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Instructional Technology Specialist

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Research tells us that the space
in which our students learn has
a significant influence on their
engagement in class and their
attitude about learning. The learning
environment can tell you a lot about
what a teacher values and what they
believe about their students and
learning. If you walk into a traditional
classroom that is organized in neat
rows facing the front board, the space
sends the message that students
should sit quietly and listen to the
teacher who has all the knowledge
and will tell it to the students. If you
walk into a classroom where the
desks are in a circle or in groups, it
signals to the students that they will
be engaging and collaborating with
each other. They will be discovering
the knowledge and working together
to master the skills.
It was my privilege to have one of
the first two Innovate the Space
classrooms at Holy Child last year and
to see the impact that this new space
had on my classroom environment,
teaching practices, and student
learning. The flexibility and mobility
of the space allows us to transition
our learning space to meet the needs
of the learning activities at hand. For
example, if students are working in
small groups, the room can easily be
arranged into smaller groups; if my
advisory group is having a discussion,
we can put the desks in a circle to
help facilitate conversation; and if
students are taking an assessment,
they can be in rows with the privacy
boards. The classroom space should
reflect the purpose of the learning.
The novelty of changing the space
keeps students engaged throughout
class and the year. The whiteboards
have been vital to student
engagement and collaboration in my
classroom. Students love working on
these personalized whiteboards to
practice skills, collaborate with their
classmates, and share their ideas with
the class. Having a comfortable space
that allows students to move and be
active also supports engagement
and focus for students. The openness
and mobility of the space allows me
to engage more with my students,
circulate, and support students
individually if needed.
Our Innovate the Space initiative
comes at a great time here at Holy
Child because it is coming alongside
the rollout of our 1-1 Surface Program
where this year every 6th, 7th,
and 9th grade student received a
Microsoft Surface to support more
effective technology integration in
the classroom and technology use
at home. Its an exciting time to be
in the field of education because
technology is changing the way that
students learn and teachers teach,
transforming the learning experience
of all students. Our 1-1 Surface
Program will help facilitate a more
seamless use of technology because
all members of the community will be
on the same device. Im very excited
about the possibilities of the 1-1
program and can already see in my
own classroom and the classrooms
of my colleagues how technology
is enhancing many of their teaching
practices. Technology allows
teachers to meet the various needs
of students through multimedia,
online collaboration, and immediate
feedback tools, just to name a few.
If technology is drastically impacting
the learning experience for students
in the classroom and outside the
classroom, then the physically
learning space needs to be one of
flexibility and mobility to best match
the learning activities of students.
From the generosity of members
of the Holy Child community, there
are now ten innovative classrooms
that have transformed the learning
spaces around campus. Fellow colleagues worked diligently with Assistant Head of School Mary Hopkins
to individually design spaces based on the student learning needs, content area, teaching pedagogy, and
grade level. All spaces were designed with intention and purpose to best serve the students in that class.
See the short films
For example, the World Language department wanted a space that facilitated face-to-face conversation
so students could practice and become skilled communicators in another language. Kristin Roberts, Social The Introduction
Studies Department Chair, designed for a space where students and their materials (device, books, etc) could
move with them to better facilitate ease of transition from independent work, to collaborative activities, to
discussions. In the Science department, Kelly Tomon, Department Chair, designed for a space that could
easily transition between classroom instruction and a space for labs and experiments.

As Holy Child is transforming its classroom spaces, we are also exploring and planning for transformation of
a variety of spaces around campus so that our space reflects our Holy Child values. A few Holy Child faculty
and administrators attended a workshop at Harvard School of Education and came back with great ideas to
transform how we are using our space here on campus. Im excited to see what is to come at Holy Child and
how it furthers the values of Cornelia Connelly and our mission at Holy Child.

Reconfiguring the classroom to each
days lesson is fast and simple. When
students had a harkness discussion
on David and Goliath, I was able to
quickly make a circle of desks. Similarly,
when students worked in groups to
create presentations on Afghanistan in
preparation to reading The Kite Runner, I
could assign a few groups to tables and a
few groups to a circle of desks.
Christine M. Jelen, English Teacher
On the first day of class, students were
excited by the fresh look. However, it is
more than just the novelty of change that
has increased their level of engagement.
The furniture and its configuration
are conducive to interpersonal
communication and collaboration. Today,
my Spanish 3 students sat in their home
groups and got right to work on their
warm-up activity, which was to find the
best roommate for a university student
based on her profile and the profiles of
other students.
I have enjoyed teaching my sophomores
in the innovative classrooms. Having two
different types of seating available (either
buoy at a table or a more traditional
desk) allows students to consider what is
their BEST learning environment. Do I like
to spread my things out on a table? Do I
need to keep my core engaged to listen
better by sitting on the buoy? Or do I like
a chair with a back to lean into?
What parents should really know about
these classrooms is that their daughters
abilities to work more collaboratively
and in an interactive environment can
happen much more effectively. Our world
is demanding more collaboration and
interaction from us, yet, the traditional
school furniture is not as conducive to
building those skills; our new, innovative
furniture is though, and Im already seeing
the benefits in my classroom after just a
month of use.
Kristin H. Roberts, Upper School Social
Studies Department Chair and Teacher
Group work is so much simpler. Students
can now roll to where their partner
is and have their own space. For sixth
graders, this also allows movement -
which is so important for wiggly eleven Sights and Sounds
year olds!
Having the ability to reconfigure my
classroom on a moments notice (and
without a backache the next day) means
I can have a book club for language
arts, individual work and notes for math,
group work in social studies, and a lab in
science, all in the same day - and without
losing a ton of class time to rearrange!
Each type of lesson requires different
focus for the students, and having their
desks and other furniture enhance the
lessons is amazing!
Karen Craig, Sixth Grade Teacher
Behind the Scenes

Students use digital materials and

complete activities online, as well as
engage in face-to-face activities. Because
there is ongoing formative assessments,
I can better address student needs and
differentiate instruction. Students say they
like the instant feedback they receive with
online activities and can pace themselves.
During class, I can circulate around
the room more easily to give students
feedback.

Mary Switzer Haardt

Upper School World Languages Chair
and Spanish Teacher