Many jobs today require us to sit for prolonged periods of time. Science tells us that sitting all day isn’t the healthiest choice when it comes to doing our work, but sometimes it's inevitable. Research suggests that people who sit excessively have increased risk for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a cascade of other health ills. The human body is made to move, but global studies show we sit nearly 8 hours a day on average.

Active learning is described as a “teaching method that strives to more directly involve students in the learning process.” This is contrasted with passive learning, in which students simply sit and listen to a teacher speak, or watch some sort of presentation or video. There is a place for passive learning, but more and more teachers are experimenting with active learning to boost their students’ educational attainment.

We recently had the chance to sit down with the renowned school leadership and training consultant, Mark White, to pick his brain about education reform and the changing classroom design landscape. Below is our conversation.

Today’s children are born with a tweet. Generation Z has technology in hand from their earliest memories and they grow up and learn in a world unlike any experienced by generations before them. Writing is becoming obsolete. Colors are becoming essential for concentration. Learning through peers is becoming necessary for information retention. So how do teachers teach to this rising Gen Z classroom? Focusing on space is a good place to start.

When the Aeron chair debuted in 1994, it changed the way people sat and thought about what a chair could and should be. It changed the furniture industry! So how did Herman Miller improve one of the most iconic and beloved chairs in the world? They worked with the co-creator of the original Aeron chair, Don Chadwick, to match the new chair with the context of today’s work and technology. The result is a chair that uses stronger, smarter materials, has better adjustment capabilities, and is a healthier, more comfortable sit. It’s the evolution of a revolution.

When it comes to workplace furniture, there are a variety of choices that serve different comfort and style functions. Whether you need a chair for a visitor who sits a while or for an associate who sits most of their day, determining the best solution for your situation is easier when you know what to look for when choosing the right chair for work.

The college classroom of yesterday is history.

With the increased use of technology in the workplace, the need to sit for prolonged periods of time has increased as well. While technology was designed to make our lives easier, instead the toll of sitting has made it more difficult, at least on our bodies. This new phenomena leads back to employee wellness, and impacts us as organizations not only through sick time and missed work, but also in employee happiness and productivity.  

It was the end of an era...

To some, office furniture is just another business necessity; for others, it sets the tone and culture of the workplace environment. Whether it's a start-up or a Fortune 500 company, most organizations will need to spend dollars to support growing headcount and to change as the workplace requires. No matter the case, it can be a sizable investment for businesses.