The 1988 Education Reform Act heralded the introduction of the National Curriculum for all children of compulsory school age.24 The National Curriculum sets out learning objectives and attempts to provide coherence in the teaching of pupils, whilst also clarifying the role of teachers within the classroom. The following four criteria summarize the government’s key ideological […]
Category: Children’s Spaces
Child-centred learning – developments over the past 30 years
In mainland Europe forms of classroom organization vary, although over the past 30 years there has been a gradual move away from the organization of pupils in formal rows focusing on a single teacher at the front of the space. Now, smaller more informal groupings organized around tables of 6 to 8 pupils is the […]
The use of the classroom environment
Bennett and Kell’s 1989 study described poor classroom organization and its effects, which showed in a lack of pupil involvement in the lessons (with some pupils wandering about inanely), interruptions which disrupted the whole class, and a general lack of interest or motivation on the part of the pupils.5 Children played about without the teacher […]
The classroom is a microcosm of the world
John Edwards Editor’s introduction everything we make must be a catalyst to stimulate the individual to play the roles through which his identity will be enriched… form makes itself, and that is less of a question of intervention than of listening well to what a person and a thing want to be.’1 The author has […]
Messages of a good society
In his book, The School and Society, John Dewey, one of the key educational pioneers of education during the twentieth century, states: What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all its children. Any other ideal for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it […]
The school building as third teacher
Eleanor Nicholson Editor’s introduction ‘Wouldn’t it give us pleasure to see a string of meaningful details in a children’s world? Things that admittedly serve trivial purposes, that stand for themselves and their function and, besides, come together in the realm of fantasy, of poetry. They could be minor details: a star of light, patterns in […]
Design concept
The design concept is a synthesis of the Design Down parameters, the site, the landscape and the historic precedents. Three ‘use variations’ are embraced by the design concept in order for the school to start with what its users are familiar with and then ‘grow’ into the more innovative learning systems. The three variations are […]
Learning process
The learning process consists of the design for curriculum, instruction and assessment. As learning is viewed as a continuous process, learning inside the school and in the community are valued and closely coordinated. The learning process for the school at Grafarholti includes the following: • Integrate the subjects. • Use individual, small group and large […]
Signature
Early in the design process the learning signature is developed. The learning signature focuses on what is special and unique; it becomes the identity of the school. While most school-planning processes include consideration of mission, vision, values and logo, these components are rarely linked together in a compelling and highly meaningful concept for the school. […]
. Evolution of a design for change: a case study
Ingunnarskoli in Reykjavik is a new school design model for Iceland. This learning environment design integrates educational planning, programming and design during the decision making. The school is a new basic school at Grafarholti, a new neighbourhood on the edge of the capital. It is designed for 400 students in grades one to ten, the […]