Talkin' 'bout my cerebration.

Thanks to our eLearning branch (Department of Education, Training and the Arts – Queensland) I had the opportunity to be involved in a webinar with Stephen Heppell on the design of learning spaces.  As he presented a range of ideas and pictures of various learning spaces from across the globe, the participants in the webinar commented and discussed as ideas came to them.  As is always to be expected, many barriers to changing existing spaces were presented, including budget, actual space allocated and others.  This always seems to happen when someone presents radical ideas on changing practice.

For me, my mind started to race on how I could change my learning spaces within the boundaries I have. My room has 4 walls, and furniture must be contained within those 4 walls.  My room will have 30 computers in it sometime next year.  But beyond that the slate is clean.  I can move desks, I can create spaces within the room.  I can access learning spaces outside the room.  I already do this on a small scale.  When I want to have a discussion with my students, I implement what we have termed a discussion circle.  We all grab our chairs, head outside and find a suitable place to sit in a circle.  There is also a great space in out library where there is a set of round tables in the middle, and 10 computers against the wall.

These existing spaces and some ideas from Stephen has my mind racing on how I can set up my room.  (I should point out the room in question is a shared classroom for my faculty, used by 8 different teachers).  I like the idea of a personal learning space – comfortable furniture where learners can listen to podcasts, watch documentaries / vodcasts, or read.  To enable this I would need to dedicate at least one computer but I am thinking it needs a dual purpose monitor.  One of those monitors that has TV reception and a built in DVD player.  I like the idea of computer pods throughout the classroom.  I like the idea of a presentation area where there are no desks.

Now I just need to see if I can fit these in, and whether the planed space is something students would be keen to learn in.  Part of this project will need to be professional development of my staff on how to use the space effectively. This will be my biggest challenge as I attempt to break down the perceived comfort zone of rows of desks facing the fromt of the room where the teacher feels the need to stand.  I’ll need to do some reading, and I think I can see my first Google Sketchup project in the design of my room.  There will be more to come on this.