On a positive note: Flexible Learning Spaces in Round Rock Elementary School

I have been noticing that most of the blog post, including my own, are discussing negative events that are going on in this country and the world. I know many of us are struggling with decisions regarding this election, environment, and all the death occurring in the world. Although, this negative information is important and essential to know about in order to be an informed member of society, it is still a downer. Though, I wanted to take a step back from the negative and bring something positive to the blog.

In Round Rock, at Canyon Creek Elementary, the school is adjusting their classroom environments to become a "flexible learning environment." This means that instead of elementary age children sitting behind desk and being silent, the children get to pick where in the room they choose to do their work. There are also different furniture for the children to use like standing desk, comfortable chairs, and ottomans. As stated by teacher Nancy Desjardins, who interviewed with Austin American Statesman, this creates an environment that gives children a sense of comfort, like being in their own living room. She also says that the students are more happy, interested, and comfortable than they have been in the past.

I personally feel this is an awesome development in our school systems! Being a FCD major, I know how sitting behind a desk limits a child's creativity and development. Children are not meant to be sitting at a desk for 8 hours and quietly working on worksheets; they should be moving around, and expanding their minds. Being able to move around and collaborate with fellow students allows children to engage their higher level thinking skills, creativity, and maintain a sense of ease. This flexible learning environment gives children control, freedom, and a positive setting to learn. I believe this is an excellent step forward for our education system, and I hope that many more schools will develop a similar classroom environment for their students.

Hopefully, this post gave you all hope that even though there are terrible things going on in our country and the world, there is still progress being made, no matter how small. Even if it is just one school making a change, that one school has hundreds of students. This means hundreds of lives are being positively impacted because of this new learning environment. Even though it is a little step forward, it is a step into a positive direction.