I'm Connie Hamilton, curriculum director in Saranac, MI and co-author of Hacking Homework. Ready to talk Learning Spaces in #HackLearning this morning.
Hi! Angela from very snowy Buffalo. I'm a writer, a teacher, and a professional learning facilitator. I'm also a #HackLearning author, and I'm psyched about this topic.
Morning, #hacklearning. I'm Brian. I teach middle-school students English in CO. Eager to chat about space. But, the final frontier? I take mild issue w/Captain Kirk: it's just one of many frontiers! https://t.co/kXGBK8FzEw
A1 At a minimum it communicates that there is a new approach to learning going on in here. It also helps students feel comfortable and addresses their learning needs (movement, standing, collaboration...) #HackLearning
A1: Materials matters. The stuff we invite Ss to use provides permission+invites experimentation. The way we design our environment gives permission for certain kinds of engagement too. It also sets an expectation. #HackLearning
A1 Learning spaces define what “success” means. Are the desks all the same? Success = conformity. Facing front? Success = listening to the teacher. In a circle? Success = talking and getting the group to listen. In pairs? Success = sharing and collaborating. #HackLearning
A1: Different learning spaces create better opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and overall student comfort and ownership. When they can choose their set up, it gives them more say in their learning. #hacklearning
A1: Varied learning spaces allow students to engage with their peers in different ways for different projects and outcomes, students are not clones and they all learn differently, they are all going to have preferences in not only how they learn but where they learn #hacklearning
A1: Different learning spaces means different means of showing thought, collaboration amongst Ss, and perhaps can allow a teacher to be a part of a class and assist Ss as well. #HackLearning
A1: Your #learningspace should match the outcome you’re looking for with your students. Nothing worse than trying to get work done in a way that is not fitting your purpose. #HackLearning
A1) Learning spaces can invite Ss into the learning experience, or not. A learning space should be well thought out and planned. Classrooms do NOT have to be the only learning space. We should challenge ourselves to think beyond typical learning spaces. #hacklearning
I like to think my physical space creates a vibe ... creates a space where the learning activities can happen. Tech helps blow the roof off the classroom #hacklearning
A1: Your learning space setup should reflect what you want to accomplish with it. i.e. pairs, groups, open-seating, etc. Ask yourself some questions:
Is collaboration involved? Would this benefit student learning? What would be the pros and cons?
#HackLearning
So many amazing #HackLearning Ambassadors here. I appreciate your dedication to progressive #education.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today.
Great! I am a teacher educator who only 'meets' teachers digitally. I am exploring how to best do that in ways that showcase best practices for their future classrooms. #HackLearning
A1: The easiest reason is organization. Ss are able to figure out where to go & what to do in certain spaces. We can set learning behaviors depending on the #learningspace. #HackLearning
A1 This question has me evaluating my reasoning behind wanting to bring an old dining table to school. Now I'm thinking of Nancie Atwell and Kylene Beers who I've hard say book discussions happen around their dining tables. #HackLearning
Reminds me of the quote recently by @gcouros where he talks about engagement vs empowerment ... we need to empower sts to learn (with and without the tchr) ♥️ #HackLearning
A1) Different learning spaces have the ability to reduce anxiety by making the students feel safe. This shift places the emphasis on their social emotional well-being as well as their intellectual growth. #HackLearning
A1 Diffrent learning spaces also offer different opportunties for learning. Not every activity or student are the same. Being flexible and moving around for the activity or creating opportunities/space for the student can have an impact. #hacklearning
A1 Brains habituate to all kinds of repeated stimuli. Changing those up, including configurations of space, means novelty, which can confer its own cognitive reward. #hacklearning
A1 As much as possible we're trying to lower the walls of the classrooms & get Ss out in the world to make connections, whether physically or digitally. #hacklearning
Innovative learning spaces should be designed WITH students not for students. Giving voice and choice in the classroom environment is critical! #HackLearning
A1: Jumping in late this morning from Michigan. Learning spaces are key at the elementary level. High interest and high engagement are important outcomes. Ss are envouraged to collaborate and movement is a part of the landscape. #HackLearning
Good morning. Tanya from MI. Not sure how I stumbled upon this chat at just the right time, but #learningspaces is one of my favorite EDU topics. #hacklearning
A1: The design of the learning space helps to create the desired atmosphere of the classroom. It helps to build classroom culture! #HackLearning What are we trying to accomplish in our room? 👍🏻
My high school science classroom uses large lab tables pushed together so students are seated in groups of 4. This facilitates collaboration and communication which are essential 21st century skills. #Hacklearning
