Vision EMag Winter 2019_2WEB

e MAGAZINE
VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Active Learning Spaces:
ALIVE in VAIS Schools
ISSUE 6
Winter
2019

e MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
2
How Classroom Design Affects Student
Engagement Active Learning
How Classroom Design
Affects Student Engagement
Active Learning |
Post-Occupancy Evaluation
5
7
9
11
13
15
16
17
18
19
20
Transforming to an Active Learning Space?
A Challenge Worth Tackling!
The WonderLab: A Classroom Built On A Word
Using Instagram in the Spanish Classroom -
Unlocking New Inspiration
Getting Electrified about Learning Engineering
Ditching the Pink Fluffy Chair
Alternative Seating in a Middle School
Math Classroom
Using the City of Richmond to Turn a
Controversy Into a Learning Experience
Intentional and Engaged Learning Spaces
in a Fifth Grade Classroom
Randolph-Macon Academy Opens
Innovation Wing
One Fun Little Dance - An Active Learning Lesson
The Innovation Lab - Movement, Commotion
and Production!
New data from ongoing Steelcase Education studies shows that
classrooms designed for active learning—i.e., where physical
space supports a focus on engaging experiences for students and
faculty— have a significant effect on student engagement.
Noteworthy studies have been completed in recent years that show
factors in the built environment can affect retention, attention,
motivation, learning and academic achievement, but there have
not been reliable post-occupancy evaluations of how different
classroom designs affect student success. To address this important
gap, a team of Steelcase Education researchers, in collaboration
with academic researchers in Canada and the United States,
recently completed studies at four U.S. universities. A robust survey
instrument, titled the Active Learning Post Occupancy Evaluation
(AL-POE) tool, was developed specifically for measuring the impact
of classroom design on student engagement. Engagement is widely
recognized as a highly probable predictor of student success.
The results of the study and the following term’s aggregated data
revealed that classrooms intentionally designed to support active
learning increased student engagement on multiple measures as
compared to traditional classrooms
Figure 1: Standard Classroom
21
Making Space for Active Learning
Editorial Advisory Board
Kim Failon, Director of Communications, VAIS
Lelia Grinnan, Director of Accreditation, VAIS
Interested in writing an article for an upcoming
Vision? Contact: Kim Failon, Director of
Communications, VAIS, at kimfailon@vais.org
EXTENDING WHAT’S KNOWN
Sociological and environment behavioral research has established
the impact of built environments on various behaviors:
territoriality, crowding, situational and personal space. More
recently researchers have explored how a learning environment
impacts students. The consensus is that learning spaces have
physical, social and psychological effects. The Steelcase Education
research program was undertaken to build upon this growing
body of evidence that the learning environment impacts students’
success and engagement is a key predicting factor.
Verb classroom
Node classroom
CONNECT. COLLABORATE. LEAD.
ISSUE 6
Winter
2019
THE APPROACH: AN ACTIVE LEARNING POST-
OCCUPANCY EVALUATION SURVEY
The research was designed to analyze student engagement by
asking participants to compare their experiences in a traditional/
standard classroom with row-by-column seating (See Figure 1:
Standard Classroom) to what they experienced in a classroom
intentionally designed for active learning—i.e., where physical
space supports a focus on engaging experiences for students and
faculty. (See Figure 2: Steelcase Advanced Learning Environments)
media:scape classroom
LearnLab (or media:scape LearnLab)
Figure 2: Steelcase Advanced Learning Environments –4 Scenarios
1
2

How Classroom
Design Affects Student
Engagement
Active Learning
How Classroom
Design Affects
Student Engagement
Active Learning
The active learning classrooms were furnished with Steelcase’s
advanced innovative products and applications for active learning
settings: Node® seating (See Figure 3), Verb®, media:scape®
and LearnLab. To determine a relationship between classroom
design and the behavioral factors of student engagement,
participating faculty members did not receive training from
Steelcase on active learning practices. The settings were simply
provided for their use as they saw fit.
Using a two-step decision-making research method, student and
faculty participants simultaneously evaluated their experience in
the active learning setting and their previous experience in the
traditional classroom; specifically, they compared the “pre/old” and
“post/new” settings for each metric.
The main body of the resulting evaluation has two sections.
Section I (Practices) focuses on active learning practices that
elicit engagement in the learning space. Section II (Solutions)
measures the effect of the classroom design on these active
learning practices. Twelve measurement factors are consistent
across the two sections, including:
• collaboration
• focus
• active involvement
• opportunity to engage
• repeated exposure to material through multiple means
• in-class feedback
• real-life scenarios
• ability to engage ways of learning best
• physical movement
• stimulation
• feeling comfortable to participate
• creation of an enriching experience
Another set of questions uses a five-point Likert scale to
determine perceptions of grades, retention, overall engagement
and ability to be creative.
To ensure adherence to the standards of academic research, the
Steelcase Education team worked with third parties: IRB research
protocol review, academic researchers and a statistician to
analyze and report results.
Respondents completed the survey online approximately 6-8
weeks into the term so they had enough time to establish a
rhythm of using the space.
3
Figure 3: Node ClassroomExample
To ensure adherence to the standards of academic
research, the Steelcase Education team worked with
third parties: IRB research protocol review, academic
researchers and a statistician to analyze and report
results.
RESULTS: ACTIVE LEARNING CLASSROOMS
HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT.
The combined studies results yielded major findings, all
supporting a highly positive and statistically significant
impact of active learning classrooms on student
engagement:
1) Participants reported that the new classrooms
improved active learning practices and had more
positive impact on engagement compared to the old
classrooms. There were no significant differences in
results among participating universities, strengthening
the applicability of the findings.
2) The majority of students rated the new
classroom better than the old classroom on each of the
12 factors.
