Wednesday, January 19, 2011
What does a 21st Century Classroom look like?
What does a 21st Century classroom look like? Now that is the question. I believe that many things go into a classroom in general, but as we advance in our technologies and knowledge the classroom appearance advances as well. Not only to the eye in its' physical characteristics but within the actual composition and community of the students. I feel as though now, more than ever, the concept of centers and stations are very popular throughout schools and utilized to a great extent. Having the students work collaboratively is a must, like group projects and research activities. Every child learns differently, so we as teachers must make sure our classroom thoroughly demonstrates a differentiated environment to support all learning styles. With that said, the classroom should have plenty of visuals, especially for the younger grades. For all grades, I believe it is important to have interactive visuals and bulletin boards so the students can constantly refer to them as needed throughout the school year. Not only visuals but also technology is needed in the classroom. Computers are becoming almost a must need tool in todays society. The modern day classrooms should have a full set of computers and many other technologies such as the overheads and Elmo's like the ones from the University. Kids are being raised in households with iPods and iPads as toys, so we need to integrate the modern world in our rooms. I feel a well organized classroom should be color coordinated. This will not only help the teacher to stay focused and organized, but will also foster a sense of uniformity in the students. They are becoming accustomed to routine and this is very important. The kids in todays society also come from a vast variety of backgrounds. From married parents, single, divorced, guardians and grandparents as the primary care givers we as the teachers have to provide the students with stability when in school. According to statistics, a child in less likely to come from a family that has their parents still married. All the different dynamics of students' backgrounds can be problematic for the success of the student. This is where the new 21st century classroom comes into play. It is the new age of a classroom that will in all hopes, be closer to meet all the needs necessary.
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I did not think about centers and stations being popular during the 21st century. I know that even when I was in elementary school centers and stations were always available to us. I think that my teachers used stations and centers more during free time rather then offering us these opportunities during lesson plans. I like your point about including all learning styles into the classroom. I think that years ago teachers just lectured because they did not care about how their students learn, now teachers try to teach based on their students needs. It seems that everyone in their blog has included how important technology is in the 21st century classroom. I agree completely with the point that students are being raised in households with high-level technology so using these devices in class will be fun and interesting for students.
ReplyDeleteI think your use of colors and creativity in the classroom is a great way to motivate the students and seeing the image of the 21st century classroom as a classroom with visual aides being very important. I like also how you said about the children coming from all different backgrounds and families and how that is important in this day and age to know in order to help the students succeed to the best of their ability and make the accommodations to excite them about learning our classrooms.
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