Palmer Trinity School

6 W W W. PA L M E R T R I N I T Y. O R G A call for ideas began in a school-wide chapel at the start of the 2015- 2016 academic year. Students, faculty, and staff were invited to present ideas for a new, prototypical learning environment unique to Palmer Trinity School. us began a collaborative design initiative engaging the Palmer Trinity School community throughout the academic year. e culmination of the initiative would result in three of these prototypical learning environments being built in the summer of 2016. How do you make a space that goes beyond the 21 st century classroom and becomes unique to Palmer Trinity School? e charge of incorporating our mission and philosophy as a school is critical to the success of designing such a space. e physical manifestations of Virtue, Humanity, and Spirit alongside inclusivity, global awareness, honor, and social responsibility must be present. Are these spaces classrooms? e word 'classroom' immediately brings to mind expectations born from personal experience. Suggested new names from our community included, "Learning Environment," "Arena," "Center," "Lab," "Immersion Space," and "Window." In order to understand how we can improve our community's classrooms, we asked students to share what they wanted and needed from a classroom space. In regard to the interiors of the new spaces, students asked for comfortable chairs, individual desks, flexibility, collaboration, technology, temperature controls, natural light, solar power, beanbags and smoothie machines. We also reached out to our faculty members. Faculty feedback for the interior of the space included, collaboration, flexibility, more books, technology, more whiteboard space, storage, temperature controls, natural light, wellness and connectivity to the world. Design themes emerged from the collective feedback, focusing on flexibility, collaboration, technology, connectivity, resources, natural light, and comfort. ese themes became the foundation for e Palmer Trinity Classroom. Working closely with the Academic Team, the PTS Buildings and Grounds Committee identified three classrooms for renovation in the summer of 2016. One classroom in each of the main academic buildings across different disciplines was selected. Dr. Brian Mealey's room, 313, in the Math and Science Building was the first room selected. e design goal of this room was to bring life from outside into the learning space. To promote cooperative work between humans and animals, different physical environments were designed within the room, including a triage center to care for sick and injured animals. e next room selected was Andrew Godley's room, 212, in the Humanities Building. e goal of this room's design was to bring the past into the present. e room promotes discussion and balances the use of technology with traditional resources, with books lining one wall of the room and a map of the world extending across another. Lastly, Micah Whitley's room, 119, in the Middle School Building, received a stunning makeover. e theme of the room centered on exploring "the power of E" (explore, expose, explain, experience, equip, experiment, engage, educate, and empower). Flexible node seating replaced traditional student seats, and the teacher's desk was removed. Additionally, a pillow garden and a creation station were added to the interior. Mr. Whitley says of his new classroom, "e design of the room allows for smoother transitions between the various learning activities that happen during one class period. Rolling chairs permit quick changes in seating formations, and their storage compartments assist in keeping the floor clear. We begin most classes with individual reflection, and chairs are scattered throughout the room with everyone facing different directions. In just ten seconds, we form a tight circle in which everyone has an equal place and voice for sharing thoughts. We then move into team activities, so students will form small pods and work the class away. Furthermore, the mobile teaching station partnered with mobile computer technology helps me to meet students where they are, sometimes individually or in their teams. e small group table is used to with small groups of students to meet a specific need that is harder to be fine in a whole-class setting." e newly designed classrooms are transforming the learning environment while positively impacting the students and teachers. We hope to continue to design more of these classrooms in the future. IN THE 1940S, ITALIAN EDUCATOR LORIS MALAGUZZI DEVELOPED THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH – A STYLE OF EDUCATION IN WHICH STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO INITIATE SELF-GUIDED EXPLORATIONS OF BOTH THEIR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR IMMEDIATE SOCIAL COMMUNITY. MALAGUZZI SAID, "THERE ARE THREE TEACHERS OF CHILDREN: ADULTS, OTHER CHILDREN, AND THEIR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT," THE LATTER OF WHICH HE REFERRED TO AS THE THIRD TEACHER. IN THE SUMMER OF 2016, PALMER TRINITY SCHOOL REALIZED ITS VISION OF THE THIRD TEACHER IN CREATING THE PALMER TRINITY CLASSROOM. BY PAU L Z A ME K , A S S OCI AT E HE A D OF S CHO OL OPE R ATIONS THE PALMER TRINITY CLASSROOM

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