3) Active learning practices and the impact of
the physical space significantly improved in the new
classrooms for both students and faculty. In the
practices section, average composite scores rose from
23.2 to 34.2 for students, and from 24.0 to 37.3 for
faculty. In the solutions section, average composite
scores rose from 21.8 to 35.5 for students and from 19.1
to 38.8 for faculty. (See Figures 5 and 6)
2
Average Composite Score
Average Composite Score
40
30
20
10
0
40
30
20
10
0
23.2
24.0
34.2
PRACTICES
Figure 5: Average Overall Engagement
Scores For Old and New Classrooms:
Students (n=389)
37.3
PRACTICES
21.8
19.1
35.5
38.8
SOLUTIONS
Figure 6: Average Overall Engagement Scores
For Old and New Classrooms: Faculty (n=41)
Standard (old)
Current (new)
SOLUTIONS
PERCENTAGE REPORTING MODERATE OR EXCEPTIONAL INCREASES IN:
ability to be creative
motivation to attend cl ass
ability to achieve a highergrade
engagement in class
4) The majority of students and faculty reported that the new classrooms
contributed to higher engagement, the expectation of better grades, more
motivation and more creativity. A large majority of students self-reported a
moderate to exceptional increase in their engagement (84%), ability to achieve
a higher grade (72%), motivation to attend class (72%), and ability to be creative
(77%). Almost all faculty members reported a moderate to exceptional increase in
student engagement (98%), and all perceived a moderate to exceptional increase
in student’s ability to be creative (100%). A large majority of faculty reported a
moderate to exceptional increase in students’ ability to achieve a higher grade
(68%), and a moderate to exceptional increase in students’ motivation to attend
class (88%). (See Figure 7)
THE BOTTOM LINE: INTENTIONALLY DESIGNING SPACES
PROVIDES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
As a result of the development of the evaluation instrument and this managed
research program, decision makers at educational institutions, architects and
designers can be assured that investments in solutions intentionally designed to
support active learning can create more effective classrooms and higher student
engagement.
The study also underscores the importance of designing products for educational
environments based on insights from rigorous research. All the products used
in the new/post classrooms were developed from Steelcase’s human-centered
research process methodology, and this study validates that the evidence-based
design protocol helps produce measurable results in use.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Figure 7. Impact of New Classroom
on Student Engagement
Faculty
Students
This white paper was originally published by Steelcase and the full version can be found here:
https://www.steelcase.com/research/articles/topics/active-learning/how-classroom-design-affects-student-engagement/
Creative Office Environments is an authorized Steelcase Dealer and a proud VAIS Strategic Partner. For more information please contact
Jim Trebour at jtrebour@creative-va.com or 804-405-9717.
34

Active engagement is nothing but a prerequisite to the
learning process. Active learning is not trendy or faddish.
It is fundamental to the learning process. There is no cost,
program, or material that must be purchased to transform
a traditional classroom into an active learning space. I share
with you a few vignettes from my classroom and my reasoning
for incorporating active learning across the curriculum.
When I look at pictures taken in my classroom this fall, I
find two students on the carpet as they play a dice game they
created to practice their addition facts. In another photo I
observe students in a corner deeply engaged in a nonfiction
book about dogs, and I recall overhearing their conversation
about their own pet dogs as they read during partner reading
time. I look at a different picture, and I see four secondgraders
precariously balancing on chairs, contemplating
how to maximize gravitational pull to design a marble
maze using PVC pipes. I also notice a photograph of several
second-graders deeply engaged as they listen to one student
5
Transforming to an Active
Learning Space? A Challenge
Worth Tackling!
Michelle Bruch, Grade Two Teacher, Grace Episcopal School, Alexandria
share the story she had written that morning. This picture in
particular makes me smile because I remember asking these
students to read independently right before they decided to
have an impromptu writing time instead. In a photo I took
just last week, I see a second grader’s joyful expression as she
holds up her very own bean sprout and takes a moment to
process the miracle of life.
Teaching and learning are one. I cannot teach my students a
new instructional objective if I do not first probe their background
knowledge. Recent neurological research supports the role
of movement and the importance of activating background
knowledge. We must prioritize connections in the classroom:
social, physical and cognitive connections are the essence of
learning itself.
I cannot expect my students to cultivate a deep comfort
with new content if I do not give them time to grapple,
explore, and explain newly learned concepts. It is ironic that
when I stop teaching and start learning that my teaching is
at its best. We actively learn together by using our classroom
space flexibly, and this practice allows me to differentiate
instruction, gives my students opportunities to engage deeply
with the curriculum through movement and conversation,
and provides ample time to question and learn.
Letting go of how we manage classroom space and time in
a traditional sense is difficult. Thoughtful deliberation is required
to engage students with direct inquiry meaningfully. Guided
by powerful questions, clearly communicated objectives, and
consistent routines, I am able to facilitate the smooth management
of the classroom. I must embrace trial and error, be deliberate
about my instructional objectives, and constantly assess the
classroom climate. As I listen closely to my students, I allow
them to take ownership of their learning. I continually seek
opportunities to help them make connections and inhabit a
state of wonder.
Facilitating active learning means acknowledging that there
is a give and take within the classroom learning environment. We
move our desks apart and place them so they face the walls during
writing workshop. I find this enables my second graders to focus
deeply on their writing and to find quiet spaces in the classroom as
they write. We also sit on the floor to read with partners each day.
Word study necessitates movement as we sort, hunt for word
patterns, and play games to deepen our knowledge. Math is
perhaps the most active time in my classroom because I rely
on my students who understand a concept to translate their
problem-solving processes to their peers, as cooperative
learning is central to our math curriculum.
By cultivating a culture of questioning, prioritizing process
in the classroom across the curriculum, and giving students
many opportunities each day to move and talk as they learn,
I enhance their educational experience. They take ownership
of their learning and beg to stay in the classroom during
recess to complete science projects, offer to help a classmate
who is feeling confused about how to solve a multi-step math
problem, and set and achieve goals higher than I would have
set for them. I continually seek opportunities to maximize
the active learning and engagement in my classroom. Active
learning is a rewarding and effective teaching practice that
allows me to guide and support student learning throughout
the school day. As William Butler Yeats wrote, “Education is
not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Rethinking
how we use classroom space and time to ignite a passion for
learning is a worthy challenge.
