Blackpool students 'School of the Future' design wins cefpi award

Blackpool students win top award!

I'm really pleased that 'the-learning-crowd' senior associate Alison Watson has continued her amazing track record of success with UK students entering the cepfi School of the Future competition.  When Alison, through her company ClassofYourOwn introduced British schools to this exciting international design competition, the hope was to find a team that would make it through to the finals in Washington DC, USA. 


I am really pleased that yet again, through Alison's enthusiasm and passion a range of UK schools took part in the UK competition.

The following is from Alison's blog:


Sponsored by CEFPI and the National Association of Realtors® in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,  the American Institute of Architects, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and more than 20 other associations and private companies, the annual competition strengthens public awareness of the importance of well-planned, healthy, sustainable school buildings that enhance student and teacher performance and contribute to community culture and vitality.
The competition challenges students from across the globe to think creatively as they plan and design tomorrow’s green schools to enhance learning, be healthy, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community.


After an exciting UK semi final at the Manchester offices of BDP, one of Europe’s leading interdisciplinary design practices, students from Highfield Humanities College, Blackpool, were chosen to represent Britain with their ‘Ocean Observatory’ learning centre and headed off to America’s capital city to take compete in the final leg of The School of the Future Design Competition, centerpiece of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) School Building Week.


“For the past three years, we’ve been trying to encourage more young people to discover architecture, engineering and construction. We’re big fans of the CEFPI competition, and it’s a fantastic challenge for those students who have worked their way through our curriculum” said Alison  “They already possess a great degree of knowledge, and having the chance to travel overseas and demonstrate their skills is a fantastic achievement. We’re very proud of the students at Highfield for getting so far and extremely grateful to BDP, Blackpool Council and Autodesk for their support.”


All six teams had 15 minutes to present their projects to jury members, then grilled for a further 15 minutes by jurors who pull no punches!  “Facing a formidable 22-person jury would be a daunting experience for most adults, but these students took them on without a moment’s hesitation!” remarked David C. Edwards, CEFPI Chairman of the Board.  “The students continue to raise the bar each year in the rigorous competition. This year’s submissions epitomised project-based learning and demonstrated a deep understanding of the planning process and creating a sustainable future.”


An Award of Excellence went to joint winners Imago Dei Middle School from Tucson, Arizona and Teeland Middle School from Wasilla, Alaska. Both teams received $2000 for their schools for their extraordinary environmentally efficient designs. A very respectable runners up place and well deserved Award of Distinction was presented to Highfield Humanities College of Blackpool, Lancashire.


Imago Dei students acknowledged that they were fortunate to receive a good education and caring teachers so they designed a school for the children of Niger in West Africa who did not have the same opportunities.   They constructed their school from local, sustainable resources creating “polybricks” assembled from plastic water bottles and using bamboo walls to repel malaria-carrying mosquitoes prevalent throughout the area.  Powered by solar energy, the building also makes great use of natural light and employs shade sails of woven bamboo to offer some relief from the extreme heat.  The students’ research efforts were impeccable, leading them to also design a portable school made out of the same materials to bring to communities where children cannot travel to the main school.


The Teeland Middle School team chose to build their facility on a landfill – truly embracing “renew, reuse, recycle” by creating walls made of materials mined from the landfill and covering them with solar wallpaper.  The cement building is constructed with carbon nanotubes, one of the strongest materials available synthesized from carbon-rich compounds such as plastic, which act as rebar.  The green roofs collect storm water and provide insulation. Again exemplifying “renew, reuse, recycle”, one of the three “aerodynamic” school buildings constructed to withstand the strong Alaskan winds houses the homeless, providing them with educational opportunities, an introduction to careers, use of all the community facilities and three meals a day.  Food for the facility and community was grown on campus.
Award of Distinction winner, Highfield Humanities College, UK, received $1,500 in prize money. Coming from a seaside resort community in northwest England, the students designed a building embedded into a sand dune on the sea front that would serve as a space for all learners, including the local community and visitors. Hard hit by the current economy, the team hoped that their unique school would encourage tourism and add to the local economy. The front of the building is constructed of glass that can withstand the pressure of the waves, allowing students to observe underwater sea life when high-tide covers the building. The building is powered by renewable energy including wind and wave power.  Dormitory space in the rear of the building can accommodate 42 students, giving them the opportunity to discover the alternative nightlife of Blackpool.


