Dec 29, 2021A Holiday Recipe for Schools: Enough With Tradition, It’s Time to Create Something NewThis was originally published HERE It is that time of year when we look for recipes that can fill our stomachs and warm our hearts. We look for the traditional comforts that elicit memories of the past, and search for something new to add to our tables. For schools, we…Learning3 min read
Oct 8, 2021Where Students Learn Matters- Part ThreeIn 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…Space2 min read
Oct 6, 2021Where Student Learn Matters- Part TwoIn 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. …2 min read
Oct 4, 2021Where Students Learn Matters- Part OneCompeting 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…Space3 min read
Sep 17, 2021CREATING FLEXIBLE AND INTELLECTUAL LEARNING SPACES IN THE CLASSROOMby 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…Design6 min read
Jun 27, 2021Designing for Sustainable, Resilient SchoolsThis 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…Learning Spaces4 min read
Mar 29, 2021The Garden: A Space of CaringThis 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…Learning4 min read
Mar 29, 2021We Must Care For Educators Too, Here’s HowThis 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…Teaching5 min read
Mar 27, 2021What Makes A Healthy School Building?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…4 min read
Jan 24, 2021Overcoming ObjectionsInertia 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…Design4 min read