for Education Design. Pearlman was formerly Director of Strategic Planning for the New Technology Foundation (now the New Tech Network), President of the Autodesk Foundation, Coordinator of Education Reform Initiatives for the Boston Teachers Union, and a high school teacher for 27 years. Learn more about Bob's work at http://www.bobpearlman.org and @bobpearlman.

What pedagogy, curricula, activities, and experiences foster 21st century learning?

What assessments for learning, both school-based and national, foster student learning of the outcomes, student engagement, and self-direction?

How can technology support the pedagogy, curricula, and assessments of a 21st century collaborative learning environment?

And lastly, what physical learning environments (classroom, school, and real world) foster 21st century student learning?

Knowledge & Skills -> Pedagogy & Curricula -> Assessments -> Technology -> Learning Environments

The new book by Prakash Nair, Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning, (Harvard Education Press, 2014), addresses all these issues. Nair advocates for aligning the design of places in which we teach and learn with these 21st Century learning goals and provides a plethora of ideas for adapting or redesigning school spaces to support student-centered learning.

New Design Modes

Today we see two ways that 21st century schools are transforming classrooms and libraries into learning studios and learning commons:

Mode 1: One or more Innovation Labs or special learning spaces across the campus

Through its Design 2015 Request for Proposals (RFP) Albemarle County Public Schools invites project teams from its 3 high schools, 5 middle schools, and 16 elementary schools to propose new learning environments for student makers "grounded in interdisciplinary learning." The RFP asks school-site teacher and administrator teams to "create learning spaces that inspire, encourage and compel students to become designers, developers, producers and creators who participate in the learning process in ways that ensure the engagement of higher-order thinking." Grant categories include: 1. Single classroom impact; 2. School and organizational impact; 3. Division and organizational impact. Choate Rosemary Hall's plan to spread i.d. Lab spaces across the campus in classrooms and even in dormitories exemplifies this strategy.

At Innovation labs, Makerspaces, and Learning Commons, I profile some 20 innovative schools that are pioneering with these innovative spaces.

Wooranna Park Primary School in Melbourne, Australia, takes a different approach in developing new learning environments. The school is a pioneer innovator in creating Stimulating Learning Platforms (SLPs) for children, structures that establish a context for learning while, says principal Ray Trotter, " using young children's imagination to create life-like experiences. The learning involved is highly experiential and interdisciplinary and often involves students from other year levels."

The school first developed the "Dragon Boat" for its Year 2 Learning Unit and then the "Spaceship" for its Year 3 Learning Unit (see the video: Channel Seven news report (December 23, 2011) of the Dragon Boat). In 2013-2014 it launched the Enigma Portal, based on the ideas of David Thornburg.

Mode 2: The Transformed 21st Century School

Five schools in the United States and the United Kingdom exemplify the best of the new learning environments across the whole school or campus. These schools are profiled in my 2010 chapter Designing New Learning Environments to Support 21st Century Skills (PDF, downloadable), in the book, 21st Century Skills:Rethinking How Students Learn, (edited by James A. Bellanca and Ron Brandt, Solution Tree, 2010). Each school is original in its design and features:

* Columbus Signature Academy, Columbus, Indiana - features double-sized integrated learning studios, presentation room, multipurpose common areas, breakout areas, and specialty labs

* New Tech High @ Coppell, Coppell, Texas - features double-sized dual subject matter learning environments, large multigroup collaboration zones, project planning rooms, and an open-access digital media library

* The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, Providence, Rhode Island - features advisory and project rooms, common areas, and fabrication labs.

* High Tech High, San Diego, California - features flexible classrooms clustered around a common area studio, small and large conference rooms, and specialty labs for biotech, engineering, art, music, and digital arts

* New Line Learning Academy, South Maidstone Federation, Maidstone, Kent, England - features quadruple size Learning Plazas, "watering holes" and "caves" for small group collaboration and individual work, specialty labs, and mobile-lecture-style amphitheater seating for use in the Learning Plazas.

Community Collaboration

When educators and their local communities collaborate to envision their next generation school they often develop whole school transformations such as these. This past summer, UK-based education visionary Stephen Heppell led a terrific communitywide consultation for the Lindfield School of the Future (New South Wales, Australia). In October the Albemarle County School Board began work sessions on the High School of the Future.

These classroom and library transformations are not just happening in K-12. Higher Education is also piloting new learning environments in campuses across the country (see SCALE-UP: Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies).

Just Released. Take a free preview with Susie Boss's article on Project-Based Learning and Technology in 21st Century Schools. Explore issues and ideas in your PLCs. Advance 21st Century Skills through your school. Read what the most prominent voices in education have to say about Deeper Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transforming Classrooms and Schools for 21st Century Learners by Design

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
December 1, 2014, Volume 1, Issue 9, Number 16 Driving Question: How can we design new learning environments that support 21st century learners? "We Make Makers" says the 18,000 student Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) in Central Virginia.

# data[].attributes.headline
Flexible learning spaces in schools | Education in New Zealand

# data[].attributes.subject
Flexible learning spaces in schools | Education in New Zealand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most schools were built between the 1950s and 1970s. The way that teachers teach and students learn has been developing since then.

We want all schools to have vibrant, well connected, physical environments that encourage and support many different types of learning. This flexibility helps teachers equip our kids with the skills and knowledge they need.

The evidence shows that the physical design of a space can have an impact on student outcomes. It also shows that physical design and teaching practise need to be closely aligned.

The following factsheets provide a quick overview of what the research says about the link between physical design and student outcomes:

For more information, you can read our full reports:

These documents provide a guide for principals, Boards of Trustees, teachers, and parents who are interested in creating a flexible learning space, but want to know more about what this will mean for their students.

Planning and paying for upgrades

Plan for upgrades in your 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP).

Pay for upgrades using your 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding.

Upgrades to create flexible learning spaces are priority 3 projects.

Use the ILE Assessment Tool

The first step to upgrading your spaces is to assess your school property with the Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) Assessment Tool (previously called the MLE Assessment Tool).

Designing Flexible Learning Spaces

Flexible learning spaces are made up of many different sized spaces so they can support different ways of teaching and learning and be used for different types of activities. They tend to be more open than traditional classrooms and have spaces that accommodate more than one class and several teachers. Many spaces have glazing between them to create open and light spaces that can be indirectly supervised.

When you are planning to upgrade your existing learning spaces, or to build new learning spaces for your school, consider the Reference Designs for Standard Classroom Upgrade and the design elements below.

To see images of how these design elements feature in New Zealand schools, go to the Innovative Learning Environments website (external link) .

You should also direct your project manager and design team to review the design requirements and tools in the Design Guidance Documents.

Breakout spaces

Breakout spaces are shared spaces between learning spaces that encourage:

independent learning

small group work

cooperative work by teachers and students across classes.

In existing buildings, breakout spaces are often created in spaces that in the past were used as resource rooms or cloakrooms.

Breakout spaces can be built in with walls and glazing, or can be defined by using furniture. When breakout spaces are built in with walls and glazing, they should be:

separated from the main learning space with glazing or sliding glass doors so that the teacher in the main learning space can passively supervise the space

attached to a learning area (ie not a library, gym, hall, resource room, another breakout space or administration area)

no bigger than 40m² if accessed from only one teaching space.

Each learning space may have up to 40m² of associated breakout space. For a large breakout space shared by a number of learning spaces, we expect the average amount of breakout space per teaching space to be significantly lower than 40m ².

Outdoor learning areas

Outdoor learning areas can fulfil the same function as indoor breakout spaces.

