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Timestamp
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TimestampWhat Do We Need?
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4/16/2013 11:44:04Make it flexible. Allow for the space to change and develop as the tasks dictate.

While building flexibility ensure that it is conducive to group work and collaboration. And that there is furniture that can be arranged in a way that allows people to view things together comfortably.

Ensure that there are areas for writing,drawing, exploring ideas together on a whiteboard, window, or idea paint.
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4/16/2013 16:29:26Flexible learning environment with easy to move desks, chairs, or couches.
Ability for students to create and express their thoughts on walls, pillars, desks, ceilings.
Room for collaboration
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4/16/2013 17:17:07Access to real world situations and people! (Strong connectivity&bandwidth!) Space! Tables! Comfy chairs...& more space!
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4/16/2013 18:24:23comfy seats, lots of room for movement, ability to write everywhere -- desktop, boards, etc, ability to move tables/chairs, ability to connect to wifi, closed off area if quiet is needed, LOTS of windows!!!
green walls for videoing, manipulatives!!!!!
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4/16/2013 18:54:01Flexible seating, strong facilitator, room for learning
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4/16/2013 19:23:53I think the idea of including camp fires, watering holes, caves, and stages is important in any learning space. A good read to start with can be found at http://www.thechangeblog.com/how-to-help-your-kids-learn-more-effectively/

Thornburg has a good article expanding this to online spaces as well... http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Oct_04/invited01.htm

Keep in mind color schemes and lighting play a significant role as well. I wrote a paper as part of my Master's work that tools into consideration elements of designing physical learning spaces. I be happy to send you a copy if you want.

-Brian Grenier
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4/16/2013 19:33:48I think that all classrooms, not just PBL ones need to be easy to change. You need to be able to move the desks, tables, and other furniture around to create different types of spaces. We can clear out a very large area in the middle of our room in five minutes if necessary, and put everything back again just as quickly.

I am big into integrating the content areas so that there is no longer an artificial beginning and end to them. I think that being able to 'organically' move furniture around makes integration easier. Folding tables really work well for this because they can be moved very quickly. I still keep some desks though because many students prefer them.
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4/16/2013 21:26:27Lots of built in flexibility (seating, grouping,)
Open space
Variety of technology
No "teacher centered" area
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4/16/2013 22:30:45don't try to constrain it. not with desks. not with signs or instructions. not with pictures of what finished projects should look like. lots of open space. ooodles and oddles of space to write on. instead of painting the walls think shower boards. at least one projector. lounge furniture like bean. bags futons and couches.

keep the space fluid and encourage kids to move stuff as they see fit.
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4/16/2013 22:42:16I wish I had less furniture for more flexibility. I want couches!!
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4/16/2013 22:53:55flexible learning spaces-movable desks/tables/seating
idea walls (dry erase , hotboards)
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4/16/2013 23:34:06This is a dump of an idea we have for our school, which is to create some makerspace/tinkering space for our students. Hopefully it helps:

