Leadership magazine Nov/Dec 2015 V45 No 2 | Page 28

Delivering the ‘WOW’–
redesigning learning
environments
To help students
flourish and achieve
their potential, the
design and delivery of
instructional learning
spaces and practices
must change.

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Leadership

Greater understanding of effec-

tive instructional practices in relation to the
redesign of learning spaces is beginning to
take shape across the nation, and beyond.
The industrial-age model of students in
rows, churning out work in mirror image of
one another no longer meets the needs of today’s 21st century learners.
The basic design of classrooms in the
United States for the past 100 years or so is
rooted in a construct where efficiency and
uniformity of outcomes is viewed as tantamount to producing students with a very specific and often narrowly defined set of skills.
Sir Ken Robinson, celebrated author and
creator of the first TED Talk to reach 10 million views, points out the pressing need to
fundamentally change the instructional approaches and environments found in the majority of public schools. He advocates the need

to address three fundamental qualities in all
students: uniqueness, curiosity and creativity.
To help each child flourish and achieve
her potential, the design and delivery of
instructional learning spaces and practices
must change. From active learning spaces to
ambiance in those spaces, and from learnercentered practices to the role of digital tools,
learning environments are primed for a creativity revolution.

Creating learning spaces
The Common Core State Standards provide needed guidance regarding the goal of
preparing our students to be college and career ready. Firmly embedded in the standards
is the focus on creativity, critical thinking,
collaboration and communication, identiBy Lisa Gonzales and Charles Young