Designing a space? First figure out your intentions.

Many of us are reconsidering our library/learning spaces and how they can better fit the needs of our students and schools.   But before we start buying furniture or retrofitting our rooms, we need to establish our intentions for the space.   A well-designed space works because all the pieces of it serve intentional purposes — purposes that are matched to those who use the space.  It means, in a classroom or library, meeting the many “intentions” that make it flexible throughout the given day or year. […]

What’s your intent? Design, intention and planning

In two presentations at TCEA’s Tecsig conference, David Jakes thoughtfully approached how we make our spaces reflect what we know about learning and teaching.  Whenever we approach a learning space, shouldn’t we approach it with intent and thoughtfulness?  Yet how often do we actually do that?  Or how often do we revert to known formulas, room configurations and furnishings? “The first step in rethinking the classroom is to disregard the notion that it has to be a classroom.” – D. Jakes What leads us to […]

Reflections and Recollections: ISTE 2012

Can any school create a common core for Lady Gaga?  (Yong Zhao) Curriculum should develop the personal strength of students.  It’s not about fixing deficits.  (Yong Zhao) Less us, more them.  (Gary Stager) Learn first, teach second.  (Will Richardson) What IF?  (David Jakes) What do we need to unlearn?  (Will Richardson) “Don’t Deliver Curriculum.  DISCOVER it.”  (Will Richardson) “Most of us work in schools that have had computers for 30 years and yet we are still cajoling teachers to use them.”  (Gary Stager) “Why should I […]