Innovation in learning spaces alicia regodon

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Schooling is not always about reading, writing and arithmetic. Discuss how learning spaces are an important part of schooling?

Introduction "People like to keep certain distances between themselves and other people or things. And this invisible bubble of space that constitutes each person´s bubble or territory is one of the key dimensions of modern society." (Hall, 1966) Why is space, that fluid interface that coexists in between human beings, so important? It gives a sense of scale, distance and position of each other, more important, it shapes how we interact by collaborating with, for example, cultural background to define, “power relations” (Malen 1994), interactions among the human beings. Education is not only about the knowledge exchange generated among human beings, space also plays an important role in the learning philosophy (Johnson 2015) in the way it aids to define the learning ecosystem (Hannon et al 2011). The aim of the essay is not to settle the rules towards the perfect learning space. The classroom, conceived as a social system (Durkheim 1938) may not serve to reproduce the wider society´s inequalities (Darvin, Norton 2014). Developing Freire´s conception of space as a tool with the purpose of revolutionary learning, the goal is to develop what features can define positive learning spaces, to embrace different understandings of learning and prove that constraints in learning philosophy are supported by a rigid arrangement of space and its use. The complexity of contemporary society does not support anymore the “deculturalized” plain and rigid classrooms (Freire 2000) alienated from their cultural background and sense of identity (Milligan 2003). Transmission of cultural values by the institutions is a sensitive issue that coexists with the growth of the digital era in all social dimensions (Hannon et al 2011). The essay will discuss the role of space within the new educational paradigm, regarding education as directly interacting with development, literacy is considered one of the millennium development goals (McCormick 2014), and contemplating innovation as a result of this revolutionary movement at an educational system level.

Key words

School, education, culture, learning ecosystem, engagement, identity, inclusion, creativity.


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