I'm required to use Blackboard, but I also use Google, @padlet and @Flipgrid as my core tools to facilitate collaboration and sharing our voices. #HackLearning
Agree.This shifts everything for me as a writing workshop teacher. Traditional models are very teacher-centered. I'm compelled by the notion of future-ready workshops. Tinkering with quite a few ideas and learning much beside teachers who are taking some good risks. #HackLearning
Oddly ... i created my 21st century learning environment by being inspired by an 18th century Boston Tavern where revolutionaries hung out. #hacklearning
A1: FLS is about student choice and independence. It is about creating a certain culture that shows respect for the learner: his/her needs and trust in their choices to offer the optimal learning environment. #hacklearning
A1: Flexible seating, choice in all areas, including instruction, more opportunities for authentic interactions between teachers and students #HackLearning
A2: I love playing with comfortable seating options, standing options, and lighting. The best ideas have always come from the kids. They’re sort of magical. #HackLearning
I use these as well. Each invites different kind of learning and writing. I used Blackboard when I was teaching grad classes as well. It was clunky then. A while ago, though. #HackLearning
A1 Allowing Ss to choose where they sit/stand when they learn is an important part of choice. Cozy learning environments also send the message that we're safe here #HackLearning
When I created comfort in the classroom--bean bag chairs, carpeting, etc., kids feel more relaxed. Removing stress makes learning more enjoyable.
#HackLearning
A2: Not all spaces (science lab, band room, foods, etc) lend themselves to current trend of flex seating/coffee house seating. I have a "comfy corner" w/ a couch and some beanbags, but what else can those of us in non-traditional classes try? #hacklearning
#LearningSpaces do not have to be expensive ... you don't have to have special furniture or software ... just have to have an open mind. Your space is your gift to your students. #hacklearning
A2: For MS Band I’ve seen an aisle way right down the middle of the ensemble so the T can easily move to back rows, a band room with no conductor’s podium as well is another thing I’ve seen. #HackLearning
A2: Variety. Choices. Good classroom "management" and relationships helps with this also. I've seen classes where this is more of a distraction than a help.
#hacklearning
Innovative learning spaces should be designed WITH students not for students. Giving voice and choice in the classroom environment is critical! #HackLearning
I use a Google Site as well. I find some are hesitant to go online outside of our password-protected community, so I am working on that. I also need to better connect and get to know them online, just as I do on-campus. #HackLearning
In reply to
@supervxn, @AngelaStockman, @padlet, @Flipgrid, @Wix
A2) In some ways. We have table groups, & I'd love to replace them w/something else. However, I share a classroom w/the Spanish T. I can't just go & change things up the way I'd like. #hacklearning
A2 Classrooms with doors that open into the media center or into the makerspace/lab - allowing Ss to freely move from one space to another #HackLearning
A2: Modifying existing furniture to repurposing household items. Tables with leg extensions removed allow kids to work on the floor or sit on 5 gallon paint buckets with seat cushions added for comfort! Yoga balls, stools and standing tables also offer options. #HackLearning
I love this. Students need to learn to advocate for themselves. We can't possibly teach them how unless we have choice, flexibility and a student-centered classroom. #HackLearning
I have been using video recording with @Flipgrid to get my students to speak more. Modified learning environment and philosophy make it easier. #HackLearning
Jumping in to #HackLearning to say this about learning spaces. My guess is that those of us that have been teaching a long time know we can make magic happen no matter what the learning space looks like or what it has in it. Does it make it easier with certain things? Of course.
A2: Repurposing cast-off furniture to create new and more meaningful spaces. Example: bookshelves+hollow core door painted with chalkboard paint=standing desk/table for design work. #HackLearning
A2 It is tough in the Band setting to get creative BUT... Changing grouping not basd on instrument. Allowing small group work, change of space for practice, chair type. Ultimately there has to be some formality to the dsign but it doesn't ALWAYS have to be that way. #hacklearning
DELIVERY of instruction must change along with learning spaces!!
Rearrange the desks AND then be sure not to be "The Sage on the Stage," but the GUIDE on the RIDE!!
#hacklearning
A2 Many of us can’t change our #learningspaces very much, but we all can teach our students to notice and choose for themselves how they want to relate to their learning spaces. Even in spaces that don’t empower them, how can they empower themselves? #HackLearning
A2: There will always be desks & chairs, but arranging them in a such a manner that the T is not the center of the classroom. I arrange these in such a way that I can access all Ss when placed in flexible groups. #HackLearning
A1: As I’ve worked to design my #flexiblelearning space, I’ve found it’s about designing in a way that supports the learning. These are some different seating options in my room and what they support in my workshops. #hacklearning#edchat#flexibleseating
I'd add: Trust, but verify.
