Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Successfully Furnishing iSTEAM3D Classrooms

  • 04/01/15
iSTEAM3D

Innovative furniture, provided by Smith System, helped propel the ambitious iSTEAM3D curriculum model to success at the Desoto Independent School District.

“JUST PULLING [in] any furniture wouldn’t work,” explains Dr. Jo Green-Rucker with DeSoto Independent School District in DeSoto, Texas. The suburban school district was about to take its STEM initiative a step further with the creation of iSTEAM3D. Its unique curriculum model would combine science, technology, engineering and math with innovative, the arts and 3D learning (discovering, designing and developing).

With the curriculum defined, the district set out to implement an “academy” in each of the district’s three middle schools. Each would have five teachers.

“We wanted the students to use every inch of the academy… in any way they want[ed].” The areas were designed with large open spaces for content, projects and collaboration, a dance room and a science lab. Next up was installing furniture that would allow maximize use of the spaces.

Smith System, a leader in designing furniture for 21st Century classrooms, stepped in to provide tables, lab tables, chairs and storage systems, within the district’s ambitious timeframe.

The versatility of the space and casters on the furniture allow easy transitions from large groups to small. A typical day in the academy, according to West Middle School reading teacher Yvonne Lowry, starts “in the morning [as] students rotate to each teacher to receive content and project instructions. In the afternoons, students have project time with their small groups. The teachers act more as facilitators.”

About one year into launching the academies, all signs point to success. The students are enjoying their new lab stools and tables, “because they are different from the traditional, which is facilitating a new learning process,” says Joey Hayward, East Middle School science teacher. He adds: “The students in iSTEAM are scoring higher than those not in it. We’ve seen tremendous growth in students.”

www.SmithSystem.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • William Penn Charter School

    Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.