MY IDEAL SCHOOL !!!

To change an institution is necessary to count that this change is going to need a long adaptation time, to base these changes to school resources and realize these changes also in teachers.

According to the videos a good school should develop the creativity and difference intelligences, so it does not believe in educational hierarchies which dictate that science and language are the subjects of the cleverest.

In one video, we also could see a very good kindergarten’s structure; in circle. With this shape children can run and play around the institution without problems and in an enough space. This space is also in a natural environment, which make feel children free and it is the perfect space to develop deferent skills. This type of structure does not have limits; it means we are not going to find difference between inside and outside. 

Although this Kindergarten would be my perfect school, I think that it is difficult to place it wherever. We would need a specific space with a good weather.

To change things, first we will have to investigate what types of things fail in education system or even in our school, to change it. When we have identified the fails, we can invent strategies to solution these problems. Teachers must be conscience about these innovations that we propose to change the problems, since most of the time they are who can put in practice these changes with children. One time gotten this, all the innovations are incorporated in the institution.

Generally, School should train teachers, give them help in class, being informed about the situation that is happening in the school all the time through meeting with teachers. With these meetings teachers have the possibility to make decisions and have a shared leadership. School also has to have a tolerance and teach different cultures, and focus the attention in students.

So due to these things and the videos, I created my ideal school. This school wants to incorporate all the things that I said before, and things that I am going to explain now.

This ideal school also tries to change the traditional system where the work is more individual, to start to work in a cooperative learning, because children and everyone learn more when work in groups, since everyone think in different ways and it can help to achieve a more complete work.

Another change with regard the traditional system is the incorporation of new subjects such as art, music, sport etc, and to give more importance to extracurricular subjects. With these changes we are trying to develop some intelligence that a traditional school is not interested in to develop, since they use to be focused in science intelligence.  

One school must develop values such as responsibility, integrity, trust, empathy and community. One idea to get these values is the student’s council, because they have to analyze some school’s problems and try to solve them. On this way teachers are not always who looking for these the solution to the problems and we give trust to children to do it.

In the methodology are incorporated cooperative learning, as I explained before; constructivism and social constructivism. This methodology is also more focused in practice and no all the time in theory. I do not want to leave apart the theory, so it is going to be incorporated in projects where children have to investigate and in teachers, who are a guide.

All school would have to be adapted to the world context, so at the same time that technology grew in the world; it has to be developed into class, giving to all our students the possibilities to advance with the world.

Another important thing in school is the trust. This trust does not only involve children and teachers, if not to parents too. Parents are a big part of children, so they must be incorporated and collaborate in their education. On other hand, teachers should know the context of each child and have a very good relationship with all of them; in equal conditions, because all children important the same.

In the schedule I want to program many activities out the school, because it is a way where children can relate what they are learning in the school with real situations of their life; with these I get fun and a better learning. Children also have less homework and more time to rest; no one work well when is tired, so I want to motive children to study and to get this, they need to rest and have time to play.

The classrooms are designed with big and no individual desk and with lightness installations; work with a natural light can motivate children to all the things they do at school.

Outside of the building, school is placed in a natural environment where children can develop themselves felling free and that the school is not just a place to study, if not a place where they go to learn and play. I can take advantage of this natural space to develop different activities out the building (for example: children can paint in the garden).

The installation provides enough spaces to develop all types of subjects in perfects conditions; laboratories, auditorium, art classes, music classes, library, etc.  So teachers and students are no limited due to materials or space.

+ DUMBLEDORE TEACHERS ARMY: Gonzalo, Maria Perez, Adalisa Licu y Gema Gutierrez)

This group was very original because they based the design of their work in harry potter’s films, which is the film in what they inspired their name.

They started their projects explaining the things that they consider a problem into education, such as, bullying, methodologies, heavy backpacks… They used films scenes to describe these problems. After this, they explained their ideal school, in which they wanted to use an ethic based in integrity, respect etc. According to them, a teacher would have to be responsible, flexible, concerned, compassionate, cooperative, creative and decided.

Their installation has specifics classes where develop cooperative learning, and working in groups, with lightness spaces and open. The last thing to explain about their school is that they introduced one activity specifically to children develop a motivation and the competitively; both factors are very important in children.

+ THE UNKNOWNS: Marina Caceres, Alfonso y Virginia.

This group created a new school in which the outside is painted in colours that are no typical in school and with sports installations.

Inside the school they want to keep the general subjects such as language, English, mathematics), but at the same time introduce new subject like art, music and theatre, because all these new subjects have the purpose of develop every type of intelligences.

The food care to be healthy, because is another way to educate children, it is a value to teach with others like; tolerance, no bullying, confidence, respect for teachers or sexism.

Parents are involved in learning with teachers. Teachers use their cafeteria time as a time that they can use to reinforce their relationship with students. So, teachers are also motivated, and put to their students in real situations, giving to them the same opportunities.

The methodology of their school consists in have less students per class, use of new technologies, teachers like a guide and without homework.

+MODERN STUDENTS (Elia, Shabaneh, Borja, Patricia Zarza y María Encinas)

This group started their project showing the plane of their school, full with gymnastic, classes, library, musical space…). After this they spoke about how would be their ideal school. This ideal school is built in a natural space, where children and teachers can do various activities.  

The main idea in which they focused was a school where the practice was more important than theoretical part, an education with projects and that give a less importance to exams.

