More Active Classrooms

An issue that has been bothering me lately takes place in the classroom. I recently came across a CNN story that presented the question of why we make students sit still in class, which really got me thinking. We send our children to still, quiet classrooms, and by doing so are neglecting meaningful, hands-on learning that could be occurring through physical activity. The concept of our minds being nestled within our physicality has been a forgotten concept, but can be very useful when dealing with students. Getting up and moving around in the classroom can benefit the students because we learn about the world through our senses, drawing in information through our bodies. Many classrooms have been set up so that they consist mostly of lectures, and since the average attention span is ten to fifteen minutes, they prove ineffective. Movement in the classroom is a way to narrow focus and attention, and release energy so that students can focus on a different activity.