PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS The three DesignShare 2007 winners all look and feel very different,as one wo ld expect given their very different stude nt bodies and instructional missions.A nursery school in Japan features a huge indoor activity space that emphasizes unstructured play.An alternative learning center in Alaska,created from an old movie theatre, incorporates elements of that state's unique cultural heritage and focuses n self-directed learning.A Denver charter school,aimed at increasing the participation of low income a and female students in technology,integrates high tech design with "soft touch"furniture and moveable walls that promote the sensory experience of learning. Inherent in these and other 21st century designs is the notion of buildings that fle: accommodate the huma relat that are critical to successful learning.As a leading school architect has noted, schools must "create an environment where the kids know each other and know their instructors,not just academically but as people. School designs that convey friendliness,openness,and accessibility and reduce the tensions that can ntivenes ting up,an nd bu lying. What goes s goes for adults,too.Educators need tools and spaces that enable collaborative planning and information sharing. Fig.1:A 21st century classroom design 88 The three DesignShare 2007 winners all look and feel very different, as one would expect given their very different student bodies and instructional missions. A nursery school in Japan features a huge indoor activity space that emphasizes unstructured play. An alternative learning center in Alaska, created from an old movie theatre, incorporates elements of that state‟s unique cultural heritage and focuses on self-directed learning. A Denver charter school, aimed at increasing the participation of low income and female students in technology, integrates high tech design with “soft touch” furniture and moveable walls that promote the sensory experience of learning. Inherent in these and other 21st century designs is the notion of buildings that flex to accommodate the human relationships that are critical to successful learning. As a leading school architect has noted, schools must “create an environment where the kids know each other and know their instructors, not just academically but as people.” School designs that convey friendliness, openness, and accessibility promote cooperation and interaction, and reduce the tensions that can lead to inattentiveness, acting up, and bullying. What goes for kids, goes for adults, too. Educators need tools and spaces that enable collaborative planning and information sharing.xii Fig.1: A 21st century classroom design