"Imagine we were asked to learn in our parents classrooms... "
I read this quote recently and it made me think a lot about how much has changed not only in the last 50 years, but also in the last 5 years. I keep coming back to the year 2007 as being this great year of transformation for society and education. The introduction of the iPhone which led to the ubiquitous use of smart phones throughout our society changed the way we communicate, ingest information and learn. The smart phone turned everyone into a bit of a technology expert, breaking down some of the barriers and fear that many teachers had in the past. So I have been thinking a lot about what this means and what we need to do. What are some of the keys to a successful 21st Century classroom?
Understanding your role and purpose in a classroom.
In doing a quick scan of the internet, here are some of the names that pop up when you type in the greatest teachers in history: Herodotus, Aristotle, Confucius, Socrates, Jesus, Buddha, Pythagorus, Helen Keller, Mother Teresa, Jaime Escalante among others. The thing about great teachers is that they all bring something different to the table. Some are really tough, some are gentle, some are understanding, innovative, demanding, nurturing, energetic, student centred, teacher centred and many are a mix of all these things. It seems like the most important common quality is a deep passion for teaching and learning. Having the ability to either ignite the passion within students or dragging them there kicking and screaming. Looking at 14 Things Great Teachers do Differently, you see a few common strands. Teachers are the decisive element that make a classroom what it is, we need to have high expectations for everyone in the room (ourselves more than anyone), and more than anything we need to have purpose. These qualities are absolutely critical, but in many ways they are hard to touch.
So lets try to find some tangible stuff. There is a great point about having the ability to ignore trivial disturbances. How big is that statement as a teacher? This is one of the keys for me as a 1:1 teacher and figuring out our purpose as 1:1 teachers?
We need to have a solid sense of what we will expect of students and of ourselves when using devices. There will be some great innovations, trials and errors, mistakes, and progress. Hopefully we will all feel comfortable trying things, taking risks and bringing students, teachers and other experts into our learning. We need to recognize that every teacher and every subject will have their own way of doing things, and their own "perfect". The common elements that I would guess are different from our parents classrooms are flexibility, movement, change, fluidity and collaboration. An environment of support will be critical as well. This does not just mean that the technology "guru's" will need to run around supporting everyone (even though that is such an important part of this process over the long term). We need to recognize the support that we all need from each other to make the whole system better.
Still a little vague, and as teachers we like bullet points, so here is a first attempt at a list:
1. Be a great teacher first and foremost. With or without technology our students need great teachers.
2. Be willing to try and fail, learn from mistakes, share them and find positive solutions.
3. Ask a lot of questions, revisit and reflect on every lesson.
4. Enjoy the process of change rather than resisting it.
5. Plan ahead. The devices will enhance the learning when the students have purpose.
6. Variety is the spice of life. Try not to get stuck with a couple of ways of doing things or copying what works in other classrooms.
7. If you want success with these devices, be open to learning about them, get excited and then bring that excitement to your classroom. Have purpose.