Hi there, and welcome to your first slic.nz workshop, "How to Set Up Your Classroom as an Innovative Learning Environment".

In this video you will learn to...

• How to change your classroom layout.
• Create different learning spaces to meet the individual needs of your students.

Watch the video and follow the steps provided. There is also a handy "Spaces contract" you can use with your students to help you with the control of your different learning spaces.

VIDEO SCRIPT: "How to Setup Your Classroom"

Ever changing, adaptive thinking that continues to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Hello and welcome to slic.nz, Dare to Learn Differently. My name is Anthony Breese and in this session, I’m going to explain some of the ways you can set up your classroom as a innovative learning environment. Some of these things you may already do and that’s fantastic, but hopefully you pick up a few different ideas.

So, how do you flip your classroom?

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Definitely not like that, although sometimes it might feel that way.

I’m going to presume you don’t have a flash new building that’s been architecturally designed as an innovative learning environment and you are a teacher that basically has a box to work with. We are going to add and take away furniture to redesign the space. Some of these things you may have lying around, and others you may want to purchase at your or the schools leisure.

So let's take our ordinary class here, bar a few extra children of course. We are going to take away the desks so the children will no longer be stuck in their desk all day. Now let's add some different learning spaces. Let's add a rug on the ground and some bean bags to create different learning spaces. Let's create another learning space using a tent...you will be surprised how much children love having a secluded space like a tent.

Your desks are replaced with tables. If you are unable to replace your desks, join them together to make groups but don’t assign them to children. I have also seen teachers place the desks around the edge of the classroom and a few in isolated spaces so those children that work well independently can use this space.

We only use enough chairs for around half the class. We deliberately take away chairs to encourage the children to discover different learning spaces. I found those children that like to work with a chair and table or desk, will always be there. Those that like to be on the floor or on a bean bag, will go straight to those spaces. At least now, we are catering for their learning needs.

Some other things you can use is…

• Some cushions to sit on the floor with
• An old desk with the legs sawn off for the kids to lean on.
• A standing high counter or desk.
• A sheet or blanket to make a fort area.

Now let's add technology. If you’re lucky, you may have interactive board, or projector or tv is just as good. I brought along an old LCD tv from home that I plugged my computer into. We used it when working with small groups, it was fantastic.

A camera, ipad, tablet, video camera.

Some computers, chromebooks, netbooks.

And for those of you who want that little bit extra, a green screen, which is as easy as painting a wall or getting a large green or blue piece of fabric and hanging it.

Now we have our changed space. The idea is, we want our children to decide on where they best learn, whether it be in a group or in an isolated space, independently. It’s all about making good choices. They will need help with this and those children that don’t cope with the change, will need guidance in how they can choose their best learning space. If there are disagreements or fights over a space, they lose it and have to come to some compromise before getting it back. This could be to take turns, for example.

If you have another space, an office, corridor, cloakroom or bay, consider using this as well. Splitting up your class makes it easier with less distractions and less children in the one space. Have an agreement that the children in these spaces are working and if they mistreat the agreement then they lose that privilege. I had my children working in an entire block, some doing green screening, others a play, some just wanting quiet space away from others so they could get their work finished. You had to monitor these children, and keep checking on them, but if you set your boundaries firmly, especially at the beginning of the year, you will find your children will respect them. And those that don’t, miss out.

So, what do you think? not too bad eh? So this is the classroom.

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Steps this week…

1. I want you to make some new and different learning spaces in your classroom.
2. Take out some of your desks and add some tables or group your desks.
3. Have less chairs than the number of children.
4. Add a new piece of furniture like a beanbag.