In parts one and two of this series, we talk about the benefits of learning space design, this last entry looks at where to begin. Many know that learning environments are essential to excellence in learning, but the barriers to making these shifts can often be about taking the first…

In part one, we looked at the importance of learning space design including benefits in the areas of: welcoming, belonging, stress/anxiety and agency/choice. Part two looks at additional benefits. The elements in part one and mentioned above are foundational considerations when designing effective learning spaces. …

Competing forces tug on all aspects of teaching and learning. These forces can create a whipsaw effect on teachers and leaders as they try to provide the best possible mix of learning for all students on a daily basis. These forces, both internal and external, create an ever moving target…

by Robert Dillon and Rebecca Louise Hare Far too often, deeper inquiry is squeezed into assembly line learning simply because the architecture and furniture of our learning environments fail to support the process. If we improve intellectual spaces in the classroom, we can change the focus from each student submitting…

This was originally published for Natural Pod HERE Learning during a pandemic has spotlighted concepts that have always been involved in some education conversations, but now seem to dominate the media, talk in the community and future planning. These concepts include synchronous and asynchronous learning, blended/hybrid/concurrent learning, and learning loss…

This was originally published HERE We are tending to the garden of learning. This garden needs attention as it has been neglected for years. This garden needs to be nurtured as it allows everything inside to grow and prosper. This garden needs time. It takes seasons and iterations to get…

This was originally published HERE Over the last year as the pandemic has grown in consequence, I’ve been listening to the open schools, keep schools closed debate. Some of it, on both sides, seemed like a proxy war about things like teacher voice, local control, and funding, but some of…

This was originally published HERE As a part of my work as a school designer, I’m able to visit and walk through many flavors of schools. My role is to help leaders and design teams to resee their buildings, help them to notice what has moved to the background, and…

Inertia and tradition can be the barriers that prevent schools and districts from beginning the essential work around learning space design. Change isn’t a natural state of being for school, education or humanity, but it is in change that we grow. As we attempt to modernize the ways teaching and…