Three other US Middle schools – Newtown (Connecticut), Seneca (Michigan) and University (Texas), were presented with the Award of Merit, each receiving $1,000 for their own remarkable designs.


“Chairing the jury affords me one of the best days of the year,” remarked David Schrader, AIA, CEFPI  international board member.  “As we watched the presentations, it was clear that no matter how knowledgeable and talented each of the jury members were, the children’s message, knowledge, passion and enthusiasm humbled each and every one of us.  This remarkable day left us all aware that these students truly represent tomorrow’s leaders and our future is in good hands.”


The Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) is the only US professional organisation whose principal purpose is improving the places where children learn.  CEFPI embraces a diverse group of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, high performance and sustainable learning environments that enhance student and teacher performance and support culture and community vitality.  To learn more, visit www.cefpi.org.

To learn more about ClassofyourOwn click here.

Music School

Many people will recently have seen the photograph claiming to be a building for a music school in China.  Certainly if you look carefully you can see people appearing to be climbing stairs inside the 'glass cello'.  But is it genuine or a clever graphic?  Looking carefully the building appears to be located in the middle of no where...


But even if it is a trick - it is a great idea and has caused many comments.  It's fun enough to be great!  I kind of hope that it is genuine. Does anyone have any ideas? 

the-learning-crowd

Today garethl.com is rebranded as the-learning-crowd.

There are lots of reasons for this but primarily is the fact that I am working really successfully with a group of associates on more and more projects, including in Wales and London. It just made total sense that we created a group identity. I am incredibly lucky to have six highly talented and experienced senior associates, working with the-learning-crowd and projects are going well.

This blog will continue, it is in its sixth year after all and it still has several thousand readers a year

For more on the-learning-crowd, please click here!

A Bath ........ and a Brave Carpet

Visiting an elementary school a few weeks ago in America, I was intrigued to see a bathtub in the library full of cushions. It turns out it was not a funky way to store the cushions but a treat for students who did well. The treat was being allowed to sit in the bath reading during informal reading time - apparently it is really popular! I've not seen it before but.... what ever works!

What did catch my eye was the carpet..... I spend a lot of time with schools all over the place considering aspects of design, including floor coverings. Never have I seen a carpet like this is a school.... it's certainly..... well a brave choice at least.

Simple Cable Management

Whilst in a new school recently I spotted these tables designed for simple cable management when pushed together in groups. The small cut out recess in the table top means computer cables can run from the floor box below providing power and maybe data, to laptops etc without getting squashed between the desk tops.

It's a simple, easy and cost effective design that will work for many schools. Some tables with installed cable management systems cost a fortune, putting them out of reach for the majority.

There is a bigger debate about the practicality of floor boxes in schools, and with the costs of school buildings being driven down, the affordability of them. However, in many schools they work well and support flexibility in how learning is organised which can only be a good thing. If floor boxes are installed simply for laptops or notebooks being plugged in, then as battery life continues to increase there could be less need for them... (as long as people keep their devices charged!).

Given the choice, but depending on the type of school, I'd still have them installed. Flexibility and options still work for me every time!

Lab Furniture

Spotted recently whilst working in Kuwait - new Italian furniture for school laboratories. It's interesting, very high specification, and very different from the furniture normally seen in UK schools.

All the base units are on wheels so they can be easily moved to provide leg space or ensure the equipment they contain is safely transported to the place where it is needed. It has the feel much more of a professional, commercial laboratory rather than the standard benches seen in schools.

In the UK many schools would be concerned about sight lines and the ability to monitor students at all times. In the school indicated above students behave well and are trusted and the teachers and support staff move around the room. For a lecture or demonstration there is room to gather stools near the teachers demonstration desk as normal.

