Revolutionizing the Journalism Room: Lee’s Summit West High School
September 5, 2023
In a world of rapidly evolving media landscapes, it is essential to equip students with the skills and environment they need to excel in journalism and communication. Recognizing the importance of creating dynamic spaces that foster collaboration, freedom of movement, and flexible learning, Lee’s Summit West High School has embarked on an innovative partnership with Fre3dom Interiors. Together, they aim to ensure a classroom that allow students to have an immersive and engaging learning experience.
The traditional, static classroom layout is being replaced with a dynamic environment that encourages collaboration. The new classroom design features open spaces with movable furniture, providing students with the freedom to arrange their learning area to suit their needs. By facilitating interaction and teamwork, these collaborative spaces empower students to develop essential skills in communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
This area allows for small group collaboration and/or teacher-student interaction. This is promoted through the the same of table; the semi-circle roundness creating a community. The table includes whiteboard table top to encourage a different way of producing ideas. With the all furniture pieces have mobility, this allows for easy movement throughout the classroom to create different configurations.The redesigned journalism classrooms at Lee’s Summit West High School offer dedicated spaces for both small and large group activities. The collaborative workstations equipped with mobile, height-adjustable chairs, rounded lounge furniture, and laptop tables foster teamwork and ideation. These areas are perfect for students to work together on projects, conduct interviews, and collaborate on content creation. In addition, the classrooms feature an area that can accommodate the entire class, facilitating group discussions, presentations, and guest speaker sessions. This versatility allows students to seamlessly transition between different learning modes.Recognizing the importance of movement in promoting creativity and engagement, Fre3dom Interiors focuses on designing classrooms that offer freedom of movement. The reimagined journalism classrooms at Lee’s Summit West High School incorporate shaped desks, flexible seating options, and designated areas for presentations and discussions. This approach enables students to shift between individual work, small group activities, and large group discussions effortlessly. By encouraging movement and adaptability, the classrooms promote an active learning environment that fosters productivity and innovation.Traditional desks are replaced with modular furniture that can be easily rearranged to accommodate different learning styles and activities. From traditional lecture-style setups to informal discussion pods, students have the flexibility to configure their learning space as per the task at hand. The introduction of technology-rich learning stations further supports this approach, ensuring that students have the necessary tools to explore multimedia journalism, digital storytelling, and content creation.
The collaboration between Fre3dom Interiors and Lee’s Summit West High School demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to journalism education. By redesigning the classrooms to promote collaboration, freedom of movement, flexible learning, and small and large group activities, the school ensures that students are well-prepared for the dynamic and ever-changing world of media and communication.
