OCTOPUS GARDEN PROJECT
REPORT
Jason Hayklan G7
Research Question: What is a 21st Century Classroom?
Classrooms are created to
provide an environment for learning. How comfortable and settled we are affects
our ability to learn in the classroom. The rooms in Nexus are a little dated
and our grade 7, along with the students from grade 8 were tasked with researching
and presenting our ideas and designs for the classroom of the 21st
century that could revolutionise the way we learn, just like the iPhone has
changed the way we communicate.
Research & Analysis
The group that I worked in
focused on fixtures and fittings (lights, cables, wires & plugs and fans)
as well as peripheral learning support tools (projectors and laptop trays).
Lights:
The existing fluorescent
strip lights on the ceiling look like they come from the 1980s!
While fluorescent bulbs
have their advantages, they are filled with gas called ballast. This gas sends
out a pulse that causes a high frequency flicker. Some people are known to be
sensitive to this flicker; it can cause headaches and eyestrain.
The reasons were
straightforward: they use less power, have no flicker and are therefore better
for our eyes. We also liked the colour and variety that would brighten up the
classrooms.
Fans:
All our classrooms have
aircon, this uses a lot of electricity. If we are going to be eco-friendly, we
need to use less. And, some parts of the classroom get very cold.
There are more energy
efficient aircon units available, however, our team thought that it would be
better to install ceiling fans. They circulate the air, they don’t create
pockets of cold, they don’t have to be topped up with gas and use a lot less
electricity.
Cables & Wires:
We do not have many plug
sockets in the classroom and they are located at the walls. This is typical of
older classrooms where computers etc. were not used. So, if we need to charge
our laptops or plug in a projector, we have to move to the side of the room.
The team decided that a
funky option would be to use a range of power extensions. We found some very
practical ones as well as some fun ones.
We liked these extensions as you can twist the
sockets around a bar, making them directional and you do not get the problem of
a large plug covering the socket next to it.
This Wire Pod is a great
idea for use around the beanbags or on the carpet. It unravels out and has
multiple extensions that unravel like the branches of a tree.
Projectors:
The projectors we use at
the moment are not very good. Some of them are old, their colour is faded and
they take a long time to configure. They are also static, meaning they are
fixed at one angle and mounted. This means they are not very versatile and the
classroom is not as functional as it could be.
We looked at a number of makes and options that are available.
The Dell S300WI is a
classroom specific projector. It is an interactive wifi projector and can
project onto “virtually any surface”. This means we do not even need a screen.
It also comes with an interactive pen that works like a writing and drawing
tool, both on and off surfaces.
Another plus point is that
it has a long lamp life.
Laptop trays
The
design of our classroom has created spaces where we can work in a more relaxed
manner, like sitting on beanbags or on the carpet. We realised that this means
we have to have our laptops on our laps. Laptops get quite hot and can burn our
legs.
Some of us already have
laptop trays at home, so why not at school?
We found some reasonable
priced trays in Ikea and on eBay.
Conclusion & Recommendations
The No Limits team looked
at fixtures and gadgets that we could use practically in our 21st
Century classroom. We wanted to find ways to make it easier to learn, create a
comfortable learning area that was also bright and cheerful. We also wanted to
make an environmentally friendly impact with our classroom.
I hope that all of these
ideas can be used to make our classroom experience more enjoyable and more
modern than what it is now.
References:
Lights:
Projectors:
Wires and connectors:
http://www.artecnicainc.com/Products/Interior_Elements/WirePod
Fans:
http://www.ceilingfan.com/v/vspfiles/photos/FMFP7900OB-2T.jpg
Laptops:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqMOKi8E3ZEg2YezBN8iUYdr8g~~_35.JPG