6

The WonderLab: A Classroom
Built On A Word
Tracy Camp-Johnston, WonderLab Creator and Curator,
Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria
It’s often said that you need a strong foundation to build
a sturdy structure. I disagree. I built an entire classroom and
a curriculum on a piece of paper. One tiny scrap of lined paper
torn from a composition notebook. One slip of paper with a
single word written on it. WONDER.
After a successful and fulfilling thirteen-year career in the
public school system and time off to raise a family, I had mixed
feelings about returning to teaching. I loved my job as a secondgrade
teacher in my local public school system, but towards
the end, my creativity felt crushed by an avalanche of SOLs and
benchmarks.
At the end of my career, I felt drained and detached. I had
lost my sense of magic. My inspiration was gone, and I worried
that I might not get it back. I knew that if I returned to teaching,
I would have to find an environment in which I felt the freedom
to explore new ideas and to move beyond traditional teaching
methods. I was lucky to find such a place. Tucked in a tiny haven
of woods, with weather-worn barns and a clutch of noisy hens,
just minutes from I-95, was Burgundy Farm Country Day School.
Burgundy’s founders had a vision when they created this special
progressive school. They dreamt of a place where children and
teachers could explore, wonder, and create in a beautiful natural
environment. A place where curiosity would be encouraged and
where divergent thinking was embraced. I found my home here.
And then I found my wonder.
The wonder came to me during a faculty meeting several years
ago. Happily exhausted from a day spent with my fifteen active
kindergarteners and sleepy from too many M&Ms and an overly
toasty auditorium, I began doodling on my agenda to stay awake.
Amongst the swirls and sketches, I wrote the word WONDER. Such
a simple word yet it proved strong enough to inspire an entire
classroom.
Truly it begins with wonder. The very first people probably
looked upward in wonder at the infinite sky. It’s likely that George
Washington Carver wondered, “What else can I make from this
peanut?” And no doubt, Lin-Manuel Miranda wondered about
the untold story of our founding fathers. All good things begin
with wonder. We are born wonder-ers. It is wound and bound
within our DNA. Every child comes to this world equipped with
a nearly insatiable, and (at times exhausting) sense of curiosity
and wonder. Young children seem to be 1⁄5 noise, 1⁄5 dirt and
the rest equal parts movement and wonder. That is why it is
so important to provide outlets for that spirit of wonder in the
early childhood years. Burgundy recognizes the need for young
children to delight in the natural world and inspires them to
engage in playful exploration.
With the backing of my generous administration, inspiration
from dedicated colleagues, and the love and support of my
husband, I set out to build a new kind of classroom. I knew it
needed to be an engaging space that captivated and inspired
awe and was accessible and friendly. I knew the space required
a floor plan that allowed for a variety of collaborative endeavors
but also made room for contemplation and introspection. I
wanted a space that included places to create, explore, build,
observe, and most of all wonder. After a year of planning and
revising, building and creating, the WonderLab was born. It is a
classroom transformed by wonder. As you enter the WonderLab,
you are greeted by a large and friendly tree. Birds and squirrels
and even an opossum cavort on sturdy branches, and turtles
and toads gather at the base.
The WonderLab is a fascinating space to see and touch. An
expansive interactive wall allows for new materials to be added
and removed as children’s interest and abilities grow and change.
The wall beckons to be touched, and for its items to be removed,
played with, and then put back. It is a new wall after each class, as
children replace items in different and personal ways after each
use. This special wall creates visual and kinesthetic connections
that make lasting impressions.
A roomy sensory bin allows multiple children to experience
the world through touch and provides a valuable cooperative
base for sharing observations, ideas, and materials. The
WonderLab boasts an impressive library and an inviting space
for a solitary read, a small group meeting, or simply a space to
regroup and refresh. There is a CreatorSpace filled with loose
parts, tools, and compelling bits gleaned from recycling bins.
A “WonderBar” features a row of tables and stools perfect for
puzzles, games, and small-group exploration.
A mobile lab and kid-friendly flooring ensure that even the
messiest experiments (Ooblek) are easy to clean up. There are
puppets and builder’s bins, games, toys, and much to discover
here. The lab is a living classroom designed to flex, change, and
respond to the people who visit. The physical space not only
provides a vibrant learning environment for many different
activities and pursuits, but it also allows me to offer engaging
and responsive lessons. The flexible interactive wall lets me add
items to spark conversation about new topics; it helps to hold
student interest in long-range projects by providing new objects
to connect to; and lastly, this wall unit even can showcase student
items, allowing for an informal but meaningful assessment tool
as we synthesize a concept. Easily accessible drawers in the
CreatorSpace allow me to change materials to enhance projectbased
learning. Adjustable display areas ensure that students
see value in their work. The WonderLab invites students to
safely explore a variety of learning experiences, and my plans
reflect this. A wonder-filled space makes planning wonder-filled
lessons easier and more manageable.
All of it was built on one word. Wonder. Proof that just one
word can bear a teacher’s hopes and dreams, as well as the
weight of the wonder of all who pass through the door.
7
8

Using Instagram in the Spanish Classroom -
Unlocking New Inspiration
Mark Viser, Spanish Instructor, Hall Parent, Football/Basketball Coach, Christchurch School, Christchurch
Of all the wonderful things about Christchurch School, perhaps my favorite
part about working here is the diversity of our student body. Among
our 215 students, 19 countries are represented, and this diversity contributes
countless traditions, customs, and world views to our campus life. With this
diversity, though, comes an often unwieldy range of interests, learning styles,
and behaviors. As a Spanish teacher, this sometimes has been difficult to
navigate. How can I inspire and facilitate language learning to such a wide range
of people with varying degrees of ability?
While studying at Middlebury College this summer, I found an exciting solution
under the guidance of Esther Poveda Moreno of the University of Virginia. In an
effort to give students freedom to explore the language, I adapted her portfoliobased
approach by making Instagram a central focus of all my classes this year.
