Hello! This is my 21st century classroom, which is a 4th grade classroom. As an educator, it is important to understand the society that is surrounding the students we are educating. The world is constantly changing, and the introduction of technology is changing the entire aspect of learning in a classroom. There are many new resources available to educators to make a more beneficial classroom for the students. The 21st century classroom is highly controversial, and many educators and parents are growing concerned that students are not going to benefit from the introduction of so many new tools and devices in the classroom (http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Student-Centered.html). I am here today to present my idea of the 21st century classroom and show the multiple benefits that this structured yet fun environment has to offer for each individual classroom.
The school that my classroom is located in is the typical school building that one sees everyday today. I feel that a drastic change in the overall scene of the educational setting is the wrong approach to take. As I already stated, many parents are uneasy about the idea of big change in education. Therefore, I feel it is important to make the necessary changes to meet the needs of today’s society, while still keeping a structured and organized facility that most individuals have grown comfortable with over time. Drastic changes cause too much questionable material. To create an environment comfortable for the students and the families, it is important to incorporate technology and new improvements in ways that make the general education system remain familiar, recognizable, and reasonable (http://www.insites.org/documents/systemic.pdf).
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| The school building should remain similar to what we see today in order to be welcoming to the general public and families of the students attending the school. |
The classroom that I have created is a student centered classroom. This is a classroom that is more centered on the learners and not on the teacher lecturing. Student centered classrooms are highly beneficial to the students because they allow them to learn as a process, and the students can teach themselves different aspects of the lesson rather than getting bored with a lecture. These classrooms can also allow students to use their own creativity, and they better fit the needs of a diverse classroom. (http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Student-Centered.html). As a teacher in the 21st century, I am going to have a classroom with multiple different levels of learners. Therefore, it is my responsibility to create lessons for all levels of academic performance. This can be a challenge for many teachers. However student centered learning allows students to work at their own pace, and it allows for students who have mastered the task to help students who appear to be struggling. Inclusion is starting to take place in the classrooms now, and we are going to be faced with it even more. Students of the low level will be in the classroom for as much time as possible, and teachers like I need to be able to accommodate for this. Interactive lessons create a students centered classroom that allows students of all levels to benefit and succeed (http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion.htm). Advanced students can create a fun game out of the material (such as a presentation), while the slower learners can take their time and answer the questions as practice. Both of these approaches make the student feel more involved in the lesson, which keeps them interested. It is important for us to move past lectures and let lessons focus on the students who are learning, and this approach can be done through interactive lessons thanks to technology resources like PowerPoint and SMART boards. Of course, my classroom will have laptops for each student to use and a SMART board in the front of the classroom, so that the interactive lessons can be used in the most helpful and valuable ways during the educational process.
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| This is an example of student centerd learning. The student is teaching the class, and the teacher is simply assiting in the instruction. Many students learn better by using this new and powerful method of teaching in the 21st Century. |
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| Inclusion is a new idea in many schools, and we are going to be faced with it too. We need to work with struggling students individually and help them to succeed. |
As a teacher in this 21st century classroom, it is important for me to have qualities that invite my students to learn and develop into successful individuals. A teacher needs to be nurturing, caring, and understanding no matter when he or she is in the system of education. Students come to school in need of support because many students do not get the support they need at home. However, beyond that it is clearly important for 21st century teachers to have a strong grasp on the technology available. Schools rely on the use of technology, and students are starting to rely on technology in order to learn. Many students find it difficult to use anything else to learn and master different skills. However, this is how they have grown up, so it makes perfect sense. Teachers like myself need to be aware of what is around because teachers do not want students to know more than the teacher. This only creates problem for the educator and the educational system of learning. A teacher must also be willing to learn. Teaching is an ongoing process of learning, and a teacher must be willing to accept this before taking on the position. Technology is always improving, and educators will never know everything that can be used in the classroom. Therefore, it is their job to make it a goal to learn as much as possible in order to provide the most updated resources to the students (http://www.mrkeenan.com/?p=864). The 21st century is a time of constant change, and therefore a teacher must be willing to take risks. Being uncomfortable is going to be okay because you will be learning with the students, which entails them to be more interested in the material. As a teacher, I will be confronted with multiple new resources, and I must be willing to experiment with them and create new ideas. The educator cannot get caught up in teaching the same things each year because this only hurts the education of the students who are entering into a world now unprepared because the educator was unable to properly educate the students (http://teacherofthe21stcentury.blogspot.com/2009/09/eight-habits-of-highly-effective-21st.html). Along with all of these ideas, a teacher must be willing to adapt. Each day is going to be something new, and the technology may not always be working properly. A great teacher always has multiple backup plans in order to keep the education of the students at the maximum potential each and every day.
