corner of the room

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

CHARLES FINLAY

Class room design

Corner space

TV and screen placement

October 15, 1997

In the over all classroom design the room (the box) must be smoothed. By building softer edges the room becomes more in harmony with the human shape and the preferred shapes for human habitation. In the box shape of most classrooms the corners take on irrelevance. That is, the corner serves as a wall or boundary to hold in the inner room. This suggests walls against thinking outside the wall of the subjects in the box. By smoothing the corners the feeling of free thinking is increased.

It has been shown through extensive research and experimentation by the 3M Corporation that the most effective placement of screens for overheads are in the corner of the room. The least effective place is in the center front of the room. By placing a screen for over heads and projection TV and computer graphics in the corner it makes use of the room shape and maximizes the learning environment.

Plants in the corner with TV is a way of commingling two symbiotic environmental worlds. The TV becomes part of the symbiosis by virtue of the UV waves that will wash the plants. This of course assumes that the TV will be used for educational use. Perhaps the beautifying of the TV area will call attention to the fact that this most powerful learning tools waiting in the garden to be used.

The plants will require some looking after, which opens opportunities for students to take time to care for the plants. Each plant should have a job aid that will tell a learner what the plant is, and some of the plants characteristics. The plants will become part of the classroom community even if students are only there for one or two hours a week. The plants serve an important service, as cleaning the air and putting 02 and plant fragrances, as well as carbon based compounds into the room. It is known that compounds of this nature will increase the healthful benefits and increases the potential for learning by physically stimulating the learner.

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