Each marking period, students are told to find aspects of the Spanish language
that interest them and periodically upload videos that report their discoveries to
their Spanish-only Instagram account. Already, their progress has exceeded my
expectations. Instead of being drilled on vocabulary and subject matter that I
select, students are independently finding TV shows, music, podcasts, and other
resources that they genuinely like and are sharing them with their classmates. Best
of all, some students have told me that they are enjoying their findings so much
that they spend their free time learning more. This type of self-driven studying is
much more effective than any number of vocabulary lists, conjugation drills, or
cultural readings I could ever implement. Furthermore, students have the ability
to focus on their strengths instead of being penalized for their weaknesses. For
example, if a student has trouble listening to the language and wants to capitalize
on their stronger reading skills, I encourage them to choose resources that play to
these advantages. So far, this has resulted in students’ feeling confident about what
they do know instead of feeling ashamed and embarrassed for what they don’t.
Of course, the nature of social media is essential to the success of this project.
Already, the students have enjoyed following their classmates and leaving them
comments or suggestions. In fact, I have found that students are easily picking
up on their peers’ mistakes and omissions and are making mutual suggestions on
how to improve. This has organically created a friendly atmosphere that makes
our courses feel less like traditional classes and more like teams working toward
a common goal. Going forward, I hope to use Instagram to connect with student
groups in Spanish-speaking countries to make this process even more authentic.
By connecting with native speakers around their same age, the students would
not only get valuable feedback on their language skills, but also have a genuine,
tangible reason to study the language.
Above all, the best way to learn a language is to enjoy the process. What better
way to facilitate this journey than to give students the liberty to pursue what
interests them most?
9
10 ision

Getting Electrified about Learning Engineering
11
Elizabeth Kennedy, Science Department Chair, Highland School, Warrenton
While our new Physics and Engineering Lab is a work in
progress, we think that it has been a game-changer
at Highland School. The lab is a place where students are
encouraged to touch, make, take-apart, and create; and
where they are expected to help one another learn different
strategies and skills by doing so. For the upper school physics
and engineering students, this means having the space and
the freedom to explore a wide variety of phenomena in a
hands-on way. Dedicated in honor of the Class of 2017, this lab
is the ideal environment for active learning to occur, as well as
for accommodating a range of learning styles.
The physical space is large, with room for students to work
at desks or tables and plenty of storage for works-in-progress.
The lab is equipped with a state-of-the-art SMART Boards 6000,
several whiteboards, and a good old-fashioned blackboard.
Tools available include standard shop basics such as a drill
press, band saw, power tools, and a large complement of
hand tools. 3D printers and several laptops are available with
data collection interfaces and electronic sensors, including
motion detectors, force sensors, current/voltage sensors, and
temperature/pressure sensors. The lab is further equipped
with standard physics apparatus and equipment comparable
to what students would use at the university level.
As the teacher in this lab, I strive to cultivate a culture of
collaboration, where technical skills are valued and sought out.
Students collaborate to achieve common goals, such as building
rockets for the Team America Rocketry Challenge, making
experimental equipment for an AP® Physics lab, and producing
a science outreach presentation for younger students who
visit the lab for a “field trip.” The spread of knowledge and skills
happens organically. I see my role as a facilitator who enables
students to share knowledge and skills.
One example of how the lab supports active learning is
a recent “machine dissection” activity in the Introduction to
Engineering class. Students in this class range from freshmen
to seniors, and their experience working with their hands
ranges from novice to veteran. The students were arranged in
groups and tasked to take apart a variety of machines in order
to study what they found inside. These machines included an
“all-in-one” printer-copier, a microwave oven, a computer, and
a DVD/Blu-ray player. The students dissected the machines
using any tools (except hammers!) and salvaged useful parts.
As the students worked to take apart the machines, I walked
around and asked questions about the things they were
finding. “What do you think this component does?” “Why do
you think there would be a motor inside of a printer?” “What
do you think we could re-use these toroids for?” One student
who retrieved a DC motor out of a printer didn’t recognize it as
a motor. I handed him some wire-strippers and an AA battery.
After some initial trepidation, and with help from his group
members, he connected the wire to the battery and was soon
walking around showing everyone the motor that was now
spinning. The diversity of learning styles and skills in each
group enriched the experience for everyone.
The following day, the reclaimed components from the
dissected machines were put to use by students in AP® Physics
C: Electricity and Magnetism. Therein, the students found the
necessary materials to construct their own electroscopes. Of
course, we could have purchased this simple lab equipment
from a supply house. But why not take advantage of an
opportunity for students to have even more “skin in the
game” by making their own? For a look at one of the student’s
electroscopes, check out this video.
Introduction to Engineering is a required course for Highland’s
new Pre-Engineering Certificate. Seniors earn this certificate at
graduation by satisfying requirements that include completing
honors and AP® math and science classes, as well as programming
classes, a group engineering design class or participation on our
FIRST Robotics Team, and an individual engineering experience
over the summer. The program culminates with our Engineering
Capstone class in which seniors work with an outside sponsor to
design and build a project of their choice. Eight members of the
Class of 2018 earned the certificate by completing projects that
included a Rubens tube, a Tesla coil, and a pond-cleaning robot.
None of these projects could have been realized had we not had
the space and tools to inspire innovation.
As each student finds his or her own role in the class and
on teams, “Be yourself at Highland” becomes more than just a
tagline. It’s an ideal we strive to help each student live up to, in
a hundred different ways each day.
12

Ditching the Pink Fluffy Chair
Christina Grande, English 8 and English 10 Honors Teacher, Trinity Episcopal School, Richmond
In the late 90s when I was in graduate school for education, the
buzz phrase was “cooperative learning.” Education moved away
from individual assignments and papers towards group projects
and group interactions. When designing lesson plans, I had to start
with an “anticipatory set” or an opening activity, often a series of
questions or a demonstration.
As the 90s turned into the millenium, the phrase, “21st century
skills” buzzed around the academic building. Content was a thing
of the past; students could Google whatever information they
wanted to know. Instead, we wanted students to develop skills
that would prepare them for the real world. No longer did we
question what we wanted them to know or why, but instead how.
