Steve Jobs is a brilliant, brilliant man.My latest source of inspiration has been the Apple store: clean lines, uncluttered shelves. The focus is on the product and the customer. There is no separation between you and the products, nor you and the salespeople. This creates a very intimate experience with the product. Go ahead, touch it, try it. This is how it is going to look when you take it home. And me, Joe Applesalesguy, I'm here to help you with that experience.
When I figured that marketing strategy out as I stood there, it made me look even deeper. There is no cash register, and only one real counter (where the "Geniuses" hang out to help you with big troubleshooting). The salespeople walk around with handheld credit card machines, so you almost never see any money exchange hands (kind of like a nice, intimate drug deal). They use bright, but flat lighting, and no colour on the walls. The tables are made of a nice, wooden veneer. The effect of this is, when there are no people in the store, the store looks like an art gallery with the products neatly on display for you to behold. And when people are in the store, they breathe life into the store, into the products because the only real colour and movement in the store is created when (clothed) people walk in the store.
Compare this to any big box electronic retailer and the comparison is striking. Big boxstores are ugly, cluttered, and induce heart-palpitating sensory overload. It's like they want to impress you with the amount of stock they have, and want to whip you into a buying frenzy. The first things you see are the cash registers and then the clutter. The exact opposite is true for the Apple Store: there are no apparent cash registers, and the only place that verges on clutter is the back part where they hang a few accessories, but they are well out of the main focus of the store.
The parallels for education are apparent. If the third teacher is the environment (after the paid professional and the peers), then I want the third teacher to be more like the Apple Store than the Big Box. I want an environment that is an invitation to explore and to stay awhile. I want an environment that soothes and inspires. I want an environment that says, "I'm here to help you." But the problem is that classrooms, like the Big Boxes, have environments that are designed to get you in and get you out; environments that excite but in a fleeting and surface way; environments that say, "I'm not here for you, I'm here for me."
So how did this Apple experience manifest itself in my classroom?
I rearranged everything because of that experience. I mentioned before that over the Christmas holiday I moved everything. Between the concept of the "feature wall" and the Apple experience, I had to reorganize my focus. I now have a clean counter at the back that over looks my window, and I moved the clutter of the classroom library out of direct sight lines.
My next plan was to change the colour of my walls. I'd like to paint them because the walls are the same colour as baby vomit, but painting is really hard to do in my situation. I'm not supposed to paint the walls myself because of union concerns, and it would be expensive for the school if I had them painted, plus I don't own the room so if I happen to change rooms the next teacher would be stuck with my design aesthetic (which is impeccable, but a matter of taste). So I was going to put up this white fire retardant paper. I've been meaning to put it up for a month, but luckily my wife talked me out of it. She visited my class last week, and when I mentioned how much I hated the wall colour, she said that she didn't even notice it. She did, however, notice my nice big window with the uncluttered view. (Okay so my plan actually worked).
The other Apple Store manifestation is on that same back counter. When kids are writing, I set up 3 laptops back there so they can stand and write on them. The kids can get inspired by looking out the window, and they themselves become featured pieces of art as they stand by the back counter, a focal point of the room, and can also be viewed from passersby from the outside.
Now, I just have to let my students know they are welcome to stay, explore, and be inspired. And that I am there to help them and share in that experience. And no money will change hands.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
And Now, Back to Classroom Design...
A Change of Space
At the beginning of last year, I changed classrooms, and moved into a classroom that was almost identical in configuration but with slight differences. The new classroom faces a different direction, has less shelving, and is further away from the office. Of these three things, you would think the new direction would have the least impact, the lack of shelving would be a detriment and the proximity to the office could go either way. That's what I thought and I was wrong.
A Change in Direction
I went from a class that faced south to one that faces north. I have really noticed a big drop in the amount of natural light I get. I now have this great view of the mountains, but on an hour by hour impact, I'd take the exposure to light. I don't sit and gaze out the window, so the view, though nice, does not impact me as much. My room seems gloomier without the natural light. I'm not a big fan of fluorescent light, so I don't have it going full blast very often, but without it, my class is on the dim side. I supplemented the light with these big Ikea paper lanterns which were cheap and nice looking. But because they are made out of paper, I did not want to use normal light bulbs because they get so hot, so ironically I have to use compact fluorescents, but I found some that have a yellow tinge to them to give off a more warm (in feeling, not temperature), friendly glow. I have four of these lanterns in my class. I also have a few free standing lamps, so it creates nice pockets of light.
