17 Ways to Help Students With ADHD Concentrate

What a great article!
https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/17-ways-help-students-adhd-fidget

14 Things that are obsolete in 21st Century Schools

Ingvi Hrannar Ómarsson

Icelandic elementary teacher & Entrepreneur… passionate about the future of education.

www.ingvihrannar.com

Saying that it has always been this way, doesn’t count as a legitimate justification to why it should stay that way. Teacher and administrators all over the world are doing amazing things, but some of the things we are still doing, despite all the new solutions, research and ideas out there is, to put it mildly, incredible.

I’m not saying we should just make the current system better… we should change it into something else.

I have compiled a list of 14 things that are obsolete in 21st century schools and it is my hope that this will inspire lively discussions about the future of education.
Read more.....

Learning Spaces

I recently returned from a magnificent trip to Australia and Singapore. Amongst other things we spent lots of time talking and learning about 'learning spaces' and the profound impact such spaces have on the learning and teaching.

Resource Centres

Brisbane Grammar was a highlight for me. They have recently opened the Lilley Centre, a new 26 million dollar library centre, a state-of-the-art building equipped with the latest technology. Access to information– in all its various forms – audio, video, internet or printed material, is a priority. As the information centre of the school, the centre is multi-functional and exceptionally practical, designed to meet the pupils’ needs and likes. New technologies make so much possible and the centre offers video conferencing facilities linked also to a teaching training venue for professional development. The geography of the learning spaces is impressive. Classrooms are comfortable and practical; bright and airy with lots of glass. Furniture is easy to move and so rooms are able to be adapted to suit a particular class’s needs. Australians term this a flexible learning space.

The Lilley Centre is extremely popular with the pupils, and is an important social space, for collaborating on learning tasks and also for collaborating socially. Their Head of eLearning said that information literacy and the ability to access and evaluate information that promotes both independent learning and social responsibility, is a main focus. The aim is to empower and transform pupils by providing opportunities for critical thinking, meaningful creation of knowledge and a deeper understanding of complex world issues. There are spaces for pupils to work in small or big groups or on their own – and the technology is there to encourage publication and to equip pupils with the skills they will need to become flexible, innovative and reflective thinkers. Pupils’ work is displayed on large monitors all over the library. 

Information skills taught in isolation are of little value and their librarians are working partners with classroom teachers to plan, develop, implement and evaluate units of study.

•      reflect on information

•      select what is useful

•      evaluate its value 

Learning Spaces

BBG Brisbane

Classroom design has changed little in decades, other than aesthetic improvements such as colour, better lighting and furniture. Although modern classrooms are now equipped with computers, projectors, screens, sound equipment and possibly cameras, scanners and so forth, fundamentally the design has remained unchanged. Indeed, in many instances, classrooms have been adapted to accommodate technology in ways that make the technology problematic to use e.g. power or network points positioned poorly, inadequate wireless coverage, poor seating options or desk arrangements.

The learning space has a profound impact on the learning experience and my experiences confirm this. Many Australian schools have implemented what they term “flexible learning spaces” - rooms specifically designed to allow for easily adaptable classroom layouts and situations. This has enhanced the openness of the traditional classroom. Flexible classroom spaces are set up with multiple points of vision, with practical chairs and with light furniture that is easily rearranged. They are superbly kitted in terms of technology and particularly so that the technology is easy to use. Many too are able to be easily adapted to form part of a larger venue.  

St Hilda’s Head of School, Peter Crawley, believes that sight and access are the goals of better classroom design and that the use of glass is key. He says that classrooms are better for pupils and staff when designed using glass and allowing connectivity between spaces. To this end he designed classrooms with plenty of glass to enable the pupils in the room to see out and the room (and its activity) to be seen from the outside. Pupils and teachers are able to see between rooms and teachers enjoy the interaction that is possible between rooms. More of the great daily classroom experiences are thus visible and inadequate learning experiences are exposed.  He has found that pupil discipline is more self-directed in an open glassed environment. Furthermore, glass allows the classroom to be connected to other spaces but not be dominated by other spaces. Teachers are able to see each other in action and are easily able to assist each other or buddy-teach. Teachers appear comfortable and not isolated.  They feel welcome in each other’s space and the energy and collaboration that results is exciting to witness.

Besides the obvious physical benefits of adaptable spaces, there is also a noticeable atmosphere change in such rooms. The pupils respond differently within these rooms and from my interaction with pupils I would say that they seem to feel happy to work in such venues and like the informality and responsibility it presents. They are part of what they can see is happening around them and they respect that.