We had previously blogged about the remarkable ‘chair-less’ school in Rochester, Minnesota (US) that is embracing technology and health education on a remarkable level on 2 occasions: link 1 and link 2.

This came back to mind recently, thanks to Jon Benton of OWP, who sent us an update on the school’s unique program (although the article runs back to March of 06). The following design elements that continued to grab our attention again:

Background:

“When I was approached I realized that this has to be the face of the future not only for education but also for the health of American children,” said Jerry Williams, superintendent of Rochester Public Schools. “If the concepts are proven, Rochester will consider expanding such an experimental environment in one of our elementary schools.”

Thirty fourth and fifth graders spent a week having all their school activity measured in their traditional classroom. This week (week of March 13th) they are moving to the “school of the future.” They will be given several days to settle in. The children’s activity will be monitored in the new school environment and educational testing will be performed. The Mayo team will collect data on their movements using specialized telemetry called Posture and Activity Detectors (PADs). Each child will wear a PAD on his or her leg. The PADs will measure the time spent standing and walking.

Technology that inspires a new way of learning and moving:

Dr. Levine developed the school’s concepts during two decades of international research. They will be integrated into the children’s learning experience. Some of the innovations include:

€ Video-streamed “pod-casting” as a teaching aid
€ “Learn ‘n Move” bays — a step beyond traditional learning stations
€ Wireless technology
€ Personalized laptop computers
€ A novel earpiece that measures physical activity of the student
€ Vertical magnetic work spaces that double as projection screens
€ Innovative telemetry that collects data for scientific comparison
€ Personalized white boards (instead of one large blackboard for a room)
€ “Standing” desks — where the children will stand and work, rather than sit

What began to unfold that suggests that this goes well beyond technology per se:

The most amazing advance, according to Dr. Levine, is giving children the chance to move at school. “Children are so amazing,” he said. “They are adaptable and actually love to learn, we just have to let them move naturally.”

“We hope that the novel aspect of the technology will interest them so they choose to stand and move, rather than look for a place to sit,” says Dr. Lanningham-Foster. “Kids will stand at a video arcade; why not at a computerized learning center?”

Your thoughts?