During early childhood development, minds are more than active. They’re pliable, wide-ranging, and highly in tune with their surroundings. Children need continual stimulation while in school but also thrive with structure and routine. Understanding how to create spaces that engage imagination while providing ample room for balancing exploration and focus requires a holistic approach.
We recently partnered with VS America to host a series of workshops led by three internationally recognized experts. We wanted to understand what makes learning environments dynamic, how they can change, and how a new understanding of developing brains can lead to smarter classrooms. From cognitive development to exploring how body movement, the art of decluttering, and simple gathering activities can impact effective classroom learning –– we explored how educators and designers might partner to create flexible environments that allow movement, encourage engagement, and empower active minds with active spaces. Here are some of our favorite highlights and takeaways from each session.
Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit with Dr. Dieter Breithecker
Movement has a powerful impact on stimulating our minds and emotions. To prove the point, Dr. Breithecker, a scientist in health and kinetics challenged the audience to rub their bellies with one hand, and their heads with another – with a foot suspended in the air. We all laughed, and the point was proven.
Active states stimulate the neuromuscular system. When our brains are alert, we absorb information more effectively. This form of learning is even more crucial during the first ten years of a child’s development. – making early education activities like climbing, jumping, rocking, tumbling, and even fidgeting necessary for building their mental frameworks.
Conversely, rigid environments can negatively impact learning. To improve learning outcomes, educators and designers should consider new ways to incorporate movement even when seated.
Less is More with David A. Stubbs
There’s no use designing for movement if spaces aren’t flexible and organized. In most traditional classrooms, storing years of education resources and tools is a familiar sight. But when those items become clutter, they hinder teacher and student movement –– and subsequently, productivity and learning. In other words, an open space, paired with open minds, can be a powerful tool.
Award winning designer David Stubbs shared a simple decluttering exercise to help teachers rethink storage. Create four different categories designating different classroom timeframes with different colors of sticky notes: 1) today, 2) this week, 3) this month, and 4) this year. Then label classroom items according to when they’re most often used. In most cases, 60% of the items are categorized as “this month” and “this year.” Those items can easily be stored outside of the classroom until they’re needed – opening up more space for movement and learning.
Decluttering is not limited to storage. Think you need an individual table per student? Think again. Drawing on years of research and design expertise, David identified 5 Personas of a LearnerTM:
With ten volunteers from our audience, David assigned and placed each persona around a group of intentionally designed and placed flexible tables. Experience showed that even adults can gather comfortably within 30 sq. ft. of space – proving that less can be more.
Designing for Engagement with Jill Ackers
Once you’ve cleared the clutter and opened more space for movement, it’s time to design your environment. This means considering features like room layout, textures, and materials that spark student engagement. A designer and former educator, Jill Ackers believes that teachers should be spatially proficient. They need to understand how to use space and furniture to enhance the learning experience.
A study by Cognia (formerly known as AdvancED) shows a disconnect between how students and teachers perceive each other’s activities during the day. Students described mostly listening to teachers and completing worksheets. Teachers, on the other hand, believe students spend most of their time working with others and thinking. If students are passively learning, how can they develop critical thinking skills, learn how to work creatively, and collaborate with peers? More importantly, how can educators resolve this seeming disconnect?
Classrooms are living ecosystems, and the physical environment isn’t just a backdrop. Educators and designers need to understand the cognitive impact of learning spaces. For example, overly decorated classrooms can overwhelm young learners’ ability to focus. And different cultures have unique ways and comfort levels when it comes to greeting each other. Creating flexible learning spaces that match the ideal learning experience and diverse student populations can be a powerful tool for teachers.
Driving a Cultural Change in Learning Environments
Learning spaces and design are often overlooked. Budget constraints and long-standing habits can get in the way of new thinking and designs. However, the traditional classroom setting with rows of desks and chairs simply does not support active learning – especially during the crucial early years when children’s minds are growing and need it most. With a deeper understanding of the neuroscience behind child development, how clutter and wasted space hinder movement, and design’s impact on creating engagement, designers and educators should approach learning environments through a new lens that prioritizes supporting the ways children learn best.
For ideas on how to spark the active minds in your school, contact our Learning Environments specialists.