A Change of Storage
Less shelving means less space to store things which can create panic in teachers (we teachers love our stuff). I actually found it more liberating because it meant I had to get rid of some things which I do not use on a regular basis. I took all of the textbooks I rarely use back to the book room. I can always get them when I need them, and so far that has been never. I got rid of a table that I kept piling junk on and never used. I got rid of the math manipulatives that I don't need regularly and kept a few that I might need on the fly. Having less shelving gives me more access to walls (for displays, reading nooks, ukuleles, etc.), and more room. But the biggest advantage of not having as much shelving is flexibility. The walls and the space are not predetermined areas. I can choose how they will be used. I like that.
A Change in Proximity
The move away from the office I thought was going to be bad. I am really forgetful and always forget things in the office. But so far, it has not been a big deal. I am getting a little more organized, I am sending kids to get forgotten things from the office (which they love doing), and I feel much more connected with the rest of the school. Before, I only had one class near me, and now I have three others of varying grades. When you stand in my doorway, you can hear a lot of interesting things going on. I am learning a lot from my fellow teachers.
Net Result? I Need a Change!
So if the move was so good then why did my new classroom feel so cramped?
I was really disappointed by November with the configuration of my classroom. I felt I had way less space and everything felt cluttery. And I could not put my finger on why.
Well, at least not until a student, T, asked me why I had my cool blue lights on the back wall instead of the front wall. I told her that when my mom decorates, she always thinks about the Feature Wall, which is first wall that people see when they enter a room. The Feature Wall should have impact because it sets the mood of the whole space. T thought this was a great idea and understood why the cool blue lights were there.
But she got ME (re)thinking about the Feature Wall. I stood in the doorway and looked at the first wall I saw which was indeed the far wall with the cool blue lights. The lights made sense, and the window on that wall was nice with the nice view, but your eyes were drawn lower to the sole shelving in the room. On top of the shelving was my classroom library. I had originally placed it there strategically because of the Feature Wall: I wanted people to get the message that this was a Reading Place (also because this was the ONLY shelving, it really was the only place for a classroom library).
I love books, but when books are different sizes and placed at eye level in front of a window, they look terrible! But where else could I put the books? I wanted them so that they were easy to access for my students, but the window wall was the only place with shelving in the room. As you may know by now, I'm not adverse to building things, but I was not relishing the idea of creating a large bookshelf. And if I did, where was the shelving going to go? The next wall has my sink and cloakroom area, so no go for books. The third wall did not have much, but it is the wall directly facing the window, so people outside would look across and see the same mess as before, so no go. The fourth wall had potential, but my Smartboard was there and that wall was the focus of my class during formal instruction time. But I realized I disliked the way that wall was set up. But if I moved my Smartboard, I was going to have to reconfigure my entire classroom (again!). But (I know, 3 buts) I remembered the dissatisfaction I was feeling with my current configuration, so after much thought, I decided to have my Smartboard moved and then rejig the classroom.
Rejigging the classroom turned out to be no big deal. I don't have that much on the walls, and the risers are a snap to move so reconfiguring my classroom took little time. Ah, the benefit of Spartan flexibility.
Feature Wall Redux
The new configuration is SO much better. It looks better, but more importantly, it works better. Kids are closer together during instructional time. The first thing you see on the far wall is a nice open counter top that has a few plants on it. The students face you so you see their angelic faces as you enter. Parents sometimes watch lessons from outside and can see the Smartboard, and they don't distract their children because they mostly face away from the window. By moving the risers closer to the new front, I have room for a reading nook, a counter to be used for stand-up writing and working on one of 3 laptops, a place for an art easel, a wet area, and a table area.
It has all of the elements I like: clean lines, flow, and flexibility. Again, a big change as a result of a small prompt, a question. Thanks T and Mom.
