School Church Furniture

Children don’t often yell in excitement when they are let into class, but as the doors opened to the upper level of the gym at South Middle School here one recent Monday, the assembled students let out a chorus of shrieks. In they rushed, past the Ping-Pong table, past the balance beams and the wrestling mats stacked unused. They sprinted past the ghosts of Gym Class Past toward two TV sets looming over square plastic mats on the floor.  Whether mobile or locking, schools can get TV carts of all kinds from Worthington Direct, www.worthingtondirect.com. 

In less than a minute a dozen seventh graders were dancing in furiously kinetic union to the thumps of a techno song called “Speed Over Beethoven.” Bill Hines, a physical education teacher at the school for 27 years, shook his head a little, smiled and said, “I’ll tell you one thing: they don’t run in here like that for basketball.” It is a scene being repeated across the country as schools deploy the blood-pumping video game Dance Dance Revolution as the latest weapon in the nation’s battle against the epidemic of childhood obesity.

While traditional video games are often criticized for contributing to the expanding waistlines of the nation’s children, at least several hundred schools in at least 10 states are now using Dance Dance Revolution, or D.D.R., as a regular part of their physical education curriculum. Based on current plans, more than 1,500 schools are expected to be using the game by the end of the decade.

Born nine years ago in the arcades of Japan, D.D.R. has become a small craze among a generation of young Americans who appear less enamored of traditional team sports than their parents were and more amenable to the personal pursuits enabled by modern technology. Incorporating D.D.R. into gym class is part of a general shift in physical education, with school districts de-emphasizing traditional sports in favor of less competitive activities. “Traditionally, physical education was about team sports and was very skills oriented,” said Chad Fenwick, who oversees physical education for the Los Angeles Unified School District, where about 40 schools now use Dance Dance Revolution. “What you’re seeing is a move toward activities where you don’t need to be so great at catching and throwing and things like that, so we can appeal to a wider range of kids.”

A basic D.D.R. system, including a television and game console, can be had for less than $500, but most schools that use the game choose to spend from $70 to $800 each for more robust mats, rather than rip apart the relatively flimsy versions meant for home use. In a study last year, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that children playing Dance Dance Revolution expended significantly more energy than children watching television and playing traditional video games. West Virginia, which ranks among the nation’s leaders in obesity, diabetes and hypertension, has sponsored its own study and has taken the lead in deploying the game, which requires players to dance in ever more complicated and strenuous patterns in time with electronic dance music. continue reading

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Supporters of education reform and increased funding for school technology should make their voices heard on Capitol Hill, but they must make sure their efforts are carefully targeted, on point, respectful, and professional.

Those were the key messages delivered during two separate events held just days apart in Washington, D.C. At a presentation during the American Association of School Administrators' annual Legislative Advocacy Conference on April 20, attendees learned how to communicate as effectively as possible with members of Congress as they state their case for changes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act and other school-reform efforts.

Two days later, supporters of educational technology received many of the same lessons at an event hosted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Nearly 80 ed-tech leaders from more than 20 U.S. states convened April 22 for the first-ever ISTE State Advocacy Capacity-Building Conference, which focused on developing relationships with state policy makers, leveraging conferences and other events, and using communications tools to lobby effectively for state-level policies, programs, and funding for school technology. Contact Worthington Direct, www.worthingtondirect.com, for all technology furniture needs, at industry low prices with helpful customer service.

Most participants, and many of the presenters, were members of ISTE's state affiliate organizations. Following this grassroots advocacy event, members of ISTE and other leading ed-tech groups took to Capitol Hill April 23 and 24 to meet with their Congressional representatives during a two-day federal Educational Technology Policy Summit. The summit was a joint project of ISTE, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), and the North American Council for Online Learning.

The timing of the event was significant, as Congress considers next year's federal education budget and looks to reauthorize NCLB. Federal funding for school technology has dropped sharply over the last few years, SETDA notes in a new report--from $635 million in fiscal year 2004 to $272 million last year. Despite this decline, there has never been a better time for educators, technology directors, and others to make their case to lawmakers, said Don Knezek, ISTE's chief executive. As national attention shifts to the new global economy and America's precarious hold on economic preeminence, Knezek noted, the issue of school technology fits nicely inside the confines of more politically popular conversations about global competitiveness and the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. continue reading

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School buses and other vehicles are being equipped with wireless internet access in an emerging trend that has enormous implications for students. Proponents of the trend say wireless connectivity on buses could turn what is often a dull ride into another opportunity for learning.  Students can keep their laptops just as mobile and fully charged with a Laptop Cart by Bretford.  Just visit www.worthingtondirect.com.

In one example of this trend, a Vanderbilt University professor is helping rural students with long commutes to school by turning their buses into mobile classrooms. Students will be able to download lessons from the internet via cell-phone towers.

