Mind Map - Ideation
Proposal
Today’s world revolves around connection and the means by which we maintain these links has expanded to include media of all forms (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3). Learning spaces must be responsive to the needs of learners who live in a globalised world with access to media like never before—it is not sufficient to present a 2D model of education when beyond the school day learning exists in an extraordinary convergence of time and space (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 78-79). Students interact with and create media in a myriad of ways and in many respects the construction of new media texts defies the imagination of those who reside outside these spaces, but they present opportunities for educators who may be able to draw on the affordances of technology and new media to enhance online as well as physical spaces (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 78-79). This proposal will outline the development of a physical space and accompanying online space to meet the needs of a diverse group of students working on the creation of their own texts in traditional and non-traditional forms and media in the extra-curricular group, Pen & Paper. In designing this learning space Universal Design for Learning Guidelines will be consulted (CAST, 2018).
A well-designed learning space is responsive to the needs of the students who will be occupying the space (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3). Given that the group of students will change over time there needs to be affordances for a range of accessibility needs even if they are not present in the current group to be cognisant of what Brown and Long (2006, p. 3) present as ‘human-centred design’. The physical space will incorporate technology with a projector, device charging points, and access to the internet so students are able to access the online space and the websites where they publish their writing (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 3). There will be designated areas with flexible furnishings, a projector, document camera and screen for students to collaborate and attend to mini-lessons (Atwell, 2015, pp. 54-55). When preferred, there will be soft furnishings, couches, a floor mat, and nooks with dimmer switches and lamps for students to work on their projects individually in an environment that suits them best (Learning Spaces, 2016, para. 164). Resources will be carefully curated and responsive to the changes in student needs over time, acknowledging that sustainability is important as the space will house a changing group of students (Learning Spaces, 2016, para. 10). The physical learning space will be inclusive through the aesthetic features of a spacious environment with lighting options, a soft blue, green, and grey colour scheme and sparse wall displays so as to avoid cognitive overload in the space and the option of ‘nooks’ for students to work individually will also take into account the physical needs of students, to include areas that could be accessed by students using mobility aids (Todd & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3; CAST, 2016, para. 4).
Visual Representation
The development of an effective online learning space to extend the reach of a physical learning space, especially given the vacillating nature of schooling in the greater Sydney region during a pandemic, is not only legitimising for the students who attend the face-to-face group, but it may be the only way to maintain community moving forward (Ellis et., 2018, p. 4; CAST, 2016, para. 4). The learning space is designed to give students an option to engage in an activity that brings them great joy within the routine of the school day, in recognition that an extra-curricular activity offers as many opportunities for learning as a timetabled core class (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4; Brown & Long, 2006, p. 1). The creation of an online space via Google Classroom, when the school uses Canvas as its core online learning management system, ensures that students engaging in the Pen & Paper online community will minimise distractions as they will not feel the push or pull of their timetabled classes (CAST, 2016, para. 4). To increase engagement in the learning space various check in points need to be established through posting on a reliable and regular schedule to reflect the physical meetings. Resources shared and key points of discussions should be posted the afternoon of face-to-face meetings and the same writing prompts and writing opportunities shared (CAST, 2016, para. 4). As students often write in online spaces like Blogger, WattPad that are not accessible via the school intranet the online space allows students to share extracts of their writing for encouragement and feedback. Hopefully the community will naturally evolve beyond the limitations of the Google Classroom and students will be able to share their writing in full, with their school writing community. Ideally media posted to Google Classroom will be in a range of formats, so it aligns with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and is ‘Perceivable’—video, voice recording, images, infographics ensure that the space is useful to all students (W3C, 2018, para. 3).
