The traditional classroom setting has changed over the years from dusty chalkboards to SMART Boards and iPads. As technology progresses, so do the classrooms and the resources students can utilize.
Students today are able to access information and resources faster than ever before. As Purdue University’s College of Education flatly puts it, “Technology has greatly expanded access to education.”
Students in today’s classrooms are now entrusted with personal laptops, iPads or Chromebooks. In some districts, many desktops have been replaced with useable whiteboards for active participation during lectures.
Technology in schools has paved the way for virtual classrooms and hybrid schedules. Often, classes can be taught online through a video chat such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. School districts now have the option of hybrid learning, which consists of a few days in-person and a few days online.
Courtesy of SWCSD
Grove City High School Classroom
Schools are also striving to increase access to counseling services and mental health safe spaces. Districts are organizing better policies and resources that work to assist students both mentally and emotionally, as well as incorporating safe spaces – areas for students to relax and have a moment to themselves during the day – in both classrooms and the larger school building.
A safe space in the classroom is often a small area covered with soft lighting, pillows and soft, sometimes pastel, colors that create a relaxing environment. Safe spaces have recently been introduced into classrooms as a way to encourage students to recognize and regulate their emotions.
Classroom layouts have also seen changes in recent years. Traditionally, desks have been organized in symmetrical rows, but the modern classroom is arranged with clusters and easily moveable desks in an effort to encourage active participation and communication.
In some instances, classrooms encourage sitting in a half circle on the floor facing the teacher. The arrangement provides a level of relaxation and comfortability that pushes students to feel more at ease in group settings.
Amber Phipps is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at aphipps@cityscenemediagroup.com.
