The adjustable desk project was funded by a non-profit organization in the community. Two teachers were awarded six stand up desks for their classrooms. The desks are specifically designed for students, and are equipped with a swinging footrest that encourages movement and a natural fidget. Now students can move freely without feeling restless and trapped in their seats.

“Just asking the kids about [the desks] brings a big smile to their faces,” the principal said. “The fidget bar is a great invention. Students who need to do something physical while at their desk finally have something that is not disruptive to those around them.”

The teachers reported that the students were much more engaged at the standup desk, and constantly moved their feet back and forth with the fidget bar. Students didn’t ask to use the bathroom or water fountain as much, and the height allowed them to see the board better.

The desks were designed by teachers and an ergonomic manufacturer to help students focus more in schools. Researched showed that basic fidgeting burned 100 to 800 calories a day, and children are less disruptive and more productive since they have an outlet for their energy.

According to the book, Fidget to Focus, the authors explained that fidgeting is a natural reaction and actually stimulates focus. Adults are able to take breaks and change tasks, while students are forced to remain in their seats in traditional classrooms.

Of course the desks included a stool, so the students could easily rest their legs once they needed to take a seat. But they weren’t used as often, since students were happy to use the swinging footrest and stand. The result was so positive that the teacher’s wanted a full classroom of standing desks.

But because there were only three in each room, students rotated between using the standing desk and the traditional desk. “Students who are not using the standup desk continue to sit on their knees, stand and fidget at their desks,” the teacher said. “I don’t see these distractions from the students who use the standup desks.”

Since this was an experiment to test standing desks in schools, the teachers assessed student’s behavior and compared actions like slouching, eye contact, and hand and seat fidgeting. If the results are substantial, the elementary school will most likely add more desks into the classrooms.

What do you think about adding standing desks to a classroom? Would you encourage your local schools to get behind the movement?

See the full article from The Progress, here:

The post School Uses Standing Desk to Encourage Fidgeting appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

A first grade class used standing desks to improve learning in the classroom. Seventy percent of the students stood full-time after just six weeks.

In a previous post we briefly touched on the benefits of standing desks or adjustable height desks in the classroom. Kids burn off excess energy, will focus more on the task at hand, and will be much healthier with a standing desk. Now, there is even more evidence that standing desks in the classroom are beneficial. Just check out this study.

Recently in a first-grade classroom in Texas, students were all equipped with standing desks. The desks came with a stool, but gave students the freedom to stand as well.

According to Monica Wendel, co-author of the study published last year in the American Journal of Public Health, “Most students want to be standing, to be moving,” after six weeks, 70 percent of the students never used their stools to sit. And the other 30 percent stood the majority of the time they were at their desks.

Overall the study showed that using a standing desk significantly increases calorie burn in first graders. The results showed that heavier students in the 85^th percentile for weight based on gender and age burned a staggering 32 percent more calories standing than sitting! This is huge in combating obesity from an early age.

Some teachers might worry that using a standing desk in the classroom would be a distraction, but according to the study, standing desks actually boost productivity—especially in young students like these first graders who have a lot of energy to burn.

Here’s my favorite part about this study. Apparently, just a few weeks after the study began the teachers even requested standing desks for themselves.

Okay, this might actually be my favorite part about the study… Apparently when they tried to have students sit on stability balls rather than use standing desks, it was, as you can imagine, a bit chaotic. Students were bouncing around the classroom, toppling over, throwing their balls…

So if you have a little one who needs a place to do his or her homework, opt for a standing desk or height adjustable desk … It’s probably best to leave the stability balls for the adults.

What kind of desk setup do your kids use for homework?

Source: ChicagoTribune.com

The post Stand Up for Learning appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

Did you ever hear of the obesity epidemic of the 19^th century? How about all of the students with ADHD and diabetes? No? That’s because they weren’t a problem then!

Today, students from the age of 5 to 25 spend so much of their time sitting down. They sit in class, they sit at lunch, they sit when they get home to do homework, then they sit when they eat dinner, and then they sit when they watch television or play videogames for hours on end. It seems like the only times they’re not sitting is when they’re moving from one seat to another, or when they finally go to sleep at night. It’s crazy!

Some schools are not only taking notice, but taking a stand—literally. Elementary schools all over the world are starting to implement standing desks—some even have swinging foot rests. This not only keeps children more engaged in the lesson by burning off extra energy, but it also makes them healthier and less likely to become obese or get diabetes.

With their standing desks, students are getting better grades, paying better attention, and feel healthier and happier—both in the classroom and out.

So if you are a parent, a teacher, or even a student yourself, consider a standing desk. I’m standing behind one right now and honestly, I wouldn’t be nearly as productive without it—I just wish I’d had one in school!

What do you think about standing desks in schools? Share your thoughts below!

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