Google was named fourth best place to work in the US by Fortune Magazine and one of the worlds most powerful brands.Their moto "work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun" is monitored by a Chief Culture Officer. What can we learn from Google about challenging and inspiring our students? I would argue lots! They are in the business of creating a work place that both inspires and retains talent just as we must work to retain our students attention.
- Bicycles or scooters for efficient travel between meetings; dogs; lava lamps; massage chairs; large inflatable balls.
- Staff sharing cubes, yurts and huddle rooms – and very few solo offices.
- Laptops everywhere – standard issue for mobile coding, email on the go and note-taking.
- Foosball, pool tables, volleyball courts, assorted video games, pianos, ping pong tables, and gyms that offer yoga and dance classes.
- Grassroots employee groups for all interests, like meditation, film, wine tasting and salsa dancing.
- Healthy lunches and dinners for all staff at a variety of cafés.
-Break rooms packed with a variety of snacks and drinks to keep staff going
Just imagine if our school were designed with the same mandate... to offer challenging work in a fun, positive, collaborative atmosphere. Let me know what you guys think!
" Our intention creates our reality" Dr.Wayne Dyer
Cool post
ReplyDeleteI think this would be awesome in the work place because often work can be very a repetitive and unstimulating to many. This concept sounds great but people need to have self control and know when it is time to get stuff done. Deadlines and goals would need to made to ensure that workers were still productive and producing high quality work pieces. I think school is making a shift to this model especially compared to what it used to be. Previous school was a strict environment where the teacher lectured and students wrote notes. I think this model is shift to be more student centered and at the same time there are some many different class and opportunities for students to partake in.
i think sanna is write in what she's saying in terms of how more student centred learning atmosphere would be a much more positive atmosphere but it does need to be more structured, especially for high school students. i think that the gradual shift that schools are taking in this direction is what needs to happen in order for students to not take advantage of the less structured environment, but perhaps this shift needs to start happening a bit faster? i really think we as teachers underestimate the amount of responsibility high school students can take on, especially with this younger generation being forced to matter a lot faster then before.
ReplyDeleteI would be curious to know what kind of school the creators of Google and the Google workplace designers went to?
ReplyDeleteWow it be great if we could design a school that would encourage that inspirational attitude and allow students to engage in that free play later in their adolescence. But holy, imagine the cost of insuring students in a place like that. Students on bicycles and scooters in the halls would be fun but Dangerous!
ReplyDeleteI love that quote! Things should definitely be challenging yet fun but how do we get the students to be challenged so that they don't find it too difficult.
ReplyDeleteYah, what anna said the cost would be absolutely ridiculous. The government would not give us money to support this kind of environment.
I watched this on tv about a month or go.It is a great concept but requires a certain level of maturity to achieve. It would be great to implement something like this but as commented above the cost is a restriction.I do think their is a shift going towards student centered learning without the costs though. New ideas programs and styles are being implemented in the classes all the time. Teachers are even getting resourceful with the money available.
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