Learning Spaces for Gen Z

By Dwight Carter and Mark White 

One of the hottest topics in education today is space redesign. Educators see how their operations are being buffeted by the global disruptions that are reshaping society — and they are beginning to envision new ways to design schools. 

Here are four quick tips applied in the design of Clark Hall, an award-winning high school building in Gahanna, Ohio, that effectively combines space, global skills, and technology with the needs of today’s learners. 

Tip 1: Think Starbucks 

As educators ask how to redesign their schools, a quick answer should be: “Think Starbucks!” When we walk into Starbucks, we have lots of choices: we can drink hot or cold coffee, eat croissants or cookies, sit at the bar or a table, or perhaps in a soft chair or even outside beneath an umbrella. Starbucks is all about giving the customer options in a relaxed atmosphere. 

And that’s the way learning spaces need to be designed today. 

Today’s students are Gen Z. They text, swipe, connect, hangout in person and virtually, and view the world differently than their predecessors. They have been using the internet since before they began to walk, and it’s given them choices their entire lives. When they get tired of Netflix, they might change to Hulu or YouTube. When they get tired of one song they switch to another one on their streaming iTunes or Spotify. When they skim articles on their phones, they are scanning the bullet points and looking for videos to speed up their learning. 

Gen Z students love options; they love Starbucks. But when they walk into schools today, they usually power off their devices and sit in classrooms designed for a 20th century industrial learning model — an era that has been replaced by the Knowledge Age and the global economy. They often sit in straight rows in square classrooms and do the assignments the teachers have designed and in the time allotted to them.

Instead, Gen Z students should be given options in: 

• how they choose to complete their assignments
• how much time they need to finish their work and do a high quality job
• how their learning should be assessed
• where they sit — in student desks or beanbag chairs, at high top tables, on soft chairs or exercise balls, or even on carpet squares on the floor

Put another way, schools need to move from the Boring Age to the Starbucks Age. Learning no longer has to be a black coffee in a Styrofoam cup — it should be a venti, half-soy, double chocolate, iced vanilla Frappuccino® in an insulated mug. With whipped cream on top. 

Tip 2: Teach Global Skills for a Global Economy 

Seen any university libraries recently? They don’t look like the old, quiet repositories of facts any more. The traditional rows of brown bookshelves with musty books are rapidly disappearing. They are being digitized and replaced by all kinds of seating options ranging from small conference rooms to huge open areas where students can sit in natural lighting and work at their laptops. The spaces are designed to let students: 

• think critically, either silently or while engaged with others
• create new products that range from papers to fully developed, multi-media projects 
• work collaboratively in small groups to exchange ideas and go deeper into the assignments
• make presentations to each other and communicate via the internet with peers in their class or in other parts of the world 

Many universities and corporations understand success in the 21st century will hinge upon the ability to apply information in new ways. One of the most innovative companies in the world is Google. To get ideas on learning space redesign, google a Google workspace. You’ll see games and pool tables, funky furniture, bright colors, and other features that spark creativity. The world is becoming less formal as it becomes more connected and more creative ― these are the workspaces of the future. 

In contrast, most K-12 classrooms today are not designed to spark innovation; they are designed to foster a teacher-dominated environment where students sit independently and show their content mastery by using pens and pencils to write answers on paper. As teachers insert more global skills into their curriculum and move from being disseminators of information to facilitators of learning, students will need to move around the classroom, work in the hallways, find collaborative conference rooms, and make presentations in large common spaces. 

In other words, schools don’t have to resemble the ones we knew in the 20th century: they need to look like the universities and work spaces where their students will be spending the rest of their lives. When global skills become just as important in schools as standardized testing, then students will move seamlessly from one stage of life to the next. 

Tip 3: Make Technology the Foundation of Learning

The average American high school student spends six to nine hours per day in front of a screen of some type. Most of those hours are before school and after school, or perhaps in small increments of time during the school day when students surf their smart phones to get their technology fix. While more technology is now making its way into classrooms, too many educators still rely on textbooks that are supplemented by occasional forays onto the web. 
Schools have no choice but to move to a teaching and learning system predicated on technology usage—because our students live in a technology-heavy world. As learning space is redesigned, educators should ask: 

• How can the learning space foster effective technology usage? Is there room for students to comfortably use their devices alone or in groups? Can the space be designed so that groups don’t bother students who are working alone? 

• Is the furniture designed so that students can sit comfortably with their laptops or tablets? 

• How can social media be used to enhance instruction and communication? 

• How many plugs are available for charging devices? 

• The only place most students use pens and pencils today is in schools; if given a choice they’d rather text on a smart phone or type on a tablet. Technology is not a luxury; it’s a necessity — and the learning space can enhance how it is used. 

