But Are They Learning?

But Are They Learning?

By Prakash Nair, international school planning consultant, and director of Educational Facilities Planning for Vitetta and President of Urban Educational Facilities for the 21st Century.

“By not having to ask the "but will they learn" question, leadership can exist without vision and the bureaucrats can become fixated on the system - not on the needs of individual learners.”

“…all aspects of the school creation process including the school facility should be oriented toward realizing those stated outcomes.”

“What is remarkable about Harbor City and so many other innovative schools is that they cost no more than traditional schools. Harbor City’s innovative plan calls for about 100/SF per student whereas the recommended national average is about 150 SF/student for high schools.”

“…learning is a highly individual thing and cannot be mass-produced. Each learner needs a tailored program and children need to have active roles in their learning. … The role of adults is to provide a caring and supportive presence.”

“…most ideas are "inert" to a child unless he or she gets to try it out in some fashion (Coppen, 2002). … True engagement comes when children are asked to implement the ideas in some fashion. That means often having opportunities to build things with their own hands, trying out a computer simulation or applying a theory to create something completely new.”

Some ways to create a learner-centered school:

• Learning studios instead of traditional classrooms. Multipurpose learning studios where learners can be engaged on different tasks in various activity zones— daylighting abundant, no fixed furniture, and room for individual and group gatherings.
• Kivas, Atriums, and "Learning Streets" Replace Corridors. Learning environments will have… more open areas-both within and outside the building-were social interaction is encouraged.”
• Project Rooms for Project-Based Learning. Rooms set up with all the tools students need to work on projects—build a robot, architectural model, painting. Projects are worked on at students own pace—not according to a schedule.
• From Programmed Rooms to Resource Areas. The library, cafeteria, and fitness center become resources for students to use when they see fit, rather than scheduled.
• Multiage Groupings. …most student groups will be based on aptitudes and interests….”
• Learning Outside of School. Older students will spend 2 – 3 days a week outside school, using resources available in the community.
• Teacher Workrooms. Places for teachers to research and do collaborative work and student meetings.
• A Place to Think. “Almost every creative endeavor is achieved at least in part through moments of solitude.”
• Technology as a Liberator. Students will have access to wireless laptops and Internet. Learning continues anywhere via email, audio and video chat sessions, online courses. Classmates will not be limited to those who share the same space—could be in another town or country.
• Living, Not Static Architecture. The facility will be built for maximum flexibility and change to accommodate learning areas—individual, team, small group, and large group.

“My advice to all organizations... contemplating a new school is to step back, throw away all your own pre-conceived notions about what school is or should be and take a fresh look at the research about how children (and adults) learn. Then, bring all stakeholders into the process and challenge them to figure out what needs to be done to realize a vision for the future.”