Page 11 - spaces4learning, July/August 2020

class of students is distributed across multiple spaces, how will the teacher provide instruction to all students? How will teach- ers monitor students and ensure their safety?
One option might be to have students receive direct instruc- tion in a large room where they can spread out, such as the audi- torium or media center, and then move to different locations in the school to work independently. However, if you take this ap- proach, the large instructional space would need to be cleaned and disinfected before other students could use it — and you would need a way to monitor students as they work in various locations, such as by deploying teacher’s aides for this purpose.
Another approach might be to have students seated in a sec- ond room participate in class online by using the same video conferencing platform they’ve been using for remote learning. In the interest of fairness, the two groups of students could ro- tate every week, so students would take part in class online one week and in person the next.
This would differ from the other hybrid learning model dis- cussed earlier in two key ways: (1) All of the online learning would be synchronous in nature, so that everyone in the class would be experiencing the same lessons and activities at the same time, and (2) it would provide more structure and support than having students learn from home. But again, you would need to have a teacher’s aide or other adult in each room with students.
Besides the challenge of how to teach, monitor, and support groups of students in different locations with a single teacher, here are three other issues to consider when repurposing non-in- structional spaces for learning.
• Do you have wireless connectivity throughout every area of your building? If not, how will you ensure that students can get online? You could set up mobile hotspots in areas lacking WiFi coverage, for instance.
• How will you equip these spaces for learning? Consider what teaching and learning will look like when schools reopen, and plan the needs of each space accordingly. For example, you’ll probably want to incorporate some kind of writing surface that is large enough for all students to see. A mobile white- board that can easily be wheeled from one location to another might be an ideal solution.
• How will you ensure that electronic learning tools and de- vices have enough power? You might need to supplement the existing power supplies within non-instructional spaces with mobile power strips or outlets.
Plan carefully
Reopening schools in a way that allows for social distanc- ing will require a great deal of planning. As you’re thinking through all of the many issues involved, make sure you get input from all stakeholder groups, including union represen- tatives. By working together as a school community, you can come up with solutions for reimagining school spaces and struc- tures that will work for everyone involved.
Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider is a proven mentor, leader, and marketing strategist in the field of classroom experiences and learning environments. Her pedigree includes a degree in Business Administration, Marketing from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, IL. For over 20 years, Cindy has held a variety of marketing, sales and channel manager positions in the education learning environment and technology industries with leading companies such as School Specialty, Paragon Furniture, Bretford, NEC Solutions (America), Inc. and Lucent Technologies. She has overseen all activities pertaining to creative, professional development, and public relations as well as leading extensive research focused on educational learning spaces. Cindy is known for her insightful, solutions- based approach to business and her ability to counsel clients from inception to execution.
Top photo © Travelerpix Bottom photo © Kuzina Natali
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