My 21st Century Classroom

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth'."  ~Dan Rather

   

Hello everyone and welcome to my 21st Century Classroom. The video above is a visual essay of my belief statement. Every future teacher, whether they realize it or not, comes into the teaching atmosphere with a set of beliefs. For me, it took a moment of sheer disappointment, directed towards my sister's Spanish teacher, to realize the type of teacher I want to be. During my visual essay, as I was reflecting on my sister, Jessica's, situation in her Spanish classroom, I realized something about myself that had never occured to me before. I realized that like my mother, who is also a teacher, I believe that a teacher should center her classroom around the learning styles of her students. In order for their students to learn, the teacher must cater to their needs. And if that means changing their teaching styles to fit their student's learning styles, that is exactly the type of measures that the teacher must take. The ability of their students to learn in their classroom comes first; teachers are there to help the kids succeed. And from this epiphany, I decided that I want to be the type of teacher that watches her students triumph in school because I was the one who helped them fall in love with learning.  

For a broader reflection of my project and discoveries, please visit: 

My "This I Believe" Reflection  or watch the video above. 

My Classroom

I modeled my graphic representation for my classroom based on an idea that was presented in class, in one of our assignments, and also after one of my favorite high school classes. In my SEDU 183 class, we watched a video in which the teacher put her desk in the middle of the classroom and had here students sit in groups surrounding her. Each table, surrounding the teacher, was made up of one student that acted as the "leader" and the students that collaborated with them. This allowed for the students to collaborate together when working on projects and gave each student a voice inside their circle. It also allowed the teacher to walk around and monitor their group collaboration, while not controlling their efforts. And along with all this, the teacher was allowing the students to learn together through "student centered learning". I really liked this idea because it would allow me to lecture on history for part of the class without completely losing the interests of my student; they would later have to use that knowledge to work together to solve problems/work on projects.

History, my specialty, isn't a very interesting topic for some students because they don't enjoy lectures. However, by allowing them to listen to a lecture that will later prove valuable in their group efforts, I am providing a new way of learning that is centered totally around them. This idea for my classroom set-up, allows me to monitor them and not control them, thus allowing for student centered learning as well as for collaboration and communication between both teacher and students.

Like my own high school classrooms, I also wanted to implement technology into my classroom. In one of my classes, we had two projectors due to the setup of the classroom. And because my classroom was set up with me, the teacher, in the middle, with groups of students surrounding me, I needed to be able to offer multiple angles for them to see my presentations/lectures. So, I positioned two projectors in my classroom, one in the front and one in the rear. The walls that they project onto will be coated with a "whiteboard" type paint which will allow me to write on the walls while presenting my lectures. This whiteboard paint, also known as IdeaPaint, costs less than a SmartBoard, but also has some of the same capabilities. Like the technological capabilities of a SmartBoard, the IdeaPaint will allow my students to work alongside me during my lectures. And therefore, lectures won't be so boring anymore; instead they will be centered, again, around the students.

Like I mentioned earlier, after each lecture I will come up with a project for the students to work on together to go along with the student centered learning aspect of my classroom. And this will also allow them to communicate, collaborate, and allow me to assess their understanding of the material that I presented.

I believe that my ideal classroom allows for not only the teacher to be able to effectively get material across to their students, but also creates an environment in which the students want to learn and enjoy coming to class everyday. So, it's a win win for both the teacher and students.

What I used to create my classroom: The Classroom Architect

Rituals and Routines 

In my classroom, because it's a History class, I will lecture on important material. However, unlike many other History classes, this isn't the only aspect of my teaching. I believe that students do best by doing. And for this reason, after I have lectured on the material, I will provide projects for my students for work on together, in order for me to assess their understanding of the material and to help them learn with their fellow students on the topics presented.

For some students, a lecture doesn't help them learn the material; a teacher can lecture all they want and the student can take as much notes as possible, but they still might not learn anything. And because of this, my classroom, through the group projects will allow them to learn in a different way: by doing. In these groups, the students will collaborate with one another which will allow them to learn through one another. Through this student centered learning, each student might learn even more than they had from my lectures, just by talking and collaborating with their peers. I also believe that these projects will allow me to authentically access my students. It is one thing to test each student individually on what they learned, but sometimes it's easier to show your understanding of something. So, through group efforts each student will be able to prove their understanding of the topic that was taught. From there, I can assess their knowledge of the subject and promote their success.

As a future teacher, I have learned that my main goal is allowing my students to succeed and encourage them to be the best that they can be. And with my classroom set-up, which allows for my class-room rituals to come to life, I will be doing just that.



Instructional Glimpse – 

My Lesson Plan

As shown by the lesson plan below and the Powerpoint, a typical class will be structured around a specific topic in history. A interactive lesson, that allows for the students to become involved, will be presented before the class. This is where the Powerpoint comes into play. I will present/lecture on the topic while also engaging the students through questions, group activities, etc. during class. Then afterwards, possibly during the following class times, students will show what they have learned through group projects. During these group sessions, the students will collaborate with them and then present their projects/ideas to the class on another day. 

