21st Century Learning Space: no seating plan required

When was the last time that you were a student?

At my last teacher P.D. session, I reflected on the learning that was happening in the room. I felt like I was back in high school all over again.

Hard chairs.
Sitting all day.
Directed through every activity.
No choice as to how I learned or what I learned.
Sitting in the same spot. Not with my friends.

Ok, it wasn't actually that bad. But, by the end of the day I was sore, tired, cranky, and didn't feel like I learned the best that I could have.

My own classroom has moved toward being a 21st century learning space. We no longer have a seating plan. Students move and sit where they need to for each learning activity. As I sit here and reflect, the behaviour issues during class time have decreased. It isn't perfect, by any stretch, and I have a couple of students who need to be redirected. They still have an assigned seat because they can't manage themselves. I have had to give them an assigned space because that better meets their learning needs. But they are no longer distracting others from learning and they are more productive and on-task this way.

We don't have all of our new furniture in place, and are in a transition stage. We have some traditional desks in the room still, in groups. We do have a carpet area, benches and standing height cafe tables and stools. By making the changes gradually it seems to have made for an easier transition.







My own children testing out our new classroom cafe tables after school.













The students now enter my class each day and choose where to sit. I have noticed that they tend to sit in the same spot at the beginning of each period. Then, once I set them off on an activity, they move to where they feel they need to.

What I have learned from this:

• intermediate students usually prefer to work on the floor
• they like to work in the most uncomfortable looking configurations if it means that they get to be close with their friends
• sitting at tall cafe tables makes them sit more upright, speak more quietly, and collaborate more closely
• it's easier to give feedback as I move around and mingle with the students at their different seating spaces, and it's a more relaxed atmosphere
• sometimes it's noisy
• there is more learning going on than what I see at first glance (thank goodness, because some days it looks and sounds like recess time)
• standing-height spaces allows for the best on-task collaboration
• having no front-of-the-room cuts down on the teacher-directed learning
• wireless projectors, Apple TV and 2 projection surfaces are AWESOME
• chairs and regular desks lead to slouching, laying on the desk, and more disengagement
• when they are tired or disengaged they move back to the desks and slump

Once I have the rest of my furniture in place, I am planning to get feedback from my students. We did a pre-survey a while ago about our classroom, before I made changes.  I am very curious as to what their thoughts are about the new learning space. I do feel that some of the students prefer to be told where to sit. Is this a product of years of seating plans in school, so it's a comfort thing? A confidence issue? Or is it personal learning style?

I have just learned that I am going to get a new student on Monday. I am a bit worried that he/she will be completely shell-shocked, if they come from a more traditional classroom. My classroom is noisy, in constant motion, and to an outsider it likely looks like sheer chaos (and admittedly, some days it is).

Perhaps a transition plan will be necessary. #somethingIneverthoughtabout

Student learning spaces...from cave to mountaintop

 

Overhead in my class: "Let's find a watering hole and get to work on this."

Introducing learning spaces to my class was far simpler than I could have ever imagined. In the past, I have always had many conversations and created anchor charts with my class about rules for meeting in small groups, large groups, presentations and assessments.

This year, I introduced these terms, and had a student create artwork to depict them, along with the norms for each. I framed the posters, to show that they are important (and beautiful!). Framing lends credibility and importance to items posted in the classroom. I don't know why, exactly, but it just makes everything more special.

Now, since the posting of our norms, it is as simple as saying the word, and it happens. Furniture gets moved, bodies get organized, learning begins.

The Cave (independent work, assessment, reflection)

• not disturbing others


• being on task


• working quietly

*Currently, this looks like students in our reading nook, corners of the room on the floor, at computer workstations and desks

 

The Watering Hole (collaborative group work)

• working as a team


• listening to others


• everyone contributes

*Currently, this looks like groups of desks shoved together and bodies crowded around. We have 2 standing desks that groups will crowd around as well

The Campfire (whole class in a circle, talking circles, Brags and Drags, Class Meets)

• respecting classmates


• responding to questions


• active listening


• don't speak when someone else is speaking

*Currently, this is a circle of chairs with desks shoved aside to make space

 

The Mountain Top (presentations)

• respectful audience


• asking questions


• giving feedback

*Currently, this involves students moving chairs and facing either the smart board on one wall or the long chalkboard on another wall (BANSHO math)

Currently, I am still dreaming of creating a proper 21st century learning space. When we work in our school library, which has lots of space, carpet, two projector areas, group tables and individual work stations, it is so easy to implement each of the above formations. It looks like a Ministry of Education video with the students at work, engaged and learning.

In the classroom, with our 20th century desks, chairs and cold, tiled floors, it isn't as smooth for transitions, nor as comfortable. Also, I have noticed that it isn't as quiet. There is something about trying to have large adolescent bodies meet around groups of desks that seems to make the noise level sky-rocket.

But when our 20th century-designed classroom catches up with us, we will be ready!