An outdoor learning area must be:

directly accessible from an internal learning area that meets the DQLS Guidelines (not resource rooms or a withdrawal space)

easy for a teacher in the internal learning area to passively supervise.

Outdoor learning areas should not be built in cold, damp, or smelly places in the school. Consider your local climate before building an outdoor learning area.

You can include fixed seating and a canopy or veranda if it is attached to the main building. You should not include large canopies spanning from block to block or planting and other landscaping in the project budget. This is because the project should be focused on establishing the outdoor learning area only.

Find out more about installing and paying for shade structures at schools.

Large breakout spaces

Large breakout spaces (sometimes called āwhina or whānau spaces) are open congregation spaces that are part of the general circulation space. You can use them for group activities, such as assemblies.

Large breakout spaces must be connected to, and accessible from, learning spaces. People should be able to see from one space to the other, and teachers should be able to passively supervise the large breakout area from the main learning space.

You should not shut off a large breakout space and use it as additional learning space because it will take away the opportunity that your teachers and students have to work collaboratively in a flexible learning space. Large breakout spaces count towards your School Property Guide (SPG) space entitlement and may limit your future property options.

Learning streets

Many existing school buildings have large corridors along one side. One way to use this space more effectively is to turn these corridors into learning streets.

Learning streets should:

be directly accessible from an internal learning area

be easy for a teacher in the internal learning area to passively supervise
have floor and wall coverings that make the space comfortable and functional to use.

You can also install cabinetry for storing resources or bags. Learning streets can be convenient places to install wet areas or art areas because they often already have vinyl floor coverings and are located near the service connections for the toilets.

Storage

Well-designed storage can:

help to make learning spaces more effective and flexible

improve the aesthetic appeal of a room.

Many different storage options are available to suit different needs. When deciding on the best option for your school, consider that:

mobile storage units can take up floor space that may be better used for another purpose

if you locate storage over data and socket outlets, the outlets might become inaccessible

storage units can have additional functions, such as charging laptops or tablets if they have built-in charging docks

the look of a room can change depending on whether you choose open or concealed storage.

When planning storage for clothing and bags, consider that:

you should locate this storage near entry doors to preserve the condition of the carpet, especially during wet weather

wet clothing and lunch odours can be unpleasant in rooms people are using

poor design can lead to congestion at peak times.

Furniture, fittings and equipment

By choosing appropriate furniture, fittings and equipment, you can create a more efficient flexible learning space. For example, you can divide a learning space into different areas using tables, couches and chairs.

For a summary of research findings on how furniture, fitting and equipment can affect teaching and learning, refer to:

The impact of physical design on student outcomes

See also furniture and equipment funding for schools.

Teacher work spaces

Some teachers need areas where they can plan, meet collaboratively, interview, store personal items and socialise. This can be important for supporting the way that they teach.

These staff work areas:

should be no more than 2m² per teacher

should be spread through the school rather than all in one area

are best located close to teaching spaces and with a design that allows teachers in the work area to see the students and vice versa.

The Learning Studio Pilot project

To see how effective flexible learning spaces could be, we set up the Learning Studio Pilot project in 2008 with 5 schools. Each school set up a learning suite, which had studios grouped around a shared learning area.

The spaces supported students to work:

individually

in small groups

as a whole class

in larger groups.

The learning spaces had good classroom design, function, aesthetics, acoustics, lighting, heating, insulation, ventilation and air quality.

The project was assessed in 2012 by boards of trustees, staff, architects and project managers and the concept had overwhelming support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Approaches to teaching, learning and classroom design have changed in recent years. To reflect these changes, the Ministry encourages schools to create innovative learning environments (ILE) and, as part of this, flexible learning spaces (FLS). We used to refer to these as modern learning environments (MLE).

# data[].attributes.headline
Designing Collaborative Spaces for Schools -- THE Journal

# data[].attributes.subject
Designing Collaborative Spaces for Schools -- THE Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learning Environments | January 2013 Digital Edition | Feature

Designing Collaborative Spaces for Schools

Thoughtfully designed learning environments can help students work together more effectively.

Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series looking at how to design collaborative spaces for schools, written by an architect with extensive experience in the field.

When architects discuss the educational facilities of the next century and beyond, the conversation turns to collaborative spaces. They envision flexible and fluid spaces that will encourage creative and critical thinking, and free students to communicate clearly about the task at hand. While these are admirable ideals, there are some fundamental questions that administrators and educators should discuss among themselves before engaging in any new building project:

Why create collaborative spaces?

What spaces are appropriate for collaborative activities?

What forms do these collaborative spaces take?

Can these spaces be created apart from the social matrix of the environment?

Are these spaces the same in all learning environments, or are they culturally and contextually defined?

How is information technology integrated into these spaces?

Are these spaces sustainable over time?

These questions move the dialogue away from planning traditional models of educational spaces to creating alternative settings where learners have a choice in how they work. The goal of this article is to imagine how spaces can be designed to support, inspire, and motivate K-12 students as they acquire knowledge and master skills as part of a community of learners.

The Learning Environment
The learning environment combines physical environments (spatial design, information technology, and building systems) and social aspects (learners, teachers, students, staff, and community members). During the programming, planning, and design phases of the learning environment, design professionals tend to focus on the physical elements--specifically the organization of areas and the building systems. But this approach minimizes how the physical environment shapes the learners.

According to researchers Heron and Heward, not only do ambient characteristics such as sound, light, temperature, air quality, and spatial support for bodily movement affect how individuals acquire knowledge, but social relationships and cultural values play an important role in students' level of engagement in learning.

Furthermore, the educational environment must provide opportunities for everyone to learn. Guided by a district's mission and vision, it creates meaning and provides identity for learners as they work independently or with others. To accomplish these goals, the physical environment, the spatial design, and the information technologies must be planned to support a variety of collaboration spaces. When designed thoughtfully, these spaces help create optimal experiences for learning.

Differentiated and Integrated Space
Vygotsky's theory of the zone of proximal development says that learners can acquire knowledge more rapidly when working with others who are more expert in a given task. His theory acknowledges that learners are transformed by their transactions with social and physical environments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Designing Collaborative Spaces for Schools -- THE Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning Environments | January 2013 Digital Edition | Feature Thoughtfully designed learning environments can help students work together more effectively. Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series looking at how to design collaborative spaces for schools, written by an architect with extensive experience in the field.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning Spaces | Center for Teaching | Vanderbilt University

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning Spaces | Center for Teaching | Vanderbilt University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Print Version
This teaching guide contains a variety of information for those thinking about innovative learning environments. The development of computer technologies (such as the Internet) combined with the shift from a transmission notion of teaching and learning towards a constructivist notion of teaching and learning has led to a re-thinking about what constitutes an effective learning environment (see Malcolm Brown's article below for a full exploration of these themes).

Few classrooms in higher education incorporate aspects of design and technology (computer technology as well as furniture technology) that maximize the potential for teaching and learning. This teaching guide is an attempt to collect together links to articles, examples, and other resources reflecting the current best thinking about the possibilities for learning spaces that truly maximize the potential for teaching and learning.

General Resources

Articles

Flexible Classrooms: Highlights from #Spaces4Learning - This blog post by CFT director Derek Bruff features a few reflections on a learning spaces event hosted at Peabody College in December 2013.

Commons 2.0: Library Spaces Designed for Collaborative Learning Bryan Sinclair of the University of North Carolina at Asheville discusses ways in which today's libraries must adapt to the Web 2.0 world and become collaborative and interactive spaces that foster student learning in new and creative ways. This article originally appeared in a 2007 edition of the Educause Review.

