Last Blog Post- Essential Questions

After taking this class, I have learned what is meant by the phrase “21^st century classroom”. This phrase means many things to me as an educator. Mainly, it means to me that classrooms are changing with the times. Classrooms are changing and are adapting to the changes in our world, including the changes in technology and how students learn. Children in today’s world are constantly using technology. Whether they are playing video games on the latest gaming system, looking up information on their personal laptop, are playing with the newest app on their iphone, children are in constant communication with technology. Children are consistently using technology because it is appeals them. The latest technology grabs and holds the students attention by making it fun, exciting, bright, relatable, and fascinating. Therefore, as a 21^st century classroom, we must incorporate this technology into lessons and activities in the classrooms to engage the students with stuff that actually interests them! If you were to walk into a 21^st century classroom, you would ideally see students with their own individual laptops, where they then would be creating projects and activities about topics that relate to the lesson provided to by the teacher. You would see the teacher constantly using technology to help students understand and engage their learning more. You would also see the teacher using the smart board to lecture the classroom instead of mindlessly writing across the chalkboard. You would also see students using the smart board along side of the teacher during the lesson, instead of passing notes behind the teachers back. Students would actually be able to add something to the lecture and help other students learn by being active within the class and with the teacher through the use of technology. You would not see students endlessly taking notes or staring out the window. Instead, students would be laughing, creating, learning, and presenting on common topics inside the classroom in unique and individual ways. This type of classroom eliminates a “one size fits all” concept and makes it more personalized for the students who are learning, which then facilitates and fosters success. The focus of the 21^st century classroom is ideally helping prepare students for the real world and it is student centered learning. As the book Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology states on page 109 "Education will be more directed more toward what people want to learn, and hence, they will be more excited and drawn to learning". The book also states on page 117, "Computer technologies open new avenues for curriculum development - ranging from new forms of teaching and learning to new ways of
organizing how student and teachers interact". These were two quotes from the book we read this semester that truly helped me understand what the 21^st century classroom.  These two quotes demonstrate what learning is in today’s world and how technology enhances this type of learning. The best way to summarize what this phrase means to me is this: the 21^st century classroom is an environment that uses collaboration, digital learning, critical thinking, and problem solving skills that best fit the interest of students by using technology that is thriving in the outside world.

               

As educators, we can apply technology tools in ways that are more easily achieved meaningful teaching and learning in the 21^st century in many unique and useful ways. Instead of having students mindlessly memorize simple facts to then take a standardized test, let’s have them create and share what they have learned on these topics in fun and engaging ways. We can teach children through technology, and it is much more personalized and engaging for the students, but why not evaluate them through the same way we teach them? Instead of having students sit down and take a test, let’s get them out of their seats and into their minds! As teachers, we can use technology to do this. After teaching a lesson, instead of testing the students, have the students pick a favorite topic that was discussed in the lesson and have them research and present more on that topic. Allow them to use a variety of technology to best demonstrate their knowledge of their topic and have them present to the class as if they were the teacher. Allow students to use technology to dig deeper in their topics of interest and then allow them to use technology to spread their wealth of knowledge to the rest of the classroom. This will allow them to demonstrate their unique skills when using technology and will also enable students to develop critical thinking in a meaningful way and to develop useful communication and presentation skills. With the use of technology in the classroom to facilitate more meaningful teaching and learning, the possibilities are truly endless.