Background:
School is a major component of our society where, especially children, gain and learn many social-emotional skills, networks, and support systems.
However, in the past years during remote, hybrid, and overall “new” methods of instruction, especially in the K-12 sector, educational environments are being questioned more than ever before. Spaces that do not inspire creativity, enable technology, nor allow for fluid and flexible instruction/learning to take place are begging the question: does this still work in today’s world?
Mobile technology that is (largely) accessible to all, a rise of automation, AI-tech, and learning technologies as a whole have enabled students to learn in ways unimagined when many schools were built. Similarly, the way we work, and the careers that exist, did not exist when schools were built and continue to change dramatically each generation.
We have seen innovation in learning in many environments, and know that students can learn successfully in many different ways. How do our schools respond to this new world?
Opportunity Statement:
The classroom of the past is no longer viable, and the classroom of the present is lacking. The classroom of the future calls: how will we answer? How do we ensure that this environment prepares students for the lives they will lead?
Resources:
- Let’s rethink K-12 education | Jeffrey Huston | TedXKentState
- The Class of 2030 and Life–Ready Learning | Microsoft EDU
- How to build the classroom of the future
- What does the classroom of the future look like? The 4 big trends
- 2022 OER on The Classroom of the Future
I am so passionate about this topic that I do NOT have the answer to.
What is the purpose of formal education?
What is should we be doing in class?
Is school a “place” or an “idea”?
In the TED Talk, Huston said we are building an education based on industrial assumption, evaluated by standardized testing, which makes the system fragmented. On the one hand, I see how technology can remove standardized system and accommodate for diverse learning styles and paces. However, I am always keeping in mind that education is not accessible to all learners. Some students still prefer concept thinking and assessed testing, where they build confidence through hard work (memorizing) and resilience. I do discount the “memorization part”, but in culture in Asia, it is embedded in the culture that there is pride in following the system and excelling at it. Giving students too much freedom, especially in relying heavily on technology to do their work. Thinking for those that don’t have equal access to technology, this can exacerbate existing inequities, leaving some students at a disadvantage. For the classroom of the future to be truly effective, it must prioritize inclusivity and ensure that all students have the necessary tools and support.
Perhaps traditional layouts still hinder true collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and character development, but
In my mind, equity in learning involves a purposefully reflective practice intended to identify and assess the needs for improved access to learning experiences. Therefore it is the intentional design of a learning space and activity that increases or hinders access. As teachers, we try to do this in the units we design and the experiences we plan for my students. Beyond that, there are the affordances of the building itself, the classrooms, and our shared resources and technology. Creating equity is a noble pursuit, with the goal for all members of society to feel welcome through shared sense of belonging; that said, it can feel chaotic and unwieldy for those of us who were raised and even trained within more traditional and industrial models of education.
However, I do agree that many people seem to push themselves harder in an environment of competition — to meet or exceed (standardized) outcomes or benchmarks — and I would also agree that this style of performance assessment is valued more in certain regions of the world and amongst certain cultures.
Equity creates participation for learning and that equity is unique to the space and the people involved — but the assessment of that learning cannot involve similar levels of diversification at present — as we still design classrooms with one human teacher, and educational assistant or two, and 20 to 30 students. Time to plan and assess is not meaningfully included in the design of the public system, and so teachers likely (consciously or subconsciously) default to some level of standardization to measure student progress (as with a classic “bell curve”).
I work at a school that was recently redesigned to be open and accessible. Classrooms are wide open spaces with windows, and teachers are expected to move to different spaces for different purposes/subjects. My “classroom” is on a cart and comes with me to meet my students in the different areas of the buidling. It is a community school, where the community holds events like cooking classes. We have a community garden that feeds many of our studetns and their families. Technology is mobile, placed in carts which can be booked and then moved to where it is needed.
to create an effective classroom of the future, we must prioritize inclusivity, ensuring that all students have the necessary tools and support. And this is an effort that engages all stakeholders – educators, students, and the community around them
In my mind, equity in learning involves a purposefully reflective practice intended to identify and assess the needs for improved access to learning experiences. Therefore it is the intentional design of a learning space and activity that increases or hinders access. As teachers, we try to do this in the units we design and the experiences we plan for my students. Beyond that, there are the affordances of the building itself, the classrooms, and our shared resources and technology. Creating equity is a noble pursuit, with the goal for all members of society to feel welcome through shared sense of belonging; that said, it can feel chaotic and unwieldy for those of us who were raised and even trained within more traditional and industrial models of education.
However, I do agree that many people seem to push themselves harder in an environment of competition — to meet or exceed (standardized) outcomes or benchmarks — and I would also agree that this style of performance assessment is valued more in certain regions of the world and amongst certain cultures.
Equity creates participation for learning and that equity is unique to the space and the people involved — but the assessment of that learning cannot involve similar levels of diversification at present — as we still design classrooms with one human teacher, and educational assistant or two, and 20 to 30 students. Time to plan and assess is not meaningfully included in the design of the public system, and so teachers likely (consciously or subconsciously) default to some level of standardization to measure student progress (as with a classic “bell curve”).
I work at a school that was recently redesigned to be open and accessible. Classrooms are wide open spaces with windows, and teachers are expected to move to different spaces for different purposes/subjects. My “classroom” is on a cart and comes with me to meet my students in the different areas of the buidling. It is a community school, where the community holds events like cooking classes. We have a community garden that feeds many of our studetns and their families. Technology is mobile, placed in carts which can be booked and then moved to where it is needed.