The student stools have backs on them - a deliberate decision and again something more and more schools are moving to to help students sit properly. In a UK school I am working with senior staff 'shadowed' students and discovered that one class had spent fifty percent of their day on stools with no backs - it's not good!

So new professional standard furniture in a standard space - it looked very good! I hope to go back so will report on how well it works with all the students using it.

Supporting a 'Classroom of the Future' Project

I am really pleased to have been asked to support, in a very small way, a class from St Gilgen International School in Austria, as they start a four week project on designing a 'classroom of the future'. It's is a fabulous project - students considering approaches to learning and what types of environment best support that. It is an important conversation between learners and teachers that can really contribute to the learning process.

Four weeks is long enough for some really good conversations to take place, and of course, once they've happened, the thinking and discussions remain with them.

I am very curious to see how their projects develop and how the students envision the future of learning spaces. Hopefully, we will be able to post some of their ideas on the blog for others to share.

It is also heartening that these conversations seem to be going on in increasing numbers in countries all over the world. In just a few days I will also be working with a school in Kuwait considering the future of their learning environments. It's only in the UK where, in some places, people seem to be trying to block these conversations at the moment. It's a pity and a backward step.

Good luck to the students doing the project!

Old and New - technology everywhere

There are not many Reception age classroom that I have visited where the balance between traditional dim new are quite so obvious and so integrated. In a Merthyr Tydfil school in Wales, I was struck by the arrangement that had a good old sand tray quite close to the interactive white board, next to shelves of reading books, sand toys and also open shelves containing ICT kit for the pupils. Neat it certainly was - used it also was!

With free choice everywhere and a range of easily accessible kit it was quite a special room. There were little recording devices next to the books so the 4 and 5 year old pupils could record what they said and hear it back straight away. There was ICT everywhere that was easy to reach when ever they wanted: easy to use robust video cameras. microphones, walkie talkies, programmable bugs and so on. Nothing 'special' or 'hidden away' about the ICT here.

It does, of course, carry on further up the school where ICT is everywhere to use, when it is appropriate and when needed. Of course it is the way forward... I just wish more schools were as trusting and progressive enough from the days pupils entered the school!

Goldilocks and the three ....Drinking Fountains?

Visiting a different primary school recently we couldn't help but smile when we saw the drinking fountains - they just reminded everyone of a well known childrens story really, especially as they were located side by side so neatly.

The provision of water is really important and more and more schools are ensuring that there is provision all round the school both inside and out. Mind you, new drinking fountains are much neater these days - compare the ones above with a new one shown below which was installed in a new secondary school very recently. Most students couldn't believe it when they first saw it. It is pretty cool!

New school - new efforts?

I was fortunate enough to be at the 'first day' of school for students as they entered a brand new secondary school building last week. It really was a case of leave their old building at the start of the half term break and return to the new one at the start of the next half term. Elements of the new building were constructed literally feet way from some class rooms so students have been able to monitor the construction process from day one.

There was a very positive and purposeful feeling about the students as they returned to school. They were keen to see around and there was early appreciation of their new lockers and ID badges. Much more importantly though, they were overheard saying that their classrooms were so much better, lighter, smarter and more professional that it would help make them work harder.

It is a fabulous building, although slightly cramped for a while as the buildings they have just vacated get demolished and the next phase of construction takes place. Once finished though the whole integrated campus will make a real difference from the random selection of buildings they left. The plans look great and the construction team from Balfour Beatty, working with the LEP '4 Futures' have operated as real partners with the school. This team approach has made the whole process apparently painless.

We'll see if the building does make a difference long term to students attainment, but the early signs and unprompted words look promising!

Learning - the future..

I was pleased to be able to co-chair an invitation only conference last week for UK Learning, the UK branch of cepfi. (Council of Education Facilities Planners International).

Hosted by the Manchester Metropolitan University, delegates included representatives from primary, secondary and special schools, architects, construction companies, Adult Education sector, Directors of Children's Services, an international schools organisation, Chief Executives of education groups, education consultants and also from the FF&E sector.