Cultural representation is an important consideration for both the physical and online learning spaces and henceforth this proposal will detail a range of texts from diverse authors to ensure students have not only quality literature to draw upon but are able to experience the breadth of experiences of the world and see themselves in stories as well as learn about cultural backgrounds different to their own. Acknowledging the significance of the world’s oldest living culture, the Aboriginal people, in both respecting the aural storytelling traditions and including texts from contemporary Aboriginal authors will ensure the learning space remains inclusive and respectful of cultural traditions (CAST, 2016, para. 4). Further training about culturally appropriate Aboriginal pedagogies, as introduced, by 8 Ways, will ensure that relevant resources exploring the many ways stories are told and shared may give greater insight into Aboriginal culture for the students attending Pen & Paper who are writing their own stories (8 Ways, n.d. para. 3). The Aboriginal Education Officers and Advisors offer this training to staff at NSW Department of Education schools drawing on local knowledge which ensures that the Aboriginal culture is not homogenised and reduced (8 Ways, n.d. para. 1).
The sustainability of the learning space is a consideration of the proposal in that there will not be ongoing funding for the space. The area must be easy to care for as in regular rather than specialist cleaning products can be applied to surfaces, inexpensive whiteboard cleaner supplied for use within the space, and hardy storage features included to ensure that cleaning staff do not have to move soft furnishings in order to vacuum and wipe surfaces. The sustainability of the learning space requires hard wearing furniture made specifically for high traffic areas such as schools, public buildings, and hospitals but cost is also a consideration as good quality furnishings can be prohibitively expensive. Given that the school has purchased through Sebel, and they have a reasonable warranty for their products this would be the first port of call for the flexible furnishings (Sebel, n.d. para. 2). NSW Department of Education approved builders, and painters would be employed to build the nooks to ensure modifications are Work, Health & Safety compliant. Soft furnishings will require regular washing so purchasing these from a department store or furniture store such as Ikea would be the most cost-effective method. There are washing facilities at school for tea towels and aprons used for Food Technology, but it is likely that an ongoing cost will be laundering soft furnishings. The consumable resources provided in the space could be factored into the library budget and local supermarkets and newsagents may consider donating topped magazines given that once the cover has been removed to be sent back to the publisher, the rest of the magazine is recycled. The initial books on writing craft and language have a long shelf life if cared for within the space but ideally these will be also factored into the library budget so updated reference materials can be purchased. It may also be possible to apply for a funding grant through a local council initiative or the Parents & Community group of my school.
There are various risk considerations in designing a learning space within the library. Firstly, designing a space for an extra-curricular activity may not be valued as highly as a space for a timetabled curriculum area (Ellis et al., 2018, p. 4). This space, however, while designed for students engaging in writing workshop specifically, would be a useful space for students studying as a small group, Year 11, and Year 12 Extension English, Mathematics, Science, or History classes, or even faculty meetings. Reeves (2014, para. 4) mentions the importance of developing a prototype and this would go a long way to mitigate risk as it would allow staff to visualise how the purpose-built space may also suit their purpose (Reeves, 2014, para. 4; Brown & Long., 2006, p. 3). During the ideation stage and development of a prototype the ideas and opinions of students who will be engaging in the space are extremely important as exemplified in Finley and Wiggs’ overview of the classroom design focus and specifically, how much design focused on the user can impact one’s sense of security within a space (Finley & Wiggs, 2016, p. 1; Reeves, 2014, para. 5). The impact of a specifically developed learning space gives legitimacy to students’ interests and supports their skill development which will support their literacy skills in their other subjects (Finley & Wiggs, 2016, p. 3).
The risk of working on passion projects such as an extra-curricular activity means that for the program to continue beyond one teacher, there needs to be a succession plan and that relies on someone else giving up their time during the school day which is a tough ask. As Teacher-Librarian, my face-to-face teaching load is less than the other classroom teachers at school, so it doesn’t matter that I am busy throughout breaks because I am able to eat and complete collection management tasks, preparation for my classes, and respond to last minute requests with a great deal of flexibility. If I was to leave the school. however, I would not be able to meet the next Teacher-Librarian entering the role and dictate to them that they must continue with an extracurricular activity I created so this is a risk to the learning space.
The process of designing the physical learning space while considering how the space extends to the online realm of Google Classroom has given me pause to think about how I will be able to facilitate the conversation across the two platforms. Regular meetings in the physical space with immediate follow up to Google Classroom with resources and requests for updates on student writing projects will hopefully invite the discussion to continue. Ideally the online space will help establish a community of writers so students are able to seek feedback from their peers in response to a problem they may be working through.
Writing Craft by Kira Bryant
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