Why School Furniture is Critical to Learning Outcomes

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Why School Furniture is Critical to Learning
Outcomes

• Nichole Moser

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Learning is IMPORTANT

• Noun
• The acquisition of knowledge or skills through
  experience, practice, or study, or by being
  taught.
• Knowledge acquired in this way.
• True learning affects achievement true learning
  affects future true learning affects success

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Key factors affecting learning

• Resources community, school
• Attitude towards education and learning
• Home environment
• Personality
• Teacher and pedagogies
• Education facilities

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Mr. Maslow says
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Assure the foundation

• Physiological state must be addressed primary
  need
• Ones physical state fed, hydrated, rested,
• This includes being physically comfortable and
  free of pain

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What factors can schools affect?

• Resources and learning environments
• Curriculum
• Comfort
• Security

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What factors can facilities affect?

• How can facilities folks contribute to positive
  learning outcomes?
• Appropriate learning environments engaging,
  allowing for multiple pedagogies, readily
  available resources, etc
• Comfortable/pain free experience ergonomics and
  movement supported

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Furniture is key
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Problem with the one armed bandits

• Hard, static seat prohibit movement of the user
• Seat and back create points in the body that
  inhibit blood flow and circulation
• Inherently difficult to move
• These issues apply to many currently employed
  furniture solutions in the classroom

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Additional concern

• QUALITY!
• Quality affects
• User experience
• Mobility of the product
• Ongoing function of the product
• Asset versus liability Budget!...you save
  with quality products

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Audience participation

• Just a little exercise for everyone
• Stick one arm straight out from your shoulder to
  the side and hold it steady there for 2 minutes
• Ask yourself How does it feel? sore, fatigued
• Now stick your other arm out to the side but
  continuously bend and the straighten it at the
  elbow to keep your arm moving do this for 2
  minutes
• Ask yourself How does it feel?
• Thats the beauty of movement

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Movement and Learning

• Say hello to the Cerebellum

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Cerebellum not just for movement

• The last place in the cerebellum where
  information is processed before entering the
  cortex the Denate Nucleus is actually missing
  in most primatesonly those that have
  demonstrated the highest learning capabilities
  possess
• Denate nucleus is required for the cerebellum to
  communicate with any part of the body including
  the parts of the brain that compose and conceive
  coherent and creative thought ventral side is
  responsible for higher cerebellar function
• Processes movement and processes learning

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Movement and blood flow

• Movement and brain function are further
  correlated when one considers blood flow.
• Blood flow is paramount to the life and
  function of all organs including the brain
• Movement increased blood flow more oxygen to
  the brain

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Additional considerations

• Movement triggers the body to release more
  brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which
  is a natural substance which boosts the ability
  of neurons to communicate with one another
• Movement allows the body to properly manage
  stress ongoing stress has been linked to
  cognitive function and dysfunction onset for
  decades

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Movement applies not just to bodies
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Movement empowers learning

• Physical environments that plan and allow for
  movement and mobility of the furniture empower
  learning
• Furniture that is easily moved allows for a
  classroom to serve multiple teaching and learning
  styles
• Teaching and learning styles that are shown to
  increase learning retention

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Furniture layout

• Lecture traditional style
• Instructor lead small groups
• Group work discussion
• Multiple posture support
• Maximize floor space

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So why arent we?

• Dont believe there is a link to learning
• Product not available
• Cost

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Cost

• Maybe should be budget discussion not cost
• The true cost versus benefit is full of tangible
  and intangible elements
• The intangible what if we dont support the
  learning of the child who could have cured
  cancer? solved for renewable energy source?
  negotiated world peace? started the business
  that would have hired your children or
  grandchildren? paid the taxes that will pay for
  your CPP and ongoing healthcare costs?

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Lets talk tangibles

• Price versus price your budgets and purchasing
  should consider MUCH more than simply price
• Tangible costs that need to be considered
• Price
• Quality/durability and therefore repair costs
  future prices
• Waste environmental and handling costs
• Liability
• Cost of acquisition labour and time

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Ask yourself this

• How many folks are involved in making a purchase
  within your organization?
• Who are they?
• How much does those individuals earn per hour?
• How many hours and days does it take to complete
  the purchase process?

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Average Salaries

• Buyer 54,339, Purchaser 48,590, Senior Buyer
  63,094, Junior Buyer 39,152
• School Custodian 30,847
• Facilities Operator 41,451
• Facilities Manager 63,552
• Accounting Clerk 32,938
• School Principal 77,632
• Director within school board 82,628
• Salaries as of 1/23/2013 in CAD reference
  http//www.wowjobs.ca/

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Purchase process

• How do you know you need product a?
• How do you know that product a exists and is
  the right product?
• How do you know if its better or the same as b,
  c, etc
• How do you know when to purchase?
• How do you know who sells product a?
• How do you notify sellers?

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Everything considered

• Furniture is indeed critical to positive learning
  outcomes
• We can only control certain aspects of a childs
  learning in the positions we are in and we are
  all committed to doing what we can to best
  support and improve those outcomes
• Furniture is a big piece of the what you can
  control

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Furniture is a key component

• Furniture physically interacts with the student
  you need to support movement and circulation to
  positively impact a students ability to maintain
  concentration, and actively engage their minds
  into the lesson
• Further, furniture that is mobile is needed to
  allow for multiple learning styles to be easily
  transitioned into and out of to engage the
  student and allow for greater retention
• All factors of cost need to be considered not
  just price when determining what we can do to
  help students succeed
• Benefits all of us job well done today, future
  better supported for us and the
  employers/employees of tomorrow

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Furniture is a key component

• Allow their bodies to move allows them to learn
• Allow the furniture to move allows them to
  remember what they learn
• An engaged learner will be more successful in the
  classroom and in life

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• Questions?
• Discussion
• Thank you for participating