Fourth- and fifth-grade students at Elton Hills Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota spend their days learning inside of a revolutionary kind of classroom - one that researcher Dr. James Levine sees as a partial solution to childhood obesity.
Desks? Nope. Uncomfortable chairs? Not anymore. According to a recent AP article, these standard objects have been replaced by adjustable podiums, which allow students to stand, mats on which they can kneel, and exercise balls on which they can...well...wobble. The new furniture is meant to encourage movement, rather than forcing students to sit in one position for multiple hours.
In Levine's experiment, a lot of the movement depends on technology. During a nutrition lesson, a group of students stood at their desks following along on their computers. Meanwhile, another group downloaded an audio file of Rynearson [their teacher] reading a book; a third group listened as their iPods walked them through a spelling test.
Classroom of the future, indeed. According to teacher Phil Rynearson and Superintendent Jerry Williams, students learning in the new set-up appear more focused on the curriculum than their peers in a comparison group in an ordinary classroom. In addition, less time is wasted trying to get students to sit still. After all, that would defeat the whole purpose of the experiment! Sensors are placed on students' legs to measure every muscle movement. Levine plans to calculate how many calories the students are burning in the new classroom compared with their old, traditional classroom. Though it is too early for conclusive results, Levine is optimistic.
Hmm...sounds like fun to me. I, personally, have always had trouble sitting completely still at a rigid desk or table set-up (and to be honest, still do). Though my fidgeting was never out of control to the point of requiring disciplinary action, it was definitely obvious, and I know I was not alone in my constant squirming. Bouncing around on an exercise ball probably would have helped, but I have to wonder: How can you possibly control a classroom full of energetic fourth-graders who are actually encouraged to run around? Sounds slightly nightmare-ish if you ask me. Perhaps Mr. Rynearson's students are an exception to the rule - polite, well-mannered, generous - but what would happen if this experimental classroom became the new standard across the country? Utter chaos. I cannot help but envision scenes from the oh-so-underrated movie, Kindergarten Cop - only ten times worse with pre-teens and teenagers who can actually talk back to their teacher. Just what every underpaid, undervalued teacher wants to deal with, I'm sure.