At the beginning of last year, I changed classrooms, and moved into a classroom that was almost identical in configuration but with slight differences. The new classroom faces a different direction, has less shelving, and is further away from the office. Of these three things, you would think the new direction would have the least impact, the lack of shelving would be a detriment and the proximity to the office could go either way. That's what I thought and I was wrong.
A Change in Direction
I went from a class that faced south to one that faces north. I have really noticed a big drop in the amount of natural light I get. I now have this great view of the mountains, but on an hour by hour impact, I'd take the exposure to light. I don't sit and gaze out the window, so the view, though nice, does not impact me as much. My room seems gloomier without the natural light. I'm not a big fan of fluorescent light, so I don't have it going full blast very often, but without it, my class is on the dim side. I supplemented the light with these big Ikea paper lanterns which were cheap and nice looking. But because they are made out of paper, I did not want to use normal light bulbs because they get so hot, so ironically I have to use compact fluorescents, but I found some that have a yellow tinge to them to give off a more warm (in feeling, not temperature), friendly glow. I have four of these lanterns in my class. I also have a few free standing lamps, so it creates nice pockets of light.
A Change of Storage
Less shelving means less space to store things which can create panic in teachers (we teachers love our stuff). I actually found it more liberating because it meant I had to get rid of some things which I do not use on a regular basis. I took all of the textbooks I rarely use back to the book room. I can always get them when I need them, and so far that has been never. I got rid of a table that I kept piling junk on and never used. I got rid of the math manipulatives that I don't need regularly and kept a few that I might need on the fly. Having less shelving gives me more access to walls (for displays, reading nooks, ukuleles, etc.), and more room. But the biggest advantage of not having as much shelving is flexibility. The walls and the space are not predetermined areas. I can choose how they will be used. I like that.
A Change in Proximity
The move away from the office I thought was going to be bad. I am really forgetful and always forget things in the office. But so far, it has not been a big deal. I am getting a little more organized, I am sending kids to get forgotten things from the office (which they love doing), and I feel much more connected with the rest of the school. Before, I only had one class near me, and now I have three others of varying grades. When you stand in my doorway, you can hear a lot of interesting things going on. I am learning a lot from my fellow teachers.
Net Result? I Need a Change!
So if the move was so good then why did my new classroom feel so cramped?
I was really disappointed by November with the configuration of my classroom. I felt I had way less space and everything felt cluttery. And I could not put my finger on why.
Well, at least not until a student, T, asked me why I had my cool blue lights on the back wall instead of the front wall. I told her that when my mom decorates, she always thinks about the Feature Wall, which is first wall that people see when they enter a room. The Feature Wall should have impact because it sets the mood of the whole space. T thought this was a great idea and understood why the cool blue lights were there.
But she got ME (re)thinking about the Feature Wall. I stood in the doorway and looked at the first wall I saw which was indeed the far wall with the cool blue lights. The lights made sense, and the window on that wall was nice with the nice view, but your eyes were drawn lower to the sole shelving in the room. On top of the shelving was my classroom library. I had originally placed it there strategically because of the Feature Wall: I wanted people to get the message that this was a Reading Place (also because this was the ONLY shelving, it really was the only place for a classroom library).
I love books, but when books are different sizes and placed at eye level in front of a window, they look terrible! But where else could I put the books? I wanted them so that they were easy to access for my students, but the window wall was the only place with shelving in the room. As you may know by now, I'm not adverse to building things, but I was not relishing the idea of creating a large bookshelf. And if I did, where was the shelving going to go? The next wall has my sink and cloakroom area, so no go for books. The third wall did not have much, but it is the wall directly facing the window, so people outside would look across and see the same mess as before, so no go. The fourth wall had potential, but my Smartboard was there and that wall was the focus of my class during formal instruction time. But I realized I disliked the way that wall was set up. But if I moved my Smartboard, I was going to have to reconfigure my entire classroom (again!). But (I know, 3 buts) I remembered the dissatisfaction I was feeling with my current configuration, so after much thought, I decided to have my Smartboard moved and then rejig the classroom.
Rejigging the classroom turned out to be no big deal. I don't have that much on the walls, and the risers are a snap to move so reconfiguring my classroom took little time. Ah, the benefit of Spartan flexibility.