How, we asked ourselves, should we teach students who already
have the world, or at least the internet, at their fingertips?
As I’ve watched education evolve, I’ve noticed that one thing
has remained constant--we, as teachers, must find a way to reach
students where they are. Students must be engaged to learn.
Listening to a lecture may have worked for us old folks in the 80s,
but it isn’t going to cut it with kids today. They need to move. They
need to be active. They need to generate their own discussions.
We can’t tell them how to think. We need to show them what it
means to think critically. We need to guide them. Enter the new
catch-phrase “active learning.”
My biggest challenge as a teacher was probably my move
from high school to eighth grade. My first attempt at active
learning was to implement flexible seating in the eighthgrade
classroom. I read that flexible seating gave students
more freedom and choice and allowed them to collaborate
more authentically than they could at traditional desks. I
learned quickly that active learning, while important, must be
purposeful and planned. While I had fun running to secondhand
stores and Craigslist to buy bean bags, floor pillows, and
papasan chairs, those items alone made my classroom more
chaotic than productive. My classroom became a “free for all”
with kids rushing to my room to snag the pink fluffy chair and
others jumping on top of the new owner of the fluffy chair
until the chair looked like a pile-up on a football field rather
than a fun place to learn. As you can imagine, the fluffy chair
quickly broke, and I decided to regroup and redefine active
learning for my eighth-grade classroom.
Now active learning looks like scissors and glue sticks--
messy but manageable. My students use interactive notebooks.
Inside their spirals all of their activities live--they cut events
from the myths we are reading and rearrange and paste them
chronologically; they draw pictures of their ideas of what monsters
look like before we read Walter Dean Myers’ book Monster; they
cut out and color foldables to learn about the differences between
paraphrasing and summarizing. Sometimes the desks seem too
clunky and restrictive, so we move them. In circles they hurl fake
Shakespearean insults at each other while we read A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, and at Christmas time they spread out for a White
Elephant gift exchange in which they learn how to write thankyou
notes.
During my seventeen years of teaching, I’ve learned a lot
about teaching styles. There is not a one-size-fits all method.
What may work for my neighbor next door may not work for me.
My classroom will never be silent. I will never take a “sit down
and wait your turn” approach to teaching. Life is messy and loud
and imperfect. So am I. Kids need guidance and rules, but they
also need a voice. They need to move around. They need to do. I
may have thrown out the bean bags and fluffy chairs, but I have
learned to create my own flexible classroom, and it seems to
work for all of us.
13
14 ision

Using the City of Richmond to Turn a
Controversy Into a Learning Experience
Penn Ward, Communications Coordinator, Orchard House School, Richmond
Alternative Seating in a Middle School Math Classroom
Carmen Rich, Middle School Math Teacher, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk
Over the summer months, I transformed my classroom into
an inviting space that feels like a breath of fresh air. The
room no longer has traditional seating but rather tall chairs and
desks, octagonal tables, stability ball chairs, wobble seats, and
saucer chairs, all tied together with an area rug. Gone is the long
whiteboard that covered the length of the front of the room, and
in its place is a beautiful Smart Panel, vibrant with color and the
potential to transform teaching through powerful technology.
When I first contemplated the brave new world of flexible
seating, I knew I needed to do some research. I read articles and
spoke with teachers who had become experts in the world of new
spaces. By the time I finished, I knew I did not want just to dip my
toe in the water; I wanted to dive in headfirst. I made a plan and
placed my order. As I unpacked each piece of new furniture, I felt
excitement, but at the same time I had a niggling feeling in the
back of my head--worrying about students’ attention spans and
behavior within their new surroundings.
The first day of school arrived. As students entered the newly
designed space, eyes widened and smiles grew large. They loved
the room, were awed by the Smart Panel, and were curious about
the different types of seating. I told them to try a few seats, to
find the one they liked, and to settle in. The first thing we talked
about were the rules of the seating. No spinning was allowed,
but wobbling back and forth gently was acceptable. While high
bouncing was banned on the stability balls, a little bouncing and
swaying was just fine. Students couldn’t use the wheeled chairs as
transportation, but moving around the tables to adjust to group
work was great. I also explained the rules regarding the Smart
Panel. Overall, I asked them to be respectful of our new furniture.
We wanted everything to last for a long time.
With my redesigned space, I have found that I am able to
move around the classroom more easily during instruction and
to observe students during group and individual work times.
I feel more connected to the students, and their behavior has
been fantastic. They seem happy and relaxed. We all have been
told how students have difficulty sitting for long periods of time,
but my students this year seem comfortable and do not always
want to leave when class is over.
Here is a short list of what I believe has contributed to the
success of this new and redesigned arrangement:
- Explaining expectations regarding the Smart Panel
- Allowing experimentation with the Smart Panel in applicable
situations
- Framing the rules of each seat
- Requiring a prompt seat change when a seat rule has been broken
(but allowing a student to try that seat again the next day)
- Allowing appropriate movement befitting each seat type
- Encouraging students to move around and try different seats
each day
- Providing traditional chairs for those few who prefer them
- Circulating amongst the students regularly
Assimilating to new technology and flexible seating has been
a rewarding and exciting adventure, but the most gratifying
aspects have been watching my students’ engagement improve
and reveling in their learning experiences.
Girls bound out the
front door, two-bytwo
with water bottles
in hand, for a warm-up
walk with P.E. instructor
Suzi Horner. Meanwhile,
Janine Russo’s math class
makes their way on foot
to the Virginia Museum
of Fine Arts, the culmination of their months-long math sketchbook
study on the interplay of mathematical concepts and visual art.
The city of Richmond is a classroom teeming with lessons —
history, architecture, music, art, botany, biology, and much more.
Cross the traffic circle at Allen Avenue, however, and the lessons
get more complicated at the base of the Robert E. Lee Monument.