Flexible Space & Built Pedagogy: Emerging IT Embodiments This paper analyzes the convergence of information technology infrastructures and traditional educational spaces and proposes flexible criteria for material-virtual, hybrid learning environments. Torin Monahan developed the concept of built pedagogy to account for the ways that built environments teach values through their constraints upon social action and interaction and suggest ways that the built pedagogies of hybrid spaces can facilitate learning by inviting students and teachers to participate in the continual re-design of learning structures. This paper was published in the Inventiojournal at George Mason University in 2002.

Leading the Transition from Classrooms to Learning Spaces In this 2005 Educause Quarterly article, author Diana Oblinger discusses the changing notion of the classroom and provides a guideline to administrators who are directly or indirectly involved in the development of learning spaces.

Learning Spaces In this chapter from the 2005 Educause book Educating the Net Generation, Malcolm Brown explores some of the challenges presented by "net generation" students and the opportunities provided by new instructional technologies and changing ideas about how people learn. The article includes three scenarios for ways in which innovative learning spaces can transform our ideas about teaching and learning.

Learning Spaces: More than Meets the Eye This brief article discusses the shift of focus from "classroom" to "learning space" brought about by the integration of technology into teaching and learning. It originally appeared in a 2003 edition of Educause Quarterly.

The Psychology of Learning Environments In this chapter from the 2006 Educause book Learning Spaces, author Ken Graetz uses the fictitious setting of a classroom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to explore a few of the fundamental ideas of environmental psychology and their relation to teaching and learning.

Radical Flexibility and Student Success Dr. Homero Lopez, founding president of Estrella Mountain Community College in Arizona, discusses with Educause Vice President, Diana Oberlin, his institution's approach to designing learning spaces that engage students using a concept he calls "radical flexibility". This interview was shared in the January/February 2006 edition ofEducause Review.

Edited Volumes and Books

Examples of Innovative Learning Spaces

Standford's Wallenberg Hall Wallenberg Hall includes 4 classrooms, a learning theater and a variety of breakout spaces. The classrooms and the learning theater are equipped with the latest instructional technologies to facilitate teaching and learning. The Wallenberg Hall website includes a variety of information about ongoing projects, examples of innovative uses of the classroom spaces, and more.

Vanderbilt Center for Teaching In the summer of 2008, the Center for Teaching relocated to a new space designed to create a vibrant, inviting and flexible learning environment, open to the entire Vanderbilt teaching community.

This teaching guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Print Version This teaching guide contains a variety of information for those thinking about innovative learning environments. The development of computer technologies (such as the Internet) combined with the shift from a transmission notion of teaching and learning towards aconstructivist notion of teaching and learning has led to a re-thinking about what constitutes an effective learning...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Malcolm Brown
Dartmouth College
© Malcolm Brown

New ideas about learning spaces represent a significant opportunity for higher education to make learners-and learning-more successful. Through the application of information technology, today's learning spaces have the potential to serve the new learning paradigm and at the same time meet the needs and expectations of the most recent generation of students: the Net Generation. Since education is the core mission of higher education, learning and the space in which it takes place are of the utmost importance. In order to best serve the educational enterprise, we must design leaning spaces that optimize the convergence of the Net Generation, current learning theory, and information technology.

This chapter establishes the links between Net Gen students, learning theory, and IT, showing their relevance to the concept of learning spaces. The definition of learning space has become broader and much more inclusive over the past decade. Learning theory will be discussed, as well as its implications for both Net Gen students and learning space design. The ties between this new conception of learning spaces and the habits and characteristics of Net Gen students will be established. Finally, scenarios will illustrate what these new spaces might look like.

What Are Learning Spaces?

What does the term learning space mean? Why not use classroom instead? As recently as a decade ago, classrooms were the primary locus for learning in higher education. Other spaces included the library, the faculty office (for individual mentoring), and perhaps the café in town. But classrooms were by far the single most important space for learning.

Since then, a great deal has changed. The World Wide Web has emerged as the primary way most people use the Internet. The Web has spawned a wealth of new, network-based applications, from digital music stores to new venues for scholarly publishing. Indeed, the availability of network access, in one form or another, is today almost taken for granted. Handheld devices have acquired a growing set of functions, providing a telephone, a digital camera, and an operating system running a variety of applications. Laptop prices have declined while increasing in functionality-to the point that their use exceeds that of desktops for most students.

In parallel with these developments in IT, an entire generation of learners has grown up using computers and other networked devices. While for previous generations IT was a kind of exotic overlay or an optional tool, for the Net Generation student IT is essential. It is clear that IT and Net Gen students have had a mutually influential-almost symbiotic-relationship. The characteristics of Net Gen students mesh very closely with IT and IT's increasing mobility, its 24 x 7 availability, and its increasing value as a communications tool. Net Gen students are social and team oriented, comfortable with multitasking, and generally positive in their outlook, and have a hands-on, "let's build it" approach-all encouraged by the IT resources at their disposal. Net Gen students have embraced IT, using it in ways both intended and unforeseen by programmers. Their rapid and enthusiastic adoption of IT has in turn influenced its development, particularly with respect to Web-based services.

The New Classroom

These developments impact the locus of learning in higher education. The notion of the classroom has both expanded and evolved; virtual space has taken its place alongside physical space.

Over the past decade, higher education has invested millions of dollars in classroom technology. The addition of document cameras, DVD players, Internet access, and projectors (to name a few) has added new functionality to the classroom. It is now possible to bring much more diverse materials to the classroom, to present them in a variety of ways, and to devise new classroom activities for students. As a result, the concept of the classroom has expanded to include this set of new functions.

These new classroom capabilities have, in turn, sparked interest in new pedagogical approaches. Wireless networking, for example, makes real-time or synchronous interaction (such as real-time polling) among all class participants a very real (and increasingly practical) possibility. Videoconferencing makes it feasible for an invited expert from a remote institution to join a class session. Discussions, notes, and other in-classroom events can be captured and disseminated for further study. It is important to note that these approaches mesh well with the habits of Net Gen students, such as their enjoyment of social interaction, their preference for experiential learning activities, and their use of technology. In these and other ways, technology acts as the lever that makes it possible to develop new and more effective pedagogies. Hence the classroom and the activities associated with it are evolving.

The resources used in higher education are increasingly digital and delivered via the network. In addition, network connectivity is increasingly portable. These two developments make it possible for learning to happen informally, in areas outside the traditional classroom, library, and faculty office. Student project teams can meet outside on the green, in a lounge, in any campus café-and they can meet almost any time of day. With wireless networking, numerous digital devices, and longer battery life, we are closer than ever to realizing the goal of fully ubiquitous access. This means that learning, too, can occur any time and anywhere.

Net Gen students, using a variety of digital devices, can turn almost any space outside the classroom into an informal learning space. Similar to the traditional classroom, educators have an important opportunity to rethink and redesign these non-classroom spaces to support, encourage, and extend students' learning environment.

Virtual Space

These changes catalyzed by technology make it clear that the term classroom, at least in its traditional sense, can no longer encompass where learning takes place. Equally obvious is that the space in which learning takes place is no longer just physical; it is virtual as well. The virtual space is an entirely new environment. Virtual space is any location where people can meet using networked digital devices. We should understand virtual space in its widest sense, referring not just to synchronous, highly interactive functions (such as chat, blogs, and wikis) but also to asynchronous functions such as e-mail and discussion threads.

