What's in Your Space?: 5 Steps for Better School and Classroom Design

How should learning spaces change to allow for learning styles, global skills, and technology? Discover design principles for both "thinking" and "learning" spaces in the 21st Century. In 2013 he was named a national Technology Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). He is also an inductee in the Renaissance National Hall of Fame because of his incredible work in developing positive student culture. Mr. Carter has frequently been a guest speaker in schools, universities, and at local, state, and national conferences that deal with Generation Zs, technology usage, staff development, school culture, and other 21st Century education topics. He has authored numerous blogs and has written on behalf of NASSP. During his twenty year career, he has also been a high school social studies teacher, a high school assistant principal, and a middle school principal. Introduction The Parable of the Sage and the Two Spaces Step 1: Understand Generation Z The Importance of Cell Phones Connected Through Social Media The Influence of Gaming Working in Small Groups It's All About the Internet Memorization and Motivation The Importance of Relationships Begin Taking Steps - Now! Professional Development Ideas to Understand Generation Z Step 2: Start Asking Questions Our Beginning Our Shift Listening to Others Clear Talking Points A New Design Process for a New Type of Building Chairs Are for Thinking, Not Just Sitting Desks Can Be Tools for Collaboration Carpet Diem Creativity is Contagious Different Skills, Different Spaces The Importance of Technology Fostering Student Buy-In A New Type of Building, a New Funding Formula... and New Challenges The Importance of Selecting and Training Staff Understanding That Educators Evolve at Different Speeds Sometimes People Need to See New Ideas to Understand Them Remaining True to Our Core Value An Example of Teaching in a Z Space Like Clark Hall It's the Teaching and the Relationships, Not Just the Space Clark Hall Today Two Essential Questions to Begin the Design of Your Z Space Step 3: Shift to a 21st Century Mindset We Must View Space Redesign as a K-12 Process We Must Understand That Space Redesign Can Be Done on a Large Scale or a Small Scale We Must Find Ways to Make This Shift Even When Budgets Are Tight We Must Build a Culture of Trust in Our Schools We Must Recognize That a Learning Space Can Enhance 21st Century Learning We Should Make the Space Redesign a Group Effort We Must Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable We Should Study What Researchers Are Saying About 21st Century Learning We Should Gather Ideas From New Sources We Should Embrace Social Media We Should Form Clear Objectives for How We Want to Use the Space and Communicate Those Objectives to Our Staff and Community We Should Consider the Finishing Touches First We Must Acknowledge That the Learning Space Is Only as Good as the Teaching That Takes Place In It We Must Embrace the Idea That the Teacher in a 21st Century Learning Space Will Be a Facilitator, Not the Disseminator of Information Professional Development Activities to Shift Thinking to a 21st Century Mindset Step 4: Teach Global Skills Standardized Testing and Global Skills The Common Core State Standards Other Sources for Global Skills Graduate Profiles Three Stages of Development The Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools Graduate Profile Breaking Down a Graduate Profile Into Segments Global Skills at River Bluff High School Media Center Redesigns Z Spaces at the Elementary Level Individual Teacher or Small Team Skill Lists Professional Development Ideas to Teach Global Skills Step 5: Let Students Use Technology We Need Technology We Must Learn From Our Past We Must Envision How Technology and Space Can Enhance Learning We Must Model With Our Teachers What We Expect to See In Our Classroom Our Network Must Be So Strong and Well Maintained That It Rarely Crashes Our Technology Budget Must Be Robust We Must Teach Students to Use the Internet Ethically We Must Discuss the Role of Technology in Teacher Assessments We Must Realize This Is a Career-Long Initiative We Must Turn to the True Experts: Our Students Professional Development Activities to Help Students Use Technology