Billy Hudson, a professor of medicine and biochemistry, got inspiration for the project from his own childhood in rural Arkansas. He said he never took a science or math class in high school and dropped out after 11th grade, planning to work on a cotton plantation until he was old enough to join the Army. But his life changed when a teacher intervened, arranging for him to take summer classes at a small college in a distant town.

Children in his hometown of Grapevine, Ark., still are so isolated that, for some, the bus ride between their homes and school lasts 90 minutes each way. But Hudson plans to turn those long hours to the students' advantage by using technology to give them science and math instruction while they ride. Hudson returned to his hometown recently to launch a three-year pilot study of what he calls the Aspirnaut Initiative.

In a ceremony at their school, students who have chosen to participate in the program received video iPods they will use to view educational videos and podcasts. A select group of 15 students received laptop computers that will allow them to have a back-and-forth exchange with Vanderbilt professors who are designing individualized lessons for them. continue reading

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Jackie Silberg (also known as "Miss Jackie" from her television years) is an internationally recognized authority on child development, is the irrepressible music educator and creator of games and activities that explore the non-singing elements of music -- sound, rhythm, language, movement and instruments. Her numerous award-winning titles have educated and entertained young children and their parents and teachers for many years. 

Worthington Direct, www.worthingtondirect.com, can provide early childhood teachers with a variety of group listening tools by Califone.  Like this CD/dual cassette powered listening center with 4 headphones.

Music is a vital component woven into every aspect of Jackie Silberg's teaching methods and the effectiveness of her songs is best appreciated by simply listening to a few tunes! Besides Jackie herself, there are also numerous other musicians who are performing and recording Miss Jackie's music.

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Graduation is a big day for everyone in the family so make sure you have enough seats for everyone!  Let Worthington Direct help with great product selection and special savings.  Don't leave Grandma standing!

Visit our website at www.worthingtondirect.com

Traditional Back Folding Chairs by Samsonite

 

• 18-gauge 3/4" tubular steel frame construction.
• Molded seat and back.
• Zinc-plated steel rivets.
• Tube-in-a-tube™ construction for optimal strength.
• Double riveted back leg U-brace.
• Opti-Bond™ powder coat finish.
• Non-marring leg caps.
• Folds flat for compact storage.
• Chairs stack 68 high on chair truck*; fits through standard 80" doorway.
• Free Freight on Purchase of 52 or more!

     *Shown stacked flat on chair truck.

  

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"Be sure to study for the test on Friday," one of your child's teachers is certain to say some day soon. Does your child know how?

While many teachers spend some class time teaching study skills, it's not unusual for students to need more guidance than they get in the classroom. In middle school, there's more homework, it becomes more difficult and it requires analytical skills your child may not have developed yet.

The study skills your child needs to do well on her test on Friday are the same ones she will need to succeed in high school and college: getting organized, taking good notes and studying effectively. As your child moves toward independence, she's less likely to ask for your advice. She will need to go through some trial and error to come up with the strategies most compatible with her learning style. And you'll want to encourage her to take responsibility for her own school work.

You can help her by monitoring homework, asking questions and helping her evaluate what works for her – and what doesn't. Helping Your Child Get Organized Getting organized is crucial for your child, says Linda Winburn, a veteran South Carolina middle school teacher who became the state's 2005 Teacher of the Year. "And the key is parent involvement."

Some tips to help your child get organized:

Provide a place to study. It doesn't have to be a desk, says Winburn. "A kitchen counter is a great place, especially if mom's in the kitchen cooking." The desk or table surface should be big enough so that your student can spread out papers and books. Make sure essential supplies such as pens, paper and calculator are close by. Have good lighting and a sturdy chair that's the right height available.  Worthington Direct, www.worthingtondirect.com, offers many different styles and heights to keep your child comfortable during study time.  continue reading

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Worthington Direct is a Leader in these Efforts New teaching methods, growing numbers of students in each class, integration of technology and a host of other challenges have changed the needs of America's classrooms. Computer furniture, activity tables, and new Smart wipe boards have replaced many traditional desks, chairs and chalkboards. As legislators and school officials assess the need for new school furniture, they need to be able to easily find the classroom furniture and accessories that meet their needs. Worthington Direct features new classroom furniture options for 2007 that offer stimulating color, functionality, and versatility and easily meets the needs and budget requirements of administrators and legislators, such as in the following situation.

The Senate chairman on education and youth affairs has urged schools to consider applying for federal grants to secure funds for classroom equipment.

Sen. Jude Hofschneider met with education officials last week to discuss a request from Marianas High School for funds to buy replacement desks. Present in the meeting were Board of Education chairman Roman Benavente, Education commissioner David Borja, MHS principal Karen Borja, and the governor's coordinator for capital improvement project funds, Vicky Villagomez.

