Why Every School Needs to Prioritize SEL
As students wrap up an unprecedented school year, many families are beginning to reflect on their experience with hybrid, online, or in-person learning during a pandemic. It hasn’t been without its challenges. In fact, learning loss is projected to be a huge problem in coming years for k-12 students. But as COVID-19 positivity continues to decline, students can likely rely on the idea that they will be learning in person this fall. What that means for schools and educators is that time and energy will be needed to help students catch up to make up for time lost this year due to problems with virtual learning. A reported 15 million American students were without access to the tools needed to learn online, leaving many behind in already existing learning gaps. This is why the federal government has allocated ESSER funds for schools to spend. This money is meant to be used to help students recuperate academically and mentally from the effects of the pandemic. Mental health services within schools will be needed, as well as an increased emphasis on social-emotional learning, or SEL.
Read MoreTopics: Insider, Collaboration, Design, Active Learning, Human Development, Back-to-school, Teacher's Favorites, Thrive, Educators
5 Benefits of Esports Spaces in Educational Design
If you’re not sure what esports are, you aren’t alone. But for educators, parents, and designers of educational environments, it’s time to learn. This competitive video gaming is quickly gaining popularity as a form of extracurricular activity for intermediate and higher learning institutions. As the popularity of esports continues to rise, it may become even more significant following the pandemic. There are many benefits to esports in educational environments and this will be particularly important as students begin to reintegrate to in-person learning after a year in partial isolation. So how can esports benefit your school or student? Here are just benefits for your consideration.
Read MoreTopics: Case Studies, Design, Active Learning, Active Classroom, Technology, hybrid classroom, Compass, Ergonomics
Nurturing Morality, Empathy, and Equity in Classrooms
The digital age has brought many gifts to civilization, including the opportunity to keep people connected despite a global pandemic that required people to distance themselves. But with all the positive opportunities created by technology, negative consequences abound. Depression and anxiety rates are up among adolescents. Some experts suggest this is because of access and addiction to social media and hand-held devices. 2020 highlighted the importance of unity, education, and self-awareness. But how can we nurture these virtues in students so that they create a more just and equitable world?
Read MoreTopics: Case Studies, Active Learning, Human Development, Designer's Corner, i3sixty, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Compass, Teacher's Favorites, Thrive, Educators
Accessing Mobility in a Remote World
Do you sometimes feel like the past year has been a blur? As we come up upon a year of dealing with COVID-19 in the United States, the days can begin to mix together. This "Groundhog’s Day" feeling has been lasting over 10 months now, and even as life begins to return to normal, it may still seem as if progress is slow. At the same time, the world continues to move quickly. Kids are still learning. Companies are still hiring, producing, and flourishing. Some days, it can be challenging to remain productive and hopeful. So how can you gain access to a feeling of movement and change in a world dominated by distance? Here are just a few ways to get moving again.
Read MoreTopics: Active Learning, Human Development, Working from Home, Learn from Home, Technology, Covid-19, learning from home, hybrid classroom, remote, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Compass, Well-being
To Move or Not to Move? How Flexible Seating Works for Different Types of Learning
We know that diversity creates richness in any culture. Whether it’s within organizations, nations, or classrooms, including members and citizens from different backgrounds increases understanding, compassion, and acceptance. At our Thrive Together: Creating the Classrooms of Tomorrow fall webinar, our guest speakers spent a lot of time talking about how to create equity and inclusion in schools. But this doesn’t just apply to race, religion, or gender. It also applies to learning abilities. How each student learns is an important component to how they will succeed. For some, active learning may be the key to unlocking success in school where traditional models have failed. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of flexible seating and active learning for including all students and promoting self-confidence and academic achievement.
Read MoreTopics: Color, Active Learning, Active Classroom, Technology, Back-to-school, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ergonomics, Educators
10 Lessons from 2020 That We'll Need in 2021
As the year comes to a close, we reflect on all that happened in 2020. With the pandemic came changes to how we learn, work, and socialize. When COVID-19 came to the U.S., MooreCo got to work to quickly provide solutions for students to keep learning and workers to keep producing. We hosted our first webinar in June and our second in October, featuring panelists in the fields of medicine, design, and education. We closely followed the trajectory of the virus and how it was affecting the back-to-school season. We learned a lot in 2020 about COVID-19, about remote learning and working, and about how to thrive in a pandemic and we want to share our findings with you. Here are the top 10 lesson from 2020 that we’re sure to need in 2021.
Read MoreTopics: Insider, Active Learning, Human Development, Healthcare, Working from Home, Technology, Covid-19, Back-to-school, hybrid classroom, remote, hybrid, i3sixty, quick ship, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Expert Analysis
Topics: Color, Collaboration, Active Learning, Active Classroom, Designer's Corner, quick ship, Compass, Educators
Can We Find Togetherness Through Technology?
Although it’s not the same as being together in one room, people have been able to come together through the power of technology in 2020. Due to the pandemic, students are learning remotely, workers are telecommuting, and holiday get-togethers are taking place online to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. While it has been an adjustment with many challenges to move many of our activities online, there is also great opportunity being presented this year with new achievements in virtual togetherness.
Read MoreTopics: Active Learning, Human Development, Active Classroom, Designer's Corner, Working from Home, Technology, Covid-19, Back-to-school, learning from home, hybrid classroom, remote, hybrid, i3sixty, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Expert Analysis
Top 10 Things Teachers Want in Their Classrooms
Do you ever wonder how teachers would design the classroom of their dreams, if given the opportunity? We did! That’s why we interviewed gifted, passionate teachers to ask what’s on their wish list. We took their answers to educational designers Sylvia Kowalk and Robin Randall of Legat Architects so they could work their magic and render the dream classrooms. Using the Compass line by MooreCo, Sylvia and Robin created ideal STEM spaces and displayed their render-to-reality presentation during the fourth session of Thrive Together: Creating the Classrooms of Tomorrow webinar. Click here to watch the session!
Read MoreTopics: Insider, Collaboration, Case Studies, Design, Active Learning, Active Classroom, Designer's Corner, Covid-19, Back-to-school, Educators