Imagineering the Ideal K-6 Classroom Learning Environment (Part 1)
These are the 18 points of my 45 minute podcast I recorded on this topic on 1 September 2008. I started by sharing ideas from Ideal 21st century learning is not…
- Identity / How do we define ourselves? Suggestions: As explorers. As StoryChasers. As knowledge architects. (Thanks to Patsy Lanclos for this last term)
- Centerpiece focus for learning: CCC = Creating, Collaborating and Communicating
- Central challenge for the learning environment: Student engagement and meaningful learning tasks
- Question for parents to kids each day: "Show me what you created today."
- Create a team curiosity blog for your school using Wordpress
- Build a menu of options to demonstrate knowledge, skills, understanding and dispositions
- Quick Victories for digital storytelling using VoiceThread and specifically Ed.VoiceThread.com (thanks Marco Torres for the term "quick victories" in this context)
- Classroom wikis: Every classroom should have one, setup a free gold wiki for the entire school using PBwiki (Back to School Challenge)
- Focus on Bloom's Higher Order Thinking, even with younger children: Synthesis, Evaluation, etc. (Creation!)
- Provide room for learners to play and experiment with digital tools online but "off-stage"
- Social Networking: Think.com (now part of ThinkQuest)
- Digital Citizenship conversations across the curriculum
- not sure what this was...
- Phil Schlechty’s excellent book “Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents”
- Scheduling: Need work time for students, planning time for teachers and students, also PLAY time esp. for teachers with digital tools
- StoryChasers: consider involving student teams on StoryChaser assignments
- Flash-based cameras for still image capture and video
- Passion-based learning with depth: Where are teachers most passionate in their curriculum? Begin there building some digital hooks which encourage CCC for students