Unlike physical spaces, virtual spaces come and go. They can be spontaneous as well as deliberate, synchronous or asynchronous. Participants and their relationships in the virtual learning space can shift rapidly. Participants can also multitask, "inhabiting" more than one virtual space at a time. As networking technology matures and costs for devices such as laptops and handhelds decline, these virtual spaces play an increasingly larger role in all aspects of higher education.

Again an IT-based function-virtual space-meshes closely with Net Gen characteristics. Net Gen students are mobile, as is virtual space. Net Gen students are facile at multitasking and moving back and forth (sometimes rapidly) between real and virtual spaces. Net Gen students are comfortable with the fast tempo that this kind of multitasking implies. In short, virtual space is tailor-made for the work habits of Net Gen students.

It is clear that the virtual space is taking its place along side the classroom and other physical locations as a locus for learning. The result is that we are compelled to expand our concept of where learning occurs. Learning spaces encompass the full range of places in which learning occurs, from real to virtual, from classroom to chat room.

Learning Theory

A shift in the teaching and learning paradigm is well under way, moving away from a transmission paradigm to a constructivist paradigm. In 1900, basic literacy skills included reading, writing, and calculation. Knowing meant being able to remember and repeat, which was appropriate to an industrial age in which practices changed slowly (at least by today's standards). Workers anticipated having a single profession for the duration of their working lives. Education was based on a factory-like, "one size fits all" model. Talent was developed by weeding out those who could not do well in a monochromatic learning environment.

The postindustrial age is characterized by rapid change. Literary skills now include critical thought, persuasive expression, and the ability to solve complex scientific and organizational problems. Knowing now means using a well-organized set of facts to find new information and to solve novel problems. In 1900, learning consisted largely of memorization; today it relies chiefly on understanding.

This shift has come about partly due the emergence of a constructivist theory of learning. Stated simply, this theory holds that learners construct knowledge by understanding new information building on their current understanding and expertise. Constructivism contradicts the idea that learning is the transmission of content to a passive receiver. Instead, it views learning as an active process, always based on the learner's current understanding or intellectual paradigm. Knowledge is constructed by assimilating new information into the learner's knowledge paradigm. A learner does not come to a classroom or a course Web site with a mind that is a tabula rasa, a blank slate. Each learner arrives at a learning "site" with some preexisting level of understanding.

Knowledge exists at multiple levels, ranging from novice to expert. It is the sophistication and depth of this understanding that differentiates experts from novices. Experts have a deep and rich set of well-organized facts, as well as the capacity to use that understanding to solve problems in their fields of expertise. Novices lack that depth and, as a result, have a much harder time solving problems.

The constructivist theory has important implications. The theory implies that learning is best served when it is:

Contextual-taking into account the student's understanding

Active-engaging students in learning activities that use analysis, debate, and criticism (as opposed to simply memorization) to receive and test information

Social-using discussions, direct interaction with experts and peers, and team-based projects

Problem-based learning, which encourages learners to construct knowledge based on the experience of solving problems, is significantly different from methods such as recall and repetition. This is but one of many ways the older, traditional teaching paradigm contrasts with the learning paradigm. Table 1 summarizes some (though by no means all) other important ways these two paradigms differ.
Table 1. Differences in the Teaching and Learning Paradigms

Traditional Paradigm
"Teaching"

Constructivist Paradigm
"Learning"

Memorization

Understanding

One size fits all

Tailored; option rich

Talent via weeding out

Talent cultivated and sought out

Repetition

Transfer and construction

Acquisition of facts

Facts + conceptual framework

Isolated facts

Organized conceptual schemas

Transmission

Construction

Teacher = master and commander

Teacher = expert and mentor

Fixed roles

Mobile roles

Fixed classrooms

Mobile, convertible classrooms

Single location

Plurality of locations and space types

Summative assessment

Summative and formative assessment

Learning science research also highlights the importance of learner engagement, or as the American Psychological Association describes it, intentional learning. This means that learners must have a "metaperspective" from which to view and assess their own learning, which is often referred to as metacognition. An active learning environment provides the opportunity to assess one's own learning, enabling learners to make decisions about the course, as well as reflect on and assess their progress. In the past, the measure of learning was the final grade (a summative measure). But a final grade is merely a measure of the student's performance on tests. It does not measure the learning that did-or did not-take place. To encourage learning, summative testing or assessments must be combined with formative assessments. Formative assessment is not directly associated with the final grade; it helps learners understand their learning and make decisions about next steps based on that understanding.

Net Generation and Learning Theory

As with IT, there are overlaps between the working characteristics of Net Gen students and practices that research has shown encourage and strengthen learning. For example, the Net Generation is social. They like to stay in touch with peers (and even parents!). They have a preference for group activity and working in teams. This dovetails with research indicating that learning is encouraged when it includes social components such as debate or direct engagement with peers and experts. Learning is strengthened through social interactions, interpersonal relations, and communication with others.

Net Generation students are achievement and goal oriented. Their question is not "What does it mean?" or "How does it work?" (as previous generations were inclined to ask), but rather "How do I build it?" This predilection maps to learning theory's emphasis on active learning. Discovery, exploration, experimentation, criticism, analysis-all represent active learning, a style that suits the Net Gen well.

A pedagogy that emphasizes active learning has additional "targets of opportunity" among the Net Gen characteristics. Net Gen students are experiential, tending toward learning by doing rather than listening. Research indicates that learners need to be active with respect to their own learning process and assessment. Net Gen students' goal and achievement orientation comes into play here: that achievement focus can be directed toward quizzes and exercises that assist learners in evaluating their progress toward learning goals.

Obviously not all forms of learning must be social or team-based. In a variety of learning contexts, individual work is important. It may well be that Net Gen students' strengths are also their weaknesses. The expectation for fast-paced, rapidly shifting interaction coupled with a relatively short attention span may be counterproductive in many learning contexts. Repetition and steady, patient practice-key to some forms of mastery-may prove difficult for Net Gen students. Designing courses for them necessitates balancing these strengths and weaknesses.

Learning Space Implications

There are a number of implications of learning theory and the Net Generation for learning spaces. The convergence of the learning paradigm, IT, and the Net Gen is occurring now at colleges and universities. Current and future planning must encompass and encourage this convergence by thinking of learning spaces (classroom, informal, virtual) as a single, integrated environment. We should not neglect the informal for the formal, or assume that Net Gen students somehow will figure out the virtual space on their own. We should connect what happens in the classroom with what happens in informal and virtual spaces.

This implies that institutions may need to rethink their vision for learning and the spaces in which it occurs. Creating a vision for learning and learning spaces is a powerful leverage point; it informs almost all other decisions about learning space design. A vision also allows us to effectively articulate to all constituents what we are trying to accomplish. The vision helps organize all participants in the design and implementation of these spaces as well as the activities they support. Simply installing wireless access points and fresh carpeting isn't enough if done in isolation; such improvements pay real dividends only if they are in concert with the institution's overall teaching and learning objectives. It is the vision that generates the design principles that will, in turn, be used to make key decisions about how learning spaces are configured.

One important implication is that the vocabulary we use to describe what learners do in these spaces must become active. We must go beyond describing ways to help the instructor to be active; we must include students as well. The vision and design principles should emphasize the options students have as active participants in the learning process. Design principles should include terms such as analyze, create, criticize, debate, present, and classify -all directed at what the space enables the students to do. For example, students should be able to present materials to the class. Outside class, they should have access to applications and materials that directly support analysis of data, text, and other media. Forums for discussion and critical debate, both real and virtual, are key to encouraging learning and will be looked for by Net Gen students.

