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Wishlist for your classroom


Dan Lyndon

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I appreciate this may be the wrong place to post this but I would value people's opinions:

If you were asked to draw up a wishlist for your classroom, with the cutting edge of technology and teaching techniques, what would you include?

I have thought about the following (in no particular order):

A really good quality Video camera with microphone and tripod

A wireless network and laptops / pdas

A speaker system that I could be mic'ed up to and could be used for digital audio recording

A flexible seating system so the classroom could be easily rearranged for role play, group work etc

A webcam and video conferencing facilities

Blackout blinds

If anyone can add or comment on the list so far that would be very helpful.

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I think you've covered most bases there Dan, but the important things would be the way things interacted:

  • A guarantee that technical support was available at short-notice
  • The ability for screenshots/text/content from students' PDAs/tablets to be wirelessly transferred to the projector
  • A school ICT infrastructure which wasn't flakey!

:ph34r:: Doug

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You're absolutely right about the network, Doug, we have been assured by our new ICT partners that our new network will be 'bullet proof'! We shall see ... Are there any other suggestions? I am interested in what people think about flexible seating in the classroom - would this work? what kind of desks / table options could be used? what about round tables? what about chairs with a fold down top and no tables?

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I think you've covered most bases there Dan, but the important things would be the way things interacted:
  • A guarantee that technical support was available at short-notice
  • The ability for screenshots/text/content from students' PDAs/tablets to be wirelessly transferred to the projector
  • A school ICT infrastructure which wasn't flakey!

:ph34r:: Doug

Reference books, easily reached by students.

F-off fast (colour) printer(s).

Headphones and sockets.

oooh - a soundproof booth - (for recording stuff, swearing in)

Scanner(s).

Roll of paper that can be torn off at the size you want with huge box of large colour markers.

Air-con/heating/amazing insulation and ventilation so that neither was needed.

Water cooler.

Not really classroom related, but here's my extra wishlist...

No SCHOOL BELL (ours broke the first day of term, and the universe did not implode, neither were students late ® than usual).

30/50 hours teaching limit.

well funded CPD programme for teachers.

Ed.

ps. when this list is finished, can we put it on the wiki?!

You're absolutely right about the network, Doug, we have been assured by our new ICT partners that our new network will be 'bullet proof'! We shall see ... Are there any other suggestions? I am interested in what people think about flexible seating in the classroom - would this work? what kind of desks / table options could be used? what about round tables? what about chairs with a fold down top and no tables?

collapsible stackable tables that look like segments of a hexagon, so that they can be put individually, in groups, etc; each one big enough for a book and a laptop.

Lectern in the floor, so that the pupils can address each other in debates, presentations etc, comes up when needed like those posh tv cabinets in "MTV cribs"!

Each teacher gets an office next to their classroom, where they can store their carp, so it doesn't clutter up the learning space.

Big spaces between groups of classrooms, for drama, physical stuff, filming etc.

Ed.

once you start doing this its difficult to stop!

oooh - just noticed that I've gone from member to "experienced member" how exciting... :D

Edited by Ed Podesta
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Some great ideas Ed! I love the lecturn and the sound recording booth, and I finally worked out what you meant about the printers :ph34r:

How about different coloured lighting to create different ambiances in the classroom?

yeah, and the room should be round, on at least two sides, with big curving displays... mmmmm

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I am interested in what people think about flexible seating in the classroom - would this work? what kind of desks / table options could be used? what about round tables? what about chairs with a fold down top and no tables?

It's an ICT suite, but Andrew Field has mused about room layout at the EffectiveICT.co.uk Forum...

:ph34r:: Doug

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Thanks for that link Doug, some really interesting ideas on there. i really like the flip top desks, that has a lot of potential. I think the 2 projectors would be useful if you were doing some video conferencing. In your role as a supply teacher you must have seen some interesting layouts, any that spring to mind?

Ed, great point about the displays, I have virtually nothing at the moment.

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In your role as a supply teacher you must have seen some interesting layouts, any that spring to mind?

Interesting? Only in so far as they'd probably be a quite a competition for the Most Unimaginative Use of Classroom Space Award 2006! A lot of rows with the occasional 'C' shape with a few desks in the middle. I like the idea of having individual workstations which 'snap' together somehow for infinite possibilities...

:ph34r:: Doug

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