Floorplanner is an online tech tool that allows you to create any type of room from a bedroom, kitchen, party room, to a school. You can create many different layouts and see how different organizations of physical space would look. There is a 3D option that allows you to see it in a more real-life setting and see how the different furniture pieces work together. To create my 4th grade classroom layout, I wanted a setting that encouraged interaction between students and allowed for some flexible seating as well. I set up the desks in a "U" shape with a carpet in the middle. On the wall that all the students can see while sitting at the desks in an interactive white board. I put the carpet in between the desks because the students could have the chance to sit on that carpet or work at their desks, depending on the activity we were doing in class. Three of the corners of the room are "reading corners" but I would use them for more than just reading. I put this in because many students will be more comfortable sitting in a beanbag or laying on a carpet during independent reading or working time than sitting in a desk they have been in for hours. When the students would work on worksheets or reading silently to themselves, I would allow them to have a choice of where they can sit. For group projects, students would also have the option of sitting somewhere else besides the desks. I put the teacher's desk in the back corner so the teacher would be able to see students no matter where they are sitting. There is open space around the door so there would not be safety hazards when entering the room. This set up of desks is also friendly to wheelchairs or crutches because there are no rows to weave in and out of. The room is rather uncluttered which also makes it safer and easier to maneuver around. There are enough flexible seating options that all students should have space to choose where they want to sit.
This tech tool ties to domain 2E: organizing physical space. It allows teachers to create multiple set-ups of a classroom and compare and contrast pros and cons of each. The teacher can easily move furniture around on floorplanner easily to see how he/she wants to rearrange the room without the hassle of rearranging furniture in real life. Organizing physical space is a critical component of classroom management because if the space is not organized, it could be a potential safety hazard and unwelcoming to all students. Giving them the option of flexible seating can make them feel more comfortable and excited about independent work time.
This tool definitely supports pedagogy through allowing teachers to easily organize their classroom without wasting time in the real-life classroom going through options that will not work. This takes away that pain and makes it easy to see different layouts. Floorplanner makes it easy to see how flexible seating works, and flexible seating is related to an educational psychology topic; DeCharms motivation theory. Students are more motivated when they are given choices of how they want to learn or participate in classroom activities. Flexible seating gives them control over their comfort in that classroom and a sense of power because of the choice. They will be more motivated to do their independent work since the teacher is respecting them and giving them the choice of where to sit. I will definitely use floorplanner in my future classroom. I like how user-friendly it is and how easy it is to see different layouts. I tried a few different set-ups of the desks until I settled on the "U" shape, and it was hassle free because of this online tech tool. It would also be something that I would present to my students and allow them to make their own layout for how they want the classroom to look and choose one or different aspects of multiple to incorporate in the classroom. That way students are getting a say in the set-up of the room and with where they want to sit for independent work.
The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2017, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/danielson_rubric_32.pdf