Tip #4: Start Small and Involve the Students

Most educators don’t have the luxury of building a new classroom or building. Luckily, space redesign can be done on a small budget in all types of buildings, even the oldest ones. Some quick, cheap fixes include: 

• adding some bright paint to walls
• putting a few soft chairs or exercise balls in one corner of a classroom
• converting part of a hallway or cafeteria to a new type of space by adding new paint, furniture, rugs, or carpet squares
• turning a large storage room into a collaborative learning space
• shifting the school library, or one part of it, into a 21st century environment by adding bright, comfortable chairs

When wondering how to begin, educators can ask the ultimate authority: their students. Great starter questions are: “Which furniture is most comfortable for you? What colors do you like? What ideas do you have for how to use the space? Do you see any other things we can do to make the space more fun and to help you learn?”  Students are the new partners in education; they should have a voice in how they are educated and how schools are designed. 
It used to be that educators could enter the profession and teach the same way in the same types of classrooms from the beginning of their careers until they retired 30 years later, but that era is gone. Now they must be comfortable with being uncomfortable. The days of mastery have been replaced by a career of constant adaptation to new expectations, new teaching styles — and new types of learning spaces for Gen Z. 

About the Authors:

Dwight Carter and Mark White have worked together for over 15 years, first in the Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools in Gahanna, Ohio, where they were both administrators, and now as authors, speakers and consultants. Together they led the team of teachers, students, and community members in the design of Clark Hall, a high school building that was named the Best in Tech 2012 by Scholastic because of its innovative use of global skills, technology, and learning space to teach Generation Z. They recently coauthored (with Clark Hall architect Gary Sebach) What’s in Your Space? 5 Steps for Better School and Classroom Design, which is published by Corwin Press.

Disruptive Classroom Technologies: A Framework for Innovation in Education

By Dr. Sonny Magana

I want to tell you a little story: There was once lived a pioneering designer who invented technologies to make work and life easier and more productive. He worked long hours developing and iterating until he invented something completely new and extraordinary. He promoted his new technology as transformational, even revolutionary. The technology tool transformed nearly every human endeavor into which it is applied. Billions of dollars exchanged hands and tremendous value was generated. The designer decided to market this new technology into education by highlighting the inherently transformational nature of the tool. He confidently asserted, “Books will soon be obsolete in schools; our school system will be completely changed inside of ten years!” Ten years passed. Books didn’t become obsolete. Schools didn’t change. The promising new technology had minimal impact on student achievement. 

Does that story sound familiar?  

It should. It should also serve as a cautionary tale, but not a modern one. The year? 1913. The pioneering designer? Thomas Alva Edison. The transformational technology? Motion pictures. 

This anecdote illustrates a number of issues regarding the selling and marketing of technology tools in education, but one in particular should be taken as paramount: exploding the myth of technological determinism. Technological determinism is a kind of theoretical mindset which suggests that simply putting digital tools into educational settings will automatically transform what happens in those settings. It’s reflective of the movie Field of Dreams in which Kevin Costner’s character hears a disembodied voice imploring him, “If you build it, they will come,” The only difference is that the disembodied voice of technological determinism says, “If they [your education customers] buy it [technology], transformation will come.” The reality, for the last century, has fallen far short of that myth. 

I’m an educational futurist and so my work focuses on harnessing the immense potential of digital tools to enhance what transpires in teaching and learning environments. At this risk of sounding like a heretic, I have to make a statement about technology in an educational context: Digital educational technologies have no inherent value in and of themselves. Zero. They are inert. They don’t do anything by themselves. But I also have to add a qualifier: The value of digital technologies in education is made manifest not by their presence, but by the manner in which they are used. 

That should sound reasonable to you, or even self-evident. The trickier part is understanding how to reliably use technology tools to enhance instructional quality and learning productivity. 

I’ve been studying the impact of digital tools in education for 34 years. That’s a long time to observe the phenomenon of digital disruptions in the realm of teaching and learning. I’ve taken a serious look at the impact of digital tools in education and have seen distinct patterns emerge over time — patterns which I’ve tested with the tools of the researcher: inquiry design, observation, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and synthesis. One common pattern I’ve witnessed for the last four decades is called the “novelty effect.” 

I first saw evidence of the novelty effect in 1984 while studying the impact on student engagement of the Apple IIe and a software program called “The Oregon Trail.” The sample was a group of inner city middle school students in Camden, New Jersey. At first, students’ engagement levels were very high as they learned to interact with the computer program, and each other, to make decisions, plan ahead, and respond to the consequences of their decisions. Then something strange happened — or not so strange, really, if you’ve ever spent any time around middle school students — they got bored…and then disruptive. Quickly. The level of engagement dropped like a wagon train careening off a cliff. There are only so many times one can die from a snake bite or drown in the Blue River before one’s attention starts to strain. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to digital tools for schools, education has been on a novelty effect roller coaster. Student engagement goes up at first, and then almost always comes back down as the novelty of the tool wears off. One new technology tool after another has been purchased based on the digital promise of increasing student engagement — which may indeed occur in the short run. But in time that high level of engagement will almost always drop off.    

