Creating Intentional Learning Environments for Curiosity, Connection, Identity and Belonging

This course is an investigation of early childhood classroom elements and designs for indoor and outdoor learning environments that support child development; child engagement; and interpersonal, social connections and relationships.  This course highlights classroom design elements that stimulate, sustain, enhance or detract from development and learning in early childhood, both indoors and out. Based on principles of architecture and spatial design, students analyze, evaluate and design ECE spaces critically and with intentionality. In this co-learning environment, we consider actual experiences of educators and young learners using environmental spaces to guide our use of theory on learning spaces. We study how elements of the environment support trusting relationships, comfort, osmosis, sensory integration, community, constructivist problem solving, narration, symbolic representation, literacy and numeracy, and rich imagination. We focus particularly on how spaces support identity and belonging for all children.