Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, educational furniture can bridge a gap between the learning space and pedagogical strategies. As a facilitator or administrator, have you ever experienced learners who stop ‘tracking’ while you walk because they constantly need to bend around the back of their chair? Have you ever experienced constantly running into the corners of tables or legs of furniture while attempting an activity such as a Gallery Walk or Guided Discovery? The space should act as an extension of learning – with furniture pieces playing a pivotal role.
Pairing the physical space with curriculums and emphasizing design layouts within scope & sequences, unit maps, and lesson plans can positively support learner engagement, access, and retention.
Top 3 pedagogy-friendly NorvaNivel pieces & the product features that make them so!
1. SunshineOnaCloudieDay Table
With its play on shape and biophilic resonance, SunshineOnACloudieDay Table takes the cake for integration of modality within the learning space. This table features ADA compliance with height adjustability through weight release mechanisms for long-lasting durability and motion control. It can also include a writable or textured surface which compliments the angular settings 90-180 degrees.
The SunshineOnACloudieDay Table has been used to support curriculums and methodologies such as:
- ELA – Writer’s Workshop
- Humanities – Reader’s Theater
- Art/STEAM – Presentation of Work
- Math/STEM – Collaboration, Mapping, Exploration, Presentation of Work
Because of its unique structure, work surface, presentation capabilities as well as ease of transition between adjustments – the SunshineOnACloudieDay Table is also exceedingly popular amongst school leadership for Professional Development, In-Service Sessions, Town Hall Meetings, Board Meetings, and any other collaborate gathering of adults and community members.
2. Acoustic / Interactive Paneling
Many districts across the United States incorporate Instructional Learning Materials (ILMs). Sometimes, ILMs come with their own Professional Development/training sessions, measurement tools, kits, and even their own budget lines. By definition, ILMs can incorporate tools of varying mediums. Why not include Acoustic / Interactive Paneling to a lesson agenda?
Here are the most common strategies for incorporating Acoustic / Interactive Paneling alongside pedagogical approaches:
- Misconception Discussion – Have learners show their work on white board surface interchangeable panels. These adhere seamlessly to acoustic tiles allowing the entire learning community to view work, mark patterns, highlight misconceptions, and understand different thought pathways.
- Reader’s Theater – Acoustic / Interactive Paneling is phenomenal at supporting ‘theater’ based experiences. Need a backdrop for a story? Want to showcase the full perspective of a biography or news headline? Incorporate various colors and textures to support activity objectives.
- Intervention / Small-Group – Utilizing Acoustic / Interactive Paneling in compartmentalized sections of a learning space allows for the creation of intervention or small-group nooks. Not only do the acoustic tiles allow for greater audio regulation, interactive tiles such as TacTiles and whiteboards allow for greater engagement and differentiation.
3. WorkPad with WorkPad Caddy
From a ‘teaching’ perspective, if a product isn’t learner-facing, curriculum-minded, or facilitator-friendly, one would ask the questions… ‘is this making learning harder or easier? Is this adding value to or taking away from the planning process?’
The WorkPad with WorkPad Caddy fulfills these 3 criteria in the following ways…
- Learner-Facing: WorkPads allow for differentiated floor seating as well as lap worksurfaces, backrests, abdominal pressure… you name it, we’ve seen or heard of learners using these pieces 83972300123 ways.
- Curriculum-Minded: This piece supports components such as Morning Meeting, Read Aloud, Guided Reading, Centers, Breakout Groups etc.
- Facilitator-Friendly: Because WorkPads are lightweight and durable – learners of all ages can become masters at retrieving and using them on their own. Because the WorkPad Caddy is on 360° casters, it allows whoever is seated flexible mobility as well as necessary storage.
Now What?
Interested in exploring how the physical space in your learning environment is either assisting or prohibiting pedagogical practices? Reach out to givethemspace@norvanivel.com and inquire about our Comprehensive Needs Assessment programming. This service allows our team to work in partnership with districts, schools, and all instructional personnel to gauge the capabilities of current spaces as well as how to engage learners with spatially motivated objectives.