WIT 2003

Classroom infrastructure for passion curricula

Introduction

In this lesson, you will design a classroom layout to support your curriculum. You may wish to design a physical layout for your classroom, and/or you may wish to focus on how your web materials will be designed to echo the theme of your passion curriuclum.

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Why does the layout of the classroom matter?

The passion curriculum model calls for more student self-direction than a typical curriculum: your students will be working on complex projects at the same time. You need ways that they can understand what to do and manage their own work, with as little direct help from you as possible. One way to help them do that is to organize your classroom so that the objects in your classroom make it clear what is expected of students. In the Video Crew curriculum, for example, some students needed to shoot videos at the same time that others were editing theirs. So one corner of the classroom housed the editing computers, while another stored the cameras and the basic set pieces for shooting. Students could sign up for particular stations at particular times, and move to empty stations as needed.

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Consider the following examples

The image map for this curriculum is an example of a classroom infrastructure designed to serve the needs of the passion-wit section.

Notice that each design station has its own space with it's own different look and feel. If this were a physical classroom, different equipment and materials would be stored in each space.

See how Janet's classroom is laid out to support passion curricula

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Design your classroom infrastructure

Interview yourself about your design

Given your projects and certifications, what materials and equipment will your students need?

Are there categories of materials and equipment?

How do professionals in the domain of your theme lay out their workspace?

How do you want your classroom to operate during this unit?

Consider these factors, and then sketch out a design using text or images.

Plan your layout

What will you need to make your layout work? Where will you get these resources?

If you are using this lesson to design your web materials, you may want to use WIT's advanced web design page.

Find and/or create guidance materials

You may wish to find or create some text-based or visual materials that tell your students exactly what to do at each classroom station. Public websites about your curriculum theme may have instructions for certain activities that you can borrow or modify for your classroom.

Example guidance materials from Video Crew

Example guidance materials from Multimedia Studio

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