Feature Wall Redux
The new configuration is SO much better. It looks better, but more importantly, it works better. Kids are closer together during instructional time. The first thing you see on the far wall is a nice open counter top that has a few plants on it. The students face you so you see their angelic faces as you enter. Parents sometimes watch lessons from outside and can see the Smartboard, and they don't distract their children because they mostly face away from the window. By moving the risers closer to the new front, I have room for a reading nook, a counter to be used for stand-up writing and working on one of 3 laptops, a place for an art easel, a wet area, and a table area.
It has all of the elements I like: clean lines, flow, and flexibility. Again, a big change as a result of a small prompt, a question. Thanks T and Mom.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
7. Find Truth, Beauty, Humour, or Joy in Everything You Do.
Ah, the last one (of my list of Essential Things to Teach).
This is my favourite, and it seems to bookend nicely with the first one: Make Things Better. It would make for a nice t-shirt. "Make Things Better" on one side and "Find Truth, Beauty, Humour, or Joy in Everything You Do" on the other.
The main message here and with all of these Essentials, is to Learn. We learn from everything, we learn all the time, and we learn from everyone. It does not end. Everything is a learning situation, but it is up to us, the learners, what we walk away with.
How do we teach kids to think this way? We model. We think out loud. We wonder. We ask questions. We probe. We get stuck. We think (out loud) a bit more. [We do have to temper the "think alouds." Someone wise told me, thinking aloud is okay in small doses, but not too much. It's like telling someone about a dream you had. My dreams are fascinating to me. Yours? Not so much].
By constantly modelling wonder, we are also showing students that active, engaged minds are never bored. And we are using our brains at all times because we view every experience as a lesson, not just the times when the teacher is talking.
If you do end up making your own list of essential things in education, please keep a few things in mind:
-Keep the list to under 10 items.
-The list should not change (because these are essential items), but it more than likely will. (My list changes constantly. In fact, it changed quite a few times in the writing of these blog posts.) As you teach things about the list and reflect, you'll start to change and modify things. Go ahead. It is YOUR list. You are the one who has to teach it and live (with) it.
-Keep your list as simple as possible. This is especially true if you are going to refer to the list with young children. You probably wouldn't say, "Locate, Store, and Retrieve Information," but you might say, "Find out new things and be able to share them."
If I was to get my list down to the kernel of the ideas, (the essentials of the essentials), and one word for each item, it would be this list (one for each finger):
1. Better (thumb)
It seems appropriate that Make Things Better is in the thumbs up position. Very positive. This part includes: solving problems, being creative, making the world better. Job one.
2. Me (index finger)
The me finger is the one that does a lot of the work. This part includes anything to do with me: take care of myself, know myself, be myself, etc.
3. You (big middle finger)
I'll avoid the obvious crass joke here about finger placement. But I like the symbolism of holding up those three fingers. It's like a little crowd: Betterment, Me, and You. We'll work together to make things better. The big guy represents all other people: I get along with others, I work with others, I share, I learn from others, etc.
4. Communicate (ring finger)
This part includes sharing ideas with others, but also expressing myself and managing information. How do we make things better and get along with others? Communication. Ah, lovely overlap.
5. Learn (pinky)
I know it sounds redundant: An essential thing in education is to learn. Well, duh. But I think that "Learn" is the best single word to encapsulate "Find Truth, Beauty, Humour, or Joy in Everything You Do." (I mean the pinky is a small finger).
It makes for a nice mnemonic mantra:
"We can make things Better if Me and You Communicate and Learn."
Sure it's kitschy and grammatically awkward, but it nicely sums up a lot of what education is to me. It would be easy for kids to remember too.
This is my favourite, and it seems to bookend nicely with the first one: Make Things Better. It would make for a nice t-shirt. "Make Things Better" on one side and "Find Truth, Beauty, Humour, or Joy in Everything You Do" on the other.
The main message here and with all of these Essentials, is to Learn. We learn from everything, we learn all the time, and we learn from everyone. It does not end. Everything is a learning situation, but it is up to us, the learners, what we walk away with.
