A second-grade teacher described to CNBC recently the positive things going on in her classroom following an investment into furniture that promotes exercise for students.

After being inspired by a student’s parent to purchase pedal desks, Martha Fishbein told CNBC that she’s noticed her students learn better when being active while doing so.

The classroom uses Kidsfit, a company that began developing movement-based classroom equipment four years ago.

As more and more schools are becoming interested in furniture that promotes exercise, the company has been able to increase sales year after year.

Though the desks can get pricey, many schools use funding from the community to make it possible. So far, the idea of classroom furniture that promotes a healthy lifestyle has won over a lot of supporters.

On the other hand, some opponents of these kinds of furniture argue that it should not be an alternative for recess and playtime.

Earlier this year, writer and parent Maria Guido wrote an opinion piece on how schools are using pedal desks and the like to avoid the bigger problem of kids not receiving unstructured play.

"If these desks are in addition to and expanded recess time, great. But we shouldn’t be looking to things like this as a solution. They’re not,” Guido wrote.

“...we need to focus on the real problem: that the 20 minutes of recess our kids are being allotted is not enough.”

Still. in classrooms that have traded traditional desks for alternatives like pedal desks, many have reported positive results like kids being able to focus more and fidget less.

Read the full story.

Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

6/13/2016