21 CENTURY CLASSROOM by Lidwina Ndereba

The Silent Curriculum

By Lidwina Ndereba

th 19

Century Classroom

This is a classroom from over 150years ago and beside it is a classroom of today. In more than a century nothing has changed.

Desks are still arranged in rows like a factory, little to no color in fear of children getting distracted. Fluorescent lighting still causing eye strain and sadly even with the introduction of the new curriculum nothing seems to change. How do you constantly update a software without the upgrading the hardware?

Welcome to the 21st Century

Our phones are wireless, cooking is fireless, cars are keyless, tyres are tubeless, youths are jobless, wives are fearless, babies are fatherless, relationships are meaningless.

Literally everything is becoming less.

An iPhone is not new until new features are upgraded to the hardware.

In the era of technology why is a millennial brain still taught in an 18 th century setup?

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create it. ~ALBERT EINSTEIN~

Psychology of a classroom A student spends approximately 8-10 hours a day in a classroom, 8-9 months a year which is ¾ of their life by the time they get to university.

To a young mind space does affect a child’s • Physical – The bodily growth and maturity of kids interacting with surrounding.

• Cognitive – Perceptual response of kids to a space and its feature that improves a kids reasoning , concept memory and language. Visual response to color, art and lighting .Audio and tactical ; basically tangible features.

• Social functioning – Transition of kids with peers & adults that helps with the EQ. Constantly changing a space triggers a child’s mental construct that architecture is a structure and it develops.

Children shape their environment and the environment shapes them.

A classroom setup, use of daylight ,ventilation, color does affect the brain that in turn affects performance of a kid that being the silent curriculum.

According to Howard Gardner there are different types of intelligences that learn differently; ❖ Visual/spacial learners : Visual objects and spacial dimensions e.g Architects and sailors ❖ Bodily/Kinesthetic : Use body effectively ;keen to body awereness e.g dancers and surgeons ❖ Musical/Rhythmic : Study with music backgrounds or through rhythm and sound. E.g Musicians, Djs , Rappers. ❖ Linguistic : Highly developed auditory skills and often think in words e.g Writters, lawyers and poets. ❖ Mathematical /Logical : Think in numbers, abstract pattern recognition. ❖ Intrapersonal : Independent readers,shy and are in tune with inner feelings. ❖ Interpersonal : Study in groups.

st 21

Century classroom

I attempt to incorporate all types learners in the already existing classroom according to the left brain right brain psychology.

Design creates culture, culture shapes value and value determines the future.

IDEAL MODEL An Ideal model is a well thought of space psychologically, aesthetically and functionally Important aspects to consider: ❖ Green space in a design model to help calm the brain ❖ Large openable windows preferably on north orientation of a classroom to avoid direct sun glare but sufficient supply of oxygen ❖ Sufficient natural lighting as it is free and doesn’t cause eye strain also psychologically making a room free, open, large as it translates to how the brain will feel and respond to a space ❖ Acoustics; one of the most under looked aspect of design that help with noise control ❖ The color of walls should change, from the boring non-flattering cream wash that is depressing and don’t trigger the brain in any way to more vibrant color that influence our moods hence our attitude.

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn ~ Alvin Toffler ~