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Davis Auth
Mr. Sabot
English II
21 January 2015
Project Proposal for Classroom Reboot
Students and teachers all over the community are saying that they are fed up with the
learning environments provided, but why change them. These classrooms have worked for
almost 60 years! Classrooms today need to have many purposes such as being able to transform,
be suitable for all learners, have a safe environment etc... A classroom with orange painted walls
and comfortable chairs that can move around will do just the job. This classroom is suitable for
any type of learning and this is the classroom that needs to be built in every school within the
United States!
Based off of what many of the students that attend school at Mountain Vista High School
have said, these students say that classrooms are built on the teachers needs (Padlet). The newest
and innovative classrooms are still built around the teachers needs; however they work better for
the students. The new innovative ones such as Design 39 Campus in San Diego, California are
designed to keep the students more engaged? How can students be more engaged in a classroom
fit to the teachers needs? First start off by painting the walls orange. According to a recent study
by hermanmiller.com, the color orange raises awareness to the eyes and makes it easier to
concentrate. Along with this, the color orange helps with memorization or being able to

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remember different things easier (Herman). Students have even noticed a 12 point increase to
their IQ score (Olsen). Even though its a small gesture, these minor details could be the reason a
student does well in school. A second notion thats easy to apply to a classroom would be a
comfier learning space. Studies by both educhase.edu and education.cu-portland.edu both did
experiments and came out with the same result. A comfortable learning environment helps
students in many ways. The first way, students are just plain comfortable with these new chairs
that are being brought in. This leads to them not being distracted easily. With students being
comfortable, they spend less and less time trying to become comfortable. Time not being wasted
results in students paying more attention to lectures or being focused on group work/independent
work. But as people know, not everybody is the same learner. This is why comfy bean bags are
being provided. Why bean bags instead of chairs? Bean bags are more comfortable and students
can still be able to focus in them. Different types of learners that can be seated in the beanbags
are independent, audio and visual learners (Learning). If they do choose to participate in group
work, accommodation will always be possible as this classroom is very versatile. After much
debate, a decision was finally made over what type of table should be used in this new innovative
classroom. The final decision and made and the verdict is that semi-circle tables with wheels will
be used in the new classroom. With some research while talking with the students at Mountain
Vista, 9 out of the 12 students said that they would like learning at a table with a different shape.
The reasoning behind it? The students said that a different shaped table would get them excited
to learn as they could get out of their normal routine for a little bit (Padlet). But why is the table
in a semi-circle shape and why does it have wheels? First off, in a semi-circle shape, everybody
is facing towards the same direction, the middle. This allows for easy collaboration while
focusing towards the same direction. But why have wheels on the bottom of the table? With

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wheels, the classroom can be easily transformed. As we already know, this is an English class.
Along with English classes, there are Socratic seminars. This entitles students to move into a
circular shape around the outside perimeter of the room. So with wheels on the bottom of tables,
students can move the table quite easily and get right into a Socratic seminar with ease.
The classroom aspect has only a couple more points of discussion. First off, the topic of
whiteboards. The whiteboards are going to stay the same. Why? Two whiteboards is enough
when we are talking about students trying to collaborate with ease. They are more than able to
write down their ideas when they have a lot of space on the whiteboard to do so. Now for the
most important step of all, the technology in the classroom. As talked about in the beginning of
this proposal, the same classroom has worked for 40+ years. But not now. Not in the times we
will in today. Technology is surging and being put in classrooms more than ever (Technology).
This classroom is designed to work for a solid 20 or more years because this classroom is one for
the books. First, start out by moving the projector to a different location, because I will explain
this later. Now, imagine the semi-circular desks with two Apple monitors on them. One of them
is being connected to the laptop at the head of the table. This allows students to do their research
for whatever assignment is being present. The second monitor? That one is going to be
connected to the teachers computer! This takes care of the projector and now all of the
PowerPoints and assignments that would be viewed with the projector are now right in front of a
student on the second monitor! So now if anyone presents a project or something similar, its
right in front of you! Instead of having the students in the back of the classroom struggle to see
the screen. The classroom has already been totally redesigned but now for the final piece,
organization. The teacher desk will be in the corner of the room with the slanted wall. This will
give him/her a good view of the whole classroom. The tables will go in column form. There will

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be two rows of semi-circle desks, both of them will be three desks deep. In the corner will be the
four bean bags. The extra-big filing cabinet will be left in the corner by the door. However the
shorter cabinets will go it the front corner of the classroom facing the windows. They will be
perfect for kinesthetic learners. This will give them a space to move around and be able to touch
and see what they are learning (Learning). This classroom is fully functional and fully equipped
for all different types of learners.
As always, people raise questions about if this might actually work or not. The first
question that was proposed was what about why put the bean bags in the back corner where the
teacher cant see them. Well, good question actually. If they truly are independent learners, they
dont need the help of a teacher, which puts them out of sight, making it a safe learning
environment for the student(s). Some critics might also ask how students would be able to share
group presentations. Another great question. But thats why theres a teacher computer thats
connected to the other students computers. The teacher will be able to monitor whats going on
in the classroom while a group is presenting. A last question people may ask is why change up
the whole classroom. Changing up a classroom environment is good for many reasons. First off,
it could make students excited to learn in a new type of environment. Secondly, its heading
towards a more technology based classroom like the ones being built all across the United States
(Technology). Last off, a classroom that benefits a whole range of learners is better for the
teacher. It gives the teacher less stress having to deal with the different learners (ASCD). It
also gives the students the ability to be themselves and be able to express themselves in more
ways than they could have before (ASCD).

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With the freedom that students are given with this new designed classroom, it becomes
more engaging and a better environment to work in. By making classrooms more engaging and
more collaborative its the type of push we need. Students need to learn all of the 21st Century
level skills that are required and this is the classroom that could change it all. The role model for
all future classrooms.
Works Cited