During the meeting, Hofschneider reportedly suggested that the Public School System apply for the U.S. Department of Education's economic impact initiative grant. According to Hofschneider, each school can get up to $200,000 under the grant.

He recommended that the schools include the cost of classroom equipment when applying for CIP funds, so they will not have to tap operational funds for this purpose. He also urged the schools to ensure they get their share of the Compact Impact funds and to take advantage of the education tax credit law.

"PSS needs to be creative in finding solutions," Hofschneider said. MHS's request was for each lawmaker, as well as community members and other public servants, to help the school raise funds for the purchase of 500 new student desks. Each desk costs $114 each, and the school is hoping each lawmaker can purchase 10 to 30 desks.

"If we could get at least 17 other legislators to support a classroom of 30, then we could easily reach our goal of receiving 500 new student desks," MHS officials and students wrote Hofschneider on Feb. 7, 2007.

MHS offered to recognize each donor by placing a plaque with his or her name on the door of the classroom. The school also pledged to publicize the donations.

"Marianas High School really needs your help! There are currently over 1,200 students at our school who are sitting on old, broken, and dilapidated school desks. Not only are our desks in poor condition, but the tables and chairs that are not being used by our students to meet the growing student population are as horrible," MHS said.

"We are not asking for your good office to solve this problem or purchase all the desks, but we are asking for you to be part of the bigger solution. We are reaching out to our community members and public servants to take part in helping an institution that has served its community as well," the school added.

Worthington Direct offers a variety of desks to help furnish schools. Combo desks by Scholar Craft feature an extra support arm, a large 18"x24" desk top, heavy duty, 16 gauge steel legs, and a 3 sided book box; and are a popular choice among schools. Worthington Direct also provide desks by Virco, like the Double Entry Combo Desk featuring a sled base, welded book rack, and convenient dual-entry seating.

To learn more about desk selections from Worthington, please visit us at www.worthingtondirect.com/desks.  continue reading

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Bretford Manufacturing, Inc., the leading supplier of high quality technology and media furniture that improves how people work and learn, today introduced four new contemporary book trucks for schools, libraries and offices. All four of the compact designs ship fully assembled for easy set-up and can be delivered in small quantities by UPS for up to an 80 percent savings in shipping expenses as compared to traditional freight costs. Visit www.worthingtondirect.com to view other products produced by Bretford Manufaturing, Inc. or call us for a quote on these new book trucks at (800)599-6636.

According to Dave Smith, product manager, Bretford Manufacturing, Inc., “Book trucks are an essential part of every school, library and office. But setting up a book truck can require time-consuming assembly labor. And because a lot of the standard book truck designs are big and bulky, they are extremely expensive to ship.” He continued, “Bretford’s new book trucks arrive to our customers completely constructed, which eliminates set-up hassles. By sending smaller orders of five or fewer book trucks via UPS, users have the ability to achieve significant savings in shipping costs.”

The new book trucks can be used to store, display and transport everything from books to mail to computer equipment like laptops and DVDs. They are arc welded and fully assembled at the factory to ensure quality and longevity. All of the new book trucks feature smooth rounded handles with designer twin wheel casters rated at 125 pounds each for easy movement when carrying a large number of heavy items. They are constructed from durable, all-steel material and finished in nine different powder paints for years of reliable strength and a wide variety of colors to match the style and décor of their environment.

The new BOO227 is single-sided with extra deep slant shelves for the storage of large books, binders and files, while the BOOV5, BOOF7 and BOOFV6 are all double-sided to maximize storage capabilities. The BOOV5 features two double-sided slant shelves, the BOOF7 features two flat shelves and the BOOFV6 has a combination flat shelf on top and double-sided slant shelf on the bottom.

All of the new book trucks come standard with a 12-year standard parts and labor warranty.

About Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. Headquartered in Franklin Park, IL, Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. is the leading supplier of high quality technology and media furniture that improves how people work and learn. Founded in 1948, Bretford holds almost six decades of expertise dedicated solely to the design and manufacturer of furniture solutions. Today with nearly 500 employees and 340,000 square feet of production space, Bretford’s products and accessories are part of the most comprehensive line-up of furniture solutions available from a single manufacturer. By offering intelligent furniture designs that support evolving technology, Bretford has enabled offices, institutions, organizations and corporations to increase productivity and efficiency. Bretford’s superior workmanship and environmentally-compliant manufacturing and operation practices ensure dependable products that are further backed by the industry’s best 20-year parts and labor warranty for library furniture products and 12-year parts and labor warranty for all other Bretford products. continue reading

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Selecting classroom furniture is one of the most important purchases a principal ever makes for his or her students. Whether the students are preschoolers or premed students or somewhere in between, the furniture must be comfortable and age-appropriate.

