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The kid in the back of the classroom can’t hide anymore.

Schools in the Portland area and across the country are slowly moving away from traditional, rectangular-shaped classrooms with rows of desks and a chalkboard, according to local school officials.

Instead, L-shaped classroom 鈥減ods鈥� are being built with movable tables and transparent walls that provide views into common spaces, inspiring more collaboration.

These designs are now the 鈥渟tandard鈥� for schools in the metro area and will soon become more common as Portland Public Schools and other local districts begin to replace their older structures, said Jim Owens, director of capital operations for PPS.

鈥淎cross the world, there’s been a huge amount of effort to figure out what kind of environment is best for students to learn in,鈥� he said. 鈥淢any districts in the region have concluded that they want to have a lot of collaborative learning spaces and classes.鈥�

Most of Portland’s schools were built in the early to mid-20th century. Many have a 鈥渄ouble-loaded corridor鈥� design with large hallways linking to box-shaped classrooms.

But Rosa Parks Elementary, built in 2006 and designed by , features pods of four to six classrooms. Their L shapes encourage smaller group activity, said Dan Hess, an associate principal at DOWA.

鈥淥nce you change from something completely rectangular to something that has two different components, it lends itself more spatially,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s not a traditional classroom situation necessarily anymore where you show up today and you go through verbs and adverbs and 鈥� have a quiz on it tomorrow.鈥�

Curriculums are more project-oriented now, Hess said, wherein students examine problems, research them and create projects that incorporate multiple disciplines.

The pod design caters to this new model by inspiring collaboration via common areas. Glass walls separating these areas let students and teachers look in on the creative process. Movable tables and chairs in the classrooms are conducive to collaboration, Hess added.

A similar layout, designed by DOWA, is planned for a new building for Parkrose Elementary School. Several schools in Beaverton and Sherwood recently received renovations that incorporate this design, and three schools in Ridgefield, Wash., will follow suit.

鈥淭his design feature is only a real benefit if teachers and curriculums take advantage of it,鈥� said Chris Linn, a principal at , which used the design for a new school in Vernonia. 鈥淲hen used effectively, these collaborative learning spaces provide a great venue for 鈥� large-scale experimentation and increased opportunities for socialization.鈥�

Most of the schools in Oregon that have adopted this design are elementary and middle schools. Students at those levels typically stay in one classroom with one teacher most of the day.

High school classes tend to be more subject-based and not overlap, so the pod design may not be as advantageous.

However, with the recent passage of the $482 million school bond, PPS is looking into whether high schools in the area should be designed this way. Recently, the district hired DOWA to conduct a comprehensive study on how PPS schools should be designed in the future. Next spring, the study will be released as a guide for infrastructure projects, including the three high schools named in the bond.

Collaborative spaces will be recommended in the study, Owens said.

鈥淏ecause this bond is targeting three of our nine high schools, that’s really going to be a front-and-center topic,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou want the opportunity to be able to refigure in many ways and to have collaborative spaces outside the classrooms.鈥�

Construction does not cost more for a pod-design school than for a traditional school, Hess said; hallways in a double-loaded corridor design simply are reconfigured as collaborative space.

However, using the design for a renovation of an older building can be costly, Hess added.

鈥淚t may not be feasible given the existing layout of the building and the project,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s a big deal to take a school that’s a double-loaded corridor and transform it into this sort of arrangement 鈥� it’s almost a complete reform.鈥�

Meanwhile, some educators worry that students will be distracted by activities taking place on the other side of a glass wall. But Hess said that when educators see how the design can lead to success, they understand.

鈥淭he kids can rise to the challenge and respond favorably in these kinds of spaces,鈥� he said. 鈥�(The design) visually supports that everything is connected in the school.鈥