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| Teaching is a process of learning. Many times teachers can learn as a team and benefit from the knowledge of their coworkers. |
Every educator has a vision for his or her classroom. My vision is that every child will grow and develop into a more successful student over the year in my classroom, and they will gather knowledge that will benefit them throughout the rest of their educational career. However, this does not just include academic information. I hope to provide students with technology experience and resources that they will be able to use in many other classes. It is very important for students to learn the material in the books, but it is equally important they learn the benefits of the resources available to them. They also need to feel comfortable in my classroom and feel that they can each succeed. Through my student centered classroom, this should be possible. I will create lessons that are challenging and informative to all levels in the classroom, and I will provide support to each and every one of my students who come through my 4th grade class. A student will leave my class feeling accomplished and will have multiple new ideas of the fun that can be had in an education environment. When this takes place, I will feel gifted as being a successful and accountable teacher.
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| Interactivte lessons allow students to be creative and learn in a new and exciting way. My classroom will have multiple interactive lessons and projects in order to meet the needs of the diversity of abilities in the classroom. |
Setting
This is a graphic representation of my classroom in the 21st century. All aspects of this classroom have meaning, and they will all help to make the classroom a successful environment for all students.
Classroom setup is very important because it often affects a student’s attitude and feelings towards learning. We need to create a learning environment that is comfortable, but allows for the students to have some enjoyment in the learning process. I have chosen to structure my classroom as a room that one may see in a school today. However, many teachers do not see the reasoning for the choices they have made. After working in a school with young students, I know that cooperative and group learning is highly vital in the teaching world. Students often learn better from their peers because they do not feel discriminated by the adult teacher. All of the students are on the same level, and most of the time they can help each other solve the problems, which is a feature in my student based learning. The four rectangular desks will have six students at each one. The students will be able to work on their own at these desks, or they will be in a group already for some collaborative thinking. Collaborative learning is a way for students to explore and learn without the pressure of the teacher being directly involved, and this is important to have in any student centered classroom (http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/index.html). The teacher’s area will be small because the teacher should be spending most of the time around the room working with students. The teacher should also be teaching engaging lessons in the front of the room, which clearly does not involve them sitting at the desk. I as the teacher will also have a small table next to the board in the front of the room where I keep my materials neat and organized. It is important for a teacher to be organized, so that the valued behavior is clearly modeled for the students. Organization is a vital lesson for students to learn in the early years because of its importance in upcoming years (http://www.adprima.com/tipson.htm). There is a small desk in the back of the room where the teacher can work with an individual student who may be struggling. With the rate of inclusion rising, teachers are going to be working with multiple different levels, and we are going to have to work one-on-one with students to give all individuals a chance at success. Likewise, the rest of the classroom is set up into stations. The front of the room has the board, which is a marker board and a SMART board. The front of the room is where students are better able to focus and learn new material because the focus of the environment is in one place and it structured for learning. The back of the room has spaces for more free time. The left of the room has computers for the students to use if a laptop is not working properly. As I have stated, as teachers we always need to have a backup plan. The right side of the room is a reading center. It has bookshelves and a small couch for the students to relax. The stations in the classroom allow for individual learning time, while the overall classroom has a view of “whole classroom activity” where all of the students can participate as one group (http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/classroom.html). As you can see, my classroom will be organized and structured, but it will allow for the students to have fun and enjoy themselves reading for enjoyment. A structured and organized classroom with different stations allows for the students to be calmer and more focused on the learning that needs to be taking place. Ordered classrooms are welcoming to students and parents, and they provide an environment which allows each child to flourish in his or her own unique way (http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/school/4731.html).
