Flexible School Furniture | Classroom, Makerspace, Library | Paragon Furniture

Elementor #7033

JP Nelson — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 04:51:17 +0000

TEN STRATEGIES TO BOOST YOUR EDUCATION FUNDING

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Sensory Ergonomics in the Classroom

JP Nelson — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 17:28:30 +0000

What is Sensory Ergonomics?

If you don’t want to read an entire article on the subject of Sensory Ergonomics, here is the shortest answer that basically satisfies the question. Sensory Ergonomics explores the relationship between the design and comfort of one’s surroundings with all of the physiological sensations that occur as a result. This goes far beyond basic physical ergonomics, and dives deep into everything sensory, from color, shapes, and textures, to air quality, acoustics, and lighting. That is a non-scientific, loose simplification of the subject, but it gives a basic answer to the overall question.

In order to truly understand the meaning of “sensory ergonomics”, it’s probably best to break down the term into its 2 individual parts. Sensory – Relating to sensation or the physical senses; transmitted or perceived by the senses. Ergonomics – Relating to or designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment. Put that together, and you get the relationship between the design and comfort of your environment, with the sensations you experience as a result. Your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual well-being is directly affected by multiple parts of the environment surrounding you.

Look around right now. Are you in a well-lit room with inviting colors, artwork on the walls, comfortable furniture to sit on, and fresh air flowing through open windows? Or, are you in a dank & dark stuffy space where you have to struggle to get into a comfortable position, and all you have to look at are four dirty walls? You may not notice it right away, but the physical environment you inhabit, plays a huge role in how you feel. Take notice of this throughout the day, and you’ll probably be surprised to find the drastic differences between a place that you consider “comfortable”, and a place that you inexplicably don’t like.

Sensory Ergonomics sets out to study these intricate relationships in order to make subtle positive differences in all aspects of the living world. Whether it’s at home, in the office, at school, or in a coffee shop, you should feel – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – right. When you want to feel at ease, your surroundings should be peaceful and serene. When you want to feel energized and full of life, your environment should be invigorating and bright!

Sensory Ergonomics in Learning Spaces

If you are like the majority of people in the developed world, you spend a great deal of time indoors. These are spaces that have been designed, developed, and built by human beings. In many cases, sensory ergonomics was either an afterthought, or never thought of at all, and the results are evident. Students spend several hours of every weekday in classrooms, and unfortunately, many schools fall into the category of sensory ergonomics not being a part of the master plan. There are many reasons for this – and some of them unavoidable – but more often than not, it is due to lack of awareness. No one sets out to design a classroom that is uncomfortable and depressing, but some of the reasons they end up that way is based on innocent ignorance as opposed to deliberate intention. Many schools do not have the funding to build beautiful new facilities and hire design teams to outfit every area with the very best interior elements and resources. Other schools do have the money and spend significant sums of it making the schools look awesome but fail to make it functional on a holistic level. In both cases, there are wonderful opportunities to start the process & make subtle changes that will have a hugely positive impact. Once these practices are put into place, the overall vision will change, and it will become a natural part of progress.

Think of just about any room you’ve ever entered in your life, and you’ll notice that there is typically a lot of furniture. Classrooms are certainly no exception, and because of that, furnishings play a heavy role in the sensory ergonomics of learning spaces. Most people associate furniture with physical comfort, and that is absolutely true. No one wants to sit in an uncomfortable chair all day or work at a wobbly desk that is too tall or small. That being said, the role of furniture goes far beyond the physical in ways you may have never considered and affects the senses on several different levels. The colors, shapes, sizes, and textures of furnishings hit humans at a subconscious level – a sensory level – that cannot be understated. There are plenty of studies which show how color affects mood, concentration levels, anxiety levels, etc. In classrooms, furniture takes up so much space that the overall color palette may be generated by the tables, desks, and chairs. It may not be in the budget for a school to buy all new furnishings, but just some basic swaps and adjustments have the ability to cause a positive shift.

Classrooms typically have 4 flat walls which generally do not make the most interesting shapes or designs. Again, the objects in a room that take up the most space and make for the most varieties of shapes are – you guessed it – the furnishings. Why do we typically see a rectangle desk as normal & utilitarian, but a curvy desk with some new angles as whimsical & fun? That is right at the heart of sensory ergonomics. The shape of a table can literally send a different message to your brain that can lift your mood. Again, many schools can’t buy a bunch of fun new shaped desks, but even squares and rectangles can be arranged in interesting configurations that can stimulate the imagination. Same goes for textures & touch points. If every seating area in the classroom is hard, flat, and smooth, it sends a message to the brain that things are going to be uncomfortable for the foreseeable future. If there is any way to throw a couple soft or upholstered seating options into the mix, the results can be dramatic. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or expensive – just a little variety works wonders on physical and mental comfort.

