What Does the 21st Century Classroom Look Like?

As part of my Ed Tech training at Brock, I have recently completed a series of course modules with Dr. Camille Rutherford that focus specifically on the relationship between 21st century learning and leadership. In these workshops my peers and I have read a variety of academic articles and journals on what educational innovation means and how this will impact our teaching.

In our first module we focused specifically on what the 21st century classroom should look like from a variety of perspectives, that is, academic, technical, cultural and physical. Camille divided the class into four groups and assigned each group a different perspective from which to generate ideas. Each group posted their thoughts and contributions on a shared Google doc, resulting in a rich collaborative learning experience. Together we started to brainstorm what 21st century learning means to us and how it should be facilitated. From an academic perspective our class decided that 21st century learning needs to be challenging, differentiated, inquiry-based and involve both creative and critical thinking skills. In terms of technology, it should involve a variety of new tools, including but not limited to SMART boards, Front Row systems, IPads/IPods, blogs and LiveScribes. We also discussed that while these ‘techy tools’ facilitate learning in new ways, they are not the be and end all of education. 21st century learning is not about the tools itself, but rather about how we approach education in imaginative and creative ways. Culturally, for example, we discussed how innovative learning means creating a safe and comfortable environment for our students, a kind of “culture of care”. We need to make spaces that are founded on community, curiosity and the celebration of diversity. And how can these positive feelings be achieved in the classroom? What does this physical space look like? We came up with ideas that involve moveable tables that facilitate collaborative learning, open spaces with lots of light, decentralized rooms whereby the teacher is not the ‘sage on the stage’ at the front of the class. Others pointed to the possibilities of outdoor learning and the importance of field trips.

I was extremely impressed with the unique and creative ideas that my peers came up with and the way in which we were able to use a shared Google doc to collaborate. Prior to this year, I have never participated in this kind of instant collaborative learning. The fact that it’s possible for all of my peers to simultaneously create one document is fantastic, and while we happened to be in the same physical space as one another during this module, this work could have easily been done from the privacy of our homes, with shared discussions taking place over Skype, Google Hangout or an Elluminate session. I realized as we were creating the doc that we were participating in a new kind of 21st century learning that I couldn’t have imagined ten years ago. This process of collaborative creation is the heart of future education; this is what the 21st century classroom looks like.

Check out this video we watched in preparation for class. Speaks volumes about what needs to be done for our kids: