MAPPING SCHOOL DESIGN READING PAPER REVIEW BY NIEL GISLASON
OVERVIEW A QUICK Talks about the open design at SES, helps to facilitate team teaching rather than traditional teaching how open design architecture facilitates three things - Design, Instruction and curriculum SES architectural plans help to connect socially with their peers Two limitations perhaps envisaged by the author - Student traffic and noise levels did not impact the environment much
STUDY CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY Reason - no established framework for conducting school design research , and no one has systematically examined how school architecture informs teaching and learning Failure of open plan models because of two reasons 1) Teachers were unable or unwilling to adapt their classroom practices to an open setting 2) Wide-scale shifts in educational practices depended on teachers’ readiness to adopt new instructional methods So what does Niel do ? He investigates the model by - Owens and Valesky’s School Model Model has four dimensions Ecology - refers to school f acilities, technology, and other material element s within a school setting. Organization encompasses teaching and planning practices, curriculum , and other aspects of how a school operates. Culture refers to the assumptions and values, as well as to group-level patterns of thought and behaviour shared by the staff Milieu (social environment) entails students’ sense of motivation, social patterns within the school, and other psychosocial dynamics among students.
LIMITATIONS AND ADVANTAGES LIMITATIONS MODEL INADEQUATE DESCRIPTION four dimensions relate to one another in school settings ; for example, they did not explain how milieu influences school culture or organization. MISSING LINK how material elements, such as building layout and computers, shape teaching and The most important aspect of beauty learning. was therefore an inherent part of an (This is a significant oversight, particularly object, rather than something because the model highlights ecology as applied superficially; and was based an environmental factor. ) on universal, recognisable truths.
WHAT DOES THE STUDY EXPLORE if any, a relation exists amongst o pen design, teaching, and curriculum at the school ? do building design and teaching practices inform student motivation and social climate Is there a particular staff culture associated with the school’s educational program or the design of the school ? related to milieu (for related to organization related to ecology and students): Have you and culture (for teachers): organization (for attended other high What are the three or four teachers): schools? How does it most How well does the compare to this school? important places in your school facility How would you describe school with respect to serve your purposes? the relation between supporting learning teachers and students among your students? here?
Findings - How does the school look like and its origins? SES is coeducational school in Apple Valley, a suburb of Minneapolis- St. Paul, Minnesota (Although s upports equity in mandate has students from wealthier background) Know for its i nterdisciplinary curriculum and the unusual design of its facility. When the school was commissioned the planning committee - intentionally fashioned the school to support collaborative teaching and interdisciplinary environmental studies curriculum School principal will have to serve as a strong advocate (protect SES’s unconventional program from possible outside interference )and teachers would be selected rather than being assigned by the district On the whole, it tied together building design, governance, and pedagogy as part of a systematically implemented program.
ECOLOGY - LECTURE AND ROTATIONAL SET UP Stars show the number of houses in the floor plan 2 to 5 teachers per house Two common set ups - lecture set up and rotational set up lecture set up is the conventional set up - where students are seated facing the front of the room while they take notes, work individually, or engage in teacher-led discussions Student 100 per floor On teaching practices Teachers deliver lectures as a team. Difference, as compared with traditional teaching, is that the teachers often dialogue with one another in front of the class, Dialogue facilitates inquiry process and show students “what a good question is [and] what a good learner does
Rotational set up houses are divided into three or four groups of equal siz e. Each of these groups is then rotated through separate lessons so all of them are taught the same cont ent by the end of the period although the rotational set up is not different from the conventional set up however the team teaching is what makes the difference Pond profile project - in-depth information on the history and geography of the pond studied, in addition to chemical, environmental, and biological data about it. Township and satellite maps were used to illustrate the pond’s historical and geographical context, and numerical data were presented in charts and graphs . Each teacher provided leadership in teaching the content and skills most closely related to his or her own discipline and offered general instructional support throughout the project.
WHAT OPEN DESIGN DOES? - POSSIBLE PITFALLS Limitation - Due to team teaching or collaborative teaching, it is likely : (a) loss of instructional autonomy, (b) tension over the allocation of work c) an increased need for communication because of interdependence does not allow for the kind of visual and acoustical control found in traditional classrooms. - for eg - when t eachers lecture as a team , there is a tendency for students seated at the periphery to lose focus due to the difficulty in hearing. acoustical problems in rotational formats - Quiet teachers, had to raise their pitch while delivering sessions Traffic distraction - occurs when students move from one activity to the other - lasts for 5 min in total of 20-25 mins, in a 3 hr period
WHAT OPEN DESIGN DOES? THE POSITIVES For teachers Shared spaces for teacher improves collaborations (compare this with traditional set up) teachers coordinate t heir use of space and hence instructional activities in one area do not interfere with those in another For students Improves and encourage interaction as students are in a dynamic environmen t and are able to interact with more people for a longer time Affable social climate helps to improve student motivation As students are motivated, it helps to teachers to facilitate learning and reduce background noise outweigh Because of team teaching Helps to gain insight into Instructional autonomy is and collaborative work - it students’ learning needs and balanced due creates a staff culture t hat personal qualities. Helps to interdisciplinary team values teacher to and assist them if work and supports the needed by being with them for nontraditional practices in an extended period of time workplace
Conclusions from the case study Open design contributes to SES, so doesn't mean that the same design would be successful for everyone Staff has a common interest to work in teams and this leads to better a cohesive teamwork and less friction amongst the teaching staff SES gets exceptional student body to engage with - think about the student body your school might engage with Ecology, organization, culture, and milieu (social environment) together define environmental quality in schools. Should one of these elements be significantly out of joint (e.g., if teaching practices are poorly matched to their physical setting) then the design may falter in its intended purpose? What design will you opt for binding the elements together As entrepreneurs looking to set up schools you need to engage in the planning process early and understanding of how specific architectural designs help or hinder different educational programs.
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