TruexCullins

The Digital Crayon: Lessons on Design from A to Z

For the past decade, TruexCullins has been sharing insights gained from working with schools in Vermont and around the world. This includes a range of topics, from school security and technology to 21st century learning. We identify design elements that can facilitate a school’s goals for student learning, student wellness, and community engagement.

These insights are collected into what we call the Digital Crayon. This is valuable reading for school directors, superintendents, principals and facility directors.

Please let us know if you would like a copy, and as always, we welcome your feedback!

Below are a few chapters from our book covering 5 topics on Improving your School.

Digital Crayon by David Epstein, AIA

 

Part 1: Minimizing Indoor Pollutants
In this first post of a 5-part series, David Epstein explains how you can make improvements to classroom indoor air quality to improve student health and productivity.

Part 2:  Maximizing Ventilation
Providing fresh-air ventilation is key to creating a healthy, productive classroom environment. In this entry of the Digital Crayon, David Epstein explains how to incorporate and maintain a properly performing ventilation system.

Part 3: Incorporating Natural Light
Access to natural light affects our ability to remain alert – and to learn, which is why lighting upgrades are often central to school improvements. Here are four ways to introduce natural light into a classroom without windows.

Part 4: Classroom Furniture
Incorporating flexible and reconfigurable furniture is a great way to improve the classroom and promote student-centered learning. In this post, we share some new approaches to classroom furniture design.

Part 5: Decluttering Your Classroom
The typical early childhood classroom is thoroughly decorated, but does all of this visual noise provide inspiration or just distraction? One study showed some interesting results.