Floorplanner is a great tool to use for designing rooms or buildings of all types, but I find it especially useful for designing a classroom. Not only does it provide endless options for school and children supplies, but it allows you to change the shape and size of rooms, paint the walls, section off parts of the room, and add functional elements like doors and windows. Floorplanner also provides a materials page to paint the walls and cover the floor, and you can hang items on the walls as well. Its viewing options display the plan as either two-dimensional or three-dimensional. You can add in furniture and space it accordingly, even by rotating it or adjusting the dimensions. Overall, Floorplanner provides teachers with the creative outlook to design a classroom to suit their learners' needs. Below I have described some of the elements that I placed specifically in one of my classroom designs for a life skills classroom.
I decided on a curved desk for myself in the corner of the room, because students may feel more comfortable approaching me if they can move closer instead of standing far away. Additionally, these students needs some sort of routine and need to understand my role in the classroom, so having a desk in one area will assist that process. Behind my desk, I also included a phone, since I value communicating with parents. However, the phone also comes with a small notebook and file cabinet, because I will need to keep detailed, organized records of my conversations for the purposes of communication and professional development. Next to my desk, I have placed a smart board, because interactive technology can give my students experiences that they may not be able to receive outside the classroom. They can also learn independently, especially with their diverse needs. To continue to promote this idea, I devoted another corner of my room as a creative space for the kids. I placed a toy kitchen in the corner, since my students will need to work on transition skills. They can learn proper hygiene and basic food preparation skills. The uniquely-shaped table allows for lots of work space for the students. Also by placing a larger table in the corner rather than multiple desks, the students can collaborate together for projects. Next to the table lies to door to the bathroom. The white board wall behind the table allows students to literally write on the wall to work out problems. They can express creativity and demonstrate their creative thinking skills, which also develops through the use of different materials for crafting and science projects that are stored int he multi-colored bins. I also included a rack for drying art projects to build the students' excitement and motivation to see their final projects. The walls have been left fairly blank for this same purpose, so that my students' art can decorate my room. I have also included flexible seating in my classroom, since children learn in different environments. The tables and chairs provide a useful place to complete written assignments. The bean bag chairs, bamboo stool, and nontraditional seating area may help calm some of my over-stimulated students and focus their attention on the lesson. In the corner by the door, I have placed tall cubbies with compartments to hold bins and folders. My students need a place to store their backpacks, and this extra bit of storage keeps me organized when planning their IEP goals. Finally, the reading corner of this classroom gives students a quiet, relaxing atmosphere to instill in them a love of reading. The colored bins provide toys and reading buddies (stuffed animals), and the comfortable seating options surround the book displays. The white wall once again allows students to write and use their creativity for ELA purposes. By tying in all the primary colors for this classroom, I creating an appealing, inviting atmosphere for my students.
Floorplanner contributes directly to the second domain of the Danielson Framework: Classroom Environment. First of all, this planning site helps to develop a culture for learning (2b). Students can take pride in their work if teachers set aside a space in the classroom to display projects. Additionally, the creative space motivates them to work harder and think more critically. Within this colorful environment, student have access to materials and resources to expand their knowledge (2c). However, possibly the most effective aspect of Floorplanner is its ability to provide a bird's eye view of the classroom to help teachers create accessible spaces for all children (2e). As a special educator, I might have students who need wheelchairs, so this tool allows me to see if my classroom can create appropriate and accommodating spaces while still incorporating flexible seating.
I can certainly envision myself suing this tech tool to plan my classroom, because its visual representation puts my ideas into perspective. When evaluating Floorplanner, I will say that it provides a variety of furniture, but it does not have as many options for wall decorations for classrooms. I wanted to find alphabet and number posters along with a white board to attach to the wall, but Floorplanner currently provides more resources for regular items found in the home, rather than items in school. Additionally, the site sometimes glitched and would not let me change all the colors of my walls and floors. Besides these limitations, Floorplanner encourages teachers to think outside the box and even sparks ideas in my head of the content I could teach within that classroom space. Creating a positive learning environment is so important, so planning out the design of your classroom is a crucial step.
Check out these snapshots of my classroom design!