How do we teach kids to think this way? We model. We think out loud. We wonder. We ask questions. We probe. We get stuck. We think (out loud) a bit more. [We do have to temper the "think alouds." Someone wise told me, thinking aloud is okay in small doses, but not too much. It's like telling someone about a dream you had. My dreams are fascinating to me. Yours? Not so much].
By constantly modelling wonder, we are also showing students that active, engaged minds are never bored. And we are using our brains at all times because we view every experience as a lesson, not just the times when the teacher is talking.
If you do end up making your own list of essential things in education, please keep a few things in mind:
-Keep the list to under 10 items.
-The list should not change (because these are essential items), but it more than likely will. (My list changes constantly. In fact, it changed quite a few times in the writing of these blog posts.) As you teach things about the list and reflect, you'll start to change and modify things. Go ahead. It is YOUR list. You are the one who has to teach it and live (with) it.
-Keep your list as simple as possible. This is especially true if you are going to refer to the list with young children. You probably wouldn't say, "Locate, Store, and Retrieve Information," but you might say, "Find out new things and be able to share them."
If I was to get my list down to the kernel of the ideas, (the essentials of the essentials), and one word for each item, it would be this list (one for each finger):
1. Better (thumb)
It seems appropriate that Make Things Better is in the thumbs up position. Very positive. This part includes: solving problems, being creative, making the world better. Job one.
2. Me (index finger)
The me finger is the one that does a lot of the work. This part includes anything to do with me: take care of myself, know myself, be myself, etc.
3. You (big middle finger)
I'll avoid the obvious crass joke here about finger placement. But I like the symbolism of holding up those three fingers. It's like a little crowd: Betterment, Me, and You. We'll work together to make things better. The big guy represents all other people: I get along with others, I work with others, I share, I learn from others, etc.
4. Communicate (ring finger)
This part includes sharing ideas with others, but also expressing myself and managing information. How do we make things better and get along with others? Communication. Ah, lovely overlap.
5. Learn (pinky)
I know it sounds redundant: An essential thing in education is to learn. Well, duh. But I think that "Learn" is the best single word to encapsulate "Find Truth, Beauty, Humour, or Joy in Everything You Do." (I mean the pinky is a small finger).
It makes for a nice mnemonic mantra:
"We can make things Better if Me and You Communicate and Learn."
Sure it's kitschy and grammatically awkward, but it nicely sums up a lot of what education is to me. It would be easy for kids to remember too.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
6. Take Care of Myself
A lot of these Essentials of Education seem like no brainers, and this one definitely is in that family. However, we have to teach kids overtly to take care of themselves. Unfortunately, a lot of the aspects of our modern lifestyle lend themselves to an unhealthy life. Ironically, technological improvements may have made some parts of our lives more convenient, but not more healthy. We have instant fast food (but packaged food does not give us fresh food or the essential nutrients), instant access to information (so we don't have to get off our duffs to find out things, and instant action, (video games instead of exercise).
I'm not going to get into a debate here about the role of the family here. It is just a fact of today that schools must teach children to make healthy choices and to teach them to take care of themselves. This includes eating right, making safe and positive choices, exercising, knowing how to relax, managing stress, etc.
I'm not going to get into a debate here about the role of the family here. It is just a fact of today that schools must teach children to make healthy choices and to teach them to take care of themselves. This includes eating right, making safe and positive choices, exercising, knowing how to relax, managing stress, etc.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
5. Manage Information
Number 5 (of the essential things in education) is to learn to manage information
We get so much information and we have to learn what to do with it.
Where can you find the information you need?
Is this the right information, and do you trust what you found out?
Is it accurate and reliable? Does it make sense to you?
How do you record it so you'll remember it for later?
How can you retrieve the information you recorded?
How can I share what I found out? What is the most effective way?
This aspect of education has really changed in my lifetime.
In my school days, we had to memorize a lot of information because we did not have the same access to information that we have today. Unfortunately, some of the information I learned was outdated, biased, or just plain wrong, (e.g. You will never be able to fit a computer in your home, much less afford one. Africa is a country. etc.). We thought that teachers (and our parents) knew everything, or at least hoped they did because they were our big sources of how the world worked.
