TSB—November/December 2015

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is an environment where industries and entrepreneurs collaborate with researchers, it is also designed to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among K-12 students and the local community. Truell Hyde, Baylor’s vice provost for research, brought together ESC Region 12’s Maze and CEO Chris Huckabee to start conversations about creating a think-tank environment to improve STEM instruction and attract more students to STEM careers. “There are a lot of very good, high-paying jobs in STEM fields that are going unfilled because there aren’t students pursuing those fields,” Hyde says. “This is an absolute threat to our economy and way of life. So, from the very beginning of the BRIC, STEM educational outreach and research have been a focus.” At ESC Region 12, STEM educational outreach begins with professional development for educators in the region. Maze and his team were exploring options for better spaces for hands-on science and math sessions for educators, so the LEx Labs collaboration came at the perfect time. For Huckabee, the collaboration offers a space for the firm to invest time and money into researching new methods of classroom construction and equipment before taking those methods to clients. Kerri Ranney, Huckabee’s director of learning and strategic development, says the company’s focus is on how to leverage the impact of the physical environment on learning. “Our clients are in the education business, so their top priority is to provide the best education to the students who come into their buildings,” Ranney says. “Naturally, the environment can have a very significant impact on that experience for both students and teachers. The [LEx Labs] partnership allows us to look at the idea of a multipurpose space that can fit different types of instruction and provide the right amount of flexibility and adaptability.” While the labs have an exciting, modern aesthetic, the LEx Labs partners are focusing beyond the “wow” factor of a glossy, new space. Baylor University researchers, Huckabee and ESC Region 12 specialists are examining key questions about classroom layout and structure, instructional design and project-based learning. “We’ve taught the same way for hundreds of years, and it’s becoming more and more apparent it isn’t working for today’s students,” Hyde says. “The architectural infrastructure of classrooms doesn’t fit new styles of instruction, but unbiased research is needed to show whether the new methods are working. That’s where Baylor comes in.” Specific concepts — like teacher mobility in the classroom, innovative writing surfaces, classroom furniture mobility and changes in LED lighting — are targeted topics for study.

Research will take place both in the LEx Labs and in area school districts, the latter of which will serve as a baseline control. Each piece of equipment and furniture at LEx Labs has a small radio frequency identification device (RFID) to track how it is used. Moreover, participants and instructors wear lanyards that are tracked by sensors in a LED lighting grid. This results in hard data about furniture preferences, how teachers are moving around the classroom and more. “We can track people to see if there are patterns and tie that to a lot of different things to see what it is about the learning style of people that drives certain decisions regarding furniture or technology or moveable wall pieces,” Ranney says. “We can also draw connections between a person and a piece of furniture. It’s about understanding human behavior and the impact of spaces like this to increase engagement, which increases information retention and, in turn, increases learning.” As an education specialist at ESC Region 12, Judy York is accustomed to providing research-based professional development for educators in the region’s 12-county area. It is part of the standard criteria for any session. Now, due to the public-private partnership at Baylor, she can use LEx Labs research to support changes in instruction. “Everything we do is research-based, but this is an opportunity for ESC Region 12 to use our own research,” York says. “I think we have a chance to carry out valid research that will drive the future of K-12 education. This is an opportunity to get real data that supports or doesn’t support the way we use our teaching environment.” As the main coordinator at LEx Labs, York sees a difference in the way she teaches sessions with educators, thanks to the flexibility of the lab’s seating. “I now find myself considering the types of seating, desk arrangement and even wall configuration as I plan and prepare instruction for professional development,” York says. “It’s really opened up my thinking as to how the physical space can support and even increase engagement.” ESC Region 12 uses the LEx Labs space for professional development offerings, as well as for driving student interest in STEM fields. “We impact student achievement by impacting teacher effectiveness,” Maze says. “What we’ve done here is create an opportunity for teachers to receive training in a world-class teaching and learning facility. Teachers are able to come here and perfect their art and craft, and students can come and be a part of that learning and training as well.” Matt Rogers, a science teacher in Region 12, has attended several sessions at LEx Labs. He says he has noticed a difference in the way he has been able to learn in the new space.

Five tips for starting a public/private collaboration The sources interviewed for this article offer the following advice:

Be open to the serendipity of collaboration.

Have conversations and share the problems you are trying to solve. A lot of great partnerships start over a cup of coffee or from asking the right people the right questions.

Find commonality of purpose.

Great things can occur when people work on a common goal, even when you have different backgrounds. Remember that you started the partnership for a reason, and your long-term goals are worth the current difficulties.

Allow a lot of time to get the ball rolling.

Public and private organizations move at vastly different paces. Build in time at the beginning of new collaborations for each partner’s business processes. Patience is the key to reaching the goal for your organization, even if that means seemingly unnecessary paperwork.

Be ready to learn.

Spend time letting each partner give the background of where they are coming from. It will pay off in the long run to understand your partner’s motivations and history.

Keep the lines of communication open. Just keep talking until everyone is on the same page. Communication barriers, such as terminology and industry jargon, can muddy the waters at meetings. Sometimes the best policy is to have partners repeat back what they think you’re saying and clarify as needed.

“Like many of my students, I have trouble sitting still during longer periods of instruction,” Rogers says. “With the stations set up at the labs, we’ve gone from a quick instruction time to hands-on work and collaboration and then back together again to discuss our findings. The more movement and interaction with others in the class, the better engaged I stay. I think that will translate to students too.” For more information on the LEx Labs collaboration, visit www.esc12.net/lexlabs. For more on the BRIC, go to www.baylor.edu/bric. ◄ SARAH-JANE MENEFEE is a digital media and publications specialist at ESC Region 12. Texas School Business NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

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