CEP 818 Creative “I” Architecture of Space

My Creative Space

The space that I find the most conducive for creativity is my classroom. I have revised the layout over the years and found that it is a colorful place that is also quite useful in the ways it is organized. One of my favorite elements in this space is its color. From the posters and bulletin boards on the walls to the origami paper cranes hanging from the ceiling, a rainbow of hues emerges from the space. Another element of the design is the layout of all the bulletin boards. Each bulletin board aids students in understanding fundamentals of the classroom. For example, one bulletin board is designed specifically to give announcements of upcoming events in choir. Another, to let students know what they missed if they were absent for a day. All of these bulletin boards were made after reflecting what my students’ needs were in the classroom. Another example of needs reassessment is in looking at my “health station” in the classroom. I made the “health station” after being asked for a Band-Aid (on average) once a day for several months. This necessity for a student, during instructional time, led me to create this corner of the room and it has definitely paid off; I rarely answer questions about where the Kleenex or Band-Aids are located (which takes out of class time). Another design element that adds to the specialness of the space is the use of quotes. When I first started teaching I wanted to be able to read inspirational quotes while I taught to keep my students and I going during tough days. I even organized a quote wall, which is shown in one of the pictures below. Lastly, though not observable in pictures, my room lets out a nice aroma with scented room spray. Every month I change the scent and keep the room smelling fresh and clean. It’s really important that all of these design elements are in place on a daily basis. In order to keep my room feeling special and engaging for my students I like to update it often. Just the other day we hung snowflakes in place of the origami birds to get us in the holiday spirit!

After reading this week’s article I have concluded that a well-designed classroom space should reflect the needs of its occupants. I have done so by creating a classroom that fits my needs as a teacher as well as my students’ current needs. For example, I have created spaces like the “health station” after detecting a need for one several years ago. In the TechTrends article, the authors state that we should “consider the organic interactions between the living space and its inhabitants [and that]… users who question and subvert existing designs, and recreate them to reflect their own practices, can be a powerful impetus for creativity (Mishra, Cain, Sawaya, & Henriksen, 2013, p. 5-6). As a result, in order to keep my room a creative space for learning, I should reassess the needs of my students and myself on a consistent basis and redesign space elements that would better suit our needs at that time. Check out my current creative classroom space below:

My Creative Space

Or view my presentation using this Embedded Link:

https://sway.com/s/pSovyFuD5NTBKPqq/embed

(Note: Make sure to click on the computer icons in the presentation above in order to read each picture caption.)

References

Microsoft (2015) Sway (computer software). Available from https://blogs.office.com/2014/10/01/announcing-office-sway-reimagine-ideas-come-life/

Mishra, P., Cain, W., Sawaya, S., & Henriksen, D. (2013). Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st Century: A Room of Their Own. TechTrends 57 (4), 5-9.