The way we design new schools, and alter our existing spaces, is absolutely core to how we are able to harness learning technology and introduce new thinking around learning. How high is this on the agenda of education leaders around you? And do you want to learn more?
November 11th I will be co-hosting a live webchat with Ian Fordham, Deputy Director of the British Council for School Environments, and co-founder of the Centre for School Design in London, as part of the GETideas.org series. It coincides with the Building Better Schools Forum in London. You're welcome to join us live (check your time zone), and we'll make sure to post the discussion as soon as possible afterwards. Sign-up has already started.
Ian has written a great piece on the GETideas Thought Leaders site:
"...Education policy in Britain has new influences--Charter and Knowledge is Power Programme (KIPP) Schools in the U.S. and Parent Promoted Schools in Sweden--and new models of schooling Academies and Free Schools. As with most countries, the education system is also under ever more pressure to deliver better outcomes on a much reduced budget. Yet despite a more for less environment, we must not retreat into old ways of thinking. Educators must be agile, incubators of innovation and constantly find ways of pushing the system forward."
My own post looks in a more practical way at how we can adapt and rebuild spaces, often at low or no-cost, to enable us to better harness the different technologies and learning activities we are now able to undertake, that were not available even five or ten years ago.
Have a read if you can, and sign up for the live web chat with Ian and me. We'd be delighted to hear about your stories, too, or your thoughts on what's not gone quite right in your own learning spaces. If you have a story you'd like us to help set up on the night for you, just leave a comment here.
The picture, above, is of St Cyprian's school library, Cape Town, South Africa. See more, and hear from their Head Teacher on how school design inspires creativity throughout her school.
This is so critical. I spent last week working with schools on this: http://speedchange.blogspot.com/2010/11/third-technology.html
Thanks so much for focusing attention on this. Learning spaces should liberate. It is extraordinarily difficult to fully re-think education without altering the spaces which enframe learning for kids.
Posted by: Ira Socol | November 07, 2010 at 03:30 PM