The Classroom of the Future
It’s no secret that the structure of the classroom is going through big changes. New technology, new teaching methods and a more modern outlook means new classrooms are needed with new types of furniture. Pens and notepads are starting to be replaced by iPads and tablets. What will the future classroom look like and how should you furnish it to create a learning environment that is adapted to this new way of learning?
Kerstin Metz, salesperson at AJ School and Education, has over 10 years experience with furniture. She says that finding the classroom furniture of the future is not an easy task.
“The classroom we know today is something that will change. New technical equipment is already changing the way we interact and learn. Students work more with iPads and computers than classic textbooks so new types of furniture is required to keep up with this” Kerstin says.
Active sitting
Working more in front of computers or tablets requires a different way of sitting. Flexible school furniture makes it is easier to vary working positions more often.
“You may be able to use soft seating cushions such as Fatboy bean bags to sit and read on or perhaps sound absorbing sofas. There are even flexible student chairs that are ergonomically shaped so that you can turn around and sit with your stomach against the backrest, which relieves a tired back” says Kerstin.
Comfortable mats are also a trend in new classrooms. Mats give students the freedom of laying down on their stomach to work, a good alternative to sitting still for many hours.
Creative and flexible furniture
New times also require new solutions – and that means thinking outside the box.
“A creative piece of furniture that has attracted a lot of attention are soft bleacher stands – a stair shaped piece of furniture where the class can gather to sit or read. It’s all about finding new areas of use for products that may not traditionally be placed in the school environment” says Kerstin.
Another trend is for studios, separate “rooms” with lots of space for creativity to flow. Studios in the classroom are perfect for creative work and let the students experiment freely without having to clean up completely after every activity!
We can only speculate as to how exactly the future classroom will look but one thing is for certain: new furnishing solutions that complement developing learning and teaching methods will be required.
“I think we will go from the traditional classroom to something completely different” says Kerstin.
