Comments on: Room Arrangements http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/10/241/ Standing on the verge of a technologically educational revolution. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:07:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Damian http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/10/241/comment-page-1/#comment-3032 Damian Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:05:05 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=241#comment-3032 Ben-- I think that room arrangements are very important--so important I almost threatened to quit at school when renovations were going on and we were told that all science rooms would have built-in lab tables so that any science could be taught in any science room. I argued that a chemistry lab would never work for a physics experiment set-up and vice versa. I finally won, but it took a lot of explaining that shouldn't have had to happen. We just needed the flexibility of a traditional lecture space, a theater, a place for demos, a place for labs, a place for group work, and a place for equipment and computers. That was a lot to demand of a space, but I think it works out pretty well, even if we do get a workout everyday (and sometimes every other class period) from the changes that are required. But, it's important, so we just do it. Ben–
I think that room arrangements are very important–so important I almost threatened to quit at school when renovations were going on and we were told that all science rooms would have built-in lab tables so that any science could be taught in any science room. I argued that a chemistry lab would never work for a physics experiment set-up and vice versa. I finally won, but it took a lot of explaining that shouldn’t have had to happen. We just needed the flexibility of a traditional lecture space, a theater, a place for demos, a place for labs, a place for group work, and a place for equipment and computers. That was a lot to demand of a space, but I think it works out pretty well, even if we do get a workout everyday (and sometimes every other class period) from the changes that are required. But, it’s important, so we just do it.

]]> By: Dean http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/10/241/comment-page-1/#comment-3031 Dean Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:46:21 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=241#comment-3031 Clarence Fisher talks in great depth about his studio approach. I talked to him about that here: http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/10/11/podcast-32talking-classroom-design-with-clarence-fisher/ Clarence Fisher talks in great depth about his studio approach. I talked to him about that here:
http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/10/11/podcast-32talking-classroom-design-with-clarence-fisher/

]]> By: Eric http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/10/241/comment-page-1/#comment-3030 Eric Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:59:02 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=241#comment-3030 Ben, Thanks for the reflection -- these are Important observations, especially to those of us who get so caught up in the minutiae of the average school day and forget about such vital details. Though it seems that I personally spend a lot of time trying to see my subject matter through my students' eyes, I admittedly rarely think of what the physical spaces in my school look like to them. And even though I do have a more 'student-friendly' seating arrangement, your post made me realize that my instruction doesn't always match my desk setup. I appreciate that. Eric Ben,

Thanks for the reflection — these are Important observations, especially to those of us who get so caught up in the minutiae of the average school day and forget about such vital details. Though it seems that I personally spend a lot of time trying to see my subject matter through my students’ eyes, I admittedly rarely think of what the physical spaces in my school look like to them.

And even though I do have a more ‘student-friendly’ seating arrangement, your post made me realize that my instruction doesn’t always match my desk setup. I appreciate that.

Eric

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