Commissioned in 1876, after the end of Reconstruction in Virginia,
the Lee Monument is one of five monuments commemorating
notable members of the Confederacy along Monument Avenue.
The events of Summer 2017 brought a slew of nationwide protests
regarding the removal of Confederate statues, largely in Southern
cities. When the events of Charlottesville threatened to hit close to
home with a protest at Richmond’s Robert E. Lee Monument, Orchard
House School chose to address the local and national discourse
surrounding the legitimacy of the nearby Confederate memorials.
Honoring Orchard House’s commitment to being a responsive
academic environment, an instructional collaboration between history
teacher Taylor Hollander and English and theatre arts teacher Lucretia
Anderson arose. With an eye towards maintaining the social and
emotional well-being of students, the faculty wondered how much
the girls knew about the controversy, what would be the best way
to support them, and how to turn the controversy into a learning
experience. “I think a lot of the girls knew about the events around
Charlottesville and what was happening with the monuments, but a
lot didn’t; and if they knew something was brewing, they didn’t quite
understand what was happening or going on.” In response Hollander
and Anderson designed a research project for Eighth Grade students.
The Confederate monument project involved five main themes
— fact and opinion, historical memory, public space, debate
and discussion, and oral and written communication skills. This
interdisciplinary approach combined the history unit on the Civil
War and Reconstruction with the literary notions of oral history and
authorship, as well as persuasive writing. While heated debate is
the natural expectation of a project with such timeliness and heft,
Anderson and Hollander found that two of the themes stood out the
most — public space and historical memory.
Prior to their research, few of the students had given much
thought to the significance of the monuments, treating them mainly
as invisible space. By walking from statue to statue on Monument
Avenue and recording information about their subjects, locations,
inscriptions, unique features, and their own first impressions, the
girls gained considerable awareness and understanding. Through
this experiential learning, they began to realize how and why
public space is often contested, writing about ways citizens can
“feel unwelcome driving down a street in the place they call home.”
About the open-ended shape of the project, Anderson notes, “By
letting the girls explore the monuments first and ask their own
questions about what [they were] seeing and experiencing, they
were able to have an intellectual experience with them and not just
drive by the monuments.”
Students then interviewed people outside the school about
the Confederate monument controversy. By collecting personal
reflections and commentaries, they learned about the richness of the
human experience and how everyday people who largely escape
the historical record can have very different views and opinions
about the past and present. The girls demonstrated a multifaceted
approach to their thinking, noting that the discomfort of talking
about Virginia’s history “should not excuse us today from the burden
of trying to understand what made the people of the monuments
fight in the American Civil War.”
While engaging in the debate, Middle schoolers in the throes
of grappling with self-discovery and identity benefited from the
bedrock of Orchard House School—sound relationships with faculty.
Anderson, who stresses historical context in her lessons, felt the
discussion was more nuanced because of diverse voices from faculty
and project interviewees. She noted, “You can always say, ‘This could
affect people of color,’ but it’s nothing like having a person of color,
someone you have a relationship with, saying, ‘Yes, this affects me,
and here’s why.’”
It is those relationships with faculty that most often are cited by
parents and students as a major component of their Orchard House
experience. Drawing upon those relationships and benefitting from
a responsive approach to learning about the Monument controversy,
the Eighth Graders were able to build their own understanding in a
way that challenged and empowered them.
15 16

Intentional and Engaged Learning Spaces
in a Fifth Grade Classroom
Kelsi Bell, Fifth Grade Teacher, Powhatan School, Boyce
With no two learners alike in my classroom, I’ve developed an active
learning environment for my fifth grade students, inclusive
of flexible seating, custom lighting, decreased visual stimuli, and
increased material mobility. And why? An active learning environment
is student-centered, learning-focused, and wildly popular among
students and parents alike. Plus, it’s effective!
So which comes first, the standing table or the active lessons? The
answer is both. If learning is the goal, we must establish a rhythm in
the physical realm and the cognitive realm to work as co-dependent
cogs in the wheel of student growth and development. Let’s take
a look at physical space first, and then at what it looks like to be a
teacher and a student in an active learning environment.
To become an active learning space, a classroom must be
conducive to focused working and learning. This starts with an
aesthetically pleasing space with limited visual distraction. Such an
environment can be achieved by adhering to a basic color palette,
enhancing natural light with soft-light floor and table lamps, and
establishing organizational routines and procedures for tidy materials
management. Upon arrival to our classroom, students are greeted
twice -- once by me and then by the physical appearance of our
classroom. I desire for both messages to communicate, “Welcome!
You matter. To start, choose a seat where you will learn best.”
A student who craves constant motion may prefer to balance on
a stability ball at the round table in the center of the room, but may
later wish to transition to the standing table with the elastic foot band
at the base for increased gross motor stimulation. Another student
who works best when her materials are spread out may choose to
sit on a foam mat at the 16-inch floor table, using the table top and
the surrounding carpet as her work surface. For the students who
desire to see all things at all times, sitting on a countertop-height
stool at the 36-inch table in the back of the room might be the best
place for them. Still, there is the trusty laundry basket full of cushions,
serving as a cozy, confined space for readers and studyers alike, or the
classic chair at a conference room-sized table for those who prefer
a traditional posture while working and learning. In our classroom,
mobility is effortless because students keep their materials organized
in black storage crates divided into sections that keep their binders
and folders upright. Students are free to choose from the variety of
work spaces available to them by simply picking up their crate and
moving to the position most desirable.
Such readily available flexible seating encourages students to
become more self-aware, asking themselves each day, sometimes
several times a day, “Where will I work best?” Becoming mindful of
their bodies, their learning styles, and their social norms enables
students to be increasingly metacognitive, reflecting on the role of
flexible seating as an owned, personal choice to enhance their unique
learning experience. This structure invites students to cognitively
develop who they are as learners. In turn, as I plan and prepare
lessons for my students, I can freely craft experiences that cater to
diverse learning styles, support academic choices, and encourage
intentional movement. As a result, students are not only engaged in
experiences, but are empowered to learn.
