How do today's classrooms differ from the classrooms of previous generations?
Gone is the one-room schoolhouse where students of all ages sit in straight rows facing a chalkboard and a teacher. Where students rarely speak unless spoken to. Where learning takes place through lecture and textbooks. Where rote memorization and drill-and-practice are the principle methods of learning. Gone also are the days when textbooks and encyclopedias are the foundations of instruction. Gone are the days when a computer is used only for word processing and getting it to do even the simplest command requires instruction in computer processing. Where progressive classrooms replace chalkboards with markerboards.
Today's classrooms are more than tables and chairs and textbooks. They have interactive whiteboards, laptop computers, classroom response systems, manipulatives, and unlimited online resources available. Learning isn't confined to information taught, heard, or learned within the walls of the classroom. Today's classrooms extend learning beyond the walls by encouraging students to make real-life applications and connections and to find solutions to problems.
The content being taught has changed, but it goes much farther than that. The methods employed have changed, and the expectations of both teachers and students have changed. Teachers don't just teach their subject. They teach communication skills, presentation skills, and cooperative learning. Students aren't always quiet and sitting still. Teachers welcome student interaction and mobility. They expect students to ask questions, to think "outside the box", to utilize multiple resources to find answers to their questions, and to expand their knowledge by doing so. Teachers aren't always comfortable because it's not how they were taught or how they're used to teaching. As they're asking students to stretch themselves, they're being stretched as well. The opportunities and experiences provided in today's classrooms can give students a glimpse into parts of the world they haven't seen and introduce students to occupations they may or may not choose to pursue. Today's classrooms give students more choices than they've ever had before.
Today's classrooms are more than tables and chairs and textbooks. They have interactive whiteboards, laptop computers, classroom response systems, manipulatives, and unlimited online resources available. Learning isn't confined to information taught, heard, or learned within the walls of the classroom. Today's classrooms extend learning beyond the walls by encouraging students to make real-life applications and connections and to find solutions to problems.
The content being taught has changed, but it goes much farther than that. The methods employed have changed, and the expectations of both teachers and students have changed. Teachers don't just teach their subject. They teach communication skills, presentation skills, and cooperative learning. Students aren't always quiet and sitting still. Teachers welcome student interaction and mobility. They expect students to ask questions, to think "outside the box", to utilize multiple resources to find answers to their questions, and to expand their knowledge by doing so. Teachers aren't always comfortable because it's not how they were taught or how they're used to teaching. As they're asking students to stretch themselves, they're being stretched as well. The opportunities and experiences provided in today's classrooms can give students a glimpse into parts of the world they haven't seen and introduce students to occupations they may or may not choose to pursue. Today's classrooms give students more choices than they've ever had before.