From interactive whiteboards to
tablets, tech-savvy classrooms
offer new opportunities to
enrich the educational experience.
Without the best classroom layout,
however, a learning space can
impede technology access, visibility,
and effectiveness.
To ensure each classroom supports
your school's technology investments,
Business Interiors by Staples offers
these tips:
1) Be a traffic cop. Students need
clear visual access to whiteboards
and other technologies. Overcrowding,
jumbled desk layouts, and heavy,
inflexible furniture can dampen the
experience, so ensure intuitive layouts
and open traffic patterns to maximize
the technology's usefulness.
2) Power up. The growth of wireless
connectivity and mobile devices
has reduced the need to make space
for a jumble of cables near furniture.
When you install new classroom furniture,
look for products that have
built-in power outlets and other
charging mechanisms.
3) Light the way. Classroom lighting
requirements change along with
technology. Avoid screen glare and prevent eye strain by dimming lights
and lowering shades and blinds as
needed.
4) Use mobile furniture. Today's
classrooms often accommodate multiple
audiences for different purposes.
Lightweight, mobile, and nesting
furniture makes it easier to transition
classrooms between purposes. Mobile furniture in particular provides good
visibility to classroom technology.
5) Encourage collaboration. Informal
learning areas and touchdown
stations allow spontaneous interaction
outside the classroom. This fosters
collaboration among students and
staff while supporting tablets and
other mobile technology.