Not so today. What Google can pull up in a second exceeds what all my teachers knew in a lifetime. If kids want to know about something, they can pull out their phones or ipads or laptops and Wikipedia or some other site will tell them.
But the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
What kids get on the internet is just data, and lots of it. They still need to learn to sift out what is accurate, what is true, and what makes sense. That is what the role of teachers should be: not to pour facts into students' heads to be memorized, but to teach them to find information they need and then to show them to look at that data with a critical eye. Students need to know about perspective and bias. They need to know that information can be gathered from a variety of sources including experiences, media, and from other people. Great teachers help students gather, sift, and analyze.
It's all about Perspective
I heard this really interesting documentary on CBC radio. It talked about how we tend to surround ourselves with like-minded people because it was just immediately easier on ourselves. The internet opens us up to a multitude of different perspectives, and yet if we look at our Facebook or Twitter accounts, we hook up with people who are like us or think like us. However, if we want to be truly creative, we need to be open to different points of view. On the program, one guy noticed this effect when he looked at his own Twitter account, and then to reverse this, he started following a random stranger from a totally different demographic. He said that it really opened his eyes to a different point of view and brought to light things that he never thought of before.
Idea Building
The big idea is to help kids attach new information or new experiences with their view of the world. When I was a student, getting information was like sculpting. I chiseled away until I got to the newly formed idea. As my teacher gave me new information, I used it to make my idea smaller and more defined. Now getting information is more like pottery. We add new bits of moldable clay to a base that seems to get bigger and bigger, and the shape seems to change with each new bit. Some bits we discard and throw away, but mostly we seem to add on to what is already there.
Having said all of this, I use Google to look up quick, recent facts or bits of trivia, but for the really tough answers, I still ask my parents.
We get so much information and we have to learn what to do with it.
Where can you find the information you need?
Is this the right information, and do you trust what you found out?
Is it accurate and reliable? Does it make sense to you?
How do you record it so you'll remember it for later?
How can you retrieve the information you recorded?
How can I share what I found out? What is the most effective way?
This aspect of education has really changed in my lifetime.
In my school days, we had to memorize a lot of information because we did not have the same access to information that we have today. Unfortunately, some of the information I learned was outdated, biased, or just plain wrong, (e.g. You will never be able to fit a computer in your home, much less afford one. Africa is a country. etc.). We thought that teachers (and our parents) knew everything, or at least hoped they did because they were our big sources of how the world worked.
Not so today. What Google can pull up in a second exceeds what all my teachers knew in a lifetime. If kids want to know about something, they can pull out their phones or ipads or laptops and Wikipedia or some other site will tell them.
But the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
What kids get on the internet is just data, and lots of it. They still need to learn to sift out what is accurate, what is true, and what makes sense. That is what the role of teachers should be: not to pour facts into students' heads to be memorized, but to teach them to find information they need and then to show them to look at that data with a critical eye. Students need to know about perspective and bias. They need to know that information can be gathered from a variety of sources including experiences, media, and from other people. Great teachers help students gather, sift, and analyze.
It's all about Perspective
I heard this really interesting documentary on CBC radio. It talked about how we tend to surround ourselves with like-minded people because it was just immediately easier on ourselves. The internet opens us up to a multitude of different perspectives, and yet if we look at our Facebook or Twitter accounts, we hook up with people who are like us or think like us. However, if we want to be truly creative, we need to be open to different points of view. On the program, one guy noticed this effect when he looked at his own Twitter account, and then to reverse this, he started following a random stranger from a totally different demographic. He said that it really opened his eyes to a different point of view and brought to light things that he never thought of before.
Idea Building
The big idea is to help kids attach new information or new experiences with their view of the world. When I was a student, getting information was like sculpting. I chiseled away until I got to the newly formed idea. As my teacher gave me new information, I used it to make my idea smaller and more defined. Now getting information is more like pottery. We add new bits of moldable clay to a base that seems to get bigger and bigger, and the shape seems to change with each new bit. Some bits we discard and throw away, but mostly we seem to add on to what is already there.
Having said all of this, I use Google to look up quick, recent facts or bits of trivia, but for the really tough answers, I still ask my parents.
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