DIRTT Walls Remove Barriers to Personalized Learning
Education organization recognizes Leaf ™ wall with an innovation award
The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) is a global non-profit organization and their only focus is making learning spaces better for kids. The Leaf wall is a DIRTT solution that offers unprecedented space flexibility. It looks like a regular DIRTT wall, but easily collapses turning smaller rooms into bigger ones. It also works the other way, turning big spaces into something more intimate. Were thrilled to announce, on October 4 the A4LE gave DIRTT the 2019 solution provider award for our Leaf wall.
Changing the way students learn
The A4LE award was created to recognize solutions that have a real impact on students and the way they learn. The focus was on innovation and sustainability — two things near and dear to DIRTT. We’re thrilled about the award. But the exciting thing isn’t what we did to get this award. It’s what this award is going to let other people accomplish.
According to DIRTT sales representative Heather Morgan, the world of education is going through a shift. Among teachers, the discussion is dominated by how pedagogy is evolving. For those that don’t work in schools, it means teachers are changing the way they teach. It used to be that kids filed into rooms, found a row of desks, sat down and learned by rote. But as Morgan notes, that’s not how kids work.
IMAGE CREDIT: Upper Left Photography
With the advent of STEM and STEAM education, teachers need that ability to move kids around and give them flexibility and individual choice.
Heather Morgan, Education Specialist, DIRTT
IMAGE CREDIT: Upper Left Photography
“If they want to stand for part of the day and if they want to sit for part of the day, they should be able to,” says Morgan. Schools invest in a lot of different kinds of furniture. Booths and tables at different heights. But the rooms that they’re in don’t live up to what is in them. “What we’re still seeing is this lack of ability to change the built environment,” says Morgan. “The agility in that built environment hasn’t caught up to the agility that they are pushing for in things like furniture.”
That’s part of the reason why the Leaf wall was singled out for this award.
They’re looking for is the ability to immediately change the environment to suit how they want to teach that day.
Heather Morgan, Education Specialist, DIRTT
Leaf gives teachers the chance to easily match their classroom space to suit their teaching style. Within seconds, a Leaf wall can be deployed or retracted. This gives classes a greater sense of freedom.
“Kids are taking engineering in Grade 6 and 7…. And they can’t be problem solvers when they’re sitting in straight desks and having someone up at the front. It’s got to be very collaborative. And that is why Leaf stands out,” says Morgan.
Leaf doesn’t just check the innovation boxes for this award. The jurors were also impressed with LEAF’s sustainability. If you want to take a standard DIRTT wall and convert it to LEAF, you can do that. All the parts and pieces work together to get repurposed. And it works both ways. If you need to turn a Leaf wall back into a standard wall, it can do that too.
Leaf opens or closes in seconds
IMAGE CREDIT: Kate Horgan Photography
Everybody wins
It’s hard to talk about winning an award like this without sounding like we’re bragging. Here’s the way we see it. Being recognized by hundreds of educators for innovation means that more people will learn about the benefits of insdustrialized construction. From creating custom spaces that optimize education to delivering sustainable solutions that future proof a classroom, DIRTT is proud of the work we’re doing in education. And the more people know about it, the sooner we can help build the classroom of the future.
Leaf lets you choose how you want to work
IMAGE CREDIT: Raj Das Photography
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