I don’t know about you, but the classrooms of my childhood (especially when I spent a year of elementary school in England) were strictly standard-issue with rows of students arranged in alphabetical order at desks that tipped over precipitously if you leaned in the wrong direction. Lectures came at you, one-way, and participation was by permission-only. The reading circle was the closest we got to sanctioned interaction.
These days, of course, children are all about interactivity. Technology has trained them to absorb information much differently than the previous generation, and teaching methods are struggling to catch up — let alone the physical environment in which we demand that kids “learn.”
Project FROG, which is featured in this SmartPlanet video, was created with the idea that children will perform better if they are given not only more interactive tools to do so but placed in a physical environment that is healthier from a green standpoint. No more stinky sweaty classrooms or hypnotic fluorescent lights. Instead, Project FROG founder Mark Miller is emphasizing fresh air, better acoustics and natural light.