Learning spaces should accommodate the use of as many kinds of materials as possible and enable the display of and access to those materials by all participants. Learning space needs to provide the participants-instructors and students alike-with interactive tools that enable exploration, probing, and examination. This might include a robust set of applications installed on the computer that controls the room's displays, as well as a set of communication tools. Since the process of examination and debate leads to discovery and the construction of new knowledge, it could be important to equip spaces with devices that can capture classroom discussion and debate, which can be distributed to all participants for future reference and study.

Learning does not stop once the instructor has left the classroom. Instead, the end of the class meeting marks a transition from one learning mode to another. As a result, institutions must address real and virtual spaces outside the classroom to ensure that they, too, encourage learning. For example, there should be access to class materials (which are increasingly digital) so that the active and social work of learning can continue outside the formal classroom. The design of "neutral" spaces, such as hallways and corridors, could be rethought and re-equipped to promote learning. Some institutions provide small discussion spaces in corridors so that discussion begun in class can continue when class ends. As for the virtual space, institutions should consider well-integrated work environments that support collaborative projects and resource sharing.

Informal learning spaces-those outside the classrooms-present particularly intriguing opportunities for pioneering and cultivating new teaching and learning practices. These spaces, while informal, are key areas for student academic work. Students spend far more time in these spaces than they do in formal classrooms. Research, Web browsing, writing, statistical analysis, and compiling lab reports all take place in the library, study hall, media center, dorm room, and learning commons. Because of their enthusiasm for IT and their experiential, hands-on approach to learning tasks, Net Gen students will easily "tune into" the virtual aspects of informal spaces. Well-designed and integrated physical layouts and IT "tool sets" will find a ready audience with Net Gen students.

Scenarios

If we could implement this new vision of how learning occurs by buying the right kind of chair, purchasing projectors with sufficient lumens, or installing digital whiteboards, learning space design would be simple. Obviously it is much more complex-the task of designing and implementing learning environments that encourage good learning practice and accommodate the Net Gen learning style is a challenging one.

A starting point is to try to imagine what these new spaces might look like and how students would function in them. Creating scenarios helps define functions, usage practices, and design goals. Consider the following three scenarios as examples.

Scenario 1: The New Lecture Hall

Sandra, a junior, is heading to her psychology class, which meets at 10:00 a.m. It's a relatively large class for her liberal arts college, with some 150 students, so it meets in a lecture hall. As she arrives, she sees that the professor has, as usual, both projection screens lowered, one showing course material, the other displaying the familiar "voting" screen. Sandra finds a seat among some friends and begins "moving in" to her space. This lecture hall is of relatively recent vintage; its seats and paired tables make it much easier to deploy and use her "tools," which include printouts of the day's reading, as well as a small laptop computer. Her fellow students are doing likewise. Each of them is using some device to access the course's Web site-some with laptops, others with tablet computers, still others with handheld computers. Using wireless connections, they all access the course's Web site and navigate to the site's "voting" page.

The professor commences her lecture. In one of the older lecture halls, she might have been tied to the lectern so that she could click through her PowerPoint slides. Or she might have abandoned her slides in order to write on the blackboard while her students scribbled notes in their notebooks. But in this newly renovated lecture hall, she and her students have many more options. She has what the campus technology office calls a "magic wand," a radio-frequency controller that enables her to operate her computer-as well as many of the classroom's functions-wirelessly, from any point in the room. She can capture anything she writes on the blackboard and make it available to her students on the course Web site. Freed from needing to take extensive notes, the students are able to participate more fully in the class discussion. Finally, the professor is carrying a small recorder that captures her lecture, digitizes the audio, and uploads it to the course Web site for the students to review when they prepare for finals.

Figure 2. PDA/Handheld Computer

Photo: Joe Mehling, Dartmouth College

Today she begins class by circulating through the room, using aisles that create paths through the students' seats. As she roams, she calls on students to share reactions to the readings. She encourages other students to offer additional comments. Soon there is some debate about the reading, which is facilitated by the room's rows of paired tables and swivel chairs, making it possible to maintain eye contact with nearly everyone in the room.

At one point in the discussion, Sandra sketches a diagram on her laptop that she feels helps explain the concepts being discussed. She asks the professor if she could show it to the class. The professor agrees, and Sandra launches the classroom's screen sharing application. Within a few seconds, her computer's screen is projected on the room's main screen. The class discussion focuses on this diagram, and the professor, using a virtual pencil, is able to make notes on the diagram. The diagram and notes are captured and placed on the class Web site for review.

Soon the debate gets stuck; the students can't resolve the issue. The professor goes to the podium, types briefly, and then asks the students to go to a URL to see a question and to choose the answer they feel is correct. The students access the Web page from laptops, handhelds, or wireless IP-based phones. In two minutes they have completed the poll and submitted their responses. The results are quickly tabulated and displayed. The wide diversity of opinion surprises everyone. The professor reframes the issue, without giving the answer, and the students continue to discuss it. She repeats the poll; this time there is more agreement among the students, enabling her to move the discussion forward.

Halfway through the class period, the professor pauses the conversation. She goes to the podium computer and clicks on a few links, and soon a videoconferencing session is displayed on the right-hand screen. She has arranged to have a colleague of hers "drop in" on the class to discuss a point that is in the colleague's particular area of expertise. The class has a conversation with the expert, who is at large research institution more than 500 miles away. Students listen to the expert's comments and are able to pose questions using one of the three cordless microphones available to the class. On the left-hand screen, the visiting professor shows some images and charts that help explain the concepts under discussion.

The professor concludes the day's class by showing a lab sign-up form, available on the course's Web site. Sandra is able to access the Web page almost instantly with her handheld computer and succeeds in signing up for lab times that work well with her schedule. It was good she didn't wait, for within 10 minutes of the end of class, the other students in her class have signed up for most of the slots, conferring with friends using chat programs to ensure that they sign up for the same lab slots.

Scenario 2: Using the Virtual Learning Space

When the class concludes, Sandra turns to her neighbor to ask about several points the professor made in class. This attracts two other students, who enter the conversation. As the discussion continues, they are joined by the professor, who is heading out. Since another class is beginning to file in, the professor suggests they move outside the room to continue the discussion. They find one of the "discussion pockets" unoccupied and move in. The discussion pocket is the college's term for a small, curved space with a table and bench to accommodate a meeting of four or five people. Found outside the newer classrooms, they are handy for informal, spontaneous discussions. Sandra's group moves into the pocket and for the next 15 minutes continue their "spill over" discussion of the class.

After this informal discussion concludes, Sandra heads to the library; she has an hour until her next class and needs to get some work done. She finds some table space, pulls out her laptop, books, and iPod and sets to work. She checks on her e-mail and sends some responses. Three friends "drop in" on her via the chat program, and she spends a few more minutes conversing with all three on separate subjects. That done, she fires up her iPod to listen to some music she downloaded using her subscription to the official campus online music service.

Figure 4. Technology in the Library

Photo: Will Faller, Vassar College

Now she begins work on a term paper for a history class. She rummages through the library's online collection, looking for a map she needs to illustrate a point about 19th-century Asian history. She finds what she is looking for: although the map image is held by the library at a college on the other side of the country, Sandra has access to these resources. She is able to retrieve the map and insert into her document. She then traces arrows over the image to point out items important to the points she is making.

Again a friend drops in via chat, but this time it is about the joint presentation they are preparing for another class.

They are able to have an audio chat; Sandra's friend is in her dorm room, and Sandra is in a remote corner of the library where conversation will not disturb others. As their discussion progresses, they go to the course's Web site and launch the virtual whiteboard to diagram some concepts. They develop a conceptual diagram-drawing, erasing, and revising it until they agree the diagram is correct. They both download a copy. Sandra volunteers to work on polishing the diagram and will leave a copy of the final diagram in her share folder in her online portfolio "locker."