Instructional Glimpse
Elementary Education Lesson Plan
Name: Ms. Kayla Hibbard
Date: September 24, 2020
Curricular Area: Addition and Subtraction of Decimals and Fraction
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Group Size: Individual setting
Setting of Lesson: Students will work independently at their desk with a laptop.
Time of Lesson: Semester 1 Math Class (11:00-11:55)
I. RATIONALE
This lesson is designed to help students practice their ability to add and subtract decimals and fractions. This interactive presentation allows them to practice the problems repetitively, so they will grasp the concept.
II. VOCABULARY
This is a practice lesson, and therefore the students have already been taught the vocabulary when the lesson material was presented. The students should be focused on solving the problems and remembering the steps taken to solve the problems in the previous class.
III. RESOURCE/MULTIMEDIA
Students will each need a laptop that has access to the internet. Students will have the presentation shared with them before the lesson begins, so they will be able to work independently on the material in the interactive presentation.
IV. OBJECTIVE—ADAPTATIONS
Students will learn how to add and subtract decimals and fractions. They will be able to add and subtract numbers to the hundredths place with decimals and common denominator fractions. There are “challenge problems” throughout the presentation to challenge advanced students and to add some excitement to the lesson. The teacher will also be working with students who appear to be struggling in hopes of making them successful through one-on-one work with the student.
A. Objectives
The children (audience) will be able to:
1. add fractions and decimals
2. subtract fractions and decimals
B. Adaptations
Students will all be able to ask the teacher for help with understanding the process and the problems. She will be available for all students to ensure the students fully understand the objectives. The advanced students will be challenged with problems beyond the ones stated in the addressed standards, such as fractions with different denominators. ELL students can have directions read to them for support in basic comprehension.
V. LESSON BODY
Students are going to be working independently to work through the slides in the presentation. Each problem has three choices, and hyperlinks are used to tell the students if the answer is correct or incorrect. The students will be able to continue trying until the correct answer is achieved. This will reinforce the rules on adding and subtracting decimals and fractions, and it will provide extra practice for students who may take a longer pace at developing an understanding. Students will complete a quiz upon the completion of the practice problems, and the students will remain quiet until all students have finished. If the students have finished, they can work on other homework, or they are welcome to practice their math flashcards (which is an every night assignment).
VI. EVALUATION
A. The Evaluation
Upon completing the presentation, the students will encounter a stop sign. The students will be instructed to click the link, which will take them to an online quiz that the teacher has created. The results will be automatically sent to the teacher through an email. The quiz is designed to have questions very similar to the practice problems, so that all students can feel confident in understanding the basic material.
B. Student
The students will be able to know what they receive on the quiz after the teacher has looked through the results. An individual student should feel confident in the quiz material, and should fully understand the lesson. This presentation is designed to make the practice less boring, while still reaching the standards that are important for the lesson.
C. Self
Based on the students’ results, the teacher will be able to tell if the students fully understand the material. The teacher will also get a feel for the class understanding by walking around and watching the students with the practice problems. The importance of taking this seriously needs to be stressed to the students if they want to become successful in this area of math. If the students do not fully grasp the concept, another day of practice may be needed. The teacher can also take individual students aside to work with, or the teacher can reteach the lesson in a more engaging way for the students.
Here is a screencast of the presentation that was designed to use with this lesson. The presentation is interactive, and it can be used as an individual assignment or a class activity. The lesson is designed to help students practice the standards,while still enjoying themselves and having fun during the educational process of learning.
