21st Century Classroom

Teachers today are are hoping to turn their classrooms into 21st Century centers of learning. How does one know when that goal has been achieved? In our Selection and Integration course we are looking at our own lessons (or those of another teacher if we do not teach) and using a walk through form developed by Shawn Holloway Principal at Manson Northwest Webster High School.


Characteristics of Core Instruction: The following topics and items were taken from Iowa Core Curriculum sessions and reflect the Characteristics of Effective Instruction outlined by the Iowa Core.

Course/Classroom Being Analyzed: High School Social Studies (American Government)

Student-Centered Classroom

• Students at center of learning, teacher facilitating process
• Cooperative or collaborative learning taking place
• Teacher leading students to the answer not giving it out
• Students have choices
• Students are engaged in challenging work
• Teacher questions and probes
• Not visible during walkthrough
  

This instructor did an excellent job of making the students responsible for the learning. They class was broken into table groups, given the current event of Occupy Wall Street and asked what constitutional amendments were they utilizing. As groups were having difficulty, the instructor did not just give them answers but rather asked questions that guided the students to finding the answers. This was a great practical application of constitutional studies for the students.

Teaching for Understanding:

• Problem or project based learning
• Hands on, minds on
• Students think and demonstrate understanding
• Visual learning (conceptual models, graphic organizers, webs, etc.)
• Factual knowledge is transferred to usable knowledge
• Students involved in designing, problem solving, decision making, and investigating
• Summarize targeted concepts and skills
• Multiple means of presenting information
• Not visible during walkthrough

While there was no hands on activity and the only means of presenting the info was orally to the rest of the class, the students did have to look deeper into the Constitutional Amendments and really apply their meanings to this current event.

Assessment for Learning

• Formative assessment is used as a tool to adjust teaching
• Essential concept and skill is clear and evident to the students
• Teacher provides criteria of quality work
• Teacher provides examples of both high and low quality work
• Self or peer assessment is evident
• A collaborative classroom environment
• Assessment for learning takes place DURING instruction
• Variety of feeback to students (web, tapes, oral, written, video, etc)
• Not visible during walkthrough

This is one area that was not demonstrated during the walkthrough. I believe these criteria are met at other times with this instructor, this particular lesson was a little lacking in this area.

Teaching for Learner Differences

• Plans for variance in learning
• Assesses the interests and needs of individual students
• Learning goals are clearly stated
• Flexible grouping (supplemental and intensive)
• Engages students in self reflection, collaboration, and learning choices
• Works in variety of settings (large group, small group, individual)
• Engages students in self reflection
• Not visible during walkthrough

The instructor did a nice job of wrapping up the lesson by asking students to think about whether they agreed with the OWS movement or not, but then to consider that even if they were opposed to it, was the protest constitutionally protected? He further went on to point out that disagreement was not a bad thing, and asked students to reflect on their thoughts and return tomorrow with ways to counter the protest that are also constitutionally protected.

Overall, this template gives a very good 30,000 foot view of how a class is doing in terms of 21st century education. In the 25 minutes that I was there and the brief interview I had after the class with the instructor, it is clear that he is willing to keep working on lessons and getting the classes to that full 21st century level. As a "classically" trained teacher, he reminded me of how hard this transition from sage on the stage to guide on the side is. I think that a little bit of training for all staff in the desired method of instruction would be a great thing. Then when an administrator comes through the class and shows the teacher what they are looking for, the teacher can understand and show the evaluator how they meet that criteria.