Here’s one implication of the novelty effect: If your sales and marketing messaging to schools only focuses on the attributes of your product and how it will increase student engagement, then over time you run the risk of losing the trust of your customers. However, if you focus on presenting the technology tools you are selling in a manner that is reflective of high impact use of your tool, then over time you will earn the reputation as a trusted advisor. So, how can you know what is reflective of high impact use?

Here is another pattern I’ve observed from compounding evidence: When technology tools are used to replace teachers, on average, one can expect very small to small gains in student achievement. When digital tools are used to supplement teachers’ current instructional practices, one can expect modest gains in student achievement. But when technology tools are used to enhance instructional and learning practices that are well grounded in sound research and theory, one can expect large to very large gains in student achievement. 

I recently synthesized my life’s work on solving the wicked problem of technology integration into my latest book, Disruptive Classroom Technologies: A Framework for Innovation in Education. My hope is to disrupt the long-standing narrative about technology in education by providing an evidence-based framework that increments technology use into three distinct domains: Translational, Transformational, and Transcendent. While each stage is important, the impact of translational technology tool use — that is, simply translating teaching and learning tasks from an analogue to a digital realm — is anemic. However, the strategies associated with transformational and transcendent technology tool use, as I’ve defined and identified in Disruptive Classroom Technologies, have an impact on student learning that is equivalent to three or more additional years of student achievement in a single academic year, perhaps even more. That is clearly an idea worth pursuing and sharing with your customers.

As a nation, we would all benefit by learning more about and sharing transformational and transcendent technology use in schools. For folks serving schools in the educational technology industry, doing so will bring benefits that are both immediate and sustainable. So now I have a question: Are you willing to help shatter the myth of technological determinism? Let’s have a catch and find out…

About the Author:

Dr. Anthony J. “Sonny” Magana III is an award-winning educational futurist, best-selling author, and pioneering educational technology researcher. Sonny is a highly sought-after leadership consultant, speaker, and instructional coach with more than thirty years’ experience helping educational systems around the world realize the power of transcendent learning. The author of numerous research studies and articles, Sonny’s newest book, Disruptive Classroom Technologies: A Framework for Innovation in Education, was recently published through Corwin Press to wide international acclaim. Sonny can be reached via Twitter @sonnymagana or at www.maganaeduction.com.

The Growing Demand for Early Childhood Education

Communal spaces at Central Valley Early Learning Center enable teachers to observe the activities from a distance, while allowing students to exercise choice, build independence, and create a sense of ownership. — NAC Architecture

by Melissa A. McFadgen, Principal, AIA LEED AP and Helena L. Jubany, Principal, FAIA LEED AP

As the body of research on the effectiveness of early learning centers continues to grow, the value in designing more of these institutions has become increasingly apparent. Recent research estimates that the brain grows the most in the first five years of life, thus programs directed at this age demographic have proved to yield astonishing results.1,2

When the design of early learning centers is grounded in the science of developmental psychology and education, these educational environments can address multiple domains of development that positively stimulate young children's physical and cognitive growth. These high-quality early childhood programs and centers produce lasting increases in positive academic achievement that set the students up for success as they move into the K-12 educational environment and beyond. They are also more likely to develop students' social competence traits—such as sharing, cooperating, or helping other kids—competencies that lead to a higher likelihood of attaining higher education and well-paying jobs in adulthood.3

Why are ELCs so important?

There is an incredible amount of recent research in brain development and early learning. Studies show the earlier kids are enrolled in early education the chances of them dropping out of high school diminishes and enrollment in higher education increases. Children who participate in quality preschool programs are:

·  18 percent more likely to be employed

·  24 percent more likely to own a house

·  53 percent less likely to have multiple arrests

·  More likely to make higher earnings than those who do not participate4

A 20-year retrospective study found that for every one-point increase in a child's social competency score in kindergarten, they were twice as likely to obtain a college degree, and 46% more likely to have a full-time job by age 25. And, for every one-point decrease in a child's social skill score in kindergarten, he or she had a 67% higher chance of having been arrested in early adulthood, a 52% higher rate of binge drinking and an 82% higher chance of being in or on a waiting list for public housing.1

However, leveraging what we are learning from science and ensuring positive brain development is not the only appeal to instituting early learning centers. The Childcare Quality & Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development (CQEL) is one of the many programs leading the way with early childhood research, examining how to improve and support existing early learning standards and programs in an effort to ensure truly equal access to education. Low family income, low parent education, and language barriers can all be factors in preventing a child's academic success but CQEL is committed to mitigating these obstacles and closing the achievement gap. Research continues to emphasize the importance of early intervention as the most predictable tool to redirect a student's educational career.

Children facing challenges from lower income, to immigrant families, to children with development delays likely experience the greatest benefit from this educational experience. We've seen it first-hand at the Central Valley Early Learning Center. We started with a vacant grocery store and transformed it into a school that supports a wide variety of pre-K students, primarily underserved students and their families. Their incredible journey is documented in this video. 

10 Essential Characteristics of High Quality Early Learning Environments

An early learning center is not simply a 'scaled down' elementary school. It needs to be designed to reflect the unique needs of children under the age of five, their families, and the wide array of professionals housed in an ELC.

