The spread of the novel Coronavirus pushed classrooms and offices into a virtual setting as people around the world locked down to mitigate its effect on communities. As standard school breaks come to a close and education systems prepare for a new school year, returning to school safely has become a major topic of discussion. How will schools provide a safe learning environment for returning students in the midst of a global pandemic? We’ve compiled three ways to reduce the spread of germs in the classroom while preserving productivity.
Collaborative Separation
“Social distancing” is a relatively new term implemented by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) encouraging individuals to maintain two arms’ length, or 6 feet, of distance between one another. Some studies have shown this distance to be sufficient in stopping the spread of germs from person to person. Another form of social distancing is separation – by isolating people from one another, germs don’t have the chance to spread. Using multipurpose barriers like Mobile, schools can create an easy-to-clean, bacteria-resistant divide between students that also provides a dry erase work space. With smooth-rolling casters that lock and unlock, products like Mobile can easily move from one place to another for space division and increased social distancing in the classroom wherever students need it.
Germ-Free, Worry-Free
Schools and parents have continued to speculate how they will keep up with sanitation throughout the year while providing quality education. Maintaining the classroom environment will be vital to success for a return to on-campus learning as much as instructing students on their personal cleanliness and social distancing practices. One way to make things easier is to reduce the number of surfaces requiring frequent cleaning. Surfaces can harbor microbes like bacteria and viruses that make us sick, so keeping them clean and free from germs is essential to the overall health of a school’s population. Polyvision’s Hygienic CeramicSteel is an ideal integration for any environment, but especially for schools. By integrating Hygienic CeramicSteel whiteboards in classrooms, teachers and students will know that their whiteboard is always free of germs and prepped for lessons. The surface uses Silver Ion Technology to create a clean surface within 24 hours, providing peace of mind of educators, students and parents.
Digital Learning, Analog Tools
Every region, country and school district has different policies for returning to school this fall, and many parents are hesitant to send their school-age kids back to campus at all. Online digital learning has become the solution for continuing education while keeping students home, safely distanced from their peers. While not ideal, lessons will still be able to continue for those unable to return to an on-campus environment. We all know that, in the digital age, online learning is a common and well-honed practice. But we also know studies have shown supplementing with analog tools engages the Reticular Activating System and improves memory retention, mood, and helps us to filter information and focus better.
