Reflections on Learning Spaces
- Sarah
- Nov 4, 2016
- 2 min read
I have reached the end of my unit about learning spaces and have some reflecting to do! Because that's what good teachers do right??!
Never before have I found myself so engaged by a learning space than when I enrolled in a unit run by Adam Staples!
The e community of practice that exists in these units really is fantastic and I have found myself wanting to extend myself further and further...The ecop has inspired me to seek out more cop and I have participated in the #aussieed twitter meet a few times now.
The unit has given me a lot to think about in regards to learning spaces and the power and influence they can have on learning and teaching practices. Before I started this unit the breadth of my view of a 'learning space' was pretty much a classroom/school environment and maybe some excursions thrown in. I have always valued a well-designed classroom and understood that this can improve learning opportunities and outcomes. However, I now have so much more to consider!
I knew that some of the spaces explored in the unit such as group learning and online (e-space) had a place in the classroom, but I now recognise how these can be powerful tools to that can extend learning even further.
My own philosophy aligns strongly with development of the personal learning space. Not just for my students but for myself as a reflective educator. I strongly believe that building up children's self-efficacy, passion for learning and encouraging them to continually strive for more is the key to helping them become lifelong learners.
In my own classroom, I would like to more carefully consider what I now know about the possibilities these learning spaces have. In particular, spaces beyond the classroom in the wider community. I would like to use local resources and spaces to enrich the learning done in the classroom. Making the most of excursions, incursions and 'non-traditional' learning spaces are high on my list of to do's!
Looking ahead, I think that online learning spaces have only just begun to reveal themselves and will definitely feature more in classroom settings. I think that traditional learning spaces will become less 'normal' as options open for online learning and collaboration. I have said before that one day teachers and classrooms will be extinct and I actually think that is a real possibility. Students will be able to be their own teacher in online learning spaces. They will have their own PLN's and build up knowledge through COP. I know from my own experience in this unit, that this would not necessarily be a bad thing.
But for now, I get to do what I love to do, teach children and make a difference to their lives.
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