Koi Pond @ Singapore Changi Airport
Though I've been to the world's second best airport, Singapore's Changi airport, once last year, I didn't have much time to see the huge airport and it's facilities. However, I had a 9 (did I say, nine?) long hours of transit time while going to India in March this year. I had not only the time to take a two-hour city tour, but also navigate most of the airport.
Apart from the orchid and cactus gardens, there are two ponds called "Koi Ponds". "Nishikogi", or "Koi", is the most colourful and expensive of all freshwater fish. The pond and its surroundings are very beautiful and buzzing with the activities of children, though the pond attracts people of all ages. Underwater life, for most of the people, is a mystery and attracts and engages everyone, which is a crucial factor in effective learning.
I was surprised to see the pond in the middle of an airport, and was amazed to see that it provides an opportunity to learn about the Koi fish and the flora surrounding the pond. However, now when I look back, I realize that the information provided near the pond was too little. Though I'd still consider it an unexpected learning space and opportunity, there is a huge potential to make the learning really effective. People like me, who wait at the airport with nothing to do, can read, see, or hear (which is not really a good idea, after all, in a noisy place) more information about the Koi fish and other fish near the pond.
I think this example would be useful for my design of a pre-school classroom. We can create an ambience of a pond or an ocean by projecting on a large screen or a wall, and let the children learn about underwater flora and fauna.
I think I'll need to remove the copyright pictures soon. I'll try to replace it with some other pictures.