1. Higher staff to student ratios. At the early learning level, particularly for those qualifying for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) or Head Start programs, it's not only about educating the student; it's about educating the whole family. Providing resources and support to navigate supplemental assistance programs for the improvement of the entire family are core principles of early childhood education programs.This increased staff-to-student ratio and the promotion of family engagement in the facility translates to the need for additional parking on the site compared to most elementary schools.

2. Increased Office/Conference Room Space. The administrative suite has two separate functions: running the school (similar to an elementary school) and a family support component (not typically in an elementary school). In addition to the typical office and meeting space within an elementary school, the family support staff and increased therapy specialists in an ELC require additional office space and conference rooms for working with students and meeting with each family.

3. Curriculum Mandates and Spatial Organization. The facility design is part of the scoring process for many curriculum requirements mandated by various licensing jurisdictions such as the Department of Early Learning and, if designed well, will contribute to the score. At Central Valley Early Learning Center, most of their curriculum is delivered in their classrooms and licensing requires students have the choice of a minimum of nine activities during free choice time. These activities also must vary throughout the year, with the classroom designed to support this wide array of activities, from areas for quiet reading, to sensory activities with water or sand, to dramatic play, to building blocks. As early learning experts, our role is not only to design the facilities to accommodate multiple activities, but also to work with the teacher on how the design of the classroom can enhance their ability to work with each student.

4. Storage, Storage, Storage. With all the required activities in the classroom you need room to store all the supplies, furniture, mats, etc. Personal items like coats and backpacks are stored outside the classroom. That way, cubbies can be eliminated from inside of the classrooms allowing more space for educational activities.

5. Toilet/Sink versus Student/Staff Ratios. One of the primary drivers to the number of students allowed within each classroom is the number of toilet and sink fixtures: 1 water closet and hand wash station per 15 kids. This is out of sync with most adult-to-student ratios of 1 adult per 10 kids, with a typical classroom targeting between 15-18 kids. Understanding these differing ratios is critical to maximizing fixture count to serve the targeted number of students, and avoid limiting a classroom capacity because these numbers are not in alignment.

Small children need more supervision, so having a bathroom accessed directly from their space is an important consideration. Efficient toilet and sink layout allows for more time to be spent on educational activities and less time standing in line waiting for a turn to wash hands.

6. Outdoor Play and Connection to Nature. Access to the outdoors is essential because at this age children learn through playing. Introducing a variety of interactive, sensory-rich activities in an outdoor learning environment provides access to the outdoors that many of the students may not have at home. Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder, not just gross motor skill development, so outdoor play is especially important for children with special needs.

7. Food Service. Students eat within their room, family style. Learning how to navigate meals in a group setting is critical to social development.

8. Special Needs. You should design the entire center with special needs in mind and consider lighting quality, acoustics, and materials for safety. The types of materials used in spaces are extremely important for creating emotional and physical interaction. Kids learn through all their senses, but touch is considered the most influential for children under the age of three. Thus thoughtful selection of materials that children can interact with while also holding up over time is imperative.

9. Multi-use Spaces, Shared Spaces, and Flexibility. Many ELCs are co-located at the same campus as elementary schools allowing for shared facilities. Others have 'wrap around care' which means they accept children from 0-3. For this age group, additional spaces are needed to change diapers, crib rooms, storage for sleeping mats, etc. Classrooms can potentially serve multiple age groups, but there are distinct differences for licensing and building code restrictions for children under the age of three versus children between ages 3-6.

Flexibility of space, an essential feature in any ELC, is exemplified in the 680-student Central Valley Early Learning Center which is housed in a former vacant grocery store along with a 300-student alternative high school, Mica Peak—representing both ends of the PK-12 educational spectrum. Intentional crossover spaces encourage the two programs to build off each other. High school students get credit for working with ELC students. High school art students paint murals for the early learning students and together they build gardens that develop confidence for all students. The symbiotic relationship of these programs is facilitated by the building design, creating opportunities that previously did not exist.

10. The three "S's"… Safety, Security and Scale. ELCs must instill the foundational knowledge that schools are safe and secure places by creating warm, cozy spaces in addition to group activity areas. Within a stable environment, the students will be able to flourish without inhibiting emotions such as fear or uncertainty, interfering with their education. Since these students are not yet literate, the building design must speak to them and assure them these spaces are truly made for them to grow, learn and succeed.

Summary

Early learning is a big deal! There are only 2,000 days between when a child is born and when they begin kindergarten. And as research shows, it is during this time that their most crucial development occurs, forming a solid foundation for the years that follow. Our brains are built based on the environment in which we grow up, and quality learning experiences that begin at birth are the key to a child's success later in life. At NAC, we understand that a well-designed physical environment is a critical component to realizing the full benefits of early learning programming. Whether it's strategic placement of windows and fixtures at a child's level, interactive sensory furnishings that encourage cognitive social development, or the integration of the classroom with outdoor play space that sparks curiosity about nature, we are dedicated to creating enriching environments that support each child's development, instills a sense of safety and security, and is warm and welcoming for the families they serve.

