What Could A 21st Century Class Look Like???

I recently had a conversation with some of the local college students that are observing me as per one of their classes.  They informed me that my classroom is ran totally different from their classrooms that they are learning about in their classes.  I couldn't help but ask, "What does the ideal classroom look like?" Their answer absolutely saddened me because it is the exact answer that I didn't want to hear, "Students are sitting in desk in rows or maybe even small groups."  So now I started to ponder, are we really preparing our teachers/students for the 21st century in not only our classrooms but also at the college level? Also, what does a 21 century classroom look like?  I continued to ask them about what they have seen in my classroom and had questions on.  The one thing they asked me about was the way in which my students worked. (partners, groups, with the other third grade class (50 students in one room).  Below are some pictures that I took recently to show just what they were seeing.  

The one thing I let them know is that I truly believe in working in an environment that you feel comfortable in.  All of these students were doing their expected work but in a manner that was comfortable for them. I look at myself, I do most of my work while listening to music and sitting on my couch.  If we are truly preparing our students for a conversation that is already 14 years old, "21st Century" then why aren't we letting them learn and perform meaningful task in a way in which they feel comfortable.  To me, if a student feels comfortable laying on the floor doing their work as opposed to sitting in a chair, what does it matter?  I guess the answer I am trying to figure out is, are other classrooms out there doing the same?   

Why Press, "SEND"

     I sometimes think to myself after a rough day, Why do I Tweet, Blog, go to conferences, and stay connected?  These questions become especially challenging when others don't see the value that you see in doing it.  I have really brainstormed about these questions over the past few weeks and came to this realization.  I stay connected because I need help, I need support, and most importantly because there are amazing people out there with great ideas that share willingly.  This was not always the case though.

     About two years ago I joined Twitter.  At first, being so new, I thought it was a race to get followers.  I had people following me from all over the world and then it happened.  My account was hacked and the person not only put up inappropriate tweets but also somehow crashed my computer.  At that point I was done, or as we joke at work, I took my football home.  I immediately deleted my account and walked away from Twitter feeling embarrassed and vulnerable.  After about two years, my principal said, "If a student doesn't get something, do you walk away?"  As much as I didn't want to admit, he was right.  I was quitting because of one person.  I was hurting my own learning, most importantly, I was hurting my students learning.  His comments really messed with me for about a week and then it happened again. 

    I took the leap back into Twitter, needless to say it was one of my best decisions.  Thanks to Twitter alone, I have been able to reconnect with amazing educators from around the globe and grow professionally with them.  Not only that, we share our problems and help each other get through them.  We share resources and best practices without the hesitation.  To keep the positive energy going, we have set up Voxer groups to talk even more about education and ways to improve ourselves.  I guess the point I have finally come to is, I am doing what I do because it makes a difference.  It makes a difference in not only myself but more importantly, my students.  These 25 awesome kids that look to me to give them something amazing each day.  This happens in large part because of me being able to grow with everyone in my PLN.  I just want to say thank you to all of you for helping me move forward and grow as an educator.