We were fortunate to get inputs from some fabulous speakers as we explored the issues and opportunities for education in the future whilst operating within context of today. Really interesting stuff. The speakers who challenged and motivated included:

• Trung Le, the fantastic education architect and thinker from Cannon Design (Chicago) also known as the driving force from the visionary The Third Teacher
• Professor Stephen Heppell, one of the worlds leading education thinkers (see Heppell.net)
• Ollie Bray, National Adviser for Emerging Technologies in Learning at Education Scotland. Formore on Ollie, click here.
• Mike Reading, Principal, The Oxford Academy
• Eddie Murphy, Technical Director, Mott MacDonald
• Aidan Ridyard, Director, Broadway Malyan Architects
• Some of the excellent inputs and videos will go on line soon - and be posted on this blog, so please do come back to check them out.

The tiniest .....

Visiting a school recently the whole staff started laughing between themselves as they collected new board pens and erasers. The very diligent Business Manager thought they had found board erasers for a much cheaper price than usual. Only when they arrived did anyone realise why they were so cheap.... they were possibly the smallest ones ever seen. It certainly caused staff to laugh with each other... It was great that no one got cross, irritated or started moaning as may have happened in some places.

The rather embarrassed Business Manager was last seen being very busy...... ordering new ones... Staff have a guessing competition going on as to what size the next offerings will be!

Bangkok Patana School

I have friends with children who are fortunate enough to attend the new Bangkok Patana School in Thailand. I recently watched their promotional video through a link on YouTube - it really is a fantastic facility and students who attend and staff that work there are really fortunate.

Whilst it IS very much promotional, it is interesting to see areas of the school that demonstrate a wide range of furniture, fixtures and equipment. The school obviously thinks it is important to help create good professional learning environments and ensure that students can sit and learn in professional standard furniture. It says so much about the ethos of respect of the school.

We know furniture and environments makes a massive difference to learning, despite some of the nonsense being spouted by politicians currently. As I continue to be involved with numerous school schemes around the UK, I do get depressed when ff&e is the first thing that gets cut as a 'frill' or clients ask for hundreds of identical chairs that could have been around decades ago. Life and expectation is changing, schools should be as well. Sitting students on cheap uncomfortable chairs in identical spaces just cannot be right, nor productive. No wonder they lose concentration, motivation and engagement.

To watch video of this amazing school, click here.

A new beginning....

It was quite depressing walking round an empty semi-derelict primary school last week - seeing odd splashes of colour against collapsing ceilings, girder supports holding up walls, water dripping through ceilings and so on. The fact that we were standing in snow as well did not help.

To make it worse, I was accompanying staff who had worked in that particular building five years earlier. Memories and anecdotes were mentioned as we walked round every part of the building.

The exciting part of this particular project in the London Borough of Southwark, is that I am involved in helping the design process to rebuild and extend this dilapidated building to create a new primary school fit for the Third Millennium. Lots of challenges as the photographs show, as well as the building having listed planning status. Very close neighbours provide additional restrictions.

The design stages have started and there are real challenges in trying to adapt existing Victorian spaces to accept a wide range of teaching pedagogy's and adjacency's.... It's fun, it's thought provoking - but this old building really does deserve to be brought back to life for hundreds of local primary students.

More on this project as it develops over the next eighteen months.

Challenge and aspiration in the Heads of the Valleys

Professor David Egan

I am excited to be leading a team of associates playing a small contribution within the Heads of The Valleys Education Project (HOVEP) in Wales. Recently I attended a stakeholder engagement meeting where people really did work together to help formulate the agenda for future activities.

HOVEP is a unique partnership between the Welsh Government, local authorities, the further and higher education sectors in the Heads of the Valleys area. Its mission is to make the Heads of the Valleys a high skilled region for the 21st century. In Blaenau Gwent, (one of the two areas in HOVEP, the other being Merthyr Tydfil) this is a particularly significant goal. The closure of the steelworks and the loss of a considerable number of jobs has led to the creation of an area facing a significant number of challenges.

