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Why Design For a Church School?
Imagine walking into Sunday School, drawn by the smell of freshly popped popcorn; listening to the sound of running water as you walk into the drama workshop and prepare to perform a scene by the river; feeling the squish of papier mache as you apply strips around the tablet forms for the Ten Commandments; taste the unleavened bread you baked in the cooking workshop; and experiencing excitement as you see the visual feast of a desert tent of purple and tan stripes, with layers of oriental rugs on the floor, large tapestry pillows and camel saddles to lean on to hear a story being told.
The best way to retain something is to experience it. The educators learning pyramid tells us that lecturing by a teacher produces only 5% retained information in students, reading only 10%, and audio-visual presentations only 20%. The highest retention levels are achieved through practicing by doing (75% retention) and experiencing or teaching (90% - 100% retention!). This, in part, is what we base our Workshop Rotation Model (WRM) and traditional classroom designs on." How to experience a lesson is through multiple intelligence1 activities and the five senses. A creative design for your church school is an effective tool to help you capture the children's attention and focus it on God.
We all know that these days a Sunday school room has to be more than four walls and some tables and chairs. But to accomplish the activities in your curriculum, what kind of rooms do you need and what environments do the rooms need to provide? |
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Making It All Fit Together
Effective teaching spaces, first of all, attract the children. We want them to want to come to church school. And enriched environments actually increase learning, brain studies tell us. This means they will retain what they will learn at a higher rate.
We first determine the needs for the space. Then we apply the principles and elements of design to make that space. We consider elements such as the shape of the rooms (basic rectangular? Pods off of a central meeting area? "Catacombs" in the church basement?), texture (brick walls? wallboard walls? concrete block walls? no walls?), color (do you have any? And is it coordinated?). Then we work with principles like creating balance, rhythm and harmony in the space. We know, too, that scale and proportion are essential to good design.
**Interior design and architectural studies show poor design actually hampers productivity. People are distracted and feel uneasy by the lack of harmony - feel off-balanced by poor proportions - feel irritated or sleepy, depending on a predominant color use. And clutter is not conducive to learning.** |
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Think Theme!
Design Directions for Church School, Ltd. also specializes in creating an effective Theme for your church school rooms, providing focus and continuity to your design. Why? Newsweek magazine's article entitled "Our New Theme Song" (June 22, 1998) discussed the "fantasy decor" now seen in healthcare facilities. The reason for this new trend? A well-chosen theme can have therapeutic value, and decor becomes part of the therapy. As an extension to this, the same concept is appearing in museums, banks, airports and even whole towns, and in church schools. "The best theming isn't just decor for decor's sake", says Newsweek. "Form should enhance function," and in pediatric hospitals it is found that "whimsical touches also help sick kids and their families cope." We have proven, all over the country, that it has wonderfully positive effects in Sunday School, too.
Our goal is to provide a place where the children of your church can best learn and retain a biblical or applied faith truth. Building and room designs are often called "the forgotten aspect of curriculum."
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF GOOD DESIGN! |
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