Technology Elements of a 21st Century Classroom

I’ve been asked this question a lot lately: “What does a 21st Century classroom look like?” The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has an excellent framework that addresses this question from a skills standpoint, and as far as the specific tools and applications used to support 21st Century learning…well, my team and I have some ideas. For starters, we believe that the 21st Century classroom should include technology that…

1. Extends learning beyond the 4 walls to the online world (i.e. BlackBoard).

2. Engages learners in content delivery and caters to different learning styles (i.e. IWB’s).

3. Provides immediate access for students to write, analyze, share, and communicate locally and globally (i.e. netbooks, laptops, cell phones).

4. Promotes a creative learning process with the goal of practical application in a competitive global society (i.e. programming, video production, blogging, web development).

5. Facilitates assessment so teachers and students can monitor teaching and learning, and make adjustments (i.e. classroom response systems).

I think we have just scratched the surface, so we will consider this a work in progress. Share your thoughts as we continue to formulate this work.

Technology & Student "Learning Actions"

Within all instructional technologies lies an intended use for improving instruction. On the surface, these "uses" may drive student work and curriculum planning, but understanding the deeper learning process that is fostered by using these tools is essential to creating a well-balanced instructional plan. Historically, Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) has been the accepted standard for the articulation of learning domains, but many have since modernized this body of work to reflect new trends, research, and technologies. Applying the digital layer onto Bloom's work is nicely articulated in this work by Andrew Churches, as an example.

Without being too scientific or hierarchical, the list below outlines 5 fundamental "learning actions" (albeit simplified and modernized) that can result when students use instructional technologies. The learning actions can be used to categorize and analyze technology integration activities for the purpose of better instructional planning and implementation.

So, think about the technology applications, software, tools, and other activities used in schools today, then consider the learning actions that result from their use. To make things easy, just complete this sentence: "By using this technology, students are...."

1. Searching
Searching has been redefined in the last decade with the advent of the Internet, accessible content, powerful indexing, and search engines. Research, inquiry, and information gathering are the foundation for the most basic learning skills.

2. Sharing & Collaborating
Blogs, wikis, video, email, Twitter, instant message, chat, web pages, and other web 2.0 tools encourage global connections, communication, feedback, peer review, and team work.

3. Organizing & Producing
Word processing software, spreadsheets, calendars, presentation tools, and popular educational software applications like Inspiration, allow students to organize thoughts and content, improve efficiency, and increase productivity.

4. Creating
Programming, web development, robotics, game development, computer-aided design, virtual worlds, Scratch, and others require creativity, trial and error, processing, planning, and problem solving. Many would argue that creating is the learning action we need more of in schools today.

5. Acquiring
While all the learning actions outlined above result in knowledge acquisition, a separate learning action is needed to accommodate those tools where skill development and the dissemination of facts is the primary focus. Research-based software applications, many in the area of early literacy development and phonemic awareness, are good examples...although often criticized as mere electronic versions of the "sit and get" style of learning.

The nice thing is...many instructional technologies encourage multiple learning actions, fitting nicely into the body of work on multiple intelligences, and accomodating a plan for differentiated instruction. How about other learning actions? Please share!

iGoogle: A Professional Dashboard for Teachers & Administrators

School administrators and teachers alike, can find real value in creating an iGoogle homepage. First, it provides those unfamiliar with Web 2.0 an opportunity to jump in and get a taste of its true power. Second, it provides a professional dashboard through which a wealth of relevant information can be tapped.

iGoogle is, quite simply, a customizable homepage. It can be set as the page that opens each time you launch Google, which, in turn, can be set as your browser homepage (my preference). You'll need to create a Google account...it is free and gives you access to tons of other options...and it only takes a minute. Once created, you can customize your page by choosing, and arranging, Gadgets. Gadgets are scaled-down applications, and there are thousands to choose from. There are Gadgets for weather, YouTube, Wikipedia, and the top news stories from CNN.

Your Google account also gives you access to Google Reader...an RSS news aggregator that collects content from your favorite professional journals, e-magazines, blogs, and other publications. Seeking out good articles relevant to your line of work just got a lot easier: just identify the sources, and let it come to you....for free. Just about every major publication related to K-12 instruction has the ability to feed content to your reader. And yes, there is a Gadget for Google Reader as well.

The last item I'll mention is Twitter. Used as a conduit for connecting with professionals in your field, Twitter is amazing. While the tool started as a way for people to stay connected by answering the question (in 140 characters or less), "What are you doing?", it is now utilized by many as a platform to engage in professional connections. Consider creating a Twitter account to follow standouts in the field of k-12 education, authors, technologists, and others. You'll be amazed how much you learn, and how quickly you are connected with other professionals and relevant content from blogs, journals, and more. Place the Twitter Gadget on your iGoogle homepage and you now have the beginnings of a one-stop portal into your profession.

The following Gadgets can be found on my iGoogle: Twitter, Google Reader, Google Bookmarks, Blogger (to post to this blog), CNN, weather, Google Maps, Wikipedia, Calculator, People Search, YouTube, and Places to See (this one rotates different pictures from around the world throughout the day). There are lots more too...please share your favorites.