HOVEP will focus on every child benefiting from school, and work to ensure that they transition smoothly from primary to secondary sectors of education, with higher percentages of 16-19 students gaining from high level qualifications including English and Maths. Another fundamental aspect is to support higher numbers of 19 years olds progressing into further or higher education, whilst improving skills in the wider adult population.

What I so impressed with is the passion and dedication I have seen to work with the widest range of partners to support, challenge and add value through strengthening and deepening the impact of their current works. In this meeting representatives from almost every phase of education were there, as well as academics, local authority representatives and local employers. It will need this absolute combined commitment and determination to make a difference, including getting over some difficult issues. However, unlike some other areas, they have started and have some very clear plans, aspirations and ideas. This was not a 'sit and receive' session, but rather like the aims of the project, a 'roll your sleeves up and get involved' session where everyone had a role to play in identifying responses to some very searching topics..

I also find it encouraging that there is a significant role for academics in this project, but one with a very real understanding of the specific issues faced in this area. High quality comments giving guidance came from Emeritus Professor David Egan, Senior Policy Advisor to HOVEP and guest Speaker Professor Sir Deian Hopkin.

I just wish them all the best of luck - and am happy to be involved. I am sure I will write more from this project in the coming week and months, so... watch this space.

A crowded and committed audience

Curriculum Change - Michael Rosen to Mr Gove

A great open 'letter' appears in The Guardian newspaper this week, from internationally acclaimed author Michael Rosen, to the UK's Secretary of State for Education, the Right Honourable Mr Michael Gove.

It's all about the ever changing school curriculum and the news that the new curriculum guidance which was expected soon, is going to be delayed for a year.

What ever Michael Rosen writes is always engaging and captivating. The same can be said when he is working with students. As a Headteacher, he visited my school and spent the day working with my secondary students and then also with students from feeder primary schools who visited for a half day. It was just the best day with all the students fortunate enough to attend getting so much out of it. The impact was even better with the followup work undertaken by the students and guided by staff achieving the highest standards.

The 'letter' is gentle, but the points included are well made. To read it in full, please click here:

Stage not Age

A recent media story has been producing some interesting conversations amongst educationalists. Basically it's about a class of 12/13 year olds at the Winifred Holtby School in Hull taking their GCSE English examination more than three years early.

Many schools enter students for exams one years early. This particular English teacher recognised that this one class of students were 'unique' within the school, producing work way above their age expected standards. The fact that twenty six of them achieved A's, B'S or C's at GCSE despite their supports this view. Whilst a few may retake their exams (four got D's) the other have already started GCSE English Literature with the expectations of starting 'A Level' courses two years early at age 14/15. Fantastic.

And why not? I am a real supporter of students being able to do things, new courses, projects and exams, when they are ready, not only when they reach some specific age set arbitrarily. It is all about 'stage not age', - if they are motivated and an do it, why shouldn't they? It may be administratively inconvenient, but that's an organisational issue.

Some comments under the story have referred to the fact that they may all have got 'A's' if they had waited until they were sixteen - a more usual age for taking GCSE examinations. But if they mature enough and are capable of doing and understanding the work now, why would you ask them to wait for three years. This success may well motivate them to do more and even better, thereby becoming more aspirational about their learning and plans for the future.

Asking them to wait for years for no legitimate or logical reason is far more likely to demotivate and demoralise them. Why would anyone want to do that?

So, a massive well done to the students and well done to the school for having the confidence to allow students to learn when they are ready, not wait until they hit random age targets!

To read the full story click here.

Thoughts on Finland's Education System

Another in the series of occasional guest posts - this time by Elaine Hirsch commenting on the Finland's education system. (Elaine Hirsch is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education to technology to public policy, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead. She currently writes for an online school resource.)

Imagine school with shorter and fewer days in class, no bells, and teachers who go by their first names. Imagine reading in warm slippers by the fireplace between classes, and doing no more than half an hour of homework every night. This is the education experience Finish students experience from K-12 to master's degree programs, a fact which is validated through Finland scoring the highest among international school systems.

