My 21st Century Classroom is Merely 21st Century Learning

When envisioning what a 21st century classroom would look like, I seem to get less caught up in the physicality of a room lined with the newest technologies or the aesthetic qualities of the room. Instead, my mind wonders more towards the academic content which fills a classroom. I imagine beyond the physical constraints of a traditional classroom to an environment injected with 21st century teaching and learning.

The 2011 Horizon Report suggests that the demand for personalized learning is not adequately supported by current technology or practices. The report states, “It has become clear that one-size-fits-all teaching methods are neither effective nor acceptable for today’s diverse students.” But is this idea genuinely clear when condidering the structure of today’s education system?

A truly progressive classroom requires a complete restructuring of what has been conceived as a learning environment for the past 100 years:

Through the process of creating this glog, I gained a deeper understanding of just how new technologies can be utilized to convey meaning and knowledge in a manner which best suits an individual. A glog is just one example of a way to reach those who are classified as ‘visual learners’. I have discovered through my own experiences as a student that tailoring instruction towards a visual learning style requires more than simply adding images to a slideshow (or SMARTboard!) and proceeding to lecture at students. Instead, I feel students should be engaged in the exploration of a topic. A tool such as Glogster offers a platform for learners to display their understanding using a medium which may be best suited for his or her learning preferences. Glogster gave me the opportunity to construct my knowledge in a way which works for me, and allows me to express a collection of ideas in a visually appealing manner.