Teachers practice cooperation among them, students and parents. Parents can go to watch the classes always that they want, and on this way, they could help and watch the functioning of the classes.

One innovation that they wanted to include was a student’s council, where children solve problems by themselves, and speak about problems like bullying etc. Although this innovation is very useful, the most original idea was to incorporate animals in class, since children develop a responsibility and they learn to take care to others.

+AMIGOS DEL FOOTBALL:

This group divided their project in two parts; in the first part they spoke about how the current education system is in each country (turkey, Spain and Germany). We could see the different schedules, homework etc. So we can see how we use to have the same mistakes in different countries; too much homework, few break time for children, or even traditional educational system that is no interested in practice and that prefer exams and textbooks.

The educational system that is closer in what they explained was the Germany. In spite of German was the closest to the ideal school; we have to remark that in German, children have to decide their future with 10 years old. In my opinion, this is a very big mistake, because at this year we do not have the mature enough to consider our future, and less to know what we are going to want to be during our whole life. So, we are not helping to our students, because they can decide for one thing that they really do not like, since they have not had enough time to experience, which guide their decisions.      

After all these things they started to explain their ideal school. In this part they spoke about the importance that has the relationship among teachers, students and parents, since parents are the closest persons around children about these ages, so they must be informed about the education of their children.             

With regard methodology, traditional system is filled with many mistakes that just demotivate children. This group spoke about cooperative learning, because when children work in groups and have to looking for their own knowledge with help of teacher, they learn more. According to their school this cooperation was reinforced with the structures of the classes; children sit together working in groups and improving their communication skills.

The structure of the school was painted in colourful colours, since it could motivate children. The installation has differences classes to develop arts, music, sports, and not just the typical subjects.     

At the end, they said one thing that I really consider very important to get a good change, and it is that teachers must fulfilment all these changes, since it does not matter if we change the school if after teacher do not do the changes.

+CRONICAS VIAJERAS:

This group was very original because they made their video through drawings, while they explained the context.    
The main idea they wanted to introduce in their school was that everyone is equal, so children, teacher and parents must respect each other. To achieve this, parents can participate in class, and on this way being informed about the education that their children are having and take part on this.

Another value to develop in their school is the responsibility, so they allow having animals and plants in class.
To achieve the main value their school gives a very importance to work in groups, where everyone has the opportunity to be known and know another people with respect.  

Children work with projects where they have to investigate and take information about diverse of topics. They are also educated in differences cultures, promoting that respect.  They also want a good quality of teachers, because education depends of them. So teachers must be actually and pass periodical exams to check their level. They want to try that children have native teachers. The quality is not just in teachers if not in the subjects like: carpentry, design, etc. Children develop different skills and they are not all the time focus in textbooks. To help this propose the use of technologies is active, but without forgetting the traditional tools.

The structure of the school is designed thinking in everyone, so we are going to find facilities to incapacities’ persons. 

+TEAM PERK: (Irina Meca, Silvia, Javier y Sara Granizo)

This group although did not change a lot about the typical school; they have had very useful ideas.

The structure of the school is composed with various installations and with green zones where children have enough spaces to realize many activities and where children can play. The school is divided in one auditorium, sports installations, laboratories, music classes and a big library. All these spaces are thought to develop other types of subjects and not just the typical like; language, math etc, and give to students other options to develop their intelligences.

The class does not have a specific position, if not that it can move depending of the needs to the subject. In spite of this, all the classes have a break zone and a space to do expositions.

The buildings are painted in colourful colours to be more attractive to children.  

Their school does not have a specific methodology. Teachers realize a consensus where they propose ways to work, but after this, each teacher can change depending to the needs to the students; students do not have the same needs.

Students are an important part in the school, so they have the responsibility to pick one delegate, who can speak with the class and with delegates of other classes. The responsibility is that they are going to speak about problems like bullying, and try to put solution.

Like in all our projects, values and relationship between teachers and parents are very important, but this group created a great idea, what is “the family day”; teachers, parents and students meet one day each week to do activities together. This idea is linked with the motivation of teachers.

+MUSICAL CHAIRS: (Bea, Irene, Maria, David Avila y Ayperi)

The school of this group is composed in three plants, with open and lightness spaces. On this way children do not feel locked, and because light can motivate and develop creativity in children. To achieve this, the school is surrounded by natural are, through indoor and outdoor gardens, natural diversity in the halls and classes (children develop with this also responsibility).

The school is also divided in two parts; the study area and leisure. In the first area children can reed or study, and in the second one the children can break.  Both spaces are inspired in Google Company, with sofas, colourful, etc.

In the methodology is important to learn in a funny way, through cooperative learning and having interest in what children think.

Some values to teach are the responsibility, tolerance, teach that everyone is equal, and that being different (cultures, skills…) it does not mean being wrong.

The teacher must loose the strict authority; he/she can be like a friend for children, at the same time that keep the authority.

To the end, the assessment is no numeric. It consists in a reflexion between teacher and children; teacher is who appreciates the content and children who see more amenities. Children must be considered like little adults.

 CONCLUSION

Create an ideal school is very difficult, because we have to count with a lot of factors. In spite of this, it does not mean that is impossible; it just need of time and motivation to achieve it, and we can not forget to try to put things that are accessible to get.

An education is like the base that builds a building; we have to be sure that the base is strong to keep what is going to be built above. So if this base fails, the whole building does the same. What I want to explain with this is that if the education is so important for the future of a lot of children, we have to care it and try that nothing fails.