New Classroom Designs

Why a change in design can benefit learning and the learner.

 Student Learning Centers

Children are natural, enthusiastic learners. Their impulse is to ask questions, to investigate
and to explore, examine and experiment comes from a burning curiosity and a desire to
understand the world around them. They will learn, grow, and internalize through the
interactive experiences with each other, with adults and with real materials that require all
of their senses. THIS IS WHY WE NEED STUDENT LEARNING CENTERS IN OUR CLASSROOM.
Learning centers are areas within the classroom where students learn about specific
subjects by playing and engaging in activities through an active form of learning that
involves the whole self. It provides child-initiated exploration and discovery.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/classroom_solutions/2010/09/learning-centers-part-1-why-theyre-
important
 Student Learning Centers

Allow students to use up excess energy and

to move around the classroom with a
purpose
Give students a chance to relax
Allow children to take risks without fear of
failure
Children con express themselves to others
Children can be self-disciplined by
exploring in their own way and intentionally
directing their own learning
Students learn to cooperate and work in Literature:
groups https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200707/OfP
rimaryInterest.pdf
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/coe/crede/wp-
content/uploads/Hilberg_et_al_20031.pdf
Reading Center and Classroom Library

Recent studies on literacy confirm what educators have known for years: the more
contact children have with books, the better readers they become.
Every reading-ready classroom should provide a quiet and comfortable place for students
to read independently or with a partner or small group. Your reading area should include
comfortable seating
A classroom library tells students that you value and encourage independent reading.
Reading Center and
Classroom library

Gives students easy and

convenient access to reading
material.
Allows the teacher to provide a
variety of reading books at a
variety of levels
Gives students choice and
autonomy
Promotes literacy and voluntary
reading Literature:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/paperbacks
/downloads/library.pdf
http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/creating-
readers/creating-readers-strategies/classroom-
strategies-teachers-use-create-readers
 Morning Meeting Mat

The Morning Meeting was designed to:

Set the tone for respectful learning
Establish a climate of trust
Motivate students to feel significant
Create empathy and encourage collaboration
Support social, emotional and academic learning

Literature:
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/sites/default/fil
es/pdf_files/SMMbooklet.pdf
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/morning-meeting-
changing-classroom-culture-lisa-dabbs
 Small Group Instruction (kidney table)

Small group instruction is beneficial for struggling readers and for small group math
instruction.
The kidney-shaped table allows teachers to create extra time in their classrooms. By
simply dividing students up into groups and rotating the groups up to the kidney-
shaped table for work that is customized to their current academic levels, the
teacher can actually multiply her efforts and solve that pesky but persistent problem
of never having enough time to help each student.
The benefit of this type of table is that the teacher is within an arm's reach of each
student. Children are more focused when they are in close proximity to the teacher,
and when children are focused, they are able to make greater strides in gaining the
reading skills in which they are lacking.

http://whyweschool.blogspot.cl/2013/01/the-miracle-of-kidney-shaped-
table.html

https://www.donorschoose.org/project/kidney-shaped-table-
for-small-group-inst/131056/
 A dominant theme in the research findings is that
instructional grouping contribute to more positive
academic and affective outcomes for students.
Grouping Group learning and working in the classroom
Students promotes a student centered environment and
allows the teacher to better function as a facilitator
Helps assure that all students rather than dictator.
have a chance to learn
Increase student engagement
Teaches students to work with
others
Facilitates social interaction
Motivates students
Improves students self-concepts
and attitudes toward self and
school
Teaches students to learn in a
variety of ways and situations

http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/InstructionalGrouping.pdf
 Designing
Instructional effective
Grouping Classroom
activity Library
centers

IB PYP Classroom setup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPyZpOVZYhU
Of Primary Morning
Interest Meetings Inquiry based learning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdYev6MXTOA

Literature