by Green Schools National Network | Sep 17, 2019 | Inspiration
To build a more sustainable planet we need new perspectives. We need to reframe the global challenges of climate change, consumption, and waste, and develop ideas that can change the way the world functions. Design thinking is an incredible tool that anyone can use to...
by Anuk Harvey | Sep 16, 2019 | Inspiration
As a sustainable educational furniture company that takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously, we are paying close attention to the upcoming Student Global Climate Strike happening between 20th and 27th of September.As a member of the Natural Pod team,...
by Anuk Harvey | Sep 10, 2019 | Inspiration
Thank you to all of our amazing community members who shared their inspiring photo entries in our ‘Back To School Photo Contest’. It’s been such a pleasure to see your wonderful learning environments and the creative use of Natural Pod furniture in...
by Green Schools National Network | Sep 10, 2019 | Inspiration
This brief essay isn’t intended to reiterate the long history of design thinking as best expressed by the brilliant David Kelley, founder of IDEO and the Stanford d.school, as there are numerous resources readily available for educators. Instead, it’s meant to...
by Anuk Harvey | Sep 9, 2019 | Inspiration
School is back in full swing and educators, parents and students alike are trying to adjust from the comparative freedom of the summer. For the last couple of months, the majority of kids probably weren’t even in the same place each day, hopefully, they were...
by Tashanda Giles-Jones | Sep 4, 2019 | Inspiration
This is the second of two stories from GreenNotes part of the ‘Green Schools National Network’ – looking at some of the ways that educators are using literacy to deepen students’ understanding of sustainability and engage them in meaningful...
by Bridgitte Alomes | Sep 4, 2019 | Inspiration
Recently I’ve been re-reading the MDR research report ‘The Impact of Learning Spaces on Student Success’ to further and deepen my understanding of how I can lead Natural Pod to better serve students and educators. This research is such a great resource – it was...
by Katie Shenk | Aug 15, 2019 | Inspiration
“Environmental and sustainability literacy is needed to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to create the future we want – one with economic opportunity for all, a fair and just society, thriving ecosystems, and healthy human and more than human...
by Anuk Harvey | Aug 7, 2019 | Inspiration
Sendy, a wonderful Kindergarten teacher, is so committed to the students in her care, that over the summer she acquired a second job to personally pay for additional furniture for her classroom so that the layout could be more collaborative. That’s quite amazing...
by Bridgitte Alomes | Aug 6, 2019 | Inspiration
The term ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ has been used for some time now, but not by many and not often, so the majority of people are unaware that such a calculation even exists, let alone its terrifying and truthful significance.Earth Overshoot Day is “the point where the...
by Anuk Harvey | Aug 6, 2019 | Inspiration
Join Natural Pod and Green Schools National Network to impact more educators – We have the opportunity to speak on the important topic of ‘SUSTAINABILITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE IN K-12 SCHOOLS’ at SXSWEdu (South by South West Education) but we need...
by Bridgitte Alomes | Jul 30, 2019 | Inspiration
I talk to a lot of educators about their thoughts around pedagogy and if their ideas align with their school’s overall culture. Unsurprisingly, almost every teacher I speak to is very clear that the previous century’s classroom layout really isn’t conducive for...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 26, 2019 | Inspiration
You may have noticed for the last few months we’ve been sharing some interesting research by ‘MDR Education’ about how education spaces impact learning. Here we have grouped all the individual research pieces together that make up the complete...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 22, 2019 | Inspiration
A ‘Green New Deal’ (GND) has been proposed in the US by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey. It has many facets, but one of the main aims of the proposal would be to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions by creating millions of green jobs and investing...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 22, 2019 | Inspiration
Thankfully more and more institutions and organizations are embracing environmental responsibility and becoming advocates for sustainability. This is fantastic, and not a moment too soon. But how, as educators, can we inspire and motivate our students to take action...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 15, 2019 | Inspiration
When educators were asked how intentionally planned school construction or renovation projects were evaluated, the largest percentage groups of note, at 30%, said they were evaluated most often for whether they attracted more students. An additional 30% of teachers...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 15, 2019 | Inspiration
There has been some interesting research carried out recently named ‘Humans Wanted’. It looks at the quiet crisis happening in job markets all around the globe. The research acknowledges that yes, automation is taking over many roles: mostly ones that are highly...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 3, 2019 | Inspiration
Why, when there is now so much evidence that students engage and focus better when they aren’t stuck in rigid rows of desks, is mainstream education still full of those rows of desks from the industrial era?Well, there are a few reasons. The first is obviously cost:...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 3, 2019 | Inspiration
‘Intentional design’ means taking into consideration how students learn when designing learning environments to enable their success. The following research looks at whether there should be learning goals associated with planned projects; if pedagogical...
by Anuk Harvey | Jul 3, 2019 | Inspiration
Part Three of this Three Part Series: This is the last section of sharing our manifesto with you, and diving deeper into how it guides our company vision and purpose, and how that can positively impact your work and your students. Manifesto: a public declaration of...
Design Thinking and Student Travel: Tools To Craft A More Sustainable World