- option to have different kinds of makerspace (tech, woodworking, crafts): rotate any makerspace stuff through learning commons, rest stored in specialized USABLE space in DP building???
- room with space to store stuff
- variety of tools, organized (could be used for certain other classes too, such as art, theatre, science, math, service learning, Personal Project).
- tools should be visible
- workspace (tables, benches, chairs)
- computer work stations (be nice to use the multimedia creation station in learning commons, but space???) - multimedia station a form of makerspace
- mobile carts to move projects and gear around
- supervision
- could have cross-curricular links (e.g. build trebuchet which can be tied to gr. 8 humanities, and math for trajectories)
- take advantage of library realia for inspiration/use
- needs comfy furniture
- selection of relevant library lit/links
- digital showcase
- idea paint right on wall
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4/16/2013 23:48:54idea walls for writing questions and thoughts
large and small tables for large and small groups
accessible mobile tech
moveable furniture that can link up if needed
outlets for devices
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4/17/2013 5:49:03Hi! Can you please share what you learn. We are an international school in China and we have rolled out iPads 3-7 and Macs 9-11. We have transformed one space into an elearning space. At elementary we have created one new space -- it has no desks, but bean bags, a projector and idea paint on the walls. At the MS/HS one group in my class is working on a CBL project to redesign one room at the MS/HS to match our new program and way of learning. They are having a hard time. I'd love to hear anything you've learned. You can follow me @howetokruse or our school hashtag #sisrocks We are doing some pretty cool things at our school, your time will not be wasted. You can see the one new learning space here: http://elearning.sis.org.cn/portfolio/learning-environment/
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4/17/2013 7:10:22A great book to check out is The Third Teacher, which shares some excellent ideas.
Another key idea is that time is dedicated specifically to students working independently and in groups, on their problems (or in our case inquiry) within the spaces you create.
Here is a recent blog post on what we are working on at the Inquiry Hub: http://www.sd43.bc.ca/Resources/StaffResources/BIG/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=75 ...which includes images of what we've done in our school. I think we can still do more to make the environment better, but on a limited budget we focused more on how we use our time and space, rather than on furniture.
~Dave @datruss
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4/17/2013 8:16:29Use tables rather desks for collaborative activities, have space for individual work, have space for video-conferencing or ability to do so, have free space for students to work.
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4/17/2013 10:47:43Tables that seat 4 to 6 and chairs that are easy to move around the room and into the hallways are a must. If it's appropriate, have areas around the school or in the hallways where groups can earn the right to go and work. Use "chalkboard" paint or other easily cleaned coating for at least one wall to brainstorm or create - or- use an easily cleaned metal so you can use magnets on the wall. Have an area of the room specifically set up for working creatively ( paints, scissors, paper, glue etc available and stocked ). Move the "teacher area " away from the door and somewhere central. Finally set up walls so that students can face any direction and still be facing the front of the room.
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4/17/2013 11:20:07Currently, I have my classroom set up in a theater-in-the-round model. Desks enclose three sides and the fourth is open for chalkboard/projector use. Each "side" of desks can be manipulated easily for group work and there is lots of open space for students to move around, settle where they please, and work with others or myself, when necessary. A larger classroom also allows me to "publish" student work refrigerator-style -- duct tape works great to keep up evidence, artwork, etc. The room is wifi-enabled for those students with devices, so students can search online individually or in groups. Ideally, I would have a bank of computers for those without devices, but our school has not implemented this idea (or the 1:1 iPad model or something similar).

As an English teacher, the theater-in-the-round model also allows me to have students act out scenes in plays, novels, and non-fiction. The room feels free, and students love being able to move about in the class.
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4/17/2013 13:10:33You have to have tinker space for all ages. This is the place where they can test hypothesis, play with their learning, or otherwise find a space to be a muse.

Furniture must all be moveable and flexible in use.

Requires multiple locations for public publishing of learning in different mediums.

Has multiple forms of technology with ubiquitous access (without all of the network constraints for use).

Every space is a learning space. Do not leave any spot untouched. If it is bare, cover it with Idea Paint.

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4/17/2013 21:56:17If I could redesign my classroom, I would have tables and durable couches. Lots of plugs/outlets for charging.
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4/22/2013 19:37:38a place where students can go to be alone with their thoughts to reflect and brainstorm.
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4/28/2013 16:28:20Space. Lots of clean open space. 'Tickle-trunks' filled with manipulatives. Youtube channel stations based on topic to spark motivation / creativity. Wonder walls. Structures or knowledge 'totem poles' from floor or ceiling. Book corner. Color Printer access. Writing/recording materials. Structured pacing and visible project timeline and student-created roadmap on corkboard for example.
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4/28/2013 18:50:41This would be my ideal set up. there was a vidoe of it but it looks like it got taken down. http://goo.gl/IoABI
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4/28/2013 19:57:05My school's taking out walls of 4 rooms, making a comfy part, glass walls, whiteboard walls
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