modern learning environment

This week we are having some staff professional development on modern learning environments. Earlier this year core education hosted a day at wigram where they showed a floorprint of a modern learning environment as well as a variety of furniture that would make up one. The classroom environment is changing, gone are the days that a silent classroom is working well, they are actually probably on their cellphones texting each other.
Where is the front end of the curriculum, and participating with others, students will most likely not work in isolation at university or work, so why do we make them work in isolation at school. Why do we have classrooms that are rows and columns individually set-up. Is this to allow control?

This week I look forward to the speaker and what ideas he will bring.

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PrimarySecondary/PropertyToolbox/StateSchools/SchoolPropertyStrategy201121.pdf

Core education ran a modern learning environment even earlier in the year, as well as provided some excellent speakers. http://events.core-ed.org/modern-learning-environme, Stephen Heppell provided for me
a great look at how different ideas can be incorporated into designs. As well as the need for students to be involved in the design phases. Classrooms are used by both teachers and students, yet they seem to be designed by teachers. Should students not have a say in where they will spend there time. Furniture is also something that needs to be looked at. I have been testing a Hokki Stool which is being used more and more by my students, rather than the chairs they normally sit on. Another idea that was introduced to me at the expo was the idea of whiteboard tables. throughout my classes we draw up ideas, work through problems, when we had the CRT screens I used to use a whiteboard marker on them to draw an idea or example on the glass. I am little to scared to do it on the LED monitors now in class. We have a number of whiteboards in the school that are too small for the environment that they were set up in. This has allowed me to get the caretaker to cut one down and attach it to a table. I will hopefully add an image later on how I am using it.

But back to Stephen Heppell, such ideas still have me thinking about what a classroom could look like in the future, and I hope that I will never have to work in a computer lab again. It is a lab, it is not a classroom. I would like to see how other schools are delivering digital technologies in 21st century classroom environments.