Page 14 - The Edge - BTS 2019
P. 14

SUMMER CONFERENCE AND EXPO

                                               BY DON HARRIS

                                              Flexible Classrooms


                                              O  er a Shift to the Future
            Stacy D’Angelo   Howard Kropp

              Getting students ready for 21  century jobs may involve a      e shift to   exible seating in the learning environment was
                                        st
            shift from traditional-looking classrooms to innovative   exible  triggered by a change in the workplace, D’Angelo said. She
            seating.                                               displayed a photo of a 20  century workplace with uniform
                                                                                          th
              That concept  was described and  illustrated  for AASBO  seating, all facing in the same direction with no apparent
            members by Stacy D’Angelo, Professional Development    collaboration. “   ey punched the clock in at 8 a.m. and out at 5
            Specialist for Lakeshore, a leading developer and retailer of  p.m. with very little interaction,” D’Angelo said.
            educational materials for elementary schools.            She noted that children were being prepared for those jobs
              In a breakout session at the AASBO Annual Conference and  in similar-looking classrooms: “   ey were facing the same way,
            Expo on July 18, D’Angelo, who spent 14 years as a kindergarten  and told to sit up straight, feet on the   oor, look straight ahead.”
            teacher, explained the advantages of   exible seating. “I started   Schools started to get away from that by pushing two desks
            to think of a classroom from a student perspective,” she said.  together, but the environment was relatively unchanged, with
            “What would make the students more comfortable and become  the teacher at the front of the class lecturing.
            more enthused about learning?”
              How about giant pillows, bean bags and rocking chairs?
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