Apply Math to Furniture Design

In the rush and push to teach our students what will be on “the test,” are we giving up the cultivation of creativity?

In the 2010 documentary Race to Nowhere, educators lament missed opportunities.  They want time to teach students the joys of applying fundamentals to real world problems.

Instead, student success has been defined by standardized scores.  Teachers are consumed with preparing students to meet federally imposed minimum Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements.

“You don’t learn math to pass a test but to solve problems that require math skills.  That’s bigger than a standardized test,” explained Annette Raphel, headmaster of New York City’s The School at Columbia.

At Raphel’s school, teachers have incorporated a whole curriculum approach to teaching design through math, science and writing classes.  Called Tools for Schools, the program asks eighth grade students to design school furniture!  Take a look at this video to see how students begin solving problems.

Partnering with the award-winning design firm Aruliden and one of North Carolina’s leading furniture firms, Bernhardt Design, the year-long School at Columbia program offers eighth-graders an integrated approach to applying concepts taught in their classrooms.

Why not try to make lockers, tables and desks and other school furniture work better?  The students are taken through ideation, concept and then production.  They wrestle with concerns about durability, comfort and graffiti-proofing.  “Every child and teacher deserves to work in a beautiful space,” declared Headmaster Raphel.

The final designs will be part of a special showcase exhibit at the 23rd annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair, May 14-17, 2011, in New York City.  For more information on the project, see here.