Like my classroom, my lessons/lectures are also very interactive and support my overall themes of group collaboration, student participation, and student-centered learning. 

For a better view at my narrative: Narrative for lesson plan

My Powerpoint: Continuity and Change Powerpoint

My Technology Integration 

Naperville Central High School, the high school that I graduated from, was known for its high-tech classrooms. As soon as SmartBoards had been introduced as a useful technology for classrooms, NCHS made a point to purchase them. Starting my freshman year, in 2006, I was introduced to SmartBoards. And by the time I was a junior in high school, a new technology called IdeaPaint became the cool new tool used in my classrooms. Unlike Smartboards, IdeaPaint was cheaper and lacked the need for software. IdeaPaint is exactly what the name describes, paint. However, unlike normal paint which you would be scolded by your mother for writing on, IdeaPaint has the feel of a massive wall-sized dry-erase board. 

And as shown in this video, with the use of this white-board-type paint, the sky is the limit. Not only can you use IdeaPaint to make the walls a huge dry-erase board, but you can do the same with desks. In my high school Anthropology class, my teacher used IdeaPaint on both the walls and desks. For my classroom, I plan to do the same thing. I will be able to use IdeaPaint to its full potential when lecturing. This technology doesn't just help me in my teaching process, it also helps my students. It allows them, when working on their projects,  to form ideas and collaborate, literally on their desks, when they are given assignments.

First of all, with the use of 2 projectors, I will be able to engage my students in an interactive lecture on the actual surface of the wall, using dry-erase markers. With this in mind, I can write out important facts, circle main ideas, and work alongside the students during my history lectures. This will provide the students with a more hands-on approach to the class and allow me to center my teaching around them.  

In the case of my students, the use of the IdeaPaint will help them work on their projects and participate in my lectures. Because I intend to use IdeaPaint to coat both the walls and the desks, the students will have multiple surfaces to write on and prove their understanding of the topics being discussed. During lectures, I will ask them to become involved by answering questions and writing the answers on the walls. And in the case of their projects, they will be able to write on their desks while forming ideas with their assigned groups. Idea paint not only allows me to assess their knowledge during my lectures, but also see their efforts while they collaborate with their peers.

IdeaPaint can also allow for my students and I to connect with other classes (students and teachers), locally, and globally. I will assign each class one side of the room (one wall). This will allow them to see the ideas that other students, in my other history classes, have been working on. It will provide them with new ideas and give them the chance to share their knowledge with others. Once all my students have presented their projects on the IdeaPaint walls, I will make a video of them and post it on my blog so that other teachers will be able to see it; allowing me to share my students' ideas locally and globally. And when individuals (students, teachers, experts, etc.) comment on my blog posts, give suggestions or say what they liked about these projects, I will share the feedback with my students. This will allow them to gather ideas for next time and encourage them to keep collaborating with each other; they will gain a sense of success.  

Websites to check out: 

Idea Paint video 

Idea Paint Homepage

Also, check out my lesson plan to see how I'm using this IdeaPaint in the classroom activities. 

PLN

As described in Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education, the authors define Personal Learning Networks (PLN) as "a set of connections to people and resources both offline and online who enrich our learning" (Richardson and Mancabelli, 2). In my classroom, I will use these offline and online connections to do just that. 

Like I presented before, I will share my students presentations and ideas online through videos of their work on the IdeaPaint. From there, I will create a "Feedback" section, just like the one that is on this page, in order to obtain suggestions, criticisms, etc., from others about the projects themselves as well as my own teaching methods and lesson plans. This will help me as well; I will be getting feedback that will prove valuable when I asses my own success with these projects and lesson plans. Not only will I be able to share my own ideas with other people online, but I can also connect with other classrooms and be able to improve on my own teaching, based on new discoveries. 

There are a lot of ways that myself and my students can benefit from PLNs and I plan to benefit from these online and offline connections to the best of my ability. 

Feedback 

Contact Information: mm110932@scots.edinboro.edu 

Annotated Bibliography: 

ALTEC. "Classroom Architect." Classroom Architect. ALTEC at the University of Kansas, 2000-2008. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://classroom.4teachers.org/>. 

Summary: This source was used to create a visual representation of my classroom. 

IdeaPaint Dry Erase Whiteboard Paint. Dir. IdeaPaint, Inc. Youtube. IdeaPaint, 23 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RPIY6jsrguk>. 

Summary: This source was used to gather information about IdeaPaint. And also provided a visual representation of exactly what IdeaPaint is. 

Richardson, Will, and Rob Mancabelli. "The Power of Networked Learning." Introduction. Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2011. 1-2. Print. 

Summary: This book was used to refresh my memory on PLNs and provide my audience with the definition of what PLNs are. 

"WAY BETTER THAN WHITEBOARDS." IdeaPaint. IdeaPaint, Inc., 2012. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://get.ideapaint.com/way-better-than-whiteboards/?gclid=COyK1Y7D4q8CFSURNAodg2ULDA>. 

Summary: This website was the initial way that I found out about the youtube video. And it was used as a link for my viewers to learn more about IdeaPaint. 

Full Annotated Bibliography