Sandra returns to work on her term paper and decides a half hour later to take a break. She again checks e-mail, chats briefly with a friend about their upcoming soccer game, and switches playlists on her iPod. Then she remembers that she needs to review some Italian newscasts for her Italian class. The files containing the newscast video are on her iPod, so she plugs her iPod into her laptop, finds the video files, and launches her viewer application. Plugging her headphones into her computer, she is able to watch the entire segment, making notes on parts she did not fully understand. She then checks the class's Web site and sees there is an additional set of video files for reviewing. She downloads these quickly onto her iPod. Noting the time, Sandra packs up her gear and heads off to her next class, stopping once at a stand-up e-mail station to see the latest messages that have arrived in her inbox.

Scenario 3: From the Information Commons to the Learning Commons

Had sophomore Martin come to the university at the same time as his older sister some six years earlier, he would have found, as she did, a computer lab. This was a large room, located in the basement of the science building, filled with benches and seats. At each seat was a computer. A set of documentation racks were on one side of the room; some documents were in short supply, while others were obsolete. On the other side was a help desk, staffed by students with a finite set of answers to the infinite variety of questions directed at them. Finding a free computer, particularly at the end of the term, was a challenge. Once you arrived at an available computer, there was little room for all your study materials: books, backpack, coat, and folders. The administration, anxious to maximize student access to computers, had crammed as many workstations as they could into the space.

While the computers worked fine for the most part (though cleaning them up after previous users was sometimes a chore), getting help was a problem. To get help-for the use of an application or for a research question-required going to the second floor for IT help or to the main floor of the library for research help. That meant leaving your computer unguarded, possibly to be claimed by another student equally hungry for computer time. So you ended up rarely going for help but instead muddled through as best you could, perhaps asking the student next to you when you were desperate.

But today Martin arrives at the first floor of the library and goes to a set of rooms collectively called the Learning Commons. At the threshold of the commons is the peer-tutoring room, a place where students can drop in and receive peer-based help with writing, research, or IT issues. Martin stops by to ask about incorporating MPEG-4 audio files into a PowerPoint presentation he's due to give next week for an anthropology course. At the same time, he is able to get some questions answered about relevant online journals for his research project in psychology.

Martin checks the time and heads to a work team pod-a small, horseshoe shaped table with a computer and large display-where he meets classmates from his chemistry course. The pod enables the work group to share the display and collectively work on materials. Martin works for an hour with three other students, reviewing drafts for their essays, checking online materials, and revising the Web site they are putting together for their collaborative project on the molecular properties of the surfaces of liquids.

Once that meeting is complete, he locates a free spot, pulls his laptop out of his backpack, and spends the half hour before his next team meeting doing a wide variety of things, including chatting with half a dozen friends about their party plans for the weekend. At the same time, he sends an e-mail to one of the TAs for the chemistry course, asking for clarification of an assignment. He also browses the Web, zeroing in on a Web site at another college that is relevant to his anthropology course work, as well as seeing if the latest CD from his favorite band is available through the Music Store. In a few minutes, he has purchased several tracks from it and downloaded them onto his computer.

Martin checks the time again. It's 10:00 p.m., and there's still a great deal to get done. He divides his time across several course assignments, numerous chat sessions, and reading (both from paper and from his computer screen). After a time, feeling drowsy, he goes to the Midnight Café, buys a soda and some chips, and returns to his work.

At 11:30 p.m., Martin packs his gear and heads to another part of the commons, the Media Studio, which offers a number of stations for students to use for more advanced work with video and audio. Martin is working with a team of four other students on an assignment for a film studies course. Their task is to find clips from a set of films that illustrate a particular filming technique and to explain why it is effective. They rendezvous at a group station and spend the next hour reviewing films and identifying the clips they will use. They ask the student consultant on duty about whether it would be better to collect these in a single clip or as separate clips. By 12:45 a.m. Martin and his teammates have made their selections and given themselves tasks for the next phase of the assignment.

Martin calls up a Web page that contains a form for reserving one of the small group study rooms. He and some classmates have made an arrangement to meet with their anthropology professor. This meeting is to check on the progress Martin's group is making with their research project. The group wants the professor to review the video clips on their project Web site. Having found the reservation form, Martin is relieved to find that a room is available for the time they need; he reserves it. Noting it is now nearly one in the morning, Martin decides to turn in early for once (he has a language drill session at 7:45 a.m.). While walking back to his dorm, Martin prepares for the drill session by listening to some language lab audio files, which are streamed from the language lab server to his wireless iPod II.

New Learning Spaces

These scenarios show Net Gen students and faculty engaged in learning practices that are leveraged by IT, a process that requires either improving current practices or creating new ones. The underlying theme remains the same, however: cultivating learning practices consistent with learning theory and aligned with the habits and expectations of Net Gen students (and soon professors!) who have been "raised on" IT. The scenarios suggest the importance of integrating all learning spaces, formal and informal. For most higher education institutions, the lecture hall will not disappear; the challenge is to develop a new generation of lecture hall, one that enables Net Gen students and faculty to engage in enlivened, more interactive experiences. If the lecture hall is integrated with other spaces-physically as well as virtually-it will enable participants to sustain the momentum from the class session into other learning contexts. The goal is not to do away with the traditional classroom, but rather to reinvent and to integrate it with the other learning spaces, moving toward a single learning environment.

Building on these scenarios, Table 2 illustrates how Net Gen characteristics (such as the proclivity for group work) and learning theory might be supported by learning space design and IT. Learning theory is central to any consideration of learning spaces; colleges and universities cannot afford to invest in "fads" tailored to the Net Gen student that might not meet the needs of the next generation.

For example, start with the Net Gen students' focus on goals and achievement. That achievement orientation ties to learning theory's emphasis on metacognition, where learners assess their progress and make active decisions to achieve learning goals. Learning space design could support this by providing contact with people who can provide feedback: tutors, consultants, and faculty. This could, in turn, be supported in the IT environment by making formative self-tests available, as well as an online portfolio, which would afford students the opportunity to assess their overall academic progress.
Table 2. Aligning Net Gen Characteristics, Learning Principles, Learning Space, and IT Applications
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of these new learning spaces is the need for integration. As institutions create an anywhere, anytime IT infrastructure, opportunities arise to tear down silos and replace them with a more ubiquitous learning environment. Using laptops and other networked devices, students and faculty are increasingly able to carry their entire working environment with them. To capitalize on this, campus organizations must work collaboratively to create a more integrated work environment for the students and faculty, one that better serves the mobile Net Gen students as well as a faculty faced with the initial influx of these students into their ranks. This will involve not only libraries and IT organizations but also facilities planning and buildings and grounds departments. Development organizations may also become involved as institutions look for the resources needed to implement these new learning spaces.

Conclusion

This description of learning spaces is suggestive rather than prescriptive. Learning spaces are complex, containing a multitude of variables. One of the key variables is the institution itself. Learning spaces are institutional in scope-their implementation involves the institution's culture, tradition, and mission. These institutional factors must be taken into account in order to design learning spaces to meet the needs of Net Gen students.

We must remind ourselves that today's students are only the "first wave" to exhibit Net Gen characteristics. Soon they will be graduate students and assistant professors, bringing their Net Gen work habits to the faculty ranks. In addition, faculty who are baby boomers and Gen-Xers are acquiring Net Gen characteristics as they become more facile with-and dependent upon-IT. Planning for Net Gen requirements cannot be dismissed as catering to a single generation. IT and the work habits that IT encourages are here to stay; planning for the Net Generation is tantamount to planning for the future.

