We are all familiar with the classic school set-up. A classroom filled with inflexible, strict rows of seats and blackboards. Particularly in the hot summer, students break out in a sweat in these rooms. High temperatures and poor air quality make concentrated work almost impossible on some days. But this is now a thing of the past: Xbrick® makes innovative outdoor teaching possible with flexible furniture in the green classroom.
Outdoor lessons at the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium
The Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium in Remseck is taking a new approach together with the company Westermann and Xbrick® by wd3 GmbH precisely because of the problems mentioned above.
The school’s student representatives had been looking for alternatives to the conventional classroom for a long time. At first, however, the prospects of organizing lessons outdoors in the future seemed bleak. Fixed installations were quickly ruled out due to the enormous costs, lack of space and lack of flexibility. There were also additional requirements that would have been difficult and costly to implement. For a permanent installation for outdoor teaching, issues such as sun protection, maintenance over the winter and the requirements for the construction site are particularly important.
The project seemed doomed to failure. But then the principal, Ms. Bott, discovered the long-awaited solution by chance at a trade fair: Xbrick®!
Outdoor teaching with Xbrick
Xbrick® offers a versatile system with which a variety of combinations are possible quickly and easily. The building blocks are perfect for flexibly designing outdoor lessons. Seating, tables, blackboards and much more can be assembled from the wide range in a matter of minutes. This turns any location into a green classroom in no time at all.
Why is Xbrick® so suitable for outdoor teaching? A particular advantage is the low weight and the handles on the building blocks. This means that even young pupils can carry their classroom to any location and move, dismantle and assemble it as required. Another highlight is that the building blocks are easy to clean. Thanks to the durable and robust plastic, cleaning is easy and does not cause any time-consuming complications. The material is stable and the Xbrick® can be set up outside without hesitation.
Outdoor lessons - how does it work?
Since the middle of the last school year, the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium has been working with a set consisting of 60 Xbricks® and five whiteboards as well as the corresponding connectors. The bricks are stored in a container near the schoolyard. Teachers can register in advance via an online tool in the school network if they want to hold lessons outdoors and reserve the green classroom. The number of Xbricks® is sufficient to equip one or two classes for outdoor lessons.
Since the middle of the last school year, the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium has been working with a set consisting of 60 Xbricks® and five whiteboards as well as the corresponding connectors. The bricks are stored in a container near the schoolyard. Teachers can register in advance via an online tool in the school network if they want to hold lessons outdoors and reserve the green classroom. The number of Xbricks® is sufficient to equip one or two classes for outdoor lessons.
Once the material has been reserved, the pupils can collect the required building blocks and boards from the container themselves and take them to the designated location of the green classroom. This location can be anywhere on the school grounds and can also be adapted and rebuilt during lessons. The setup of the classroom itself can also be changed quickly and easily. The Xbrick® can be easily moved and repositioned. In addition, the whiteboards can be attached to objects such as trees, fences or similar with the help of suitable straps, just like a classic blackboard. Another innovative option is to place the whiteboards on top of several Xbrick® boards. This creates a group table that can then be written on directly. The former table top can then be used as a poster to record the results of the group work. The whiteboards are also so lightweight that they can easily be held by the pupils for the duration of the presentation. Alternatively, a stand can also be built from the Xbricks®.
There are virtually no limits to the arrangement of the building blocks and their use: from frontal teaching to group work phases and many other individual forms of teaching, no wish remains unfulfilled in the green classroom.
Outdoor lessons: What do you think?
The pupils at Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium think the new system is great. They enjoy the almost playful variety. It’s a lot of fun to set up their own green classroom every time. This immediately increases motivation and the desire to learn. Outdoor lessons give the children the feeling that they can contribute individually.
Teachers are also excited about the new possibilities offered by the building blocks. With Xbrick®, the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium is well equipped to face the next hot summer.