Year after year, Finland's K-12 education has been at the top of PISA's international survey results for students' academic skills, and unlike the similarly high ranking South Korea, has done so without a cram school in sight. Sadly, this is in contrast to the United States, whose position continues to fall and consistently lags behind countries such as Slovakia and Barbados in several subjects, despite higher government spending on education.

If Finland's educational success is not due to rigorous schedules, scoring scrutiny and intense competition, what is its secret?

The results are surprising. Finland spends almost $1000 less per year per student than the United States, and many Finnish schools do not boast a great variety of extra-curricular activities or employment of the latest technology. Instead, Finland's schools differentiate themselves through more fundamental and very basic differences.

Finnish teachers are very well regarded in society, and share equal social status to doctors. 25% of young Finns select it as their vocation, but only 10-13% are admitted to teacher training programs, due to the high volume of applicants and the caliber of those seeking to join the ranks. In the United States, the bottom third of graduates enter the teaching profession.

Money is also not the answer. Finnish graduates are drawn to teaching because it offers great job security, a respectful and comfortable environment, and a very high degree of autonomy. Teachers are encouraged to be creative and self-sufficient in their teaching, and tailor the needs to their students. Successfully following this model is easier when the country's brightest graduates are the nation's teachers.

Parents and teachers teach children from a young age the benefits of being resourceful, and those new to Finnish society are often surprised by see young children walking through the woods to school alone, and carrying their own bags. Finnish parents show a keen interest in their children's education, and collaborate with teachers regularly.

Finnish schools emphasize comfort and respect in every aspect. Schools mimic a home environment, with comfortable furniture and wholesome free lunches. Finnish schools are not ranked against each other, and students are not streamed into special programs according to ability, but struggling students do receive extra tutoring. As there is little difference in standards from one school to the next, no schools are disadvantaged or have to cope with the issues that many urban US schools struggle with daily.

Finland's 96% graduation rate, compared to 75% in the US, means that far more students are prepared for higher education. Economic disadvantage not does prohibit college attendance, as college is free and grants are readily available. After ninth grade, Finnish students choose either an academic or vocational track, meaning they are allowed to specialize to their strengths from an early age.

Any teacher will explain that it is inaccurate to compare two countries' education systems and conclude that the systems alone are the reasons for differences. Finland enjoys a far lower crime rate, and while the country may face challenges, few countries in the developed world compare in cultural, racial and religious complexity to the United States. That being said, the United States can still learn from the Finnish experience. Respect for teachers and for learning can't be bought with money alone, and often state curriculum and bureaucracy yields poor results as a substitute for a fundamental respect and enjoyment for learning.

For comments to Elaine - please post them below and I will ensure she receives them.. Thanks.

BETTer

Although rather late - a few words about the annual BETT show this year. It seems to have been bigger and certainly more people attended than last year. Interestingly there was a much greater representation from foreign countries, including Singapore, Brazil, Sweden and the UAE amongst others.

This is the last year for BETT at Olympia - next year it moves to the Excel Centre. It maybe a bit further away for some but at least the technology should be more robust. Nothing can be more frustrating for those exhibitors at the worlds largest ICT show than having a variable (and often out) ICT capability.

Apart from the increasingly large and dramatic structures from suppliers there seemed to be a much greater emphasis on software and peripherals rather the more expensive kit. I did think that some of the presentations were particularly interesting this year. Inevitably Professor Stephen Heppell's stand was amongst the most visited with a rolling programme of presentations and Skype links to students from all over the world.

I was also pleased to listen to Ollie Bray, National Advisor on Emerging Technologies in Learning for Education Scotland talk about the virtues of using gaming as a key resource to aid learning. As ever, he was engaging and motivating with several examples of students and schools doing great things.... simply because they were given the chance!
And of course, Stephen Heppell was surrounded the inevitable television crews all show... no change there - people all over the world want to hear what he says, it's always motivating!

Seeking Solutions to Problems

Spotted the other day near a local school, a very nice new brick wall outside a house, with an old car (all be it a Trabant) trapped in behind it.

