21st Century Classrooms: What does it take to Start? by Dyane Smokorowski #mace11

By Wesley Fryer On March 3, 2011 · · 1 Comment

These are my notes from Dyane Smokorowski‘s presentation, “21st Century Classrooms: What does it take to Start?” at the 2011 MACE Conference. Some of her digital footprint links are:
– blog: Making Teachers Nerdy
– http://www.diigo.com/profile/mrssmoke
– http://twitter.com/Mrs_Smoke
– http://www.plurk.com/MrsSmoke
– Class website on Google Sites

Dyane is an 8th grade language arts teacher
– I teach at Andover Middle School, Kansas

– open ended questions are KEY

next week our kids are going to create reflection logs / learning logs with art as we go through our Holocaust Unit

Misconception #1: Teachers already know the 21st century school / 21st century literacies
– many don’t!

21st Century classrooms are driven by giving students choices and opportunities to THINK and CREATE
– example: The Fab@School

Put Teachers.TV on your favorites
– these are case studies out of the UK on exemplary teaching

Example of mute high school students designing their own opera: “Watch as a group of 20 deaf students write and perform an opera. Then the boot’s on the other foot. 24 teachers are challenged to write and complete an opera…”

http://www.teachers.tv/videos/seeds-of-change

MY THOUGHT: IT’S A MISCONCEPTION TODAY THAT ALL LIBRARIANS UNDERSTAND COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE

Story of “The Digital Teen Anti-Piracy Website”
– http://www.wix.com/mrssmoke/le-arrgh-teen-anti-piracy

Life and Career Skills
– flexibility and adaptability
– initiative and self-direction
– social and cross-cultural skills
– productivity and accountability
– leadership and responsibility

It’s imperative for our student to learn how to connect with others in different parts of the globe

I believe my kids CAN change the world
– I’ve seen it!
– and it’s VERY exciting

Our job is to design these opportunities for learning
– learn with the students
– network with professionals and experts
– redirect projects based on student input and questions

Student roles
– learn to be self-directed learners
– create and innovate for authentic audiences
– collaborate with different cultures and experts
– contribute to the community

Making a difference in your community
– solving world issues?
– ask yourself what are the life long learning lessons you want your students to have? (forever!)
– getting along
– thinking critically
– be self-directed learners

Friends and Flags project designed by a teacher in Israel
– practical world peace project: Linking students in different countries can lead to relationships and understanding our similarities as well as differences

What are the standards students struggle with the most
– what partnerships could I form which could address those?

Great Plains Nature Center: Joyce Flint is a WONDERFUL resource person
Wichita Zoo has GREAt educational resources
The Kansas Cosmosophere
Smithsonian
National Archive

Misconception #2: Teachers need to be tech saavy to be a 21st century educator
– reality: teachers need to determine what the end goal or product should look like and then evaluate what technology tools are available to help reach it

I THINK I WOULD REPHRASE THIS: AS TEACHERS WE NEED TO BE FEARLESS LEARNERS AND LEADERS… WE DON’T NEED TO KNOW ALL THE ‘POINT AND CLICK’ STEPS REQUIRED FOR EVERY TECHNOLOGY TASK, BUT WE DO NEED TO “GET OUR HANDS DIRTY” ACTUALLY USING THE TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

Big ideas which go with a body systems unit
– what it means to have a healthy community
– healthy choices
– learning to balance life stress
– more…

Take a look at standards: What real world connections can you make

After you select your focus, invite your students to be part of the process

THIS IS SUCH A HUGE KEY FOR PBL SUCCESS!!!!

What does this take?! YOU and some creative thinking

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