Schools In Focus Podcast

Increased understanding of and focus on acoustics in the classroom, coupled with heightened focus on speech privacy and information security in today's world, has placed additional burden on school administrators and facility managers. Acoustics isn't only about creating quite classrooms. It's a critical part of the overall IEQ of a school—from classrooms to nurses' offices to administration spaces. New and better technologies exist to give schools solutions that achieve what is needed in today's world while keeping budget parameters in mind. These acoustical solutions start at the top with ceilings, and not all ceilings are alike. Join us as Sean Browne, Senior Manager of Research & Development for Armstrong World Industries, walks us through choosing the right ceiling to optimize acoustics for better learning experiences.

This episode’s guest is Lori Ferriss, architect with the Boston firm Goody Clancy and Chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment. We’ll discuss how colleges and universities can’t just build their way to net zero in the quest for carbon neutrality—it’s impossible to achieve carbon neutrality without reducing the operational emissions of existing buildings. Lori co-developed the CARE Tool and collaborated with Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, to complete a campus-scale study to calculate and compare the carbon impacts of reusing and upgrading buildings versus constructing new structures. We’ll also talk about how the CARE Tool and its use at Agnes Scott can provide a model for other institutions around the country that aspire to achieve carbon neutrality.

This episode’s guest is Dustin Brooks, co-founder and chief customer officer of ZeroEyes. He’s here to talk about the importance of creating a school security plan against the backdrop of increasing active shooter and swatting incidents at schools around the country. We’ll also talk about the importance of a steadfast security staff and a reliable source of funding to keep existing security procedures and equipment in a state of readiness. Finally, we’ll address the paradox of the idea that if you do your job correctly, it doesn’t look like you’ve done anything at all.

Our guest today is Hiroshi Okamoto, principal and co-founder of OLI Architecture. He's here to tell us about Anji Play, an early childhood education facility in the Zhejiang province of China. Anji Play uses a hands-off, play-based learning pedagogy that encourages kids to be kids and lets them explore the environment under their own initiative. The school's architecture and design support the program's key aims of self-determined play and encourage its guiding principles of love, risk, joy, engagement, and reflection to create a true "Kids' Kingdom." The curriculum is currently being practiced in public early childhood programs in all of China's 34 provinces and administrative regions, and it has expanded to pilot programs in Europe, Africa, and the United States.

Our guest today is Dr. Neall Digert, Vice President of Solatube International, Inc., who’s here to tell us about the benefits of daylight in education spaces. Neall has over thirty years of consulting and education experience working in the energy, lighting, daylighting design, and research fields, specializing in the design and application of advanced lighting and daylighting systems for commercial building applications. We’ll talk about the physiological and psychological effects of daylight; daylighting’s impact on student wellness and academic performance; the sustainability effects of daylight; its use as a disinfectant; and much more.

On this episode of Schools in Focus, we’re talking with Dr. Kevin Mabie, Global Professional Instructor with the Crisis Prevention Institute. He’s here to talk about how a positive school climate can help K–12 leaders address, reduce and prevent bullying and violent behaviors. Among other topics, we’ll discuss what a positive school climate entails, its benefits for students and teachers, layout and design elements that foster a positive environment, and strategies that K–12 teachers can employ to stop bullying in its tracks. Sponsored by Crisis Prevention Institute.

On this episode of Schools in Focus, our guest is Brad Pittam, president of the International Play Equipment Manufacturer’s Association, or IPEMA. We’ll touch on topics like the recent rise in outdoor classrooms, the benefits that these spaces provide to students and teachers alike, the difference and overlap between outdoor classrooms and playgrounds, and design elements to be mindful of when implementing these spaces into your campus. This episode is sponsored by IPEMA.

In this episode of Schools in Focus, we’ll be talking about indoor air quality in schools. Our guests are Mike Wolf, Director of Regulatory Business Development, and Tyler Mancl, Principal Application Engineer, both with Greenheck. We’ll talk about how schools can ensure the air in their building is safe and how to verify the performance of their HVAC systems. We’ll cover the main aspects of indoor air quality—ventilation, humidification, and filtration—as well as how to make sure air is properly distributed in facilities. We’ll talk about how both existing schools and newly-built facilities can improve air quality while keeping operational costs down. And finally, we’ll discuss a $500-million grant program from the U.S. Department of Energy that helps schools pay for energy upgrade products. This episode is sponsored by Greenheck.

Our guest today is Bob Dillon, a school designer and consultant with STS Education. He's here to talk about the importance of student wellness during the learning day, from the time students arrive at the bus stop to the final bell. We'll cover all the different aspects of student wellness, as well as wellness rooms, the role of technology, staff wellness and professional development tracks, and the importance of choice in getting students to engage. This episode is sponsored by STS Education.

