I've been involved in a new building and an old building renovation
(currently working on that one). We have a number of labs, some of
which are also used as classrooms. Whenever we build/renovate, we are
concerned with a couple of things:
- to put in the infrastructure that will support as much of what may
come down the pike as possible. Even if the teacher doesn't want the
"device" yet, we put the wiring or conduit in so we can add something
later without taking the room apart.
- to survey all of the constituents to try to get the info on what they
may want before we design/build.
- to try to anticipate how ELSE the room might be used (faculty
training, open of school orientations, board meetings, etc.)to get the
most value out of every dollar.
- to build replacement cost of each item into the building budget.
As for the room design, we like a setup with the computers flanking the
outside walls because we typically teach at oval tables of 14 students
and a teacher. With the machines around the room, the teacher can then
easily scan and see the computer screens and what the kids are doing on
them. However, we did find that long rows don't make the best layout
for collaborative work groups. We equip our labs with (Windows)
workstations because our teachers have commented that setting up laptops
takes too much class time and that they are unreliable. Of course, that
was from the days before we had wireless, so it may be different now, as
more and more, we're putting wireless hotspots around campus. We try to
keep the build of every lab the same (the software build) so students
can use any sw anywhere they are working. So most labs also have the
ability to record audio. We're not really there on the video side yet,
except for offering whatever editing sw comes with the OS of the
computer itself, currently MS Moviemaker.
Regarding what goes in the room: I definitely support the rolling
swivel chairs. First, because the kids love them, but really because
they can move very quickly and quietly from the computers to the table
in the center of the room and back. We have a projector that, in one
location, hangs from the ceiling. In another room it's on a cart, and
that is problematic because we can't use the front of the table and
someone's view is obscured. In a third room, we have a large
wall-mounted display. The display is great for movies (very good
quality picture) but it is not large enough to really look at a full
page of text for a peer editing session, so for that reason, I'm hoping
future designs go for the projector instead of the flat panel. Our
newest rooms also have a VCR/DVD player combo, a control system of some
kind to operate as the remotes for everything in the room, a cable tv
box (in certain disciplines) and a document camera (these are brand new
to our school but getting good reviews). We are looking at interactive
whiteboards, but are not sure if they mesh well enough with our teaching
style to warrant the added expense and eventual replacement costs. =20
Finally, about the design itself: Aesthetics are very important to
certain teachers and so we have worked with architects and a/v designers
to try not to have the "big ugly metal things" showing in the room if we
can avoid it. Our designers have done some innovative casework that has
the a/v stuff built into cabinetry. It is even more important to the
renovation we're currently planning of an old, architecturally
significant campus building where many teachers are not techno-fans and
don't want their rooms touch at all. Although much of the design is
still on the table for the redesign of this building, currently it seems
like we'll be setting up the room to accommodate a mobile device
(probably a TabletPC), projection, and DVD viewing at a minimum.
I hope this is helpful. Best, Vi
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Bancks, Nicholas
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:39 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: renovation feedback
Hello,
I'm seeking information, anecdotes, feedback, etc from those of you who
have been a part of a major renovation within the last ten years. More
specifically those of you who exist/work in library and technology (i.e.
computer labs) spaces, what were your guiding principles in space design
or providing input towards design, what concerns did you have, what
obstacles or problems did you encounter, what do you wish you could have
done differently now after the renovations are finished...
=20
Feel free to reply to my email address (nbancks@spa.edu) rather replying
to the entire listserv.
=20
Thanks so much for any feedback!
=20
Nicholas Bancks
Librarian
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave. Saint Paul, MN 55105
nbancks@spa.edu
Library phone: 651 696 1304
School website: www.spa.edu
<http://summit.spa.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=3Dhttp://www.spa.edu/>=20
=20
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