Empty Room = Educational Opportunity: How Do You Furnish An Empty Classroom Correctly?

I have an empty room. It used to be a computer lab. This year we decided to move the lab into another room (conglomerated two labs into one actually). The reason is simple: I don't believe that computer labs are as needed as they used to be. Almost all students have their own computers, be it phones, pads, laptops, etc. The issue now is connectivity - do they have access to cloud based systems? If they do, then they can make a lab wherever they are and use their own devices to do so. Many school have begun to use IPADS (which we have done as well) or other portable tablet devices and have consequently allowed those students who do not have portable computers of their own to use these. Does this mean we should get rid of all our computer labs? No it does not, since the younger students will most likely not have their own devices, or are not allowed to bring them to school. Also, some courses use specialized software that students will not normally have on their machines or which would not easily run or be used on tablet devices.

So we have one lab. What about the empty room? This empty room is earmarked to become a multi-purpose room.

Empty Room

The concept is this: we want the room (45' by 22' or so) to be usable for all classes, all grades, and for anything they want it to be. Tall task. But if we keep in mind 21st Century Learning tasks and contemplate what you want students to be able to do in the classroom, then I feel that this room can be furnished and set up to accommodate this.

Thinking from the younger grades up, here is a list of what we want the room to be able to accommodate:

1. Open space for students to move and find their own area to work in
2. Inviting, not over stimulating (for those ADD students), but not so bland that it does not inspire
3. Modular: no set style to the entire room - students can move objects around
4. Areas where you can lecture to an entire classroom
5. Areas where you can do mini-lectures with small groups of students - where many of these can happen at the same time (for collaboration)
6. Areas where students could work independently
7. Multimedia area (screen - projector - computer) for presentations
8. Areas to draw or brainstorm on (whiteboards)
9. Access to the Internet (WIFI)

So what will this look like and what will we put in? The process is still in the brainstorming stage, but we have a few ideas. Here is a quick list of some of the things we have thought about:

1. All desks and chairs should be movable
2. Chairs should be adjustable in height to accommodate bigger or smaller users
3. Tables should be trapezoidal in shape so they can be made into small or larger groups of desks if need be
4. Whiteboards should be movable: this allows us to make walls and work areas wherever we are
5. A large mural on one wall
6. Three tier stairs against the mural wall (22' wide) to accommodate for all students to sit on if you need to lecture
7. An area with a sofa and a desk, computer, etc., for multimedia presentations or for teleconferencing options
8. Single seating areas along the window
9. WIFI node in the room for clear internet access (along with a few plug ins for laptop power and network access)
10. Some foam blocks or bean bags for younger students to sit on and move around as well.

As we progress through this, I will post updates on the project.