Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Next-Generation Learning Spaces Prepare Students

  • 09/01/17
Witchita Public Schools

Creating a forward-thinking and flexible learning environment was made easier for Witchita Public Schools because of innovative designs from School Specialty.

Driven by the Wichita Public Schools District to create a forward-thinking, flexible and collaborative environment for 21st-century learning, our L’Ouverture Career Explorations and Technology Magnet School in Wichita, Kansas undertook a major classroom renovation project to outfit 18 classrooms (K-5) with innovative furniture and media technology solutions.

The initial project which began in May 2016 was done in partnership with education solutions provider, School Specialty (SSI) and its Projects by Design (PbD) team, to model two classrooms for the second and fifth grades. This encompassed installing flexible and mobile seating that would transform the traditionally fixed environment into an adaptable setting suited for various teaching and learning styles. The new furnishings were well-received by our faculty and students, and the district decided to expand the project to another sixteen K-5 classrooms and the library in 2017.

It is all about giving students the option to sit where it is most conducive for their learning, and this could only be possible with the right furniture and equipment.

Crucial to developing a 21st-century learning environment is the ability to support different teaching approaches. Our team worked with the School Specialty/Projects by Design crew to implement a combination of flexible, mobile and soft seating solutions from its Classroom Select line, including NeoMove and NeoRock furniture, as well as products from vendor partners such as Smith System, MiEN and Media Technologies. In particular, the Neo-Move and NeoRok seating help students to move gently (forward, backward or side-to-side), facilitating a calming effect and increasing their concentration and engagement.

www.schoolspecialty.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).