Specifically, include time to debrief flexible-seating choices with students. "How'd that go? What really worked? What didn't? How could we improve next time?" Coaching opportunities abound. when we crowd-source observations. #hacklearning
A2 My room (carpeted levels and no desks) allows for great brain breaks--students can move about easily and form groups easily. I have a few small tables for students who need them. #hacklearning
Students need to see themselves in the classroom. Ask them what they want. Ask them to design the space. Ask them how they see themselves inside the space. #HackLearning
A2.1: Also, in elem general music I’ve seen a decrease in having a front of a classroom. Lessons are taught as if the T is a part of the class. #HackLearning
This is fantastic! You have inspired me to do the same, but in my digital teaching as well. I was struggling with how to articulate the why of what I do, but this just inspired me with a way! #HackLearning
Agree. Also important that Ss understand this choice is one they can make. So they learn that their voice can support their learning needs. #HackLearning
A1) Different learning spaces have the ability to reduce anxiety by making the students feel safe. This shift places the emphasis on their social emotional well-being as well as their intellectual growth. #HackLearning
Completely agree. When my Ss choose different areas to learn, I move around constantly to conference with them and see how they're doing, if they need to make other choices #HackLearning
To label something as a "learning space" by default labels other places as for something else. In an attempt to specialize, teachers are getting in the way of their own goals. #HackLearning
These are from August ... I have moved some of the furniture around #hacklearning#learningspaces I also have outside areas ... picnic table ... benches I will get more updated pics tomorrow
I struggle with this as well. I love the comfy corner idea and have seen different seating choices for the rare times we are doing written work but I worry about cluttering the space with options when I need space for movement. #HackLearning
A2 - do think we need to use research to not cover walls in a classroom with lots of store bough instructrivia - distracts kids and limits their ownership of the white spaces #HackLearning
In reply to
@SylviaEllison, @ideaguy42, @thinkboard
Classroom environments should connect our kids, empower them, and give them a sense of belonging. Their voices in this is essential. Bring in their outer contextual world to the inner contexts of classrooms. #HackLearning
A3: At a recent PD session on Flexible Seating one of the presenters had quotes from Ss about how it has helped them. I think it'd be great to build off that and make it into a video, sharing it out on your school/class social media. #hacklearning
A3: Invite them in and let them experience learning in very different spaces. Ask them to capture observations, feelings, own learning. Talk with them, purposefully. #HackLearning
A2: Some of the best hacks I’ve found is really capitalizing on the space you have. I’ve removed the big teacher desk, removed cupboard doors to make a storage space for students, asked for custodians to install lights under counters so Ss can work there. #hacklearning#edchat
Exactly. I'd like to add some stools as a seating option instead of our regular chairs, but even those aren't practical for all instrument groups and writing is pretty rare for us too. LOVE flex seating, it's just not super practical in all spaces. #hacklearning
A3: flexible learning spaces are important for student comfort when learning. It’s another version of differentiation. Students needs are understood by many parents, so they many get the need for alternative #learningspaces#HackLearning
A3: Tours around the classroom during S-P-T conferences & let the S show their Ps around. How does the S see the space? How did they explain what the space is for? As well as having an open classroom, both physically & virtually. #HackLearning
A3: I think it is important for stakeholders to see the differences in learning spaces and how it allows the children to really step into their own element in learning #hacklearning
#HackLearning Parents/relatives get to understand flexible seating and layouts through coming into school to work with the children in the classroom environment. They come in every month. They know longer ask “where is my child’s desk?”
A3) Promote the idea w/others; invite others in; give a presentation; be the change; helps Ts think through the logistics of making it work in their rooms. #HackLearning
A3: Have them sit behind a traditional student desk for 7.5 hrs? I am always reminded of the need to modify the student learning spaces when I go to workshops and find myself in the same predicament my ss used to find themselves in. Educate all parties in involved! #hacklearning
In my classroom:
1. I am a GUIDE on the RIDE.
2. The noise level is LOUDER.
3. Students work COLLABORATIVELY.
4. Learners are EMPOWERED.
5. Technology is used to CREATE.
6. Diversity is EMBRACED.
https://t.co/dgVwIKz35p#HackLearning
Agreed. Let’s not spend our money on teacher-store posters. I’d rather see teachers creating with students to add content to the walls, if needed. Too much can be overwhelming! #HackLearning
A2 - do think we need to use research to not cover walls in a classroom with lots of store bough instructrivia - distracts kids and limits their ownership of the white spaces #HackLearning
In reply to
@SylviaEllison, @ideaguy42, @thinkboard
When creating your #learningspace create a list of must haves ... what needs to be in your space? ... how many students? What do your students really want in there? #hacklearning
If we don’t encourage mindset change then we are going to have learning spaces that look different but function in the same Industrial Age educational manner. #HackLearning
When parents see and feel the transformation of their kids’ learning , they will understand and celebrate flexible environments. Show them the learning. #HackLearning
A3: Communicate your purpose! Share your vision! Share research and Tweet successes! When they know it is much more than the T trying to be cute, they get it! We have Watch D.O.G.S. (dads) in to spend a full day at school. They get it when they experience it! #HackLearning
Exactly! I believe in anchor charts, but those should be made w/the class. Then, you keep up what you need, & take things down when it's no longer needed. #hacklearning
We just invited our school board in to visit our classrooms. Important for the community to see how engaged students are when they are comfortable. #HackLearning
A3 Strikes me that featuring school's innovative physical spaces in action via quick digital clips distributed to community's hot channels is 1 way to accomplish this & cultivate wider understanding. #hacklearning
A3 - realize you never get there but we have run work sessions with the Board that includes kids, teachers, architects, librarians and more to discuss learning space redesign #HackLearning
Thank you ... @JSAPrincipal has given me quite a bit of latitude for creating my space ... also has let me salvage broken tables to build my tables. #hacklearning
Reminds me of the quote recently by @gcouros where he talks about engagement vs empowerment ... we need to empower sts to learn (with and without the tchr) ♥️ #HackLearning
A few weeks ago I remodeled my classroom. Told Ss that I wanted something with more spaces for working & a few of them offered to design it on 'the Sims' & we created it. It turned out beautifull & is truly their space now. #HackLearning
A3: Kitchens are where we prepare meals. Bedrooms are where we go to sleep. Learning spaces are meant to facilitate learning with the mediums and tools best for a particular activity. #HackLearning#edchat#education
Yes, I have seen educators take this notion and use it as a fad versus a tool to enhance the learning environment. #LearningSpaces alone will not guarantee #Learning. Educators must help facilitate the purpose and connection to learning through the learning spaces.
#hacklearning A3 Invite them in, share your classroom digitally, and encourage conversation between Ss and Ps about what it was like when the Ps were in school and now!
A3 but most important part of process is to focus on end in mind - the kind of learning we believe leads to life success and how space redesign facilitate that - #HackLearning
A3 Parents & community members can understand learning spaces experientially (e.g. on curriculum night). Have them experience a variety of learning environments and then discuss how they were impacted. Then host a redesign lab w/parents, teachers, and students. #HackLearning
Shh, only #HackLearning chat attendees get this top secret info. We were thinking March for this incredible book by the inimitable @AngelaStockman.
Because our team is so amazing, we're thinking we might make late February. Keep your eyes open for it at https://t.co/L1vgYxKWjw
#HackLearning A2 If you can’t redesign the physical space for student learning, try varying the activities and the groups. Learning stations, intentional or random groups change the experience for the learner. Bring in authentic realia.
And on the other side of that coin, adding some stability balls and calling it alternative seating doesn’t necessarily change the mindset of the teacher.
You should just have stuff in your room that's, like, safe enough that if you sit on it it doesn't fall over, but light enough that you can move it around. There. Done.
Having a great sound system is important to me and my kids ... when I am playing a video with explosions I want them and the kids in the portable next to us to feel it #hacklearning
Adding to @korytellers “Any place I hang my hat, I call home.” Any place I learn, I call my learning space.” #hacklearning Not that the bells and whistles are not enticing.
Join #HackLearning chat Feb 18 at 8:30-9:00am EDT when @pammoran and @irasocol will be guest moderators leading chat on the "hacky" topic of Zero Based Design - Building Schools from Scratch
I would like to add another question: How can we help higher education understand this as well so we are modeling for our future teachers? Something I continue to grapple with! #HackLearning
Exactly! I believe in anchor charts, but those should be made w/the class. Then, you keep up what you need, & take things down when it's no longer needed. #hacklearning
A3: Transparency wall have an open house and show the “why” and the benefits - then post exciting parts of it often so familia feel a part #HackLearning
