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Technology Is Changing the Way Kids Learn
… And the Classrooms in Which They Do It.

Advertising supplement provided by Paxton / Patterson
By Stephen H. Daniels

• Today computer science class is learning about computers. Computers are going to become so integrated that there won't be a computer science room; it will be called technology education. It will be commonplace for students to already know how to use computers, and computer science will actually be incorporated in technology education which will explore the infinite information highways available through technology.
• There will be more of an integration occurring between mathematics and sciences. At Winter Springs, the rooms are arranged in academic clusters with math located next to science which is next to English, so that teachers integrate their courses including instruction in technology education.
• There also needs to be a room large enough to accommodate large groups for 30, 60, 90 students. In the past, the Media Center has been used for this purpose. Ideally, classrooms with technology in them should be flexible enough so that walls can easily be moved to accommodate large groups. Only one of the rooms needs to be equipped with the high-end technology information systems that receive the technology. This design is illustrated with Celebration School's "neighborhood concept", with its four classrooms in a space and one technology hub in the center.
• In the past, there were individual teacher planning spaces. At Winter Springs, a teacher planning suite, approximately the size of a typical classroom, was created so that teachers can interrelate through teaming and cooperative instructional methods to include several disciplines.

Schenkel Shultz

• Virtually all classrooms, not just math and science, have the capability of projecting computer images; math classes primarily use graphing calculators, not computers; science labs are now providing a computer station for each two students; science labs incorporate "thimble" chemical and simulated computer experiments.
• Typical classrooms include five to six computer plus a teacher station.
• Laptop computer carts with a completely setup local network and fully preloaded computers now are being used in classrooms to allow access by entire class groups in lieu of going to a PC lab.
• The old wood and metal shops have been replaced, or in some cases augmented, by computer design technology labs with associated fabrication areas.

ARC - Architectural Resources Cambridge Inc.

• Much more computer simulation of experiments
• Greater use of computer applications
• Less use of chemicals and smaller amounts

Payette Associates

• Furniture must be appropriate for technology integration. The old student desk / chair combination will not accommodate the personal computer / lap-top.
• Spaces must be designed for multi-media; glare-free lighting; flexible room arrangement; multipurpose usage.
• Spaces must be full "wired" for systems accessibility by the student.
• Science labs are seeing a reduction in expensive "wet labs" for hands-on experiments and more sharing of spaces to allow classes to access computers without the "wet labs" and integrate the computer into the "wet lab". Virtual reality in science experiments should reduce wet labs down to minimum.
• School should offer open computer labs to allow free access to a computer even in the evening and on the weekend.

Bay Architects

• We believe teaching spaces in the future must incorporate even more flexibility than they do now.
• There will be fewer fume hoods needed as teachers use fewer chemicals, incorporating a "micro chemical" philosophy, if you will.
• There will be more reliance within science and math teaching spaces on computer technology. Therefore, we will have to provide adequate spaces for computers and their use.
• We believe there will be greater diversification in the overall subject matter. Therefore, teaching will be more interdisciplinary. This new philosophy will call for less formal teaching spaces, in niches between classrooms, etc.

Graham Gund Architects