Thanks to a couple of Innovation grants awarded by the Owensboro Public Schools Board of Education, some Sutton and Estes elementary school students are standing up for learning and peddling to success.
Recently, Sutton teacher Gina Davis was awarded $25,000 to replace her classroom’s traditional worktables with standing desks.
“The desks make it more flexible to provide individual attention because the desks move,” said Gina Davis, Sutton teacher.
Fully mobile, the desks are arranged in stations and come with stools. Students can stand or sit whenever they would like.
“Whenever you’re standing, it keeps you alert and makes you want to work harder,” said Brady Lanham, Sutton student.
Across town at Estes elementary school, Mrs. Harralson’s class looks more like a Tour de France than a group of kindergarteners. At a cost of $12,000, Estes elementary purchased pedal desks, which are shared between kindergarten classes. The desks look like a traditional desk on top, but when you look underneath, you find bicycle pedals.
“I saw the need for these pedal desks at the beginning of the year due to the large amount of students that were kinesthetic leaners,” said Faith Harralson, Estes kindergarten teacher.
Harralson says the pedal desks allow the students to move more which is good for the mind and body because it activates cells in the brain.
“I’ve seen a shift in my students’ behavior and engagement since the bikes arrived. Thanks to good engineering, the pedals are essentially noiseless and don’t interfere with instruction or activities,” added Harralson.
The desks were purchased from KIDSFIT Youth Fitness. Children are fully protected from all moving parts by side cover guards keeping the students safe at all times.
