Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Technology to Move Outside in 2017

  • 01/01/17
technology accessibility

PHOTO © DEAN DROBOT

I predict that 2017 will see technology accessibility moving and becoming more available outside on campuses in all regions of the country. This prediction is based on the trend in recent years to expand the classroom learning experience beyond four walls, as architects implement such design elements as wider hallways to create informal gathering and social spaces. The next obvious step is to encourage and promote outdoor learning.

For example, Kalamazoo, MIbased Landscape Forms offers a family of mobile device charging stations that enable students to plug in and recharge outdoors. The company has three models: a power pedestal, a charging station with accent light and a charging station with area light. All provide access to power in various configurations of GFCI and/or USB outlets.

Similarly, Suffolk, VA-based Fibrex Group offers a “smart bench,” which harnesses solar energy to provide USB and wireless cell phone charging, WiFi Internet and area lighting, as well as sensor and data gathering. It even has a built-in cooling fan system to keep the seating area below 80°F on hot days.

Enabling technology accessibility outdoors expands both the casual (students gathering to review notes after class, socialize and connect) and formal (think science, literature, agriculture, psychology and more) learning environment. It provides a sense of fullness and wellness to the campus learning experience, as well as meets the needs of students desiring to learn outside of the traditional classroom.

Featured

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.