What's really great is that a local primary school seized the opportunity to use it to set a problem solving exercise. Students were asked how they could get the car out of the front yard without demolishing the wall. Research, (the weight of the car etc) and lots of creative thinking came out from the students - would any of them work... unlikely but it created lots of interest using maths and science skills.

The real reason I like this though is the demonstration of teachers being flexible, seizing real situations and incorporating it it into existing curriculum work. It created interest, excitement and context. Great!

Not Motivating Students

A rather unfortunate piece of video surfaced last week showing Secretary of State for Education Mr Michael Gove addressing students at Haberdashers Aske school. What ever the purpose of the speech, it clearly was not aimed at the young people having to endure it. It looks rather more as though it was aimed at the media who were present filming him.

Teachers take assemblies every day in schools - to plan them effectively and capture the interest of students takes care and skill.

I'm not saying that Mr Gove can't relate to young people, but this is a very unfortunate piece of footage. To view it the video, click here.

cefpi Article - Students Designing their Learning

Talking at conferences in the United States last year, (the cefpi Annual Conference in Nashville and NSSEA Conference in San Antonio), about the power of engaging with students in their own learning seemed to strike a chord with many delegates. There really was a surprising acceptance from many that we really must start approaching learning differently in the Third Millennium and involving young people not only in the planning and delivery of it, but also in the design of the spaces that they are expected to learn in.

I say surprising because at other events I have attended in the USA the delivery method has frequently come across as fixed. As for creating appropriate learning environments, Facility Managers seem to have made more decisions based on bulk purchase of vinyl flooring and chairs etc than ensuring spaces were an appropriate response to the appropriate pedagogy required. Add to that the thought of consulting students about designing their own learning......... and some have thought it was a crazy idea. But why wouldn't you?

This led to me writing another article for the latest cefpi magazine 'Education Facility Planner' entitled "Students Designing their Learning" The feedback has been excellent and very generous. I am humbled but pleased that people enjoyed it. To read the article in full, please click here. All comments welcomed - as usual!

Happy New Year!!

A very HAPPY NEW YEAR for all readers of the blog and I hope that 2012 is good for all of you.

My blog is read by many thousands of people from well over a hundred countries. I do know that posts have got fewer recently - I will do my best to resume 'normal service' during the year.

Thanks for reading and best wishes for 2012

Thanks for reading - as always.

Red

Red was the colour surrounding me as I toured a new elementary school in America recently. Not just any red but really scarlet - the photographs are deceiving in appearing rather orange. The colour identified a learning hub, a group of classrooms round a central flexible learning area.

Entering into the hub, past the well designed 'open' bathrooms, the walls, ceiling and further in the floor were all dominated by this vibrant, bold colour. I have to say that many of the visiting professionals I was with didn't like it - they thought it was just too much and unlike the other areas of different hubs.

There is considerable research and psychology around colours for learning, varying by age and purpose of area - the choices here were an interesting and brave decision. The Principal assured us that the students and staff really liked it, as did the architects (but they would, wouldn't they.)

However, I do have to agree with my friend, massively respected education architect and planner; Randall Fielding of FNI in his article 'Learning, Lighting and Colour - Lighting Design for - Schools and Universities in the 21st Century' when he comments on the use of primary colours for young students.

"Often the the strategy is expressed that brightly lit, primary colours are the best environments for young children. This is not born out by any reputable research. In fact, experience has sown that children are wonderfully sensitive and responsive to nuances in both lighting and colour. For example, children are particularly attuned to the colours of nature and human skin tones, and yet these are completely out of the primary range. Primary colours can be harsh..."

I am not against the colour red being used but, to quote Randy again, "All colours have a place for learners of all ages, when used thoughtfully".

I have to admit though, when seeing the great slab of red as we entered the learning hub, to not being convinced about the way it is used here, but.... what do you think?

NSSEA in San Antonio

I was fortunate to be asked to speak at the The Equipment Show in San Antonio, Texas in the last few days. This is my first time at this particular event, which I learnt is really a market place for dealers and distributors.

