## Listen and read

## Comparing classrooms

Before you watch this video, think about your own classroom. How is it arranged? Do you leave the door open or closed when you teach? Is there a common working area between classrooms? How does that affect your teaching? Make a few notes.

Watch this TEDx talk about a kindergarten in Japan. It looks very different from most kindergartens.

What do you see? What is different? What is similar? What decisions does the architect talk about?

Note: the pedagogical vision behind how children learn is central to the architecture of the school building. Pay extra attention to the pedagogical vision of the director and how the architect includes that in the design.

Think about why the school looked like it did.

- Why is it round?
- Why are children allowed on the roof?
- Why are there no walls?

Would you like to teach at this school? Why or why not?

## Processing the information What did you see? How is this school different from your own? How is it similar? Make a Venn Diagram with your findings. Label one circle "Japanese kindergarten" and the other one "a kindergarten I have seen". Make notes. Look at your Venn Diagram. How would you talk about your findings?

## Research the topic

Look up other information about this topic. You may choose between the online search or use information from your own school.

Online search:

- Step 1: Look for another article or video about classrooms and pedagogical visions. Handy search terms might be “classroom design” and “pedagogical vision”. Look for something that will give you more information about how these two topics are connected.
- Step 2: Read the article and make notes. What do you notice? What new things did you learn? Make notes.

From your own school: (alternative assignment)

- Step 1: Look up the pedagogical vision of your school. Think about how that is visible in the classroom setups in your school.
- Step 2: Read the vision and make notes. How do you think this vision should look, in a classroom? How does it compare with your own classroom? Make notes.