Classroom Desks

The younger the student, the more likely the classroom furniture will be an individual desk with an individual chair. Choosing separate desks and chairs allows the teachers to adjust the height of the units to the exact working height that each student needs. Individual desks cater to students of all sizes by adjusting in one-inch increments.

School desks that are correctly measured will enhance a student’s ability to concentrate and learn. Several desk designs have tubular steel frames that are adjustable. These desks will be able to accommodate students of all ages.

The base of a desk will greatly depend on what type of classroom it is for and also the type of floors in the classroom. Among many product lines are desks with four legs that are appropriate for classrooms with hard floors and desks with sled bases that work well in classrooms with carpeting.

If a teacher desires versatility in a classroom, then a double desk, which allow students sit by twos, or desks that can join together to form hexagons or octagons are an option.

It is important for desks to be able to accommodate students and their school materials. The younger a student, the more often a classroom desk will offer book storage as an option. Once a student reaches middle school, and moves between classrooms, book storage needs change. The majority of desks have three different types of book storage.

1. Open Front Book Box

If convenience is a top priority, then an open front book box is the right choice. Students can access to all of their school supplies without having to remove the objects from the top of their desks.

2. Lift Top Book Box

If students are going to be storing lots of school materials in their desks, then a lift top book box is the right choice. This book storage option has the most room for school supplies.

3. Book Rack

Under desk wire bookracks are good for students who will just be storing books, backpacks and notebooks for a single hour class.

Classroom Chairs

Selecting individual chairs to complement the individual student desks sounds easy; however, the choices are so vast that each principal should consider these tips to assist the process.

Let’s start with the obvious. High school students should not be squeezed into something designed for someone less than half their age, and, likewise, kindergartners should not be overwhelmed by extremely large seats. The range of sizes in several furniture collections can accommodate the young and old alike, and some seats are adjustable and thus capable of suiting all ages and sizes.

The different chair designs include the following:

1. Standard

These chairs will be basic chairs that are seen most often in classrooms. A classic chair is usually constructed in two pieces and can withstand five to 10 years of use from most students.

2. Stacking

If your classroom is going to continually be rearranged, then you will need a chair that is lightweight and versatile. Stacking chairs can be neatly placed on top of each other and stored or moved easily.

3. Shell

Students will be sitting in classroom chairs all day, so their comfort should be a great concern. Shell chairs are generally constructed of a single piece of softer plastic and are designed to fit the student’s body for more comfort then standard chairs.

4. Swivel

Sometimes students need to be able to look in different areas of the classroom. Swivel chairs will allow students to turn their chair in whichever direction is needed and are great options for computer rooms or art labs.

The base of a chair will greatly depend on the type of classroom and also the type of floors within the classrooms. There are three different types of bases.

1. Four Legs

If a classroom has wood or tile floors, then a standard four-legged chair will be a great choice. Most four-legged chairs will come with swivel feet that allow the chairs to slide easily on your floors.

2. Sled Base

For classrooms with carpet, sled base chairs are the best. The design of the base allows the chairs to slide easily on carpet.

3. Casters

Chairs with casters are mostly used in computer and art labs. These chairs are better for older students who won’t be tempted to create an annoyance by rolling around. continue reading

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Never underestimate toddlers. Even at the tender age of 18 months they are able to observe adults and use the emotional reactions they see to shape their own behavior, according to a new study.

 Researchers describe it as "emotional eavesdropping" -- watching and listening to people to understand emotional dynamics. "This may be a precursor to ‘reading' other people's minds by understanding their emotional and psychological states," said Betty Repacholi, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington.

She and her colleague Andrew Meltzoff said their findings, which are published in the journal of Child Development, show how sensitive toddlers are to the interactions of adults. "They don't need to try out a behavior of their own and get rewarded or punished, they can watch what an older brother or sister does and learn from what happens to them," said Meltzoff, who is co-director of the university's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. "This study helps fill in a missing piece, because it shows the children engage in ‘emotional eavesdropping.'

Worthington Direct, www.worthingtondirect, offers a variety of products that toddlers can use that are similar to products used by their parents or caregivers.  Toddlers can learn about the various stations in a kitchen with Jonti-Craft's Kitchen Centers or learn about closest organization with the Dress Up Island.

Children have their emotional antenna up all the time and they learn from eavesdropping on the behaviors of others," he added in a statement. The researchers observed how babies reacted as they watched as one adult played with a toy and a second person expressed anger or a neutral reaction. In one experiment the 96 toddlers were allowed to play with the toy and imitate what the first adult had been doing after the second adult had left the room, or had remained and looked at the child with a neutral expression. continue reading

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