Mutually establishing that our classroom is a safe, flexible space
designated for focused working and learning negates social and
behavioral blunders, enhances a sense of community, and fosters
an environment that embraces the unique qualities of each child.
Though it highlights the diversity of students’ learning styles, postures,
and personalities, our active learning environment reminds us that
collectively, we all are learners. As a unified front, we encourage one
another to celebrate that learning doesn’t look or sound the same
for all of us, but tremendous learning is commonly occurring within
us. As we work and learn together, our space greets us all with,
“Welcome! You matter. Choose a seat where you will learn best.”
Randolph-Macon Academy Opens Innovation Wing
Celeste Brooks, Director of Communications, Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal
This fall, Randolph-Macon Academy opened the Hadeed
Innovation Wing, with simulation labs intentionally designed
to be integrated learning spaces. These labs cut across academic
disciplines, encompassing flight, robotics, computer science,
engineering, graphic design, and studio art. The environment has
been created to be flexible and dynamic. “More than your typical
maker space, it’s a place where computer science can meld with
engineering and graphic design and studio art, or the drone
program can work with studio art on intentional design for the
aesthetics of the drone design,” explained Dr. Tess Hegedus, Dean
of Instructional Leadership and Innovation.
She gave another example: “If one of the pre-professional
pathways is Entrepreneurship, and you’re learning about product
development as part of Entrepreneurship, you could go into the
Simulation Lab and work on engineering design, use the graphic
design lab to build a website to market or promote your business,
you could create logos, and plan how you might market your
product. It is a place to explore and integrate it all.”
While the studio art lab and graphic design lab are standalone
rooms on one side of the wing, on the opposite side are the
flight simulation lab and the robotics lab, which are separated by
a removable partition. Both are designed to encourage students
to move around or design on their feet, rather than sitting
(though that remains an option). But the most-anticipated piece
of equipment might just be the soon-to-arrive flight simulator,
the FAA approved Redbird TD.
“It’s a place for authentic learning experiences that are
connected to future careers,” said Hegedus. “It provides a stepping
stone to a future internship. We’re going to simulate what a
student might do in a career path.”
Students will use the simulation labs to learn primary, essential
skills that align with a career pathway, with the idea that when
they begin an internship, they go in with some foundational
knowledge or some exposure to the field. This allows them to
participate in the internship more fully, whether that means they
are asking deeper questions or they are coming up with bigger
ideas. The hope is that when they get back from the internship
experience, those ideas are things they want to research further,
and the questions are problems they want to solve—thus, they
begin to research, create, and innovate.
17 18

One Fun Little Dance - An Active
Learning Lesson
Maura Rice, Junior Kindergarten Teacher, Congressional School, Falls Church
“I’m in, right out, right up,
right down, and I’m feeling fine!”
My students and I sing to each other as we start our morning
meeting with movement (courtesy of one of our favorite
Dr. Jean songs). We stretch our arms in, out, up and down and
turn ourselves around. We run in place; we practice freezing our
whole bodies; and then, we do it all again! By the end, both the
kids and I are smiling ear to ear; our bodies are more relaxed;
we are sometimes a little out of breath; but we are ready to
begin our next activity. Until … “Can we please do it again, but
in sloth mode?” they ask. Sloth mode is part of the dance our
class came up with, where we do the same actions but as slow
as we possibly can. Time is ticking away in the morning, but
as an early childhood educator, I have to pause and listen to
19
their request. When the children ask for more movement, what
they really are telling me is, “My brain needs this, and I need to
shake it up, to get up and move around; I need to have fun and
be active so that I can do my best learning today.” So of course,
we hold off on morning meeting for three more minutes, and
begin again, in “sloth mode.”
To an outsider looking in, this probably looks like one fun,
little dance. While that is true and learning through play is
imperative with learners of all ages, that is not the only reason
we do this. This fun, little dance is also helping the children
learn self- regulation skills, understand and follow multi step
directions, identify rhythms and patterns, develop a sense of
directionality, learn new vocabulary, engage in teamwork, and
foster classroom community. All of those incredibly important
learning skills from one fun, little dance!
Active learners translate to active minds—when we enable
and encourage our children to get up, move around, find new
spots, get their wiggles out, or take a brain break—what we are
really doing is empowering children to learn, grow, and progress
in the classroom in different, new, and exciting ways. We are
teaching them that learning doesn’t just happen while sitting
down at a table, working with pencils and pens, or sitting on the
carpet for fifteen minutes straight. Learning also happens when
a student gets up, moves across the aisle, talks to a friend, tries
something new, or stands on his head! New ideas flourish when
children are given the chance to move their bodies, to be in
control of their physicality, and to realize that they are learning
and having fun while doing it.
We are preparing our children for a life of active learning and
for an actively changing and fast-paced world. We are teaching
them that they are, and should always be, active participants
in their own education. Giving them the chance for physical
flexibility encourages them to have mental flexibility as well.
The next time you see a class of five-year-olds dancing it out,
or jumping around, join in! It is never too late to get your blood
pumping, get your energy going, and get active. You just might
find, that if you let it, your mind can be as active as your body.
What does action look like in the classroom? It is movement,
commotion, and production. It is embracing the unknown.
It is failing and succeeding all at once. Ultimately, it is cementing
knowledge. Learning by doing is not a new concept, but it is one
that is often isolated within certain areas of our curriculum. I’m a
fine arts teacher. My entire curriculum is project-based learning.
My day is eternally action-packed. What I see on the horizon is
a maker movement that is tearing down the walls between art
and every other discipline.
As teachers, we want to set up our students to succeed. We
share with them the knowledge we want them to attain and then
help them navigate their way. We map out a means to an end.
Delivering projects in a classroom does not change the end, it
changes the means. When students are permitted to design their
own outcomes, they set out on pathways that are untrodden.
They are instilled with the courage to make waves, not just to
rinse and repeat. Action is diving deeper and resurfacing with
something new. Active learning at Foxcroft School is embodied
in the buzz of The Innovation Lab (TIL@FXC).
