21st Century Classrooms are Surprising Even For a New Teacher in Her Early 20s

21st Century Classrooms are Surprising Even For a New Teacher in Her Early 20s

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to have a young, new teacher substitute for my regular reading intervention teacher. During that push-in hour, she walked around the classroom supporting students as they worked on final edits to their group Book Club Projects. She worked with one group as they animated plant vocabulary words via Chatterkid App. Then moved on to another group as they refilmed themselves acting out a TV interview they wrote where a news broadcaster interviewed a family who survived the Titanic via Newbooth app. As she was helping those groups, I noticed her turn towards me often. I was busy with another student, so I figured I'd wait and ask later. Finally, she moved on to a group that was helping a group member catch up from his previous absentees. This group was also working on final edits to a chapter book they wrote about Dr. King where each member wrote a chapter for a time in Dr. King's life that they compiled into a chapter book via Book Creator app.  At that time I was trying to download iMovie to my iPAD and because she is a young 20 I thought she might know how, so I interrupted her group and was about to ask for her help when she enthusiastically told me how school is so different now. Of course I knew exactly what she was talking about but wanted her to explain more especially since her perspective is from a different generation than mine. She went on to say how the students are more involved, can get instant access to information, and students are so much more independent and creative. She followed it up with what I consider to be the cutest, "It wasn't like this when I was in school." I couldn't help but giggle inside and think, "what? 5 years ago?" 






Classrooms are different now. They are 21st century learning places with blended learning, deep thinking, independence, creativity, critical thinking, and cooperation with emphasis in communication.