blog.schoolspecialty.com

“Research shows that when we exercise, blood pressure and blood flow increase everywhere in the body, including the brain,” writes University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Associate Professor Justin Rhodes for Scientific American. With a growing number of schools cutting back on recess and other chances for students to be physically active, incorporating movement into the classroom becomes even more important. Getting Students Out of Their Seats Teachers can combine active learning with opportunities for physical movement by using strategies such as gallery walks, role-playing exercises, or activities modeled after escape room games—in which students have to solve a series of puzzles scattered around the classroom. As the Director of Design and Development for School Specialty, Christina leads a team of professionals that not only offer complete turnkey modernization solutions for schools, but also design and deliver professional development to support districts making the transition to a flexible, collaborative, student-centered learning space.

A review of the research indicates that active learning leads to greater retention and transfer of information, better student engagement and motivation, and less frequent failure rates, among other benefits. For instance, Bonwell and Eison (1991) summarize the research on active learning and conclude that it leads to “better student attitudes and improvements in students’ thinking and writing. While active learning helps students learn content more deeply and builds skills that are imperative for students’ careers, the right kind of classroom environment is needed for active learning to succeed. As the Director of Design and Development for School Specialty, Christina leads a team of professionals that not only offer complete turnkey modernization solutions for schools, but also design and deliver professional development to support districts making the transition to a flexible, collaborative, student-centered learning space.

Art educators can enhance their teaching and creative skills through specialized professional development designed to inspire new ideas and techniques. Professional development opportunities give educators a chance to see how students can experience art through creative, interdisciplinary lesson plans. The interdisciplinary art lesson plans in the Sax “Workshops in a Box” are based on National Visual Arts Standards. Be sure to head over to the Art Lesson Plans tag page to find great ideas for art students in every grade level.

Director of Student Success, Patricia Medina San Antonio College is a two-year community college located just north of downtown San Antonio, Texas. One of the key areas of focus for San Antonio College is getting students ready for college-level work, so they can graduate and move on to a four-year college or university. When the college received funding to create a second math lab, Medina wanted a space that would be more inviting to students and would function more effectively for both students and instructors. With the help of School Specialty, San Antonio College has created a learning space that students can feel comfortable in as they build up their math skills and create a strong foundation for success.