References:

1Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2016). From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts: A Science-Based Approach to Building a More Promising Future for Young Children and Families. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu

2First 5 California. (n.d.). Child's Brain Development. Retrieved September 25, 2017, from First 5 California: http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu

3Jones D. E., Greenberg M., Crowley M. (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283–2290.

4Schweinhart, L. J., & Weikart, D. P. (1993). Success by Empowerment: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study through Age 27. Young Children, 49(1), 54-58.

5Jones D. E., Greenberg M., Crowley M. (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283–2290

About the Authors:

Melissa McFadgen, AIA, LEED AP is a Principal with NAC Architecture and has dedicated her 17-year career to designing educational facilities. She has been involved in over 25 Pre-K through 12 school designs, including several early childhood facilities such as the new Central Valley Early Learning Center.
With more than a dozen of her projects having received design awards, Melissa was recently honored as one of the Inland Northwest's "20 Under 40." Melissa holds a Bachelors of Environmental Design and a Masters of Architecture from Montana State University. She has been a licensed architect since 2002 and has focused her career on creating spaces that truly impact the communities in which they reside.

Helena Jubany, FAIA, LEED AP is the Managing Principal of NAC Architecture’s Los Angeles office. Throughout her 30-year career, Helena has advanced her practice by developing a collaborative process that promotes diversity and advocating for outstanding design with a focus on educational facilities that results in award winning projects. Helena’s leadership in K-12 public school projects resulted in an invitation by the World Bank to set design guidelines with the Brazilian Ministry of Education for the development of schools in 19 Brazilian States.

Creating Classrooms with Missions in Mind

By JD Ferries-Rowe

We gathered around the table in the Teacher’s Resource Center (the TRC), created three years before to give educators a place near both the library and the IT offices where they could plan, play, and learn in the same way that we expected of the students. Around the table were the IT director, an architect, the librarian, the assistant principal and principal and the president of the school. The subject of the meeting, laid out in front of us on large sheets of white paper with computer-assisted drawings in black and our recent notations in red ink was the design of a new library, nearly three years in the making and nearing its conclusion. Thus, it was with some frustration that this celebratory moment was marked by the President saying, “No, I don’t like that. It needs to change.”

The renovation of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School’s library into an Information Commons was a process 4 years in the making. It involved surveys of students and faculty, research into best practices, a lot of reading about design thinking and library theory, focus groups, and quite a few showroom floors. Our goal was to create a space that would fit our school's mission and be an improved space for the students — our main customers.

Setting a Context

The BJPS library was built in the mid-1980s. The school at that time did not emphasize group work, did not use computers, and was designed for a student body of 500, not our current population of 800. It was anchored by an enormous and imposing circulation desk that sat off to one side like a guard’s tower in a prison. The lighting, original to the buildout, was that classic fluorescent that seemed simultaneously too harsh yet not bright enough for the space. Large wooden “stack” style bookshelves dominated the walls and wings adding to the feeling of cramped space. Twice a day, this feeling became reality when 80% of the student body is released for “Personal Responsibility Time” — when the library was so crowded that students had to be turned away.

The library was surrounded by large hallways dividing the TRC and IT dept from the library proper. Another hallway served as a relatively unused passageway containing a seldom-used computer lab, the computer science classroom (a thrown-together collection of carpet, cobbled together tables and desks, and gorilla shelves filled with old computers and wires), and the entrance to the newly-renovated Wellness  Center. On either side of the large hallway was a catacomb of various work rooms, storage areas, and unused offices that were crowded with old equipment, books, and AV technology that included slide projectors and overheads. Architects who had conducted a space study for us determined that over 30% of the area was either hallway or storage and was considered “unusable by students”.

In addition, the recent change to a 1:1 BYOT model eliminated the need for computer labs and carts (the library had both and another nearby.  Students in need of help with devices were often found to be standing outside the hallway in front of the Teacher Resource Room (TRC) or the IT dept. (a typical machine heavy, cluttered space that is the opposite of an inviting place).

In conducting our surveys and focus groups, we found that students had a number of ideas of their own:

●        They wanted us to emphasize small group spaces (51%) and silent study space (49%).

●        They wanted a social space but also a place where they could get help with research papers.

●        They wanted to build a robot, print a slinky, produce a video, or play with a drone.

●        They wanted to be able to check out a book.

With this diverse assortment of goals in mind, we began the research, design, and dreaming phase. We would tear down the walls that created the hallways and labyrinths of storage cubbies (narrowing it down to one room of storage, a utility sink and bathroom). Utilizing the found space would accommodate 60 more students.

The furniture would be flexible, including standing and sitting tables, large couches, “buoy” stools, and comfortable reading chairs. The circulation desk would be smaller with a “sitting height” side and centered in the space instead of serving as a guard post at the entrance. Small group rooms would give space for students to work in an observable area without disturbing the library as a whole. The large “stacks” would be replaced by counter-height shelves that would be placed in-between populated areas to serve as a sound-buffer.

