The Kinesthetic Classroom Has Reached 47 States Since 2014! In 2012 Kidsfit began working with a team of Brain Research Experts, Educational Consultants and Classroom Teachers to develop a new way for children to learn and interact in their classrooms. What came out of our research and classroom testing is a line of "kinesthetic" - motion desks and tables that allow children to be in motion while they learn! This is not exercise equipment - this is an entire teaching methodology that utilizes standing tables, motion chairs and numerous simple movements that allows teachers to actually have more control in their classrooms while providing a classroom experience that is far more conducive to learning than traditional methods. This equipment comes with formal training and classroom certifications for schools and after school learning centers.Compare Adjustable school desk and chair for student studying in classroom Luoyang Weilisheng Trading Co., Ltd. US $20-60 50 Pieces Discover is furniture for a new generation of classroom.
According to current research, classroom design really does make a difference: students whose classrooms offer visual stimulation and lots of furniture choices tend to retain more information and score higher on tests than students in traditional classrooms! With that in mind, our designers created this a line of chairs, tables, and desks in an inspiring range of colors and shapes. Using high-performance construction and materials, the Discover line works together to create a playful, durable, and changeable environment for today’s students and tomorrow’s. Four Leg Stacking Chair Four Leg Stacking Music Chair Four Leg Combination Desk Tablet Arm Chair Desk Aperture Shape Student Desk Expanse Shape Student Desk Rectangle Shape Student Desk 1.5 Medium Duty 29'' Fixed 1.5 Medium Duty Adjustable Desk Rail & Holder BundleFew recent presentations from Eanes Superintendent Nola Wellman are devoid of the phrase “21st century learning.”
It’s a concept that was the driving force behind the district’s decision to give every student an iPad, it has been the subject of many professional development sessions for teachers and it’s what inspired a few pilot classes throughout the school district. The theory is also responsible for $7.5 million in proposed upgrades to rooms and furniture and infrastructure in an $89.5 million bond proposition the school district will put on the May ballot. Of that amount, $4.5 million is for a new paint job, furniture and equipment for some classrooms in schools throughout the district. In a pilot class at Bridge Point Elementary School, the room is painted green. The students’ desks are on wheels and have swivel chairs, to make it easy for students to get into groups. The room is organized so students can sit on a padded ground to work if they want to. The teacher also uses glass screens, which students can write on, rather than a bulletin board for lessons. English classes at Westlake High School also have the desks that roll that swivel.
Bond plans also set aside $8.37 million for technology, which includes iPads and desktop and laptop computers, as well as upgrades to network infrastructure, wireless access points at campuses, phone systems and the technology used in the Westlake Performing Arts Center and Westlake Black Box Theatre. At a Jan. 14 Eanes school board meeting, Westlake High School Student Council members gave a presentation to the board to show how much easier it is to work in groups with the new desks compared to the old. They had board members sit in the typical wooden desks and had them move the desks around to show that it can be cumbersome. “The attitude of the classroom really changes when I enter a classroom with these rolling desks,” said student vice president Grace Robertson, who is in one of Westlake High’s pilot classes. “They really open up communication between all members of the classroom. Whereas, when you’re in these stationary desks, you feel very confined to people directly to your left, right, in front of you and behind you, which really kind of limits your understand of what other people’s opinions are and other people’s perspective on the class material that you are learning as well, and thus kind of limiting your education in that area.”
However, not all students agree. “I don’t really think 21st century furniture is worth it or is any better than the desks we already have,” said Westlake High junior Vishakha Mallya, who uses the desks in her AP English III class. “The new furniture, sure, it has the added benefit that you can roll around on them. You can also stick your bag under the chair, but throughout your class, you’re constantly reaching under your desk. There’s not enough arm space because the desks are smaller than regular desks, and there’s only so much space you can move around. Because it’s all attached (the desk to the chair), you can fall over.” Mallaya, who said she was unsure of her parents’ stance on the bond proposition, said she would not want the desks to be in her other classes. The chairs do make it easy to get into groups, but students use group discussion just as often in other classes without the furniture, she said. “Initially, we really liked it because there’s also a place where you can stick your iPad,” she said.
“It just became uncomfortable. The fact that it was new and cool kind of faded away.” Meanwhile, in elementary school, third-grade Bridge Point Elementary teacher Julie Cimino said she has seen positive results. Her students are moving around more than those your typical elementary school class, which keeps them from getting bored, she said. “I’ve noticed an increase in focus,” Cimino said. “I can’t speak for everybody, but that’s what I’ve noticed. There’s a ton of movement in the room. If they need something, they can get up and go get it. That movement is so good for those kids, just to recalibrate. The chairs encourage this environment that’s learner-based, and it allows voluntary movement to happen.” Cimino’s class is one of the school’s two pilot classes. Instead of a row of desks, her class has a few ottomans, a few tables with stools, the same rolling desks that Westlake High has, and elevated seats with raised tables. Students can choose the workspace they prefer.
The environment keeps her students “emotionally and cognitively engaged,” meaning she has fewer issues where she has to remind kids to stay on task, “waking them up from wherever they are and trying to pull them back to the lesson. I have a lot less of that.” Wellman said she could not cite specific studies that show how these sorts of surroundings affect student learning. “We’re in this action-research time period,” Wellman said. “You’re researching as you’re creating the environment to see how well students learn. While certainly there is a lot of logic involved, simultaneously there are dissertations, doctoral studies and practical studies to research as well.” Joan Hughes, a UT-Austin associate professor, is currently studying how iPads are being implemented into classroom curricula at Eanes and how it’s affecting students. The new environment also addresses general complaints in education that many children are not thriving in settings that require them to sit still and quietly for hours.
“Some parents and teachers claim the environment expects behaviors that are not natural for students,” Wellman said. “An environment that encourages students to grab hold of their learning with enthusiasm and passion results in students learning content more deeply.” Dieter Breithecker, a German expert on ergonomic design in school furniture and the physical development of school children, gave a presentation to teachers, school board members, parents and administrators at the beginning of this school year. He asserted that, if kids are active during class, their concentration is better. Eanes parent Patrick Fries says he isn’t convinced. He worries that the concept is pushed by companies hoping to sell new furniture to schools. “21st century learning is a marketing campaign meant to sell $2,000 swivel chairs,” he said. Parent Mike McDonell, who has an elementary school daughter in one of the pilot classes, said she enjoys the new classroom. She sits on a ball during class, rather than a chair.