No single magic formula will guarantee successful learning spaces on every campus. It is clear, however, that it will not be enough if we simply place projectors, computers, and DVD players in the classrooms. Nor will it be adequate just to provide scores of publicly available computers. Such tactics, in isolation, may have little impact. Learning space design is a large-scale, long-term project, involving building and maintaining consensus, curricular vision, emerging technology, and layout and furniture options, as well as intracampus organizational collaboration. Learning space design requires a collaborative, integrated approach, with an overarching vision that informs and supports specific projects.

The starting point for rethinking learning spaces to support Net Gen students begins with an underlying vision for the learning activities these spaces should support. This vision should be informed by learning theory, as well as by recognition of the characteristics of the students and faculty who use these spaces. An institution's specific culture, organizational structure, and fiscal circumstances enter the equation, as well. Once a vision has been established, the more concrete phases of planning can begin.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank his friend and colleague, Joan Lippincott of the Coalition for Networked Information, for sharing insight and advice, as well as for her permission to use some of the ideas we articulated in our EDUCAUSE Quarterly article.

Endnotes

1. American Psychological Association, Board of Educational Affairs (BEA), "Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: A Framework for School Redesign and Reform," revision November 1997, http://www.apa.org/ed/lcp.html. ↩

2. National Research Council, How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice, M. Suzanne Donovan, John D. Bransford, and James W. Pellegrino, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 1999), pp. 12, 47; online edition available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9457.html. ↩

Further Reading

American Association for Higher Education, American College Personnel Association, and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, " Powerful Partnerships: A Shared Responsibility for Learning" (June 1998).

Robert B. Barr and John Tagg, "From Teaching to Learning-a New Paradigm for Undergraduate Education," in Learning from Change: Landmarks in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from Change Magazine 1969-1999, Deborah DeZure, ed. (Sterling, Va.: Stylus Publishing, 2000), pp. 198-200. Originally published in Change, vol. 27, no. 6 (November/December 1995), pp. 12-25.

Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks, In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms (Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1993).

Malcolm B. Brown and Joan K. Lippincott, "Learning Spaces: More than Meets the Eye," EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 1 (2003), pp. 14-16, http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0312.pdf.

Nancy Van Note Chism and Deborah J. Bickford, eds., The Importance of Physical Space in Creating Supportive Learning Environments: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 92 (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002).

National Research Council, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition, John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2000), http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9853.html.

Lennie Scott-Weber, In Sync: Environmental Behavior Research and the Design of Learning Spaces (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Society for College and University Planning, 2004).

About the Author

Malcolm Brown is director of academic computing at Dartmouth College. In this capacity he oversees IT support for teaching, learning, research, classroom technology, and media production. He has been active with the New Media Consortium (NMC), serving as chair of the NMC Board for 2003-2004, and is on the project board for the NMC Horizon Project for 2005. One of his areas of particular interest is learning theory and its application in the classroom. He has presented on these topics at the EDUCAUSE and National Learning Infrastructure Initiative (NLII) conferences and has participated in NLII focus sessions as well as Project Kaleidoscope's planning workshops for National Institute of Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) schools. Brown has also taught courses on topics in intellectual history in the Jewish Studies program at Dartmouth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Malcolm Brown Dartmouth College © Malcolm Brown New ideas about learning spaces represent a significant opportunity for higher education to make learners-and learning-more successful. Through the application of information technology, today's learning spaces have the potential to serve the new learning paradigm and at the same time meet the needs and expectations of the most recent generation of students: the Net Generation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The average American school is over half a century old, designed at a time where information transfer followed the "sage on the stage" model. But as we evolve our teaching methods and technology, our physical learning spaces stagnate.

"Schools are one building type that we're all familiar with because we've all been to school," explains Prakash Nair, president and founding partner of Fielding Nair Architects, specialists in school design. "So we have this mental image of what a school building is supposed to look like." Nair urges everyone to reach beyond our mental images of school, and envision "what a school could be, as opposed to what it has always been."

So what should schools look like?

Curved and Open, with High Ceilings

Oshin Vartanian, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough, used fMRI imaging to study how people respond to contour and ceiling height within architectural design (PDF, 442KB). Vartin et al write:

fMRI imaging revealed activation in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), a part of the brain's core emotion network, when rooms with a curvilinear design were viewed. These rooms were seen as more beautiful and pleasant. Viewing rooms with high ceilings activated a network of structures in the brain that underlie visuospatial exploration or attention, suggesting our preference for rooms with high ceilings might be due to their facilitation of visuospatial exploration.

Another study revealed that more enclosed spaces lead to an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone.

Comfortable

" Research suggests that students need to be comfortable (just like adults) to learn," says Nair. "That includes ergonomic seating and other furnishings, ample daylight, lots of fresh air, and well-designed artificial lighting and acoustics."

Comfort in classrooms? Isn't this just another way that we're shielding our students from the harsh realities of the real world? "Not really," says Jeremy Mettler, a social studies teacher at Batavia High School. "The reality is, if you're sitting in an uncomfortable chair or you're distracted by glare, you're focusing on the source of the discomfort rather than the learning. The distraction is a stress, and if you're stressed, you're not learning."

Well Lit

Christopher Alexander, Emeritus Profesor of Architecture at UC Berkeley, posited in his seminal work, A Pattern Language (1977), that low levels of light in classrooms affected students' ability to regulate the body's natural cycle of sleep and arousal. A 1999 study by Lisa Heschong, principal of the Heschong Mahone Group (and expert in daylighting, lighting energy use, and human factors in building design), illustrated the relationship between natural light and achievement by looking at more than 21,000 students across three states. The higher the amount of natural light in a classroom or artificial lighting that mimicked natural sunlight, the greater the students' school attendance, achievement, and overall health. Keep classroom lights on, open blinds, lift shades, and look for ways to get the students into outdoor light, especially in the morning (Kripke, Youngstedt, & Elliot, 1997).

Fresh and Relevant Visual Displays

"Simply put, the brain likes novelty, new things," says Michael Posner, cognitive neuroscientist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon. "Novelty taps into two of the three attention networks -- the alerting and orienting neural networks (executive function is the third which deals with regulation)." Translation for learning spaces? Posters and other images or objects on walls or in the rooms are great to capture students' attention. Posner recommends changing them as the content changes because "novelty grabs attention but it doesn't sustain it."

Teaching in 3 Dimensions

Here are some easy, inexpensive, and neuroscience-compatible tips to try in your classroom:

1. Create the Illusion of Space

"Mirrors can transform small spaces," says Camille Overmeer, interior designer at The Camellia. "Placing them across from a window gives the illusion of multiple windows, plus it reflects the natural light." She also recommends laminating wall displays or selecting inexpensive plastic frames for posters, "for their reflective qualities."

2. Involve Students

Nair recommends involving students in examining the various ways that a classroom can be rearranged to encourage more collaboration, discussion, and project-based learning. It's also a great exercise in space planning, measurements, three-dimensional thinking, and layout.

3. Extend Novelty Beyond Visual Stimulation

From middle school teacher Alexandra Fleming: "I regularly changed my seating and brought in a different object related to our unit every few days. When my students entered the classroom, they would connect how the room was arranged to the work they were doing that day."

Both Vartin and Overmeer urge teachers to consider the functionality of the space. "What is it being used for? Let that drive the layout."

How do you use space in your classroom? Please tell us about it in the comments section below.