The IT department would have the prerequisite “cave” of stuff including a relocated server room, but would also have a helpdesk area for students (and someday run by students). The outdated computer science lab would be updated in both equipment and furniture/room design to match the Information commons and the collaborative and innovative learning we were expecting in the space.

Back to the Drawing Board

“No. I don’t like that. It needs to change.”

The issue on the table was the “quiet study space” that was the most popular section of the current library and the most important part of the library for about half the students (based on surveys). We had figured out a few years before that the best way to create a quiet space was to put it as far from the library entrance as possible. It just so happened that this space contained large glass windows that looked out onto the athletic fields and a balcony used by students and adults alike. “We cannot get put large study carrels in a prime location like that!”

Plans were adjusted again, creating a glass-walled room to the side of this space. The glass would be designed to be nearly sound-proofed, would contain flexible furniture that could be used as study carrels or as classroom tables for full class instruction, and the dividers would be removable whiteboards!

Additionally, the largest study room was modified to create a “Makerspace” based off the increased use of 3D printer (awkwardly housed in the TRC) and the clear trend in library build-outs. The plan was to have “zones” for productivity, socializing, and quiet study. We started the demolition phase over a spring break holiday with a scheduled opening for Fall of the next school year.

What we learned:

●        The president was right. The quiet study space was well placed in the redesign. No adult has ever had to quiet it down. The visual cues of the glass wall and divider-tables are enough.

●        “Zoning” requires similar cues that we didn’t adequately design to be natural, particularly when 25% of the school’s population is in the space working and socializing.

●        The Makerspace outgrew the “study room” in one year. It was moved into the “Teacher room” which became much less utilized when the large glass windows were installed (oops). The space now includes VR and AR stations, three 3D printers, a podcasting studio, a Lego wall, and animation boxes.

●        The technical foundations matter: Good wi-fi, easy-to-use printing services (both walk-up and BYOT), digital signage that can be updated easily by non-techs, and a fully staffed helpdesk can make or break the space.

●        The library is still the library: Librarians who enjoy helping students with research, availability of relevant resources (paper and digital), and access to tools are still key.

●        Lighting is a game changer: we used natural-lighting solar tubes for one section of the space and wish we had placed more of it throughout the library. LEDs are a cost saver and brightener. Additionally, light-colored carpet squares (a clean-up must) and light paint will brighten up the space.

●        By keeping furniture modular and varied, we can change the look and use of space to fit the needs and desires of the students and encourage spaces to be used through design process rather than by constant “shushing”.

Ultimately, we are still in the process of learning what works best in the space. This method requires an openness to change and a formal commitment to solicit feedback, reflect on what is working and what is not, and a willingness to admit when something is not working, even if it used to important. Sometimes the best insight is “it needs to change”.

JD Ferries-Rowe is the Chief Information Officer at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, IN. He is responsible for Management of the 1:1 BYOT program and all technology and edtech initiatives in the school. JD works closely with the principal's office and others on aligning technology, learning, and curriculum to the mission of the school. He was a presenter at EDspaces 2017.

Matching the Environment with How Students Learn

By Kevin Stoller

Like many of you, I’ve been in thousands of classrooms throughout my career. The vast majority of them look like this:

Students sit in their assigned seats in straight rows. The teacher is at the front of the classroom near his desk to start the session. He has a front board that is either dry erase, Smartboard, projector, LCD screen, chalkboard — or a combination of these. The students are expected to pay attention, sit still, watch the board, take notes, and be quiet — unless they raise their hands and wait to be called on. When the bell rings, they go to their next class and repeat throughout the day.

Sound familiar?

However, there is a movement going on today in education, a literal movement. I’ve had the privilege to witness classrooms that look more like this:

Students come into the class excited and pick where they want to learn. There is noise coming from all directions. The teacher gets the students’ attention in the middle of the classroom and everyone swivels, loosely forming a circle around her to make eye contact.

The instruction is brief and to the point, the students get the game plan for the day and break off into groups of 4-5 and make space to interact. Again, eye contact is made, this time between peers as they communicate on their work.

One student breaks off from the group to work on their portion of the project. The teacher moves throughout the room and challenges the students on their thought process. Several times throughout the class period, she gets everyone’s attention by sharing info from her hand-held device to the monitors positioned around the room.

One student jumps out of his chair and paces, then points to the screen that a classmate is sharing from her device. The room is buzzing, maybe even considered loud. The student that broke away, now has headphones on, but is re-joining his group after sharing what he created.

The class period is half-way done and the teacher starts reminding groups that they’ll be presenting in a few minutes. Time is up and the first group shares their screen with the rest of the class. The students swivel their chairs to watch the presenter, their own devices put down.

