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Re: New classroom



If you will be in San Diego for the NSTA convention, I recommend the short
course "Designing and Building the State-of-the-Art Science Facility: An
Introduction to NSTA's New School Science Facilities Guide and Tour of
Exemplary New Facilities (SC-6)" (go to
http://www.nsta.org/conventionsupport&record_id=28&Meeting_Code=2002SND and
search for SC-6). The tour is very helpful.

If you won't be in San Diego, you might want to get NSTA's new "Guide to
School Science Facilities".

____________________________________________
Robert Cohen; rcohen@po-box.esu.edu; http://www.esu.edu/~bbq
Physics, East Stroudsburg Univ., E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301

-----Original Message-----
From: Dwight K. Souder [mailto:crvhs_dks@CRESTVIEW-RICHLAND.K12.OH.US]
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 7:31 AM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: New classroom


Greetings everyone. I was recently told by our school's
principal that
next week there will be a building meeting. Our school
recently passed a
levy that will allow for additions to be made onto our
school. Luckily,
I'll be getting a new and larger classroom. My principal
would like for
me to come up with some ideas as to the layout of the room. Before I
present my ideas, I'd like to know what works and doesn't work in your
classroom. Here are some things to consider, my new room will be 1187
square feet (I'm not sure of the exact dimensions). I teach
high school
chemistry and physics. My current room has 6 perimeter lab
tables (along
the side and back wall)and 24 individual desks, and a long demo
table/desk in the front of the classroom. I don't remember
the size of
my current room, but it is quite cramped. I don't care for having the
perimeter lab tables, but because during labs, it is difficult to
circulate around with all of the individual desks in the way. I also
think it can be hazardous to have the lab tables so close to the
individual desks. The advantage of the individual desks is
if I'm doing
a demo/lab for physics, it does give the students a little freedom to
move their desks around and open up a large area.

I have looked in both the Frey and Flinn Scientific catalogs and came
across something a little unique. They had the pentagon shaped
lab/student desk tables. I could see potentially that could
make a nice
room for teaching chemistry, but I question what it would be
like for my
physics classes. The advantage is that it appears to take up
less space
and it would elliminate the individual student desks. The
draw backs I
can see is that I can't move the lab tables, if one class is
doing a lab
that takes a few days and another class comes in that is
doing something
different...they may be distracted and possible harm to themselves or
interferring with someone elses work, space for students
doing homework
or taking tests, and storage space.

Can anyone give me any advice. What are some of your
experiences? Any
advice or suggestions will be most greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dwight Souder
Crestview HS
Ashland, OH