Additional Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The average American school is over half a century old, designed at a time where information transfer followed the "sage on the stage" model. But as we evolve our teaching methods and technology, our physical learning spaces stagnate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This section is for class sizes of 22-23 students. While all the photos show options for 22 students, feel free to place an additional student on the end of one of the groups, if needed.

# data[].attributes.headline
A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students Take Ownership

So I visited the class. It was in the unfinished basement of an old school -- cement floors and walls, ceiling-to-floor poles throughout the room. It was more like an interrogation chamber than a classroom. Our "humanistic exercises" were a bad joke in this setting.

I suggested that she ditch the exercises and work with the class to totally change the physical environment. I knew she'd have support from a principal committed to transforming this school. The plan we developed was to piece together carpet remnants from local merchants, seek paint donations from paint shops, and come up with wall decorations, either student-designed or donated.

They spent six weeks doing little else. When I came back and walked to my seat across the warm, brightly-carpeted floor, I experienced a wonderland of painted walls and poles, and a gallery of photographs, paintings and textured wall hangings The teacher told me that the process of doing this had created trust, community and ego strength, unlike our misplaced exercises. She was finding the students far more motivated. They were happy to be in this place they'd created.

There are at least two lessons from this story.

1. The physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in affecting student morale and learning.

2. Students' involvement in the process of creating their environment can empower them, develop community and increase motivation.

The Custodian's Favorite Arrangement

Here's a related story. One of my mentors at U Mass did his doctorate in classroom environments. He then took a temporary job as head custodian of a school to get a better firsthand sense of the physical environments of schools. One of his primary conclusions was that classrooms were usually arranged to meet the needs of the custodial staff more than the needs of students. This was reinforced for me both as a high school teacher and university professor. I always arranged the chairs in a semicircle and always returned the next day to find the chairs placed in rows.

A Short Course in Classroom Arrangement

It's conventional wisdom that different types of instruction require different seating arrangements. It's also a no-brainer that classrooms should be inviting, environments that make students feel good to be there. Unfortunately, over the years I've visited classroom after classroom where conventional wisdom appeared to be disregarded. So here's a short course.

If you have seats in rows, students at the front can't see any of the students in the class. Those in the back mostly just see the heads of their fellow classmates. If that's your arrangement for establishing order and your primary approach to teaching is not interactive, that will work. Given my goals as a teacher, I wouldn't even consider a job at a school that had desks nailed to the floor in rows.

If you have a room filled with tables, that will be excellent for group work, but you'll need to move the tables to the back and sides when you want to bring students together for other purposes. I had small tables in my university classroom, because that's what I was given. I arranged the tables in a semicircle, with 3-4 students at each, some with their backs to the table for most activities. A semicircle encourages interaction and enables all students to see each other. This is important if you place a high value on relationships between students, building community and creating an open environment.

When I did a workshop that included significant student sharing, building community and increasing trust, I found a space with chairs, preferably ones with writing surfaces for note taking. If that wasn't possible, we moved the tables and used the center of the room for chairs. Moveable chairs, with or without writing surfaces, provide maximum flexibility for any kind of teaching.

Classrooms with minimal windows and minimal outside light increase student depression. At the other extreme, windows without adequate room darkeners make visual media difficult to use.

Students spend much of their day in classrooms that almost never feel warm and homelike. Rooms that do will improve student morale and make students happier to be there. This requires having more on the walls than butcher paper! It provides the opportunity for students to help create an inviting environment that supports positive interaction. And it empowers students in the process.

I'm also aware that many high school teachers don't have a single classroom. So the best they can do is to rearrange seating each time they enter the next classroom. Having two or three student volunteers to do this helps. It's also possible to get other teachers who use the room to cooperate in the process of making the room more inviting.

More Ideas, More Resources

I've just scratched the surface of a complex topic and plan to do a blog later this summer on the design of schools and classrooms. But in the meantime, here are some great resources for taking this idea farther:

One of the best is The Third Teacher, a collaborative work from Abrams Books.

The Classroom Design page of the Behavior Advisor site is a rich resource for guiding options on arranging classrooms.

Classroom Desk Arrangement, while a bit less easy to follow, is also filled with rich ideas.

For more general direction from the University of North Carolina School of Education, Kristi Smith's 12 rules are a quick, useful guide to things you need to think about.

Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft's Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration is more generally focused, but educators can find many creative ideas for physical environments that maximize participant cooperation and creativity.

Well-Being and Motivation

There are some general guidelines that I think cut across all approaches:

1. Classroom physical environment affects morale and student learning.

2. The environment should match your objectives, both in terms of human interaction and your instructional approach.

3. The arrangement of seating is one major variable.

4. Including students in creating the physical environment can enhance that environment, increase the feeling of classroom community, and give students a sense of empowerment.

I'll leave you with one more thought. If you're a teacher, you spend a good part of your life in places that should feel more like a warm home than a cold, impersonal office building or warehouse. So consider increasing your own sense of well-being and motivation as much as increasing these qualities for your students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's conventional wisdom that different types of instruction require different seating arrangements. It's also a no-brainer that classrooms should be inviting, environments that make students feel good to be there. Unfortunately, over the years I've visited classroom after classroom where conventional wisdom appeared to be disregarded. So here's a short course.

# data[].attributes.headline
3 Ways Classroom Design Impacts Student Learning @coolcatteacher

# data[].attributes.subject
3 Ways Classroom Design Impacts Student Learning @coolcatteacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Peter Barrett gives us an overview of his classroom design research in today's show. Peter and his co-authors found a 16% impact of classroom design on the learning of 3766 primary school students in the UK. Peter breaks down the study into individual factors like light, air quality, and nature. But, perhaps the most astounding impact is the power of personalization and helping students "own" the classroom on learning. This personalization aspect impacts all teachers!

Today's Sponsor: Carson Dellosa

As you design your classroom, use the fantastic resources by today's sponsor Carson-Dellosa. As can be seen by the points made in today's show, we should all check out these tools and resource s at Carson-Dellosa. Additionally, they have great tips on decluttering their classroom and a first-year teacher's guide. This week, Carson Dellosa is featuring a set of interactive notebooks that allow students to show what they know.
Get Classroom Design Info at Carson Dellosa
Show Notes:

The studies he conducted looked at primary children in the United Kingdom.

To understand the impact of classroom designs they tried to incorporate as many aspects of the classroom as possible. Everything from lighting to air to what's on the walls, it was all included in the study.

They found a 16% impact of school design on student learning in this study.

Questions We Discussed

What are the important factors of classroom design relating to the learning of younger children?

What is the impact of students feeling like they own their own classroom learning?

What is the impact of natural light on the classroom? And isn't enough just to do big windows can big windows actually decrease learning in the classroom?

What is the impact of air quality?

What kind of light is best for children?

Is there such a thing as overstimulation? What colors are best?

How can student personalization of the learning space amp up learning?

What are common misconceptions by teachers of younger children on classroom design?

Who is Peter Barrett?

Peter Barrett MSc PhD DSc is Emeritus Professor at Salford University in the UK and and an Honorary Research Fellow at Oxford University's Department of Education. After initially training as a surveyor he has since carried out academic research in many areas, most recently around the impact of buildings on people, and more specifically of school design on pupils' learning rates.

Educator Resources from this Episode

Categories: Education, Education Trends and Topics, Every Classroom Matters Show, Research

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Ways Classroom Design Impacts Student Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Peter Barrett gives us an overview of his classroom design research in today's show. Peter and his co-authors found a 16% impact of classroom design on the learning of 3766 primary school students in the UK. Peter breaks down the study into individual factors like light, air quality, and nature.