Today's topic is "Hacking the Senses to Boost Student Wellness," and my guests are Kim Montague, Executive Director - research and insights, and Kaelynn Reid, design futurist, both with Kimball International. They're here to talk about the design elements of multi-sensory environments that research and experience have shown to maximize student wellness. Sensory input in the classroom—everything from color to sound to scent, and even taste—can impact student experience and can play a role in memory retention, creative thinking and emotional intelligence. You'll learn how classroom designers can essentially "hack the senses" to usher in a desired psychological or physical outcome. This episode is sponsored by Kimball International.

Today’s guest is Kristin Moore, the Vice President of Market Segments at Armstrong World Industries. We'll talk about the importance of indoor environmental quality in creating and maintaining healthy learning spaces for kids. We'll cover initiatives like the Armstrong Healthy Spaces Ecosystem, the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, and the Lancet COVID-19 Commission. She'll also provide some suggestions on how schools can use ESSER funds to address environmental quality issues in schools before the funds expire. This episode is sponsored by Armstrong World Industries.

This episode's guest is Jim Lee, the Enterprise Sales Director at Vector Solutions. He's worked with educational institutions ranging from small private schools to the largest districts in the country, helping organizations prevent incidents on campus through crowdsourced risk intelligence. Today, we'll discuss topics like common safety issues and concerns in schools, what to look for in an emergency communications system, and how these systems can help schools get ahead of issues to keep students, staff and facilities safe. We'll also talk about Alyssa's Law and a solution that helps schools meet its requirements.

Our guest today is Mark Berger, who’s the President and Chief Product Officer for Securitech Group, Inc. He’s here to discuss a school security solution that gives every student, teacher and staff member the agency to secure themselves in the event of an emergency with the press of a button. He’ll discuss its theory of operation and the installation process, as well as his own experience working with Sandy Hook Elementary School following the school shooting incident there in December 2012. This episode is sponsored by Securitech Group, Inc.

This episode's topic is "Improving Building Health, Safety and Security with Smart Sensor Technology," and our guest is Mike Davis, National Sales Manager for IPVideo. We'll talk about the different types of sensors and the variety of data they can collect, from physical to chemical to environmental to security. From there, we'll go into the limitless applications of what organizations can do with a "Swiss Army Knife" of sensors to keep building occupants safe and secure. This episode is sponsored by IPVideo.

This episode's guests are Mike Mans, Senior Product Marketing Manager, and Tiffany Renz, Sales Director - North America, both from HID Global. We'll talk about how schools can get the best bang for their buck with ID card and badge issuance technology. We'll cover topics like the best benefits of different technologies on the market today; ways to increase the longevity of physical ID cards and badges; and how to streamline the issuance process for these credentials. We'll also talk about the place of physical ID badges in a world of mobile credentials and smart access control. This episode is sponsored by HID Global.

Disinfection techniques that help make classrooms safe for students, teachers and staff are still top of mind. Here to discuss some of the benefits of ultraviolet light disinfection are Bruce Ramsay, Brand Manager for Visioneering, and Tim Stevens, Director of Product Management for Certolux. We’ll touch on some facts and myths about UV light, the role of UV light in maintaining clean education spaces, the challenges that education professionals should be aware of when purchasing UV light technology, and the technology’s benefits for end users in educational facilities. This episode of Schools in Focus is sponsored by Viscor, a Leviton company.

This episode’s guests are Elizabeth Bonner, design director for education and hard surface, and David Dembowitz, senior vice president of sales North America, both with Mohawk Group.  We’ll discuss choosing the right flooring solutions and the impact it can have on creating healthier, worry-free spaces throughout the lifecycle of the installation. We’ll touch on topics like creating productive spaces for students & staff, the impact of COVID-19 on cleanliness standards, choosing the right flooring solution, and how to navigate the flooring decision making process. This episode is sponsored by Mohawk Group.

Today's guest is Sue Ann Highland. Currently, she's the National Education Strategist for School Specialty, but previously, she served as an educator for more than 25 years as a school and district administrator, a curriculum director, teacher, and more. She's here to talk about how dynamic learning environments can help keep students active and engaged. We'll talk about the six instructional elements that support dynamic learning, the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic, the increased reliance of both students and teachers on the digital landscape, and the general impact of learning environments on a student's educational journey. This episode is sponsored by School Specialty.

This episode’s guest is Benjamin Strain, Higher Education Design Leader for DLR Group. He's here to discuss an ongoing DLR research initiative called "The Evolution of Campus," which involves interviews and outreach to higher education institutions to help them navigate the pandemic, return to campus, and explore new spatial and design requirements to meet the needs of faculty and students. He reveals some common themes among all three rounds of research (so far) and addresses the question on everyone's mind: "What’s the future of the physical campus?"