Future learning spaces for 3 to 19 year olds

For me to think about this topic and the extremely practical issues it has been suggested that I focus on, I need first to clarify in my mind the type of future citizens I am hoping that education may influence. Basically for me, this could be summed up as students who are caring and concerned global citizens. Citizens, who are informed about the past, who are able to function sensitively and responsibly within the present and who are ever mindful that what decisions they make today will impact on the future, both  theirs and that of others around the globe.

From the outset, I must admit that whilst having an interest in the technologies which are comfortable for me to understand and handle, I am by no means a technophobe nor always up to date with what may be available or how it can be operated – why initially my phone contacts were set up by my students, frustrated by my initial ignorance! You will be pleased to know that nowadays I can handle that – my students are good teachers!

I believe strongly in the need for each of us to have face-to-face contact with people who care about us and with whom we can communicate our feelings, fears, difficulties and successes. So throughout all areas of school life, I would want to provide students with this option. I believe that learning happens in different ways and in different contexts and environments, we all have our individual preferred learning styles and education needs to cater for these. I also believe that we come from different backgrounds and experiences and so learning needs to be scaffolded and in situations to incorporate and share these learning styles.

I am a secondary teacher with some experience in the upper primary areas, so my comments here will focus on these age groups.

In my ideal future learning spaces, I would like to see fast operating computers, good sound cards, individual headphones, up to date software and broadband internet access. In groups of six to 10, I would like to have desks to work at with comfortable swivel chairs to allow easy access to materials nearby. The desks would have individual lighting, drawers for writing equipment, CD/DVD storage shelves, and a locked section for personal effects. Alongside each desk or adjacent to it, I would like a comfortable chair/beanbag and carpeted area underfoot. For each set of six to 10 student areas, I would hope to have a combined printer/fax and bookshelves (whatever we do with digital material, I don’t ever want to lose the immediacy of books and print novels.)

Adjacent to these student areas, and with easy accessibility, I would like to have a comfortable small theatre with digital projector where not only films and other digital media may be shown but also group conferences with invited speakers or panels (F2F or online) could also be held and virtual tours of educational resources explored in a group context. I would also want areas for creativity through art, design etc plus small groups of three or four food preparation areas, spaces which could be used flexibly by individuals or small groups. Each educational establishment should also have a well equipped music / dance / drama section with different sized practice studios and a good performance area with technical mixing / production areas for sound recording, and so on. There would be a fully equipped gymnasium and sporting facility provided in the community and used jointly.

I don’t believe that there need to be defined classrooms rather learning areas could be open, just clustered as indicated above so that the groupings are for those at a particular stage or interest rather than age. As well as the classrooms broken by small theatres, I would also want to have communal food/drink areas where social interaction, sharing and refreshment would be possible.  The walls of all areas should contain regularly changing stimulating educational materials, pictures, maps, announcements about events, community occasions, and so on.

I haven’t used a teacher’s desk for years. All I require is an area to place lesson requisites, I am more than happy to share student areas without that type of symbolism which in the past often indicated superiority.  In today’s, and no doubt future learning spaces, there may be leadership provided by a teacher but also there are student leaders and learning can often be driven by them.

While I believe there remains a need for designated educational establishments, particularly for younger students, I would like to see all firms (for practical purposes some differential may be needed such as those with 50 employees or more, this is compulsory, others which are smaller, it is encouraged) set aside a student learning space and appoint a designated student education officer so that students are not only encouraged to visit work places but they have an area to meet in and to talk with educators there. Thus, learning about a specific aspect of environmental disease or pottery creation or customer service can be undertaken at the point of origin or expertise.

The education of our young folk then is not just the teacher’s responsibility; it is more a community one. Conversely, I would hope to see adults welcomed in to the school environment to work alongside students and to share their experiences. I would like to alter schooling hours so that these were more flexible, hours at each could be staggered and students may be enrolled centrally and free to access learning spaces as most convenient to them.  Thus if able to accept a part-time work position, education could be accessed around these working hours. Students should be able, with adult assistance, to customise their learning to meet career path goals.

To encourage global sharing, I also believe that students in every nation should be able to access learning materials appropriate to their career path and with the right technology mix this could mean a course delivered to them online from another area within their state, within their country or from another country. Classrooms thus may become for particular subjects global and the teacher who delivers this learning experience may be based in a location other than that of the students. Thus, the tools needed by teachers will by necessity be as up to date and as globally connected as possible.

To ensure the pastoral care aspect, which I consider to be essential for every student, teachers will be allotted a group of students to take particular responsibility for, these may not be of similar age, they may be vertical groupings and ones arranged by a number of factors – location, ability, common career goals, and so on. The digital tools available would enable teachers not only to connect daily in a digital environment but in person either face-to-face or electronically, using webcam or similar visual device. Teachers may be attached to specific learning spaces or move across several in a locality.  Assessment would be recorded digitally and centrally so able to be accessed and contributed to from all locations.

To conclude, I believe future learning spaces should include a balanced mix of electronic and non-electronic learning materials and technologies.  I think students need to feel part of a group but such groups may alter throughout the day and include face-to-face and electronic teachers and fellow learners. Education should be easily accessible, community based, globally enhanced and varied to include different learning styles, interests and experiences. As technology changes so should the delivery and exchange of educational materials; students and teachers should have access to portable, immediate and reliable communication tools alongside the availability of traditional and local resources. Students learning worlds need to be within their immediate community and yet the riches of virtual discovery and experience available to them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ms Patricia Corby is Senior Mentor and Delivery Teacher at the Tasmanian Online Network, which delivers online opportunities to students in schools across Tasmania, particularly rural schools. Patricia works from Geilston Bay High School, in Geilston Bay, Tasmania, Australia.

 

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