"The classroom as we know it is dead. It is outdated in helping children meet their full educational potential." summarizes Robert W. Moje, AIA, LEED AP Principal, VMDO.
Based on a factory-inspired model, the American classroom was designed to help children receive an adequate, standardized education. The prototypical public school classroom is set up to run 20 to 30students through the same educational obstacle course, at the same pace, with the same intellectual nourishment. The desire is that a certain majority of the class will finish with “passing” results that will help ensure further support and funding for the school. This system is predicated on a percentage-based hope that a child will fall within a certain range of measured intelligence.
But what happens to those students who don’t “pass” or to those who finish with better-than-average results? The classroom model has failed to provide both inclusive and individualized educational experiences for American students, particularly for those at the extremes. The challenge before us is to educate each child and unlock every student’s individual potential as citizens and future leaders.