Learning Spaces
The learning spaces group initially formed with a group of likeminded teachers who were interested in evaluating the impact the learning environment could possibly have on the progress of their students, the well-being of their students and the overall school day experience of their students. This was then narrowed down into the following focus questions:
1) To what extent are your teaching and learning strategies determined by the “spaces” you have to work in?
2) How do the “learning spaces” offered in schools influence student engagement and combat sedentary behaviour?
3) How can learning technology/strategies help students to work within these new “spaces”?
4) Do different “learning spaces” change the relationship between the teacher and the learners?
Craig - History
The History department found themselves introducing standing desks at the beginning of this school year for a number of reasons. Firstly we were interested in evaluating whether we were offering our students at Markham a 21st century education in a 19th century environment. Secondly we were shocked to find out that on average on average Markham students will participate in anywhere between thirty two and thirty six sedentary/semi sedentary learning periods per week. Finally we felt that due to the relative low cost/ high impact nature of the implementation it would ultimately benefit our students and go some way to combating sedentary behavior and LPA at Markham College. Although the implementation can still be considered to be in its early stages, the positive response from students and staff has been pleasing. The stand-up desks have forced me to re-evaluate aspects of my teaching style and this reflection can only be a positive factor moving forward. The students who have been extensively using the stand up desks were surveyed about their usage and provided some the interesting results such as 75.8% of the students have enjoyed using the standing desks, alongside 77.4% believing that their posture had been improved. Ultimately, being a realist, I understand that school wide classrooms solely consisting of stand up desks are not the answer to all of our prayers, but their usage combined with a range of varying learning space furniture does have a place in a 21st century classroom and I will be ordering a few more for next year.
Paul - TOK
I have been a willing guinea pig for Craig´s standing desk experiment since the start of the year. In the main I have found his revamped history room to be a stimulating learning environment for the 5B TOK class of some 15 students that assemble there every Wednesday for a double period. At first there was some resistance among a few of the students to the idea of having to stand for the entire 80 minutes of the lesson. But despite their reservations, I found that the layout and design of the tables aided significantly in promoting the type of socratic discussion and debate that is a key part of the TOK experience. As the students were already on their feet, there was much less of a physical or psychological barrier when it came to inviting them to participate in group discussion activities, or in holding forth individually within a horseshoe or circular arrangement of desks - picture the British PM standing at the dispatch box. It has also helped in keeping the lessons dynamic and interactive, taking away the option to fall back on the default lesson formula which, if you consider its implications purely in terms of physical movement, relies on the conventionally passive model of teacher up front while blotting-paper students absorb knowledge from the safety of their chairs laid out some distance below his eye-line. Breaking the conventional seating model is something that works particularly well in TOK as it lends itself more to a horizontal style of delivery: with teacher and the students investigating a particular theme or concept as knowers, often on an equal footing. With Craig Hill´s stand-up desk arrangement, I found myself literally at the same level as the students, which was challenging, not to say intimidating at times. As Craig mentions in his piece, towards the second half of the semester, old-fashioned tables and chairs were added in response to requests from those who found standing for 80 minutes overly taxing on their limbs. (As a teacher, you have the advantage that you are free to move around, but the students, although standing, are still confined to one space for most of the time.) Although this u-turn could be seen as a betrayal of the aims of the experiment, I would support his argument that the decision provided an elegant compromise that accommodated both dynamic and conventional layout options within the same space - a model perhaps for how we might proceed in the future with department heads given the budget to invest in this type of furniture to complement existing units. In conclusion I cannot recommend enough the experience of trying out this style of classroom for a semester or so. At the very least it keeps you on your toes (just like our sometimes-reluctant guinea pigs at their desks), challenging one to revisit lesson plans that, in my case, default too easily to a university-lecture style of delivery, while paying too little heed to the mental and physical demands that listening attentively for 40 minutes puts on your learners - especially when your captive audience is on its feet for the duration of the ordeal, I mean enthrallingly structured learning experience of course...
Nicola - Science/6th Form
The Science classrooms are very limiting - not only do several teachers share classrooms, which brings its own problems, but the desks are heavy and fixed in place. One of my motivations for joining the Learning Spaces group was to seek solutions to the issue of not being able to change the classroom layout.
Generally, in Science students are working in groups, on practical activities and projects, and there is a lot of movement around the room. The layout of the desks makes it difficult to interact with students effectively and they can act as a barrier to good communication.
I explained to one of my S4 rotation groups that I was looking at learning spaces and told them that they should make themselves comfortable when working and feel free to sit on desks, use the floor space or the corridor outside if they wanted to.
Adrienne - Inside/Outside Spaces
My classroom overlooks the field and all of the tranquil trees that line the outside of it. Students in my classes have the benefit of looking at the beautiful view from inside the classroom and access to quiet greenspace when PE classes are not present. Most of us can agree that a pleasant view can make all the difference, but for me, the quick point to outside adds a special dynamic to the atmosphere in the class. On the rare occasion that we see sun in winter, the students can take their work outside (laptops, as well) and perch themselves on the little slope that looks on to my classroom. Other students are welcome to stay in the classroom if they choose, as these two spaces are so close to each other that the outside areas is almost like an extension of the classroom. I have noticed that with this possibility, students are able to chat and collaborate more freely. Problems with sounds and space are lessened. Students have commented that they enjoy having the freedom to move around, and since they can sit, stand or work on their tummies outside, the atmosphere feels less rigid.
Another benefit of having this outdoor space is that I can use it to display student work.
