Minnesota Teacher Inspires Classroom "Movement"

Pam Seekel, a fifth grade reading teacher in Somerset, Wisconsin (near the Minnesota border) realized it was unrealistic to expect her students sit still all day and quit fidgeting when she herself barely sat down during the course of a work day. She started to think: "Why should I make the kids sit down?"

She heard about the "stand up" desks that Abby Brown, a sixth grade teacher at nearby Marine Elementary in Marine on St. Croix, MN, had helped design and was using with her students.

Brown had learned that "stand up" desks were featured in a classroom of the future and thought the concept had merit.

She received a grant from the Education Minnesota (MN teacher's union) Foundation and purchased some desks but found that they weren't sturdy enough to withstand a classroom environment. She then began working with Sunway, Inc., of Wisconsin to design a desk that was sturdier and ergonomically correct.

Sunway built four or five prototypes before settling on the final design. Brown's sixth graders tested each prototype and provided valuable feedback.

The desk allows children to stand or sit. It features a u-shaped metal "swing" footrest which hangs under the desks. Students may place a foot on the "swing" and rock it back and forth. This movement, along with the freedom to stand or sit as desired, can help children to focus better. Its effect is most easily noted in children with attention deficit disorders.

Brown and other teachers in her school district using the "stand up" desks report increased attention in their classes. They also believe that children exhibit better posture, fewer behavior problems and more enthusiasm.

"Stand up" desks don't come cheap, however, costing about the twice as much as a traditional classroom desk. The least expensive desk unit costs $280 with an accompanying stool priced at $170.

Claims of the desks' benefits to young learners is currently anecdotal but several studies are in the works, including a comparison of test scores between groups of students using the "stand up" desks and students using standard desks and the University of Minnesota's School of Kinesiology study which will compare caloric output of students at the stand up stations versus students using traditional desks.

Some industries have used "stand up" work stations for years, but Brown's idea may have begun a small "movement" in education away from traditional classroom desks and toward "stand up" desk/work stations. Industries such as Sunway have begun to notice an increase in demand for their product.

Sources: http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/32501809.html

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