According to the author, prior to a move, their classroom was overflowing with stuff on the walls, on the shelves, under the tables, in the file cabinets, and in the folders upon folders in their computer drive. It wasn't just the author's physical and virtual spaces that were full; their curriculum units were packed with lessons and activities,…

In an effort to facilitate an environment that values learner-centered artmaking with student-driven outcomes, the author decided to implement a unit that she researched using qualitative methods. In the unit, "Painting Without Paintbrushes," 1st-graders crafted and used nontraditional tools as paint applicators. During the unit,…

The Texas Woman's University Future Classroom Laboratory (TWUFCL) is a unique learning space designed for use by university faculty, future teachers, and local PreK-12 teachers and students. Part of the European Schoolnet's Network of Future Classroom Labs, the TWUFCL offers users the chance to explore the science of teaching and learning in a…

Awareness of how to ensure that a family and consumer sciences (FCS) classroom meets the criteria of universal design is essential. Yet, meeting the requirements for students with diverse abilities may be perceived as a daunting task when educators think about planning, delivering instruction, and assessing learner outcomes. Differentiated…

The purpose of this article is to persuade teachers of English at all levels to allow for more student movement, even if just a little. Kevin McCaughey calls this approach to a dynamic classroom space a Movable Class. The first part of this article looks at how lack of movement, especially prolonged sitting, has serious health consequences. The…

This concluding chapter helps us look toward the future of active learning spaces as they enter the mainstream.

This article presents recommendations regarding how to create welcoming and productively challenging classrooms for a diversity of students. These recommendations emerged during the pilot phase of a student--faculty pedagogical partnership programme in 2007 and remain relevant in 2017. To situate the recommendations, we evoke definitions of…

Teachers are not always aware of how the classroom design influences teaching, particularly in many family and consumer sciences (FCS) classes that require studio space, such as apparel and interior design classes. The purpose of this paper is to introduce strategies to assess studio spaces that are designed for enhancement of student learning.…

This article seeks to provide a new reading of the work of Celestin Freinet and his use of the printing press. Specifically, this article aligns Freinet's approach to teaching and learning with a counter-reformation in pedagogical thought-an approach that places him both within and outside of the 'progressive' turn in education that began to…

The New Zealand Ministry of Education encourages schools to update to flexible learning spaces and activate teaching approaches that augment such physical settings. Many schools have embraced the concept of innovative learning environments (ILE) and team teaching, motivating a trend fast gaining popularity in New Zealand primary schools. However,…

"Flipping" the classroom refers to a pedagogical approach in which students are first exposed to didactic content outside the classroom and then actively use class time to apply their newly attained knowledge. The idea of the flipped classroom is not new, but has grown in popularity in recent years as the necessary technology has…

In this article, the authors start with a description of the learner-centered paradigm of education. The key tenets of the paradigm are outlined as: Competency-based student progress, competency-based student assessment and records, personal learning plans, project-based learning, just-in-time instructional support, student as self-directed…

Context is everything. Very little in art or in history (or in life) happens in isolation, although works of art and events in history have been studied this way. This is especially true of the arts, which are so intrinsically connected to the cultures from which they emerge. This essential interconnectivity was also the premise behind the design…

In this article, Jennifer Jones describes how at Pine Street School in New York City, they have dispensed with the traditional industrial model of schooling and are looking ahead to the future. The entire school was designed with optional learning environments. Jones describes innovative elements from varied seating (floor cushions, modular…

Effective classroom design is a crucial element in learning. Additionally, learning opportunities can be extended well beyond the classroom to create entire learning environments that support student success. Despite the transformations necessary to equip students with 21st-century skills, planners and decision-makers at education institutions…