Another school closure today. That’s the second this week, and schools weren’t closed on Monday, when we had the worst driving conditions of the year. Here it’s just a regular work day, with a telephone interview to do and a discussion with a client scheduled. For me, information technologies reduce my dependence on industrial technologies.
Schools are closed today because of the flooded, and now icy, streets with more freezing rain in the forecast. Our school system is more dependent on the state of the roads and whether buses can ship loads of students back and forth than any other factor. The schools, like many businesses, take it for granted that people have to be placed in a central classroom or office in order to get the job done. That’s an outdated model in my opinion.
The Provincial government is currently advertising for a “future school infrastructure needs analyst”.
Duties: Reporting to the Director of Educational Facilities and Pupil Transportation, the successful candidate will study norms and standards currently used in the construction and development of school infrastructures and evaluate facilities built over the past few years in order to determine whether they meet needs and expectations; consult with educational services to determine whether space allocation standards meet the needs of the instructional program and support services to education; consult with education stakeholders and other provincial jurisdictions; and study new standards and trends in the field of construction related to energy efficiency, environmental protection, new technologies, accessibility, and security.
I wonder if the Department will question the underlying assumptions of our industrial school system, such as:
- Is there an optimal (more human) school size? [maybe 150 people]
- What is the environmental cost of large, factory-style schools?
- What effect does more than an hour per day of being bused have on learning readiness?
- What role can information technologies have in creating more individualized learning environments and connecting with learners and specialists around the world?
- Add your own question …
What about the exposure to oil prices with the bussing model and how the schools are heated?
I tried to comment yesterday but my thoughts were too muddled
How does building design affect learning? Can better designs improve learning?
What about old schools? Can they be repurposed the same way old industrial buildings have been? or Can we turn old industrial buildings into schools?
Robert Scoble has an interesting post about Microsofts new research facility
Obviously a multi billion dollar company can do what it wants but I think there are important lessons for any education facility.