This barely scratches the surface in terms of classroom sensory ergonomics, but it is a starting point, and one that should be accessible for anyone – educators, designers, or furniture pros. Some of the other extremely important aspects pertain to lighting, air quality, and acoustics. These are all places where a little work can go a long way and it doesn’t require a construction bond. Is the classroom too dark or too light? A couple of strategically placed lamps or different types of light bulbs can help do the trick. Better yet, if there’s any opportunity to bring in natural light, make it happen. Same goes for air quality. There are a lot of very old buildings in the US that serve as schools, so this one can be a challenge. If windows are at a minimum and the AC unit was last serviced in the 70’s, even a small oscillating fan can help. If holding any part of the class outdoors is an option, that has the potential to make a world of a difference for the students and the teacher. These may all seem like common sense, but unless there is a focus placed on the importance of all of these combined, it will never be a priority.

Learn More

The more you take notice of what’s out there in this field of study, the more you’ll see it in your everyday life. Sensory Ergonomics is on a quest to bring the physical, built environment into harmony with innate human sensations, and there is no better place to start than in education spaces. Check out our Idea Gallery to see how concepts in Sensory Ergonomics can be utilized in every type of learning space: paragoninc.com/idea-gallery

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The Importance of Physical Activity for Cognitive Function

Paragon Furniture — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 08:49:46 +0000

There is a documented connection between physical activity and cognitive function. Two studies published by Psychology Today in 2014 found that physical activity can improve cognitive function over the course of people’s lives. One study from the University of Minnesota determined that young people who run or participate in aerobic activities maintain high level thinking and memory skills into middle age, and a second study from Finland found middle aged people who are active protect themselves from dementia as they grow older.

This research demonstrates a positive relationship between physical activity and cognitive function, something that is especially important in kids. This connection is tied to hormonal balance, the release of cortisol levels, dopamine, serotonin and the rest of the feel-good and alertness hormones that are important to survival and learning.

The brain/body connection is very well established, and physiological research also shows that thoughts and ideas can be triggered or suppressed based on too little or too much physical activity. What is both interesting and odd is that there seems to be so little recognition of the brain/body connection in the methods of how we teach kids.

They traditionally have been told to sit, be still, and learn in a passive, one-directional way, although that is changing. Today there is more collaboration and active learning modalities implemented in schools than ever before, even though the basic model is still the “sit-and-get” modality.

DEVELOPMENTAL AND PHYSICAL MECHANISMS

In cognitive assessments, educators are looking at factors such as intelligence, and perceptual skills in areas like verbal tests, math tests, and memory. These are categorized as learning or development mechanisms. A second category is physiological mechanisms. An interesting and important-to-note takeaway is that physical mechanisms serve to get more blood, and obviously more oxygen, to the brain. More blood and oxygen to the braincauses structural changes to neurotransmission and the central nervous system around triggers like intellectual arousal, for example.

Physical activity impacts learning and developmental mechanisms through these changes in neurotransmission and through concepts like social-emotional learning which primes kids to be better learners because of feelings of security and safety. Bringing physical activity into the learning environment helps create social-emotional learning and helps kids become mentally prepared to a master a skill or memorize something.

These two systems work together. The interplay between the physical activity and the emotional response to that movement, when there’s the optimal amount of physical activity – not too much, not too little – there’s a cascade of positive effects that increases cognition rates and primes kids to become better learners.

In the 1930s, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget unveiled his theory of cognitive development for kids that outlined how kids experience discrepancies between what they know and what they discover on their own. Children are well-adapted at constructing their understanding of the world based on what they experience to develop a mental model of the world. That model is constantly changing as kids process more. Piaget’s theory explained that kids can’t really make that mental model without being physically involved in the learning environment. One painful example would be falling off a bike and skinning a knee. That is an important learning experience for a child, and a huge part of teaching the risks associated with riding a bicycle. Piaget argued that kids can’t be coddled or held with velvet gloves, but rather they have to be allowed to out, be physically active, and embrace the world.

IMPACTING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

What does this mean in the learning environment? The typical design is very computational, very sensible. It’s all squares and rectangles from doors and windows to classroom layout because it’s easy to design from an engineering perspective. Of course, the world isn’t computational at all. It’s very fractal. No two trees look exactly alike. Leaves are all different. The natural world is the exact opposite of the learning environment of the typical school.

One obvious solution is getting outside and being exposed to the sun, trees, and grass. Some schools are taking this idea to heart and creating outdoor classrooms and learning environments. Of course, this is not always possible or even preferable.

One way to make learning more physical is through classes like art, sciences, and makerspaces where the outcome isn’t a written answer, but instead a physical representation of the answer requiring a hands-on response.

School furnishings can also have a physical impact on the school day. For example, a sit-stand desk that lets learners choose between the ability to stand for part of the day or sit at the desk like they would in a typical classroom. Chairs without backs means kids have to engage their core, stomach muscles, and thoracic spine creating an automatic brain/body connection to the simple act of sitting.

Another is a fairly traditional looking chair with a very flexible back. This allows kids to fidget. These micromovements are a form of physical activity. Learners can sit in their chairs and bounce and exert some physical engagement which will prime cognitive performance.

Naturally, physical education and sports are important aspects of getting kids physically active at school, but there is plenty of opportunity for physical activity in the standard, day-to-day classroom. When kids have the ability to move, work with their hands and be collaborative, they become more willing to engage in content and their cognitive ability improves.

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