My 21st Century Classroom

Teaching in the 21st century is an ever evolving process. Teachers need to be well trained AND well motivated for the task that awaits them inside the classroom. Let's face it, sometimes teachers wish they could say, "Go go gadget lesson maker!" Because teachers need to keep up to date with training and hold onto their motivation, it is imperative that they be a part of one of the many Personal Learning Networks that are available. Another aspect of their task in how functional their classroom is for learning.

My first goal, even before I become a licensed teacher, is to become a part of a group of teachers that are working together to be great at what they do, that is, I will take part in the vast network of educators who learn and share online. I plan to use twitter, and professional friend connections to accomplish this. I also plan to continue in continuing my education by getting a master's degree, and taking classes to keep my teaching skills sharp and up to date.

Now, concerning the Community of Practice, one of the goals of the classroom will be to regularly involve a professional in the teaching of new materials. I will utilize Skype for this endeavor with a questions and answers session with professionals in related content areas. I will also draft local professionals, such as historians, general contractors, engineers, etc., to provide experience knowledge.

As far as parent to classroom connections are concerned, parents will be connected through a classroom blog that will feature a video twice a week, created by the students, of two of the lessons that were done during that week. I will provide a questions section for the parents to ask their children about what they learned during these lessons.

The following presentation discusses how I would design an ideal learning environment. Click to start.



One of my new favorite things in education is collaboration. Collaboration among students can be so powerful for their learning experience. Here is an example of collaboration at work