One student scoots closer to hear and see better. Two other groups share their progress and a discussion ensues. With two minutes left, the teacher gets back in the middle the classroom, reminding students of the deadline and the work they need to do that evening. The bell rings and a few students remain to ask questions as the discussions continue into the hallway.

With the integration of technology into the classroom, this second example is now a reality for many schools all over the country. Whether the first or second example describes the current space, this article is written for you. If we look at this shift in the industry as a bell curve like a Product Life Cycle, the industry is on the verge of a tipping point. The Early Adopters of new technology, furniture, and educational tools have paved the way for the Early Majority. Lessons were learned, corrections have been made, and we are now seeing the Early Majority joining the revolution of improving learning environments.

The Challenge

The education system is more complicated than ever. Various student needs, demands from society, parents, and government entities. Additional constraints may be old buildings and inadequate teaching space due to more students per classroom. The staff and teachers are asked to do more with similar — or even less — resources. There may be times when you feel like you are in a no win situation and the thought process is focused on surviving, instead of thriving.

The Opportunity

I get it. None of this is easy, but it is an enormous opportunity to make positive impact on students’ lives. We all have the desire to be a positive influence and drive change within the education community. It only takes one voice to challenge, inspire, and lead in a common goal of creating better learning environments.

Learning Environment Catch-words

The idea of changing the learning environment is not new. Different terms and buzzwords have been used to describe trends:

• 21st Century Learning (As of 2017, 17% of the 21st Century is now HISTORY. Can we stop using this term?)
• Flexible Learning Spaces
• Student-Centered Learning
• SEL (Social and Emotional Learning)
• Collaborative Learning
• 4C’s (Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking)

When it comes down to it, the main purpose of education is to help students maximize their potential. For the purposes of our book and this article, we are going to simplify all the catch-words and just focus on making things better. To do this, we need to start with the basics and focus not on the status quo, but on how can we improve. In addition, the educational landscape continues to be more complex — from student needs, testing requirements, and a changing educational population. With all these changes in the dynamics and demands of the classroom setting, hence the need for a well thought-out process either via engagement with educational consultants, or self-implemented with resources such as this. Tony Wagner talks about this in his book Most Likely to Succeed, referring to the improvement process as “educational Research & Development”: the idea of many schools trying different tactics to improve the educational outcomes.

Learning Styles

Let’s start by looking at the different learning styles of individuals. Each student has a predominant learning trait — but will exhibit one or more of the six basic learning styles — Auditory, Visual, Physical, Verbal, Solitary or Social.

1) Auditory — These learners need to clearly hear information.

These students need a quiet space when having a conversation, or to be close to the person speaking during a presentation. Without proper acoustics, this type of learner can get distracted or frustrated.

2) Visual — If these learners don’t see it, they don’t remember it.

Everything visual is a stimulus — from what is on the walls, down to students’ personal workspace. They learn from reading, viewing presentations, and graphical representations. If there are screens in the room, make them large enough for all people to see.

3) Tactile — These learners are the doers of the world.

These students need to get involved and learn by trial and error. The space they require can sometimes be messy. It may necessitate utilizing outdoor space to release their full mental potential.

4) Verbal — Talking it out is the way these learners thrive.

By allowing interaction and creating collaborative situations, the verbal learner gets to brainstorm and figure things out by verbalizing his thought process. Providing the space for verbal people can be via small tables, lounge furniture clusters, and places to walk and talk inside or outside the building.

5) Solitary — Just give these learners some peace and quiet.

Let them get in their own zone to figure things out without distractions. Whether they need a way to break away from the group, close the door, or have some privacy screens — it is up to the leaders of the school to provide the outlets for solitary learners to excel. With the increased focus on collaboration, these learners may need special time dedicated to their needs.

6)Social — Group learners and team projects fit into this category.

The ability to work through it with others is the toughest environment to create, since it requires many variables and options for the students. This is especially true when technology is introduced. If everyone is working on their own devices, technology to share the info with the group is a challenge.

Recognizing this concept is what is driving most of the innovation in our industry today. Makerspaces are popping up everywhere because we are recognizing that the majority of students are tactile learners, they learn by doing. By helping our customers and students recognize how they learn, we will now be armed with valuable information that can help tailor the needs of each student.

Kevin Stoller is Co-Founder and President of Kay-Twelve.com, a national leader of educational furniture. Kay-Twelve.com helps schools, colleges, libraries, and corporations create better learning environments. He is the author of Creating Better Learning Environments and host of the Better Learning podcast.

What We Learned at EDspaces 2017

by Carla Remenschneider, RID, IIDA and Ed Schmidt, AIA

It’s Friday in Kansas City and EDspaces 2017 is in full swing. A diverse mix of educators, administrators and designers fill the Innovation Space, eager to discuss the challenges involved in creating “the world’s most pedagogically-advanced school building.” The title of our presentation is in reference to the British International School of Houston (BISH), an innovative new PK-12 school campus designed for Nord Anglia Education. But what we’re really here to discuss are the five distinct learning environments found at BISH—lovingly referred to as caves, campfires, watering holes, mountain tops and marketplaces—and how any school can utilize them to become pedagogically-advanced. Or, that is the plan...

