#DoItForTheKids

This past school year I came across the idea of flexible seating and made the decision to implement it in my classroom. If you are unfamiliar with the idea, flexible seating is basically a shift away from the teacher mindset that tells us students belong at a desk.

In my classroom, students have the choice of where they would like to work throughout the day. They were free to get up and move if they feel a different setting would better suit their needs. The focus of flexible seating, at least in my classroom, is for the teacher (me) to provide my students with choice in deciding what learning space works best for them.

So far, flexible seating has been a great success in my classroom. My plan for the upcoming school year is to offer more variety in the seating and work spaces. I have been wanting to incorporate more work space options, which is what I chose to create for my upcoming networked learning project. This project posed the challenge of “learning something you’ve always wanted to do” while only relying on the help of your Personal Learning Network (PLN). I have always wanted to build something on my own without the help of my dad (he’s an engineer), so this project has presented me with the perfect opportunity to achieve this goal.

 

Learning goal: Build a custom table

The plan

This decision was made (after much deliberation) because I felt I was able to incorporate many new seating options in my classroom this year, though I did not have many table options. I decided the plan for my table based off of three needs: I wanted something that could be adjustable (kids could use it as a standing work space, seated work space, or floor work space), movable, and able to be written on. 

 

I plan to construct a table for my classroom with adjustable PVC legs with wheels at the bottom so it will be both movable and adjustable. I plan to use hardboard panel board from Home Depot for the top of the table. This is a great budget friendly ‘white board’ material which will be perfect for my kids to write on with dry-erase markers if they wish.

So far I have come across a great video titled DIY: Making a desk with pipes that got me thinking of how I would like to design the table itself. I’ve also read How to Make Adjustable Height Table Legs, which gives me a great idea of how to make the table legs adjustable. Aside from these two resources, I plan on utilizing YouTube and my PLN via Twitter to guide me throughout this process.

Overall, I am very happy with my decision for my networked learning project. Flexible seating has become a passion of mine and I am excited to transform my classroom even more this upcoming school year. I also feel this will be a great challenge and learning opportunity for myself as I have never built anything from scratch before. I am very excited for the learning experience I am about to embark on. I cannot wait to share the journey with you!

If you are curious about flexible seating, Kayla Delzer wrote an excellent column titled “Why the 21st Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks“. I highly recommend checking out the article, as she provides a great perspective.

 

Image Resource:

• Olson, A. (2016). Flexible Seating [Online Image]. Retrieved June 26, 2016                          from http://luckylittlelearners.com/2016/01/flexible-seating.html