Designing the 21 st Century Schools

1. Designing the 21st Century Schools Bob Pearlman bobpearlman@mindspring.comhttp://www.bobpearlman.org Schools’ Design Conference Department of Education Belfast, Northern Ireland November 18, 2003

2. Who is Bob Pearlman?… • Teacher of High School Mathematics and Computers, 1969-88 • Coordinator of Educational Reform Initiatives, Boston Teachers Union, 1987 to 1996 • National Consultant on Educational Technology, American Federation of Teachers, 1988-91 (Dade County, St. Paul Saturn School) • Associate Director, Co-NECT School New American School Design, 1992-93

3. …and why is he talking about 21st century learning and the design of new schools? • “New School Travel Agent”, 1990-94 • President, Autodesk Foundation, 1996-2000 • Director of Education & Workforce Development, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, 2000-2001 • Director of Strategic Planning, New Technology Foundation (Napa, CA)

4. New Technology High School Napa, California http://www.newtechhigh.org/

5. Consulting and Collaborating with UK Schools: • Ninestiles, Birmingham (new program) • Homewood School, Kent (new block, OLC) • Ashfield Girls’ High School, Belfast (new build)

6. World Wide Web! Mosaic Browser released September 1993

7. The Architect’s Dilemma

8. Ashland High School, 1964-- ??? 1964 – School opens Late 60’s -- addition 1997 – Add Grade 7 & 15 classrooms Where were you in 1964?

9. Design Criteria Will schools of the 21st Century require learning environments different from today? Is building a school like buying a house? Who will tell the architects what we want?

10. Schools for the 21st Century: Are You Ready?By Prakash Nair There are 15 trends happening in the field of education and related educational technology. Many of them have direct facility ramifications.  Use them as a checklist to see how many of these trends your school facility is designed to accommodate.  1. Ubiquitous Computing:   2. Wireless Networking and Robust Internet Access:  3. Technology-intensive Teaching and Learning:  4. Emphasis on Informal Learning:   5. De-emphasis of Classroom:   6. Food Court vs. Cafeteria:  7. Shared Common Areas:   8. Imaginative Furniture Design:    9. Team-teaching, Non-Chronological Grouping and Inter-disciplinary Curriculums:   10. Emphasis on Service Learning:   11. Students Creating Products for Business:   12. Computer Labs Replaced by Distance Learning Electronic Studios:   13. More hi-tech Production Facilities:   14. Parent and Community Education Programs in Schools:   15. New Learning Partnerships with Other Schools and Universities: Prakash Nair is President-Elect of UEF-21, Urban Educational Facilities for the 21st Century

11. Kids Needs: • Safe • Respect • Personal • Interests Design Criteria • Experience • Real World • Workspace • Tools • Personalization • Common Learning Goals • Adult World Immersion • Performance-Based Student Work & Assessment Design Principles Design Elements Program, Facility, Transitions, Exhibitions, Advisories, Technology, Projects, Portfolios, Internships, Size and Teams

12. Options for new school buildings

13. Penncrest High School, Media, PA • 9th grade house • Flexibility to adapt to departmental or team structure • Flexible classrooms that can be adapted to different instructional uses • Community Center • Capacity 1600

14. Walled Lake Central High School, MI • Academic Center and 3 “small communities” (2 stories) • Team-based interactive and hands-on learning • Central Avenue • Community Center, theatre

15. Secondary School at SengKang, Singapore • 1260 students • Clusters of 4 Classrooms and 2 Project Rooms • Information Technology (IT) and creativity • Group learning & participative learning • School as Community Center Classroom Clusters (indicated)

16. Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds, WA • Shared classrooms to accommodate team teaching and integrated learning activities • Small group learning spaces for projects, tutoring, counseling, conferences • Village of clusters and neighborhoods of 150-200 students and 7-8 teachers (capacity 1600) • Clusters of 4 classrooms, 2 labs, shared teacher prep space, conference room, and “flex area” • Community Partnerships

17. Constructivist Learning • Block Schedule • Professional Community • Professional Development Center • The Learning Center • Project Rooms in every wing • Open public ceremonial space

18. What are the most essentials questions re 21st century learning and the design of new secondary schools?

20. I. 2020 Visiting Team You and your table mates are members of an Visiting Team making an accreditation visit to Ashfield Girls High School in the year 2020. The new build for Ashfield Girls High School opened in 2006, financed by the Department of Education using a public-private partnership. What are the three most essential questions you will ask on the visit? Jot down your most essential question, then dialogue with your table mates and agree on the three most essential questions.

21. II. Criteria for Success of School Design You and your table mates are designing a rubric (scorecard) for use by Visiting Teams that will be reviewing school buildings in Northern Ireland built during the “great school build period” of 2006 to 2010. Jot down your most essential criteria for success, then dialogue with your table mates and agree on the three most essential criteria.

22. III. Recommendations to the Department of Education re the Handbook on School Building Design The Department of Education seeks your input in its review of the Handbook on School Building Design. Jot down your key recommendations to the Department. Then dialogue with your table mates and agree on the three most important recommendations.