Monday, April 18, 2011

What I Learned Today…Educational Furniture ..."Node" as a learning tool

Activity based learning can incorporate all kinds of tools.  Steelcase’s new innovative Classroom Seating product "Node" has been a big hit with the teachers as well as students in a unique way.  See how Livermore Valley Charter School incorporated the use of the Steelcase Node Chair into their media arts program.


Monday, April 11, 2011

What I Learned Today...Extreme Makeover; Ed Tech Edition

I recently attended the latest C.A.S.H. (California's Coalition for Adequate School Housing) conference in Sacramento. A wide variety of individuals attended the conference, includling representatives for California school districts, county offices of education, private businesses, and state agency personnel. Kevin MacQuarrie (a principal with WLC Architects, Inc.) was one of the facilitators at a workshop entitled: Extreme Makeover; Ed Tech Edition. The workshop was designed around the following question:

What's the point of talking to our customers about adding the latest in new media techology to create 21st century classrooms (iPads, student response clickers such as Quizdom, and interactive whiteboards such as eno) if the desks and chairs can't move?

To bring this question to light, Kevin asked One Workplace to provide all of the furniture for this workshop in order to give the attendees a chance to "walk into a space designed for the environment of the 'now' - complete with Ed-Tech Learning devices, room/space solutions, and infrastructure to support them." We equipped the space with node chairs, campfire loung seating, akira tables, cobi stools and chairs, and groupwork tables.

The workshop was a big hit! People were very responsive to the furniture and the space and commented, "this is what a 21st century classroom is all about. It's not just adding technology, it is also about creating an effective space with furniture."

Check out the pictures from the workshop below and let me know what you think in the comments!

Monday, April 4, 2011

What I Learned Today...Changing Education Paradigms

By definition, I am a visual learner and this video beautifully articulates  the educational challenges of the 21st century. Let me know what you think in the comments!