How the
BY JOLENE LEVIN
Agile Classroom
Impacts Student Engagement and Outcomes
T
eachers are increasingly
challenged to engage stu-
dents. Traditional class-
rooms with rows of desks and
chalkboards in the front of the
room aren’t conducive to meet-
ing students’ needs, particularly
in our fast-paced society, where
information, visuals and messages
compete for their attention. The
classroom of the past — too often
today’s classroom — is a motion-
less venue that lacks inspiration
and does not deliver the essentials
for building an enthusiasm for
learning.
A recent study conducted by MDR,
a division of Dun & Bradstreet, and the
Education Market Association, found
that approximately 94% of the more
than 1,600 teachers polled agreed that
the design of a learning space impacts
students’ success. The study highlight-
ed the importance of flexibility and col-
laboration, technology integration and
intentional design in modern classroom
spaces.
Today’s Challenging Educational
Environment
In 2010, we visited our first school.
Listening to the school’s principal,
teaching staff and students, we un-
earthed their challenges and needs.
Their frustrations centered on the fact
that most learning spaces aren’t cus-
tomizable and do not accommodate a
variety of learning styles. They do not
address individual student needs and
cannot adapt to varied subjects and
teaching styles. The educators and
administrators we’ve spoken with stress
that the classroom needs to be relevant
and vital, in keeping with ever-evolving
technologies and what’s required to
capture students’ attention.
We see the challenge surrounding
engagement increasing exponentially
over time. An assistant principal put it
this way: “It doesn’t matter what qual-
ity of curriculum you deliver; if they’re
not engaged in the practices that you’re
delivering, it counts for nothing.” This
is why we’ve developed an advanced
and innovative version of the “agile
classroom,” a learning environment
designed to meet a complex variety of
student, teacher and district needs.
essentials | www.edmarket.org 21