Overview:

Randy has authored more than 50 publications and received numerous design awards, including the top two International awards in school planning and design: Planner of the Year and the MacConnell Award from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE). Randy’s work is grounded in research, which he has shared globally as the co-author of The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Learning.

He is also the Creative Director for SchoolPatterns.com, which Fielding International launched in 2021 to create a shared language and library that is accessible to all. More than 70 Design Patterns illustrate key ideas in school design, with problem and solution statements, an image gallery, and links to learn more. The power of these Patterns are brought to life in 15 recent articles at Getting Smart, including 6 Elements of Thriving Learners, Personal Space for Safety, Wellness and Autonomy, and How to Design a Learning Commons, all at gettingsmart.com/author/randy-fielding.

In this podcast, Randy will discuss the importance of aligning a Learning Ecosystem: the dynamic cross-section between a school’s vision (what it is aiming to achieve for its students and community), its educational program (how a school functions to achieve that vision), and its social and physical environment (culture and places where the program is delivered).

Rethinking the approach to visioning and design has never been more important. He will share how school communities around the globe are, more than ever, recognizing misalignments between their aspirational vision for thriving learners and their learning environments; and, how a new tool Fielding International developed has reshaped the visioning and design process to be more effective and efficient in creating vision-aligned learning environments.

Our podcast, Better Learning, is now partnered with the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE). The partnership comes with Kay-Twelve’s mission alignment with A4LE to help lead innovation at the intersection of learning and place in schools around the world!