George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Learning Environments

Learning is enhanced by the space where it happens. Discover how to make a difference by optimizing seating arrangements, classroom decor, and even building design.

  • Classroom Management

    Creating Space for Collaboration

    Intentionally fostering collaboration in the classroom has a variety of benefits, including increasing students’ level of academic engagement.
  • Learning Environments

    Designing Flexible Seating With Students

    A veteran elementary teacher shares what he’s learned from eight years of building a student-centered environment.
  • Learning Environments

    Decluttering Your Classroom

    Thoughtful reflection will help you make decisions about what to keep and what to discard in your classroom.
  • Learning Environments

    The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn

    Imagine a safe space where students with autism can go to calm their bodies and then get back to the business of learning.
  • The Research Is In

    Dos and Don’ts of Classroom Decorations

    What you put on your classroom walls can affect your students’ ability to learn.
  • The Research Is In

    Flexible Classrooms: Research Is Scarce, But Promising

    An ambitious study of 153 classrooms in the United Kingdom provides the best evidence that flexible spaces can boost academic performance.
  • Teachers Weigh In

    7 Outstanding K–8 Flexible Classrooms

    K–8 educators from across the country give you a peek at their classrooms—and explain how they managed the transformations.
  • Learning Environments

    Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign

    I'm a firm believer in keeping the focus on what's really important: the students. If student motivation and higher engagement is truly the desired end game, then we as teachers must adapt right along with our students in our classrooms.
  • Learning Environments

    Learning to Be Flexible

    For middle and high school teachers who avoid lecturing, the switch to flexible seating means the room aligns with their teaching style.
  • Learning Environments

    Reflections on Shifting to a Flexible Classroom

    A middle school teacher shares the benefits of giving students voice and choice in their learning environment.
  • Collaborative Learning

    Designing a Public School From Scratch

    On a mission to reimagine traditional schooling, a K–8 school in San Diego puts teachers and students at the center.
  • Learning Environments

    Can Flexible Classrooms Boost Student Achievement?

    The research suggests that flexibility and a sense of ownership make a real difference for students—but it's not the furniture at work.
  • Learning Environments

    Building a 21st-Century Learning Space

    A community raised $6 million to construct an innovative 30,000-square-foot facility complete with makerspaces and learning labs.
  • Learning Environments

    8 Tips and Tricks to Redesign Your Classroom

    A classroom designer walks you through the process of redesigning your room, with videos to inspire you.
  • Learning Environments

    7 Teacher-Tested Hacks For Elementary Classrooms

    Teachers post great ideas on Instagram for everything from keeping your room clean to getting kids moving. We’ve collected a few, plus hashtags you should follow.