When we embarked on the creation of our makerspace
two years ago, we charged the students with designing the
space from conception to completion. It is truly a studentowned
space. The faculty continues to empower their student
leadership in refining the space and its use. The makerspace
has become a gathering place on campus for everything from
faculty hack sessions to student club meetings, from college
The Innovation Lab - Movement,
Commotion and Production!
Julie Fisher, Digital Arts and Engineering Instructor, Foxcroft School, Middleburg
information sessions to class meeting space. It is a place for
dreaming and doing.
Everyone is a maker and a doer at heart. If we did not strive
to create, we would have very little to show for our humanity.
Instead we produce a barrage of innovations on a daily basis.
Most inventors bridge concepts across disparate media. They
find relevance in the seemingly irrelevant, and a new idea is
born. The entire premise of a makerspace is to provide the ideal
conditions for ingenuity to flourish. The space itself is empty
without minds to explore it. TIL@FXC is a revolving door of
students with ambitious ideas and ready hands.
On a regular basis, I see my colleagues actively learning
with their students. Like art educators, they have embraced
lessons that encourage their students to create. In TIL@FXC, I
witnessed a world language student create an emblem for an
ancient myth and a world history student design a genocide
memorial. I watched a biology student create a paper doll-sized,
layered rendition of all the inner workings of the human body. A
creative writing student generated a poem inspired by a student
photographer’s blended imagery. A theatre student engineered
a dress to transform Cinderella from rags to a ravishing gown
in seconds. A physics student built a pan flute out of bamboo
that she culled on campus. Each of these students utilized
the makerspace to step outside the confines of their focused
curriculum. These are the types of learners and creators we want
to put out there in the world to invent our future.
20

Making Space for
Active Learning
Evie Hinrichs, Second Grade Teacher, Congressional School, Falls Church
Taking inspiration from the book Most Likely to Succeed, by Ted
Dintersmith and Tony Wagner, many educators are looking
carefully at the learning opportunities afforded to students in the
What this meant for our classroom was that we needed lots of space
to work! The map was about 10 feet wide. Changing the set-up of
desks and tables to accommodate a 10-foot-wide map required
21st Century. Providing opportunities where students can think
some creativity and ingenuity. Students were excited to adjust
creatively and critically, collaborate with peers, and take charge
the learning space to support their needs. Three groups worked
of their own learning is paramount to student engagement and
on the different islands from the stories while others created the
success. As educators, we can and should leverage our teaching
map features. Every second grader was engaged, working across
environment, within our classrooms and beyond, as flexible,
weeks on their part of the project. The conversations between
active learning spaces.
students as they planned, created, and placed islands on the map
In my own second-grade classroom, this exploration into
were a teacher’s dream. At the end of the project, the class was
active learning spaces has led to a burst of creativity, critical
excited to have the opportunity to share their map with the entire
thinking, and student engagement. Children of all ages are
student community at an all school gathering. They used the map
inherently active; learning through inquiry and exploration.
to summarize the adventures of Elmer and the dragon, describing
During a lesson about addition strategies, the class needed to
all to see. The lasting benefits of this type of hands-on, authentic
They are full of energy and are always eager to learn something
each island’s location and topography using their new map skills.
spread out to practice computation skills without distraction.
learning experience will stick with the students long after they
new. Although students have always been active learners, the
This project was so successful, because it was student-inspired
This was achieved by writing on whiteboard space on the walls,
leave second grade.
shift to maximizing the classroom to facilitate and support
and student-led.
desk tops, and even windows. We rotated to a new surface with
Over the past several years, the approach of utilizing our
learning takes time, patience, and trust in the process. Every
Our classroom continues to shift as we work on different
each new equation. The novelty of writing on different surfaces
learning spaces both inside and out as tools to enhance student
part of our learning space has a purpose, yet is flexible to
projects. After reading a variety of books in class, students were
and moving between equations increased student engagement
learning has blossomed. Student motivation and engagement
support the needs of students. The classroom itself has become
challenged to create book reviews to share with other students.
and motivation.
is on the rise as we become more purposeful in planning how
a tool that can enhance inquiry, exploration, collaboration and
We brainstormed a variety of ways to approach this challenge
Finally, we need to remember that active learning is not
we use our spaces. This approach does require flexibility on the
individual learning.
and decided this would be a great time to integrate technology.
confined to the four walls of a classroom. There are many
part of the teacher. Lessons might not go exactly as planned, but
As an example, this fall our second-grade class was reading the
A group of second graders created a green screen studio in our
learning opportunities to extend learning outdoors. Our second
when given the space and opportunity, the students will take
trilogy of My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Our literary
classroom library space by adding a small table, stools, and a green
graders explore early civilizations. During our study of Ancient
the lead and take more ownership of their learning environment
focus was character development over time and understanding
sheet. Students, working with a partner, used iPads to record
Mesopotamia, students learn about cuneiform, the first system
and how they use it. This flexibility will also help us to better
how the setting played a role in the story. These books included
images of each other reading a favorite book. They worked
of writing. Although we read about it and find examples in
adapt to the changing needs of students.
several small maps. The students were fascinated by the maps and
together to place themselves in the setting of the book and then
books, we use a small stream on our campus. During science
tried to follow the main character’s adventure across the different
created a tag line to hook other readers. With guidance, students
class, students discover clay along the banks of the stream so
lands. It also happened that we were studying map features and
were able to plan, problem solve, and work through each step of
we plan a second trip. It’s much more engaging to walk to the
landforms in social studies. When the task of drawing and labeling
the process. As with the map project, students were able leverage
stream to collect clay for a tablet and gather sticks from the
our own maps came up, the class lobbied to collaborate on a giant
our classroom space in a way that encouraged creativity, critical
playground for a stylus. After gathering resources, students
map of the islands from My Father’s Dragon. They wanted to see
thinking, and active learning. And since not every assignment is
are eager to practice being a scribe as they write letters and
all the places from the three books represented on a single map.
collaborative, students also need space to work independently.
numbers in the clay. The clay tablets are dried and displayed for
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