CTE: Reinventing the Classroom

As the national workforce and economy evolves over time, there has been a noticeable resurgence in career and technical education (CTE). For an increasing amount of high school students, specialized courses—from automative repair to culinary design—are taking their places among English and math classes regardless of whether the student foresees a college degree or not. The benefits are substantial, including a higher average graduation rate, an increase in postsecondary education pursuit and on average, higher earnings than individuals with humanities associate degrees.

Therefore, it’s rapidly becoming necessary for schools nationwide to modernize their curriculum, technology and facilities to meet the demands of the changing workforce and prepare students for these changes. As technology advances, students are seeking more visual learning opportunities through video and interactive assessments in order to learn and understand the material prior to their next lesson or work experience. The setup of the classroom plays a key role in meeting these needs that results in the success of the space and thereby, the student.

Adaptability is the necessary element to these spaces. Straying from the traditional static classroom setup, the trend is heading in the direction of customizable and mobile pieces that allow for various organizations to accommodate a wide variety of activities.

“The setup of the classroom is key in the success of these spaces,” says Amber Jones, Tangram Interiors Director of Education, “The students and teachers need to be able to move around in their space to demonstrate the material to each student in the most successful way.”