When thinking about 21st century transformation, the environment (whether physical or virtual) is a critical component for ensuring student success. A properly set environment can significantly promote successful personalized learning and collaboration for each individual student.
In this month’s edition of the Education Transformation Corner, we’ll provide you with research, tools, and resources to transform your learning environment for every type of learner. If you’re exploring this stage of the transformation framework, our goal is to help you create an Adaptive, Anywhere, Anytime Learning Community (ALC) and then take it a step further to create learning environments that represent a ‘community for education’.1
There is so much more to learning than accessing today’s infinite repository of information. Learning is about making connections – something that educators must support students with in both physical and virtual learning environments. To help shape what this environment looks like, consider the 7 E’s of ALCs: Engage, Experience, Empower, Effect, Emote, Evolve, and Efficacy. Applying the 7 E’s helps to ensure we can develop accurate roadmaps for smart learning spaces that are transformative across the community landscape.
Once you’ve determined what success looks like for your school system, it’s time to take action! To create a more innovative learning space, we must change and challenge our way of thinking. We need to think differently about teaching and learning to explore new ideas of environments that are increasingly mobile and cloud based. By employing technology to meet individual student’s learning needs, the experiences, services, and products can be aligned with any student’s learning preferences.3
From whole-of-school transformation to mobile and smart learning solutions, technology-enabled environments can cultivate innovative learning and more successful student outcomes. See the Executive Overview for Physical Learning Environments and download the full Whitepaper: Transforming Learning for Environments for Anywhere, Anytime Learning for All here.
Microsoft in Education Canada is committed to helping schools improve education and personalized learning through 21st century transformation. No matter what component of the framework you’re at, we have resources, tools, and partners to help streamline this transition. Want to learn more? Visit Microsoft.com/education/leaders. Don’t forget to check back next month in the Education Transformation Corner of the MindShare Learning Report to continue your transformation journey!
Save the Date:
Have you heard? The 2017 Bett show is quickly approaching! Together with our global network of educators, Bett and Microsoft are helping deliver inspiring content that shares next generation ideas and innovative, technology-led classroom practices in the UK and around the world. Want to join Microsoft Education Canada on January 25-28 in London, UK? Contact Jasonbre@microsoft.com.
Resources:
1. Olcott, D. J. (2014). (In-Press). Building digital bridges to the future: A primer for ministry leaders for school transformation via public & private educational partnerships. Microsoft.
2. Boyd, D. (2014). It’s complicated. Princeton, NJ: Yale University Press.
