PLANNING LEARNING SPACES IN PRACTICE LAUNCHED

 Super stoked to see https://planninglearningspaces.com/planning-learning-spaces-in-practice/ launched which show cases the #planninglearningspaces case study at Grey Lynn School, Auckland which I was proud to facilitate.

Over the last year I have been working with Terry White, who is the UK Project Director of Planning Learning Spaces. I spent my time in lock down in New Zealand doing research and development around co-creating a series of workshops that could be facilitated to support the PLS Design Framework.

These workshops were  facilitated as a trial to develop a prototype in two Auckland New Zealand Schools: Grey Lynn Primary and Oranga Primary in Auckland and in Trumpington Park School in Cambridge.

Having completed the PLS framework through my role as a Professional Learning Facilitator I am now able to  implement the professional learning needs identified in the "Project Implementation Review" workshop in these two schools.

Teaching teams are now building on the PLS framework and digging deeper to develop collaborative practices in their learning hubs through my work as a Ministry of Education Professional Learning Facilitator with Momentum Learning.

In New Zealand the next round of MOE PLD funding applications closes on 19 February, 2020. I am happy to speak or facilitate workshops online around my areas of expertise.

Both streams are exciting work and anyone interested in exploring futher can contact me if you wish to explore options. sjconsultnz@outlook.com

Learner Led Design

Freemans Bay School is recognised as a Microsoft Showcase School and is a Global Schools Alliance founding member. Late last year we made a video to support our application to continue being a  Microsoft Showcase School. This short video clip shows the development of our school build and how the learner led design is reflected in both pedagogy and learning spaces. Our learner led design has a lens on digital technology, ELearning and developing a future focused curriculum. 

We also had an article published in Learning Spaces magazine. This magazine is published by Association of Learning Spaces and pulls together the views of designers, educators, architects and those interested in promoting modern curriculum through spaces and pedagogy.  The magazine is well worth subscribing to. The article, also shows our thinking around the learner led design at Freemans Bay School,

Vision Led Design

At Freemans Bay School, we strongly believe that it is important to have a clear vision for learning that prepares students for their future. The five-year olds who start school this year will be graduating from Highschool around 2035. We need to think about what sort of spaces they will be working and studying in and join the dots between education space, curriculum design and developing attributes needed for their future world. The Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) design of our new buildings promote flexibility, collaboration, creativity, choice and personalised learning.

Our school vision of "Engage, Enrich, Empower" underpins our plan to align school design and collaborative and flexible ways of teaching and learning. We want our students to experience learning spaces like the modern activity based designed office spaces that many parents experience in their work spaces today, rather than the factory typing pool or hierarchical silo offices of the past.

The item on TV1’s ‘Seven Sharp’ show last week, looked at ILE through a very narrow lens. It was disappointing that the article was so one sided. It did not refer to the New Zealand Ministry of Educations research and evidenced based policy on ILEs accessible on their website. Nor did it refer to any of the research underpinning the global movement towards ILE in education and workplace design.  The  OECD Handbook on Innovative Learning Environments pulls together recent research on ILEs. You can also click here for some of the latest research on ILEs.

The ‘Seven Sharp’ article seems to be promoting teaching in single classrooms in the same way as  in the 1960s or back in even further. The sentiment of, “It worked for me so therefore why change things”, does not have the depth of thinking required to influence schooling design.  It is important to rethink last century school design and align with what we want to happen today. Joining the dots on the best evidenced conditions for learning and attributes required in the workforce beyond 2035 is a priority for school design.

Typical 1960's single cell classroom

Sir Ken Robinson, in his 2010 Ted talk,” Bring on the Learning Revolution”  promotes that for students to meet their creative potential in our schools we must shift from standardised schools to schools that personalise learning and create conditions where learners can discover their passions and flourish.

Our New Entrant Learning Zone

Freemans Bay School vision of "Engage, Enrich, Empower" underpins our plan to align school design, and teaching practice ensuring that students will have the attributes to be successful and happy in their future lives.