The 21st Century Classroom may use technology to enable students to access tools and information, but it isn't what will enable us to reach the needs of our students. We will address our students' needs when we take the time to identify their needs and act accordingly.
You may have seen Eric Sheninger at ITEC. He is an accomplished educator who is presently the Director of Technology and Innovation at a school district in New Jersey. He shares his perspective from a district perspective about what it takes to optimize education today. How does this compare to what you are doing in your schools?
On a more teacher-oriented basis, here is Kayla Delzer who is sharing how she has reimagined learning and how she addresses it in her 3rd grade classroom.
21st Century Skills
It's been said that if Benjamin Franklin arrived in the 21st century, he would be overwhelmed by the mass of technology and humanity, but would feel "right at home" in a school classroom. Students' needs have changed but we typically have "21st century students being taught by 20th century teachers in 19th century schools."
What is the difference between 20th and 21st century schools?
Standards are nice, but what is a 21st Century Education, really?
Tony Wagner in his book, The Global Achievement Gap, states that there are 7 survival skills in Today's Global world. These skills include:
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
- Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence
- Agility and Adaptability
- Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
- Effective Oral and Written Communication
- Accessing and Analyzing Information
- Curiosity and Imagination
Learning in our schools must be "Teacher Lead, but Student Driven."
What is the Difference?
A good perspective on 21st Century Learning is shared in by baccalaureate.com. They consider the difference between 21st and 20th Century Learning. Their chart defines the difference on this page. This discussion is well-considered. They provide a chart that compares 20th Century and 21st Century Learning.
The characteristics begin with:
- 20th Century Education is teacher-centered with a fragmented curriculum, students working in isolation memorizing facts.
- 21st Century Education is student-centered with real-live, relevant, collaborative project-based learning.
Spend some time reading and digesting these ideas throughout the rest of the page. There are many links that join a variety of resources. Follow all of the links and at least review their contents as you build your vision of a 21st Century Classroom.
What is a 21st Century Educator?
These previous resources have addressed what a 21st Century Educator should do. But how can they be identified? Alan November is a writer and educator who has spent his life defining student-centered learning. He updated interview questions that a principal could ask to see if a prospective educator has an updated perspective of learning and education. Review his questions and consider how your colleagues would answer them. Consider how YOU would answer them.
Interview Questions for New Teachers in 21st Century Schools
by Alan November
Identifying a 21st Century Classroom
Capturing, Sharing and Resolving Perplexity
I discovered a Math Teacher who captured the essence of 21st Century Learning, Dan Meyer. Dan Meyer is not just any math teacher. He has defined his teaching at the art of dealing with perplexity. He begins his lessons by challenging his students by asking questions and posting problems. Dan Meyer presented the opening Keynote at the CUE 2014 conference in March. Spend 45 minutes watching his presentation and you may develop a new perspective on teaching. He talks about how to make learning meaningful for your students by making problems/learning perplexing instead of just engaging.
Characteristics of Student-Centered Classrooms (Iowa Core)
Is your classroom (or classrooms where you are taking classes) student-centered? One of the most important parts of creating 21st Century Classrooms is to make the students active learners in the process. But the question remains, HOW? You will also find these 5 Characteristics of Effective Instruction useful as you begin to use the following Walkthrough assessment tool.
21st Century Classroom Walkthrough
Principal Shawn Holloway (Manson Northwest Webster in NW, Iowa) talks about assessing effective instruction in his classrooms using a walkthrough procedure. He created a check sheet that he used as a guide in his reviewed what he saw in classes as he Managed By Wandering Around.
Here is a link to a Google Doc version of this MNW Walkthrough Form
You will use this as a guide for evaluating yourself or a colleague in how you/he/she/them teaches.
