A Place to Learn

Blog03-27-09
Ever wonder what the perfect classroom would look like? Would it even have desks? Would it look more like a home? Would it look more like an office?

I have seen a few classrooms that “feel” right. One is at my daughter’s high school. The room is full of color, texture, and interesting things to look lie. It is a history teacher’s room and even the panels on the ceiling have been painted by students with scenes depicting historical events.

I think the perfect classroom would include lots of “texture” like this history classroom. I think the variety stimulates our brains. And when our brains are stimulated, or awake, we learn more, we remember what we have learned.

Most elementary schools have very rich classrooms. I am not sure why we don’t continue the trend as children grow older.

Teenagers also seem to gravitate to classrooms that have comfortable furniture. Many times the classrooms of drama/theater teachers have comfortable furniture if only because it serves as storage for set props! It is a popular place for students to gather—it feels like home.

We have seen this same trend in bookstores and libraries—comfortable furniture is inviting! I would argue that when we feel relaxed and comfortable, we are also able to absorb more information.

Its fun to imagine what the classroom of the future might look like—maybe it’s part traditional classroom, part office, part living room!

Share your thoughts!

Appreciation

I spent the better part of last Thursday in conversations and reading documentation that in essence “bashed” our current education system. As anyone reading this blog knows, I am always looking for ways to improve on what we do and to find better ways to reach our students. I do suspect, however, that criticizing the current system is not in our best interest.

I am a fan of Appreciative Inquiry. This is a mode of operation for finding solutions. It was initially used by the CWC in times of crisis because they found through experience that focusing on what is currently working leads to a quicker solution in contrast to determining what’s wrong and how to fix it.

David Cooperrider wrote some of the early books on the topic and there are several institutes around, including one right here in Boulder, Colorado. www.positivechange.org

So if we took some time and explored what is working in education today, maybe we will find the answers to a better education system for tomorrow. I would like to suggest following list as some areas that are currently working well:

• Teachers—I think most of the teachers in the field are committed to what they do and really care about their learners.
• Options—state and federal governments are finally supporting options of all kinds including charter schools, distance learning options, and home schooling.
• Families—more families are supporting learners in their educational endeavors. Parents are realizing the importance of education worldwide and are increasingly supportive.
• Individualization—the Internet, third party organizations, and increased staff at many schools provides learners with the ability to individualize their learning.
• Collaboration—from my perspective there is a greater amount of collaboration between learners and between teachers.

Use the comment field to add to my list!

21st Century Learning

One of the greatest endeavors in life is the pursuit of new knowledge. Therefore, one of the most important things we can share with students of all ages is the love of learning. The high-stake testing that is currently consuming our district is a bit frustrating. We are pretty much losing 2 weeks of class time to test students in 3rd through 10th grade on facts and figures. I recall a student survey from a few years ago where students were asked about school. We did receive many encouraging answers, but we also received several not so encouraging answers such as “so we can do good on the CSAP” (CSAP is the standardized test here).

As we embrace the next millennium, we need to consider how we can best serve the upcoming generations. Do we continue to education them the way we have always educated children? Do we open our hearts and minds to new ways of educating; perhaps even changing the very definition of what it means to be educated? I have mentioned this before, but the high drop-out rate of high school students in our country is abysmal. It is clearly a symptom of a system that is not working.

In this blog I want to share innovations that are being used throughout the country to expand student thinking and learning. I want to hear about new technologies and new strategies.

Please use the comment field to share your ideas on what a 21st century education should look like.

Sunshine on My Shoulders

We are having a gorgeous spring day in Colorado and it reminds me of the importance of taking education out into the world. I am going to reference John Medina’s Brain Rules (www.brainrules.net) book again because it supports our human desire to be outside rather than sitting behind a desk, in a cubicle or in a traditional classroom. The Montessori teaching principles also encourage teachers to take their learners out into the world.

Our local school district takes sixth graders out to a camp once during their elementary years. The charter Montessori school, Compass Montessori, www. compassmontessori.org in that same district takes their elementary school students on 6 outdoor trips during 4th through 6th grades.

By getting students out of the classroom and into the real world, we create a rich learning environment—one our brains pay attention to. And, when our brains are paying attention, we are more likely to remember the information.

I know not every school has the budget for field trips. There are non-classroom alternatives besides field trips and camping outings. What about starting a garden at your school? There are so many lessons to be learned in the process of preparing a garden, planting and harvesting. Another Montessori school in our district has a farm for middle school and high school students.

Other activities include:

• Cooking – groups of kids can work with parent volunteers to learn about cooking which includes measuring, chemistry, calculations, and more.
• Walking - take field trips to local parks and educational venues.
• Internships – the more children can be exposed to professional environments, the more likely they are to stay in school.
• Volunteering – service learning has become popular over the last few years. See http://www.servicelearning.org/

Use the comment field to share other ideas for getting out of the classroom.