Thought Process:

I have been thinking about these changes for quite some time. I feel that this design provides for lots of flexibility yet still maintaining the ability for me to manage the seating through incentives or through a democratic, community process. According to this video series on Edutopia titled, "Remake Your Class" a classroom that allows for movement and flexibility, "fosters collaboration, creativity, and active student learning." I love the idea of "standing" space. Our bodies are meant to move and we interact with our environment and peers much better when we are more mobile; the "Genius Bar" areas in the room allow for either sitting or standing options.

Another article I read titled, "Space Exploration" notes that studies indicate in order for 21st-Century learning to exist, "the teacher is no longer the sole source of information or the “sage on the stage"; and, "schools need to function as “high-performance” work environments, with varied spaces, flexible furniture, and strong technology infrastructure." I feel that my re-design plan has great potential for collaboration as well as a high-performance working environment. I would essentially remove myself from the "front" of the classroom so students could engage with each other through discussions and group work. Additionally, I will have (nearly) 360 degrees of whiteboard surface available where collaboration and problem-solving may take place virtually anywhere. An example of a "360 Degree" space may be seen on Ed Campos, Jr. Twitter page. I was privileged to attend a recent math conference in Palm Springs and sat in on Ed's workshop. I had no idea what "360 Degree Math" meant but I was intrigued. This workshop completely rocked my world! My ideas about what teaching and classroom spaces should look like were shattered and I began to make a plan; my drawing is largely influenced by this concept.

Additionally, as I read through the course material, I encountered an unexpected revelation. In the article titled, "Rethinking the Classroom" I read that "traditional classroom configurations create 'tacit hierarchies". This was puzzling to me; the idea that based on the way I create my seating arrangements, student will interpret a certain hierachy in this classroom community. This concerns me as I really want this learning space to be accessible for everyone without adding to blocks in the learning process. Again, my ideas about teaching and the class space are being reshaped. An essential part of this challenge is to know your students and to be thoughtfully reflective about how the environment I provide for them.