Why do we want kids to “sit still” in class?
As normal 12-year-olds, the sixth-grade students at Marine Elementary School near Minneapolis tended to squirm, slump, kick, and fidget in their seats—they had an abundance of energy, and controlling it required them to focus so much on sitting still they had trouble focusing on their schoolwork. Their teacher Abby Brown wondered: What if they didn’t have to sit still? Brown learned from the latest research at the Mayo Clinic about “activity-permissive education,” which advocates letting kids move as they learn. Brown then helped design a new kind of school desk with a raised seat that puts the user in a semi-standing position and allows more freedom of movement. With the new desks, her students’ school work immediately improved—and Brown’s creation is being looked at as a model for other classrooms.
Teaching is wonderful experience especially when it is related to kids. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post.
Mark Ford
Twitter: GlimmerGuy
says:
On a related topic, I just noticed this interesting desk, mentioned in Fast Company: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3050523/world-changing-ideas/a-standing-desk-for-kids-to-help-change-sitting-culture-theres-an-adult
Warren Berger
I always want to help my children to come out with their questions, so that they become bold and raise the habit of answering. The PPT is very nice and perfectly defined.
Abhilasha