MODERN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Adapted from an article by Mark Osborne from Core Education April 2013

“Many of the modern learning environments being built today promote and support a range of different“ ways of teaching and learning,” including delivering, applying, creating, communicating and decision-making. Modern learning environments support strengths-based teaching. They can offer students and teachers flexibility, openness and access to resources. Providing teachers with an open, flexible learning environment can lead to the development of a robust, continuously improving community of teaching and learning.”  As students are encouraged to take ownership of and responsibility for their own learning and to learn to be collaborative in their approach, so too are teachers encouraged to collaborate at a much deeper level than before and to be accountable to the team within which they are working.

“Modern learning environments that align better with what we know about the brain and student learning can” still enable “traditional“ ways of teaching and learning, “such as direct instruction if needed, but they typically offer students and teachers much more e.g.:

• Flexibility: the ability to combine two or more classes for team-teaching, split a class into small groups and spread them over a wider area or combine different groups studying complementary learning areas.
• Openness: modern learning environments tend to have fewer walls, more glass and often use the idea of a learning common (or hub) which is a central teaching and learning space that can be shared by several classes. They provide opportunities to observe and learn from the teaching of others and be observed in return.
• Access to resources (including technology): typically a” a main gathering area may be “surrounded by breakout spaces allowing a range of different activities, such as reading, group work, project space, wet areas, reflection, and presenting. There is often a mixture of wireless and wired technology offering access as and when students need it, within the flow of their learning.

Working in an open, flexible learning environment where inquiries are shared, interventions devised collaboratively and reflections based on both self and peer observations, leads to a more robust, continuously improving community of” teachers and learners.

 

 

Stonefields Primary School in Auckland

Most of our learning environments are going to look similar to those pictured here. We will still have some of the traditional type single cell classrooms until stage two of the development comes to pass which will not be in the immediate future. It is an exciting phase in the development and history of our school. Make sure you come along to one of the meetings on the building project as advertised on School Links – in the Staffroom on 2nd or 3^rd September at 7.30 for 1 hour.

 

This week Year 3 students experienced a wonderful trip to Arataki in the Waitakere’s and made the acquaintance of an alien!

Unfortunately Rippa Rugby was postponed on Thursday and is now scheduled for next Tuesday.

 

Kiwi Team had a great adventure on Thursday when they visited Butterfly Creek. Hopefully, there will be some photos to share.

 

Meanwhile Rooms 12 & 13 celebrated a beautiful Creation Liturgy with their families, Father Elric and their teachers.

 

Wednesday’s afternoon funeral tested our systems but all went well with parking and pick up. Thank you so much to the people who car pooled, parked offsite or waited till the mad rush was over. Much appreciated. We even survived our first wet afternoon pickups, thanks to sensible parents and loads of teacher support!

 

McAuley House Family Mass is scheduled for 10.00a.m on Sunday 31 August. More details will come out nearer the time.

 

School Cross Country is scheduled for 28 August and is likely to run in the 2^nd block after morning tea, starting at approximately 11.30.  This is NOT a confirmed time. An official notice will come out from Kakariki Team who are co-ordinating the event. Weather will play a part! Catholic Schools Cross Country is on 10 September; Pupuke Cross Country is on the 11^th. The scheduling is out of our hands.

Have a great weekend. Stay well.

God bless!

Ka kite ano

Phil