Istituto Palladio, first day of school with 25 new wheelchair benches

The “Andrea Palladio” Institute of Treviso received on Monday morning, September 14, 25 “innovative teaching sessions” requested by the same Institute at the beginning of August and designed to promote teaching for authentic tasks, contributing to the fight against Covid19.

The purpose of the benches with wheels will not be traditional frontal teaching, but rather a circular teaching that focuses on the student and his desire to design, conceive and propose solutions for the future. As the director of Palladio, Lara Modanese, states: “I needed to divide the classes into two subgroups to start avant-garde teaching. That is, the one provided by the Guidelines for Integrated Digital Teaching, where it is expressly requested to encourage debate, planning and authenticity of the tasks among students. The new desks will be used for laboratory activities that require the class to be divided into two subgroups. For example, it can be found in the Graphics and Communication department, where there is a pre-production phase, a production phase and a subsequent post-production phase. One subgroup produces while another subgroup plans what and how the work will develop. Now, whether it is graphics or construction, the concept is that we now think of “design thinking”, that is, to be able to create a project that is capable of breaking out of stereotypes and that looks at a world that does not yet exist. “.

Can an innovative counter, and its arrangement in space, promote creative vision and management?

Certainly. It is a perspective of future scenarios where it is good that minds do not think individually but with the ability to work in groups, sharing projects, ideas and imaginations. A circular arrangement of these versatile desks, for example, favors teaching where everyone can be compared as equals. First of all, no one is there, but everyone is on the same proxemic circumference, which gives them equal roles and opportunities to express themselves.

Will these banks be used for a particular address?

The “Design Thinking” discourse is applied to the three directions that the Palladio Institute offers in the Training Offer Plan. Therefore, they will be usable in the Direction of Graphics, for example, in the management of productions in the studio. They can be used in the CAT address, when you have to decide on a project. Just as they can be used for the Wood Technologies course, where students conceive and design the eco-sustainable houses of the future. In short, the counter is designed to discuss innovative solutions, regardless of the application sector.
An innovative teaching that starts from the teaching methodologies to also go through the material goods that the Institutes have.

In addition to the cutting edge, how do these banks fit into the wide field of contrasting Covid-19 actions?

This type of bench can be easily disinfected. Compared to a traditional seat consisting of a desk and a chair, this solution is a whole. The school employee can easily disinfect it. This translates to shorter cleaning times in the classroom, without wasting too much time on teaching and students. Let’s continue with the Covid speech. An innovative thermocanner was installed at the entrance, capable of measuring the temperature and also recognizing whether the mask is on or not. In this particular phase it is necessary to act on the first control and the first element that is considered discriminatory in the evaluation is fever. For a first period we will monitor all students and anyone who enters the Institute. Later, if we realize that there are no particular situations, we can proceed with sample surveys. In our stewardship agreement, the school is committed to helping families control children’s temperatures. Also because in the student population there are people with disabilities or frailty. In this way, the guarantee is given to all.