Feedback
Bibliography
There are many sources available online with information of the 21st century classroom. I have used multiple different sources in order to strengthen my choices that I made for my future classroom.
Works Cited
"5 Traits of the 21st Century Teacher." Developing Education. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.mrkeenan.com/?p=864>. This discusses the importance of teaching being a process of learning. Teachers will be learning new things until they retire, and they need to be ready to accept this aspect of the job.
ABC Phonetic Blog. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://abcphoneticblog.com>. This blog is about the importance of one-on-one time with students. Some students need this extra support, and we need to be able to give it to them.
Anderson, Beverly L. "The Stages of Systemic Change." Web. <http://www.insites.org/documents/systemic.pdf>. This explains the ideas that are available for creating a classroom for new teachers. They also talk about the importance of creating a comfortable and welcoming environment for the students.
"Classroom Setup Tool | NEA Member Benefits." National Education Association Member Benefits | NEA Member Benefits. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.neamb.com/home/1224_2634.htm>. This is the site I used to draw the graphic representation of my classroom. It has multiple choices that you make to design all aspects of the classroom construction.
"The College of Education." The University of Texas in Austin. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://www.edb.utexas.edu/education/>. This is a site about education and the importance of teacher education. Teachers need to be able to learn the new ideas available, so they can share them with their students and make learning more interesting.
"Cooperative and Collaborative Learning: Explanation." THIRTEEN - New York Public Media. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/index.html>. This is just another site talking about the importance of a student centered classroom and the benefits that it can have on the learning process.
DETEL: Computers & Peripherals, Interactive Whiteboards, WANS & LANS, Internet Service, Network Management. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://detel.com>. This is a site on student centered learning, and they have a picture of the students using hands on learning skills in the classroom.
"Eight Habits of Highly Effective 21st Century Teachers." Teaching in the 21st Century. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://teacherofthe21stcentury.blogspot.com/2009/09/eight-habits-of-highly-effective-21st.html>. This is where they have a variety of characteristics that a teacher should have. Teachers hold a valued position in society, and we need to make sure we are living up to the expectations.
"Inclusion." Kids Together Inc. (TM) Disability, Inclusion, Rights, Information & Resources. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion.htm>. This site talks about inclusion in a classroom setting, and the importance of reaching out to these students. Inclusion is being a huge topic in schools, and we need to be ready for this change.
Kizlik, R.J. "Tips on Becoming a Teacher." Web. <http://www.adprima.com/tipson.htm>. This is information on being an organized and efficient teacher. The teacher needs to model behaviors that the students should be learning in the hidden curriculum.
Novell Web Services. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://republic.wednet.edu>. Here they talk about the importance of reasonable change, and I think it is important to keep the structure similar so that both families and students can feel comfortable at the school.
"Setting Up Your Classroom." Education Place®. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/classroom.html>. This is a website about designing a successful classroom. They stress the importance of stations in the classroom, and a look that is welcoming to all diverse student populations.
Student Teaching Guide. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. <http://www.edinboro.edu/dotAsset/639391.pdf>. This is a site that gives students ideas on how to create lessons for particular age groups. It has outlines available, which make the process of creating a lesson very simple and easy to understand.
"Student-Centered Teaching." NC State: WWW4 Server. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Student-Centered.html>. Here you can find the importance of student centered classrooms. This approach has many benefits for both the students and the educator.
"Talking SMART Boards!" EDblogs. Web. <annemarie80.edublogs.org>. This is where I found a picture of interactive learning, which plays a vital role in all of today’s classrooms.
"The Ultimate Organized Classroom - TeacherVision.com." Teacher Lesson Plans, Printables & Worksheets by Grade or Subject - TeacherVision.com. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/school/4731.html>. This site stresses the importance of structure and organization in a classroom. Students need to be able to focus on the material presented in lessons, and this is only possible in a non-distracting environment.
