Imagine a classroom that has small collaboration areas, a maker space and computers not only for work, but also the school’s e-sports team. The classroom of the future is being designed today with the help of EDspaces, the annual gathering of designers and educators created to explore new possibilities for school and campus learning environments.
EDspaces, which was held last week in Charlotte, demonstrates how the physical learning environment can meet the pedagogical needs and technology demands to support the mission of student success and well-being. It is where the future of learning and the design of spaces to support it come together.
For companies like KI, VS, Virco and Artco Bell that specialize in education furniture, it is one of the most important events of the year. It is also a major event for companies that are trying to build their presence in the market such as Special-T.
Ian Hicks, vice president of sales at Special-T, said the company was exhibiting at its second EDspaces to build awareness among designers and educators that Special-T doesn’t just make tables for the office and that its products work well in educational spaces too.
“The first time we exhibited at EDspaces was in 2019. The perception out there was that Special-T was just about the office. That perception needs to change,” he said.
For a company like Jonti Craft, which specializes in school furniture, EDspaces is the perfect time to connect with customers, said Matt Hinkle, vice president of sales.
“This is the only place where we have all our dealers in one place,” he said. “At EDspaces, we can meet personally with all of them in a single week. EDspaces sets the tone for us for the entire year to come.”
For those working in the education sector, the future looks very bright. Government money continues to flow into education and many school districts are passing millages to improve buildings and classrooms. Hinkle said school funding during election years always seems to increase as well.
There are 14,000 school districts and 200,000 schools and many of them are in the process of building new schools and at a minimum, improve their classrooms, which gives you an idea of the market potential for educational design work and furnishings.
A few trends emerged from our time at EDspaces. Here are five major educational trends that will change the way schools are designed and built.
Products that support student movement. Many younger students have a difficult time sitting still for long periods of time and manufacturers are responding with a host of products designed to allow children to move in the classroom without being disruptive to their fellow students.
Allowing students to move is what Kore Design is all about. The company makes several models of brightly colored plastic stools that have a rounded, convex bottom that lets students move their hips while sitting.
Lionel Lalonde, vice president of sales and marketing, said the stools act the same as fidget spinners by calming the student’s brain down. The company has sold more than 500,000 of the stools since they were introduced.
The rise of e-sports. Who would have ever believed that there would be “sports” teams at schools to compete in video games? Yet it is a major trend in education. Several manufacturers, including MiEN Environments and KI, were showing off furniture for e-sports teams. Brightly colored tables and ultra-comfortable chairs for long gaming sessions were on display around the exhibition hall. MiEN hosted an Esports Studio on the show floor.
Kyle Jones, deputy superintendent of F1S in Florence, S.C. explained how his district uses e-sports and how it has changed his schools. “When I think about our e-sports and broadcasting, I’m simply amazed at what our students have produced,” he said.
The inclusion of maker labs/spaces in school designs. There is a major push in schools to advance STEAM subjects. STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking. The CTE Robotics Lab sponsored by TMP Architecture showed how robotics could be taught in schools.
All of this is giving rise to maker labs or maker spaces in the classroom, said Dale Griffin, sales learning and enablement manager at KI. They are generally anchored by sturdy, large tables and storage bins filled with materials that students can use to create. “Exploration is being supported and elevated in many schools through maker spaces,” he said.
The importance of sensory spaces/neurodiversity. Designers are better understanding how to create spaces for students with emotional or disability challenges. And products like the Sensory Nook are helping them cope with stressful situations at school. These sensory products, which might include special lighting or tactile stimulator, are helping students get through issues that might have otherwise forced them to go home.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are critically important issues for school districts and they are literally designing these issues into classrooms.
School safety products. According to the Washington Post, More than 357,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine school shooting. There have been 389 school shootings since 1999, according to Post data. Although few educators want to discuss such a painful topic, it is important to design classrooms knowing that violence is a possibility.
At least three companies at EDspaces were showing off products that are bullet proof or are covered in a bullet proof film. One was NGS, the authorized dealer of 3M’s bullet proof window film. “I wish there was no need for this product,” said Jamie Hamilton, regional sales manager for NGS, “but we all know that’s not true. It is better to be prepared.”
EDspaces also has a Campus Safety Conference that runs alongside its programming.
EDspaces isn’t just about the expo and educational products. The event gives attendees 60 certified education sessions that give them the opportunity to earn professional credits to stay current on certifications. In addition, there were 24 mini-sessions held on the exhibit floor.