The Teaching Playground 
Connect. Create. Collaborate

Learning spaces are the cornerstones of education and teaching. They are the surrounding factors and considerations that impact on successful learning and the dependency of student needs. This Future Learning Space in particular focuses on the education of peace, and a connection to the collective group and transitory nature of the present through the liminal.

 

‘Liminal’ is a transitional term, outlining the bridge between unawareness and understanding: a process of conscious awareness. Group learning recognises a need for not only collaboration, but support in peers. This, coupled with the element of peace education led me to name this ‘The Conscious Process,’ learning space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want this space to reflect the development of learning, recognising the past, present, and future to gain a holistic sense of education. The students themselves are the paramount reason for this space, and the context they are in defines the approach to learning. The Conscious Process space allows students to engage in both individual and group awareness of a present situation while also reflecting the transitional nature of the liminal, culminating a sense of hope and change.

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Inclusions within the Space:

·      A Safe and secure physical environment

·      Catering for both intellectual and emotional needs

·      An equal focus on the students’ academic and emotional wellbeing

·      Opportunities to develop a community of practice

·      A mentality of hope and belief

·      Support from everyone involved

·      Inclusion for all

·      Striving towards peace

 

The priority of the Conscious Process space will be bi-focal: recognising the emotional support necessary for students to overcome the trauma of past and present hardships, while prominently focusing on the academic learning whereby not neglecting content based knowledge no matter the circumstance. In the context of the space, for students to be fully attentive and ready to learn they must first feel safe in the environment, fully supported in their endeavours, and be underpinned by the ideals of peace and hope. This space will initially focus on the Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, outlining the liminality and collaborative aspects, as well as the underpinning of peace and hope.

 

A culmination of the past experiences, present situation, and future hopes of these students will allow for a holistic approach to learning. This future learning space therefore will address and cater for the inevitable liminal space that these children are in, while using the group learning space to create a community of practice; filled with knowledge, creativity, support, and hope.

 

Furthering this will be a framework of learning which will reflect the past experiences, present situation, and future goals of students’. With so many fractured educations and distorted teaching of different curriculums, students will come to this learning space impacted by certain circumstance, both academically and emotionally. It is our job as contemporary educators to take into consideration these needs, cater for them, and then teach so that the students may feel like it didn't hinder them at all. Only then will they be able to recognise an education centred not from war, but from peace.