Although very successful I was really quite surprised at the range of equipment there - lots and lots of furniture (much very traditional), scoreboards, sound systems etc, but very very little in the way of technology. I think I only saw one interactive plasma screen and two or three interactive white boards. Whilst talking about this I was told that ICT is really dominant in another show during the year. This is unusual when thinking about what is happening in places like the UK, Germany etc.

What many people have learnt however, that is when designing new spaces and reconfiguring existing ones, it is the integrated approach to design and planning that is so important. You can't select the furniture if you don't know what pedagogy and ICT the spaces are intended for now and in the predictable future. It was obvious in the minds of many non educators I met in Texas, totally charming that they were, is that the total integrated approach to planning spaces has not yet been achieved. It needs to be!

ICT - Mr Gove speaks

Whilst in the States I've been catching up with the latest thoughts of Michael Gove regarding ICT by watching his speech to the The Schools Network.

There seems to have been a bit of a rethink of his thoughts, with some really quite positive views about the value of technology in education - he could have said more, but anything positive is good. Once he started about ICT he acknowledged "how little classrooms have changed and given how much technology has transformed work places, the DfEe has been behind the curve in appreciating what needed to be done". Agreed!

He confirmed that there were no tensions between the use of technology and the expectation of high standards –he went on to note the need to reflect on how technology can enhance access to the UK's rich inheritance of literature, scientific thinking and mathematical skills. He also seemed surprised by just how much high quality content was accessible by everyone. Many people have been saying this for years.

His confirmation of the previous focus on hardware, especially on machines that have rapidly become obsolete would be agreed by many, and at last he has acknowledged that the focus should have been in training so that staff were as adept and ICT literate as they can be. He advocated an increasingly need to refocus investment and thinking in human capital.

He noted that many students have access to all the technology, iphones, tablets, computers etc. We all know this, but wouldn't it have been even better if he had acknowledged the role that students could bring to enhancing well planned lessons, especially in modelling how the technology they use could help them all. Mosts teachers will never be better in using the technology than their students - why not use these skills!

In America last week I spoke about how I expected more and more schools to get 3D printers - 'because they could'. Mr Gove bizarrely also spoke about them last week, saying how they give new levels of sophistication and innovation to design. But, to use them effectively, and give real relevant purpose to their use, there also needs to be curriculum revision and training for staff and students. The capabilities are so great - the students will get it, but they will have to be allowed to really explore the real sophistication and uniqueness that can be achieved rather than be forced to undertake a simple potentially 'dumbed down' project which could almost be done in other ways.

Although Mr Gove did not go far enough, what is really positive though is that the Government are beginning to 'go public' about the role ICT should play in education to support high standards and encourage innovation.

To watch the speech in full click here. (Please note that the section to ICT is about a third of the way through the video)

Students using Construction to Learn

As I work with a number of schools developing their new buildings, a few are really heeding my suggestion and using every opportunity to learn from each stage of their building programme - it'll only happen once!

One such school is St Saviour's and St Olave's School in Southwark, London. A complete staff panel is developing resources to enhance the curriculum, and student groups are developing their own learning by working closely with the construction project manager and sharing it with not only the school community, but also online for everyone to follow. Although still in it's early days, the promise is exciting.

One of the students is recording photographically every activity on their construction site. Year 13 student April Gurney, who is studying photography, has take some amazing photographs, including the one above - possibly the best photograph of demolition I have seen for a long time.

Excitingly, so inspiring is this photograph that it has inspired the English Department to create a whole project on science fiction writing. To develop this further collaboration with the Art Department has allowed students to use 'Photoshop' to manipulate the image to create their ideas.

It's all about learning being flexible and taking opportunities. This is no lightweight stuff, mathematics, engineering, languages, arts, modern languages, environmental sciences, geography, citizenship are all involved - it could be fab with students using their learning in context! Pythagoras, forces, calculation are all becoming real, rather than just a paper exercise - it could be really fantastic!

I will be writing much more about this project soon - but the start has been very promising indeed.