At the beginning of bimester 3, my S1 classes (80 students in total) set out to complete contour island project out of various materials. It quickly became evident that my peaceful classroom would be unable to house all of the projects, so I started storing them outside whenever I had other classes to teach. The outdoor area suddenly became an outside gallery visited by students from different year groups and a few teachers. I was a little embarrassed by all of the wasteful materials that had been used in the process of these projects (despite my urging to use recyclable items), but it was a teachable moment. In the end, I like the idea of using the space to exhibit work here and there. Some students said that they enjoyed seeing what other classes were up to and others felt a little inspired by what they saw.
Ed - Music
When asked to think about the spaces one uses as an educator it seems at first instance that the role of a “music teacher” is very different to that of a more conventional subject. There are of course similarities in that we must engage our pupils in a series of tasks that will elicit a response that produces a final piece of work. But in the case of the music teacher it second nature to different areas of the department and this of course means that children must self-regulate their own behaviour throughout at least some part of the lesson without an adult present.
To my mind it is incredibly important that we use the spaces available to us in the most productive way. Over the course of this year I have taught in classrooms, rehearsal spaces, in the foyer of the Arts Building and in the smaller practice rooms. All of these spaces have their advantages and of course disadvantages, so having taken some time to think about what makes a good lesson I have decided that it is important to create an environment where each child has the chance to “thrive” during at least some part of the class. After all its unrealistic to expect that every child’s needs can be catered for throughout an 80 minute lesson to the point that they are engaged in their learning and there are no distractions. I believe that this is an impossible task and as teachers we would be setting ourselves up for failure each lesson.
I therefore had to start thinking about how I use my spaces during the course of each lesson:
The Starter Activity My classroom space allows for a horse shoe shape for students with chairs that have desks attached. This means that we can start each lesson with a discussion of prior learning. It also means that we have clearer communication between the students and actual discussion, there is no need for them to turn around since they are able to maintain eye contact and engage with their peers. I am able sit in the middle of the space and not behind my desk and then model the type of questions they should be asking each other or model the type of musical responses I would expect at a later stage of the lesson.
Planning group work Since the pupils have now been able to engage in productive conversation that has been led by me as a facilitator I now ask the pupils to move themselves into small “hubs” to plan what will take place in the lesson itself. The chairs with desks allow this to happen very easily and I am therefore able to move around the classroom and prompt questioning or responses should my help be needed.
Practical activity This is the most effective part of the lesson for the pupils to become more independent learners and thinkers but it is also the part of the lesson that they are no longer in my presence. But I have found that this is also the part of the lesson that they can work most effectively given parameters and correct guidance. I have found over the course of the year that these breakout spaces away from the teacher do in fact create “Safe Spaces” for the pupils and for their learning. I have in my teaching always found that these practical music making sessions can enhance not only the final outcome but also the engagement that takes place during the lesson. But because of the work that I have been doing this year with the Learning Spaces group I have begun to ask why? After much thought and some questioning of the students in my classes I have decided that it because these break out spaces allow the students to present away from the rest of the class. As teachers we have to remember that whilst some pupils will thrive when being asked to present in front of their peers, others will only fear this final presentation. It is therefore because of these safe spaces that I am able to give feedback in a more one to one setting. It also allows for the child to gain a better understanding of the task at hand and for me to become more informed about their strengths and weaknesses. As a musician I have also been reminded that as a student I myself did not always thrive when asked to play individually within an orchestral setting since it is often daunting to play in front of your peers. What is also interesting to note is that the pupils themselves are far better at regulating their own learning during this part of the lesson and if a problem does arise in the course of this period of independent work they will come looking for you to help them. As interesting as the seeking of help is, I have also noticed that once my solicited advice has been sought I am politely thanked for my contribution and for all intents and purposes dismissed as their teacher as they begin to explore whatever new concept they have chosen to add to their work.
Plenary At this point we are back into the classroom as members of an audience to hear a part of the work that has been produced. There will be a performance space at the front of the class and the horse shoe arrangement that was present at the beginning of the session. This allows for familiarity and another safe space for the pupils. After the performances have taken place we are now able to engage in discussion as to What Worked Well and how the work would be Even Better If since this has already modelled at the beginning of the lesson.
In conclusion
“Self-regulation” can be daunting for many teachers as they begin their professional lives or indeed for some practitioners it is not something that they will ever feel comfortable with. I have been observed by many colleagues that have questioned “How there can be classroom control in a situation that is often so noisy” or “How can you ensure that learning is taking place if your pupils are not always in your classroom”. There is a simple answer to this…..I can’t always be sure that learning is taking place but I have to trust that is and of course there is an evaluation of the work that takes place be it through group work presentation or working with individuals on a one to one basis.
Now there are some teachers who will dismiss this “trusting of pupils” as lazy teaching. I would however argue that standing in front of your class or worse still sitting at your desk and delivering your lesson like you are preaching to your congregation is in fact the worse way to ensure that any form of “sustainable learning” taking place. We are not the font of all knowledge and we do not have all the answers. But we do know how to get the right answers and how best to present them, and we have done this through becoming self-regulated learners over many years.
I think that all too often we forget that our ultimate goal as teachers is to make ourselves redundant and that although we wish to pass on our love of our subject to someone else sometimes we forget that we could possibly engage even more students if we simply used the spaces available to us in a more productive way. This could then allow our students to present themselves in surroundings that they are comfortable and familiar with whilst ultimately gaining the confidence to showcase their skills and knowledge in a medium that is unfamiliar or perhaps daunting.
You can find some videos of students in this Google Folder.