The model
classroom in the year 2018 will be filled with technology opportunities to
enrich student learning at every turn.
It is vital to teach our students the way that they need to be
taught. Teachers who differentiate their
teaching style in order to meet the needs of their students, will see the most
growth and success in their students.
“Teachers will not be replaced by technology, but teachers who don’t use
technology will be replaced by those who do” (Beach, 2011). The classrooms of the future will utilize
technology in order to activate engagement, connect to real world experiences,
experience frequent interaction, and have meaningful participation and
facilitate cooperative learning communities.
My model classroom will focus around mobile devices and applications,
tablet computing, game based learning, personal learning environments,
augmented reality, and natural user interfaces.
Students do not need to be entertained; they need to be engaged in the
classroom. Students who are engaged in
the classroom are learning in a way that is active, meaningful, and will lead
to better long term results.
My model classroom
of the future will utilize mobile devices and applications to engage students
in the learning process. In the U.S.
alone, 6% of Americans age 12 and up own a mobile device, and 44% specifically
own a smartphone (Johnson, 2012). All
classrooms will allow for students to bring their personal mobile device to
connect to the school’s wireless Internet connection. They also can connect through 3G and 4G
networks from almost anywhere. Being
able to use mobile devices in the classroom will open up new and exciting
learning opportunities for the students to take part in. Having this type of tool with video, audio,
and imaging “at your fingertips” will allow for many students to have access to
learning applications that will help with any skill imaginable. In my model classroom, students would be able
to use their mobile devices during language arts station time. The iPod listening center would be filled
with school purchased iPods available for students who don’t have their
own. Students would be listening to
their weekly reading story, and using interactive applications to check for
comprehension and fluency. The mobile
devices allow for student’s to experience “real time” learning with the
ultimate flexibility.
My model classroom
of the future would operate a full classroom set of tablets. There would be little need for traditional
textbooks. The students would be able to
access course material like reading, math, science, health, language arts, and
history through their personal tablet.
They will also be able to use dictionary applications, and any online
tips available during writing workshop.
The teacher will have access and be able to interact with the student’s
via their tablet on instant messaging and Facetime during after school hours
when their classroom may not be available.
There will be a district employee available 24/7 to answer any questions
regarding the curriculum at all times.
The students would be able to use blogging instead of morning
journaling. Tablet computing will allow
for differentiation among all students from special education students to
gifted and talented students. Tablets
have proven benefits for students with special needs (Johnson, 2012). The tablet will help students to become in
charge of their own learning through creating and producing rather than sitting
and listening to the lesson. There will
also be two smart board technologies inside the classroom. One smart board will be used for my
instruction, and one that the students can utilize for their own presentation
sharing. There will also be a document
camera used for student work and teacher instruction.
Game based
learning will provide powerful outcomes when used and implemented inside my
model classroom. This type of learning
will promote collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking, as well as,
allow them to use highly engaging digital media in order to complete
tasks. In game based learning,
exploration is essential and there are generally no “high-stakes” consequences.
Children are able to investigate and take risks to find explanations without
the feeling that they are doing something wrong. This is extremely important inside the
classroom. Students need to be able to
feel the freedom to share their ideas in an environment that fosters out of the
box thinking, and promotes creativity.
Game based learning encourages students to make and learn from mistakes,
which is a particularly important concept in the elementary setting (Johnson,
2012). I believe there is a time and a
place suited for game based learning. In
my model classroom, we would use this type of learning during language arts and
math stations where they would have the freedom to choose the specific learning
game that from a station chart that is centered around our daily learning
targets. “Game based learning encourages
children to solve problems together that promote collaborative learning” (Li,
2008).
It is more
important than ever that our students are able to take charge of their own
learning, and personalize it to fit their own specific learning needs. Personal
learning environments allow students this exact luxury. We will have a class Wiki page where they
students will be able to connect to each other from school or home. On the page, students will find relevant
information regarding the weekly learning targets, homework, spelling lists,
and how to videos for parents needing additional support.
In all content
areas, augmented reality, would take learning to the next level in my model
classroom. Augmented reality would allow
my students to read ordinary chapter books with hyperlinked audio, visual, and
websites to engage readers and extend their learning experience. While studying the solar system, we would use
augmented reality to experience first hand how the planets orbit around the
sun, and what it would look and feel like to be inside a rocket blasting its
way to the moon. We would be able to use
augmented reality to take field trips to places we would never have been able
to jump on a school bus and go to before.
We could even visit Mars through virtual field trips. While studying the human body, the examples
would literally jump off the page giving the students the understanding of what
a true 3D model of the human skull looks like.
The options are endless when it comes to using augmented reality in the
classroom. “Augmented reality shouldn’t
be another monster under the bed (or desk), it provides new ways for learners
to access content and knowledge” (Bloxham, 2013).
Through natural
user interfaces, we will finally be able to connect with our computers,
tablets, mobile devices, and smart boards the same way that we interact with
people. Bill Gates explained, “people
who lack even the most basic literacy skills can use Kinect or other natural
user interfaces that are gesture-enabled” (Johnson, 2012). Through a variety of natural user interfaces,
students in my model classroom will be able to use the learning modality that
works best for them, whether it’s touch, speech, gestures, or even their eye
movements. This level of individualization
is key to natural user interfaces successful integration into the elementary
classrooms. “This new breed of human and
computer interaction can make technology transparent and learning fun” (Roland,
2012). My model classroom of the future
will be a place full of wonderment, where real life learning will not only take
place, but can be experienced. Even on
Mars.
References
Bloxham, J. (2013, February). Augmented
reality in education: teaching tool or passing trend. The guardian, Retrieved from http://guardian.co.uk/higher-enducation-network/blog/2013/feb/11/augmented
-reality-teaching-tool-trend
Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Cummins, M. (2012). NMC Horizon Report: 2012 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
Li, Q., Lau, R.W., Shih, T.K., & Li, F.W. (2008,
February). Technology supports for distributed and collaborative learning over
the Internet. ACM Trans. International
Tech., 8(2).
Roland, J. (2012, October). Do
Natural User Interfaces Have a Place in Schools? EdTech Magazine. Retrieved from http://edtechmagazine.com
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