How schools are rethinking the classroom

Rigid Desks And Chairs Give Way To Comfy Seating As Dynamics Change

Desks lined up in precise rows with teacher firmly planted at the front: That was the standard classroom format for much of the last century. But with many educators saying kids can do better in a more relaxed and flexible learning environment, designers and architects have been providing spaces and furnishings to fit that bill.

“Innovators no longer say ‘classrooms’,” says Bob Pearlman, an education consultant. “Students now work in learning studios, plazas and home bases. They shift into varied extended learning areas and collaboration zones that include project-planning rooms, workrooms, focused labs, group learning spaces, individual pods.”

Another new reality changing the dynamic: connectivity. “Classrooms, libraries, and labs used to be the only spaces where students spent time. Wireless, laptops and project learning have changed that,” Pearlman says. “This has transformed all school spaces into potential learning areas, even corridors and alcoves.”

Back in the 1970s, American psychologist Robert Sommer was urging a critical look at traditional classroom layouts, saying classrooms aren’t just simple cubes, says Jo Earp, editor of a magazine. Sommer noted that in any given room, the lighting or heating will be better in certain spots, as will the view of the blackboard.

Besides the alternative “freeform” classroom, Earp says, teachers can find good results with a hybrid model, perhaps lining up desks at the start of the year and then rearranging them in groups as the classroom dynamic becomes clearer. New designs include internal glass walls and doors that increase connectedness among students and provide good sightlines for teachers.

Over the decades, designers have lent talents to school furniture. Today, classroom furniture runs the gamut from chairs to chaises, with work tables of varying heights.

Imagine Charter Schools, based in Virginia, and operating schools in nine states, offers colourful swivel seating, as well as comfy upholstered benches. Montessori schools have soft lighting similar to home environments, and more subdued furniture and decor than traditional classrooms.

Myers loves that designers are coming up with more seating options for students. “Children shouldn’t be expected to sit still in a chair for more than 20 minutes.” AP 

Source | Times of India | 10^th July 2019