Starting A School Design Project

Story Source: Harvard Graduate School of Education ~ Go to Original Article

Schools and teachers often use summer as a time to rethink classrooms and learning spaces. The challenge — whether it’s rearranging the furniture or planning a complete school renovation — is to make these changes in a way that goes beyond aesthetics and actually results in an environment that sparks curiosity.

Learning goals should guide the design process, not follow, says Daniel Wilson, director and principal investigator at Project Zero. “Oftentimes, exemplary school designs, model plans, or trendy images can lead schools and teachers to make premature decisions about what classrooms should look like. We want to pause that momentum and turn discussions towards the learning goals that will matter most in the community — and really get concrete about what that learning looks like in everyday interactions…………………….