Halfway through our presentation the conversation steers away from the design of learning environments and into the operational strategies behind them. We’re surprised to discover our audience is just as interested in learning how to get teachers to properly use these spaces as they are in the physical environments themselves. It represents the awareness of a gap between what is being designed and how users (teachers and students) are actually interacting with these spaces.

A (Quickly) Shifting Landscape

The gap between design and reality shows up even in our presentation. We crafted our interactive session to use Twitter as a tool for real-time feedback. Audience members break into small groups and tweet questions and comments using designated hashtags, and their posts are displayed in real-time via a screen at the front of the room. BISH Principal Andrew Derry even participates from Texas.

Yet for one group, our high-tech presentation disconnects. In this group, there is nary a Twitter user to be found. And so 21^st century tools do them no good, and they initially shut down, refusing to participate.

This small glitch (we quickly found this group a Twitter user to serve as scribe) parallels the challenge that 21^st century learning environments pose to many administrators and teachers. Changing physical spaces and tools is relatively straightforward, but changing people? That’s another challenge altogether.

It is this resistance to change, and how we plan for it, that dominates the discussion during the last half of our presentation. When classrooms change, teaching methods must change too. 21^st century learning environments are only successful if teachers are open to the concepts of flexibility behind their design, and if they take full advantage of all they have to offer. But how do we get teachers to do this, especially when it requires an adjustment to how they teach?

Mindful Design

In response to this challenge, research-based design is a trend on the rise in K-12 architecture. Post-occupancy evaluations can serve to assess design features and inform designers if their facilities are being used as intended. If they’re not, designers can explore why and brainstorm ways to correct it in their future designs. Post-occupancy evaluations, especially when done by a third party researcher, can be expensive, but it’s worth the investment for designers if they want to improve. At the very least, research can back up design decisions and validate features. At the very most, it can lead us to understand how different aspects of the physical environment affect learning, and to what extent.

Architects can also help users by involving them in the design process. Learning about a client’s current teaching methods can help designers to ease the learning curve for teachers, and receiving input from them creates a more customized design that will be easier to adapt to. Virtual reality is a great tool for allowing teachers to experience their new classrooms before they are built and give live feedback. As designers it is our job to use all of the tools at our disposal to ease our clients into their new environments, and make sure they are using them successfully.

Lastly, as designers we should be connecting new clients to past clients who have gone through a similar process. This provides an opportunity for teachers to ask questions and to learn from one another. They can see 21^st century learning taking place and discover how these like-minded schools implemented change. Firsthand experiences and testimonies can go a long way in motivating educators.

Embracing Change

Outside of encouraging your designer to do these things, a lot can be done from the school’s side too. Principal Andrew Derry describes BISH as “the most pedagogically-advanced school building in the world,” but the school wasn’t always this way. When designing BISH’s innovative new campus, emphasis was put on providing a variety of specialized learning environments to support every type of student. The school built a prototype teaching space in their old library for teachers to experience the new direction, and it allowed teachers to familiarize themselves with the new environments and explore how best to use them. By the end of the year, administrators knew which teachers would come back to embrace the new curriculum, and which would move on.

Now, BISH teachers encourage students to collaborate at “watering holes,” present on “mountain tops” and share their experiences around “campfires.” BISH’s central atrium, called The Agora, serves as a “market place” to the community where students can participate in a wide-range of collaborative activities. And, for students who learn best on their own, “cave” spaces offer quiet solitude for personal reflection. Teachers at BISH leverage these spaces along with integrated technologies to support a wide range of lessons, projects and learning activities.

BISH Principal Andrew Derry was one of the biggest advocates for this change in instruction. To set a school on the right path, it is important that administrators embrace the concept and lead by example. Seeing leaders on board and excited for this progression within a school will help to excite teachers and staff.

Becoming Pedagogically Advanced

We came to EDspaces to discuss how to design a cave, but ended up talking about how to use one. Still, the message of our presentation holds true: with passion and creativity, 21^st century learning environments can be created and utilized regardless of budget. Administrators and architects must be advocates for these environments, and with them, changes in teaching. The first step is to be transparent with staff, explaining the new direction of your school and why these changes are happening. Then, ask your architect to connect you with schools that have gone through a similar process. Tour their facilities and study how they use spaces. Ask how they taught before, how they implemented change and about the benefits to how they teach now. This will help your school to formulate a plan going forward that everyone can get behind. Then, follow through. With inspiration, dedication and a willingness to change, any school can become pedagogically advanced.

Carla Remenschneider, RID, IIDA is director of interior design at Fanning Howey, a national architecture and engineering firm focused on the design of learning environments. She was the interior designer for the British International School of Houston. She can be reached at cremenschneider@fhai.com.

Ed Schmidt, AIA, is director of project management, The North Americas for Nord Anglia Education. He was the architect for the British International School of Houston. Ed can be reached at ed.schmidt@nordanglia.com.