{"id":275699,"date":"2016-09-12T10:30:35","date_gmt":"2016-09-12T14:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/?p=275699"},"modified":"2023-01-14T03:49:30","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T08:49:30","slug":"classroom-makeover-transforms-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/research\/articles\/topics\/learning\/classroom-makeover-transforms-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Classroom Makeover Transforms Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Browse resources, sign up for updates and learn more about Steelcase Education’s Active Learning Center Grant.Introduction<\/h3>\n

One Year Later: Classroom Makeover Transforms Learning<\/h3>\n

\u201cWhen I first brought my class in here, they said, \u2018Mr. Yeh, we want to be here everyday. We love this place!\u2019\u201d Elbert Yeh, Forest Hills Northern High School science teacher and department chair, relayed after a classroom makeover for the school\u2019s new STEM Academy.<\/p>\n

When Yeh\u2019s school in Grand Rapids, Michigan launched its inaugural STEM Academy focused on science, technology, engineering and math, teachers were tasked with creating a new kind of classroom to generate an engaging learning experience. STEM students are focused on learning how to solve problems and the classroom itself needed to support students and teachers in this effort.<\/p>\n

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ACTIVE LEARNING CENTER GRANT<\/h3>\n

Browse resources, sign up for updates and learn more about Steelcase Education’s Active Learning Center Grant.<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Traditional classrooms are geared toward lecture mode and do not foster student participation. The goal for this new classroom was to transform an old computer lab into a space that promoted active learning through collaboration and student engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith active learning, students have to be engaged and more active in their learning. So that means getting up and moving around, that means talking to one another. Not just relying on the teacher to give them the information and provide them with all the answers,\u201d said Yeh.<\/p>\n

Before: Monotonous, Static<\/h3>\n

\"Forest<\/p>\n

To accomplish this lofty goal, the school applied for the Steelcase Active Learning Center Grant<\/a> to transform its classroom. After being awarded the grant, the transformation began. The soon-to-be STEM space went from stationary to flexible. It started as a room filled with rows of uneven brown desks butted up against each other. Each desk included the same computer, same monitor and same stationary black chair. The room itself was not inspiring or agile. It limited the kinds of interactions students could have with each other and the instructor.<\/p>\n

After: Vibrant, Flexible<\/h3>\n

\"Forest<\/p>\n

The new classroom took shape at the start of the 2015-2016 school year. It included movable, versatile desks <\/a> on castors which are easy to reconfigure quickly. The desks also came with embedded storage to make sure students always have what they need to perform at their best. Colorful chairs<\/a> placed throughout the room were also on wheels, making them easy to move around at a moment\u2019s notice and include storage underneath to cleanly stowaway backpacks or other materials.<\/p>\n

This classroom gave us that flexibility of moving quickly from lecture space to discussion space.<\/p>Elbert YehForest Hills Northern High School science teacher and department chair<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThis classroom gave us that flexibility of moving quickly from lecture space to discussion space,\u201d said Yeh. \u201cBut, also with the size of these tables, we have a lot of workspace. So, students are not just constrained to uneven desks when they put them together. But, this space is just designed for working in groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forest Hills Northern principal Jon Gregory believes active learning<\/a> best prepares his students for the real world.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny job they go into, they are going to have to interact with others to solve problems. So, this gives them the chance to do that at the high school level,\u201d said Gregory.<\/p>\n

Transforming More than Space<\/h3>\n

\"Forest<\/p>\n

Now, one year later, Forest Hills Northern teachers and students have seen much more than the STEM Academy classroom transform.<\/p>\n