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Katie Lawson

Katie Lawson

Executive Director of Special ProgramsNorth Kansas City Schools

As Executive Director of Special Programs in North Kansas City Schools, Dr. Lawson was instrumental in the planning and development of NKC Schools’ Early Education Center. Her passion for providing high-quality staff, a guaranteed and viable curriculum, and an innovative environment for NKC Schools’ youngest learners led NKC Schools’ Early Education Center to being named Missouri School Board’s Association’s program of the year award.  

Thu Oct 292:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Little Learners, Big Ideas: Designing Dynamic Spaces for Early Education

As demand for early childhood education grows — and research continues to affirm its lifelong benefits — districts are challenged to design programs t…As demand for early childhood education grows — and research continues to affirm its lifelong benefits — districts are challenged to design programs that meet both community expectations and educational goals. Because early learners are uniquely dive…As demand for early childhood education grows — and research continues to affirm its lifelong benefits — districts are challenged to design programs that meet both community expectations and educational goals. Because early learners are uniquely diverse, successful program design must consider a range of factors aligned with the district’s broader educational vision. In this session, we’ll explore how districts can bring that vision to life throu…As demand for early childhood education grows — and research continues to affirm its lifelong benefits — districts are challenged to design programs that meet both community expectations and educational goals. Because early learners are uniquely diverse, successful program design must consider a range of factors aligned with the district’s broader educational vision. In this session, we’ll explore how districts can bring that vision to life through design strategies, including adaptive reuse, new construction, and targeted renovations.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More

EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)Session TypeTRACK 1: Learning Spaces, Reimagined — Evolving physical spaces shaping the future of learningSession Track
Ian Kilpatrick
Katie Lawson
Marilyn Denison
Ian Kilpatrick
Ian KilpatrickK-12 Education Leader, DLR Group
Katie Lawson
Katie LawsonExecutive Director of Special Programs, North Kansas City Schools
Marilyn Denison
Marilyn DenisonEducational Learning Designer, DLR Group
Ian Kilpatrick
Ian KilpatrickK-12 Education Leader, DLR Group
Katie Lawson
Katie LawsonExecutive Director of Special Programs, North Kansas City Schools
Marilyn Denison
Marilyn DenisonEducational Learning Designer, DLR Group
Tags:Group E
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:N/A
Learner Engagement:We’ll walk through an activity to shift thinking from “the teacher delivers learning” to “the environment invites learning”. In small groups, participants will discuss features in a Pre-K classroom that teach a child without the teacher saying a word. Next, groups will explore how those features invite exploration, control behavior, and support independence. In contrast, we’ll discuss what features could potentially overstimulate young learners.
Learning Objective 1:Hear case studies of design approaches ranging from new construction to adaptive reuse and renovations that foster engaging environments for early learners.