PG&S



The purpose of our collaboration is to bring together teachers from various curricular areas and across the grade levels to develop a model of what a 21st century classroom might look like. It is hoped that this 21st century “virtual” classroom may help all stakeholders in the educational process to move forward by bringing the most effective and innovative technologies for teaching and learning to all schools. The members of this collaborative group have each explored different areas of innovation in the process of bringing together the ideal 21st century classroom.
 * Information on instructional topic (introduction)**


 * Comments on how our work sheds light on the topic**
 * Research into design of a virtual classroom
 * Brainstorming
 * Review of Model Initiatives
 * Exploration of current literature
 * Research of the following technologies:
 * Web based Discussion Boards
 * Presentation Technology
 * Bandwidth
 * Volumetric Display
 * Web 2.0 Tools
 * Web 3.0 Tools (our vision of what this will be)


 * The key EEV elements addressed by our group project:**

· **It includes children as desired, vital, and contributing partners with others in a learning community**. Inside the virtual classroom, students and teachers will be able to communicate in real time over the web. Students will be able to help each other either inside or outside the classroom. · **It naturally links people of all ages and backgrounds with cultural and community resources.** Since every student will be able to go into the virtual world, school will be able to connect to other schools, there by, linking all ages and cultures together. · **It naturally links with all stakeholders in local and state education settings**. All students, teachers, administrators, and board members will be connected together at any given time.

· **It extends into and beyond school or work days to a more holistic view of life and living.** Every student, teacher and administrator will be able to be connected at time of the day. Specifically, students will be able to apply the new technology into the world outside of school.

· **It has components that would change or be dramatically enhanced with powerful tools of electronic communications and multimedia expressioning being used well**. This new technology will change the way students and teachers communicate. With safe guards in place, students will be able to communicate with their teachers and peers at anytime either in school or outside of school.

· **Art, dance, music, writing, speech, reading, and other types of expression become the aesthetic domains of all people and are valued.** The value of these expressions will be highlighted in technology generated projects.

· **It crosses academic disciplines often blurring the very sense of a particular discipline and building a holistic, natural learning experience.** Overtime, students and teachers will adapt to the technology and become second nature to them. This will make learning with the technology a naturally learning experience. Overtime, as comfort builds in, the technical questions will be less frequent and content questions will become the main focus (as it should be now).

· **It is energizing and intrinsically motivating for children and adults**. All students and teachers will learn new technology that will be used on a natural basis. Students and teachers will learn the new technology by following guidelines and by self-teaching. Students will be encouraged to learn the new technology by “playing” around with it.

· **New York** **State** **curriculum and standards fit naturally**. Every curriculum will be designed to integrate technology, where applicable. The New York State core curricula and standards will not necessarily change, but how teachers deliver instruction will change.


 * How it addresses:**


 * **Attributes of Meaningful Learning**
 * **Active**
 * A virtual classroom is interactive
 * Teachers and students will use emergent technologies
 * A variety of learning opportunities will be provided
 * Teachers and students have opportunities for hands-on learning


 * **Constructive**
 * Reflection of both teachers and learners is valued
 * Opportunities for new experiences are provided
 * **Intentional**
 * Students are engaged in learning with the new technology in any type of classroom.
 * **Authentic**
 * The virtual classroom reflects needs of problem based learning of the future
 * **Cooperative**
 * Students work in groups of learning teams
 * Students are required to develop common understandings to complete meaningful projects
 * **Interdependence**
 * Active, constructive, intentional, authentic, cooperative elements are found in student activities


 * **21st Century Skills**


 * **Digital Age Literacy**
 * **Basic** – Students will attain proficiency in science, technology, and culture and an understanding of all forms of information.
 * **Technological** – Students and teachers will develop an understanding of what technology is, how it works, what purposes it serves, and how it can be efficiently and effectively used.
 * **Visual** – Students and teachers will create and use images and videos using conventional and emergent applications in ways that support thinking, communication and learning.
 * **Information** – Students will learn how to locate, synthesize, and use information effectively using technology.


 * **Inventive Thinking**
 * **Adapting and Managing Complexity** – Students will be able to process multiple concepts at one time while learning about time management and resources needed to achieve project completion.
 * **Self-Direction** – Student projects will be largely self-directed. Students will also be encouraged to learn the new technology on their own by using the new technology.
 * **Curiosity** – Student curiosity will be valued and encouraged. Students will naturally develop new technological proficiencies through independent learning.
 * **Creativity** – Student creativity will be valued and encouraged by positive feedback from teachers and modeling of positive peer review.
 * **Risk-Taking** – Students will be encouraged to take academic risks in their learning
 * **Higher order thinking and sound reasoning** – Students’ work will reflect higher order thinking and skills development.


 * **Effective Communication**
 * **Teaming and Collaboration** – Students will be able to interact with other students to help accomplish goals. Learning teams will develop strategies and systems for problem solution and completion.
 * **Personal Responsibility** – Students learn that using technology is a privilege, not a right. There is a responsibility when using technology, and publishing on a web system. Students will also learn how to function with technology on a daily basis so they will be able to transfer their use of technology into the world (e.g. work, home).
 * **Interpersonal Skills** – Interpersonal skills development is enhanced by team learning projects and completion structure.
 * **Intrapersonal Skills** – Intrapersonal skills development is enhanced by team learning projects and completion structure.
 * **Interactive Communication** – Students will interact with a variety of individuals, group members, and faculty in completing projects and solving problems


 * **High Productivity**
 * **Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results** – Students will be able to prioritize, plan, and solve projects or problems effectively using technology.
 * **Effective use of real-world tools** – Students will be working with hardware, software, and peripherals in everyday life. They will use this technology as an educational tool, and be able to prioritize, plan, and solve projects or problems effectively using the technology.
 * **Ability to Produce Relevant, High-Quality Products** – Evaluation, measurement and analysis of 21st century educational productivity will not be completed with high stakes, standardized tests. Authentic assessment will be developed and valued.

The conceptual work of this collaborative in developing a virtual classroom of the 21st century will reflect our beliefs that teaching and learning spaces must bridge the gaps of low SES communities, gender, language, ethnicity and age inequity, and address the needs of our special education students. While creating the virtual classroom of the future we will be mindful of the hardware and software needs of ELL/ESL, Special Education and low SES students that are often overlooked in today’s traditional classrooms. As we continue our work in the development of the virtual classroom we will be ever diligent in trying to find ways to encourage more females to consider careers in math, science and technology.
 * **Digital Divide**
 * **Safety**

In our virtual school, safety will be one of the most important topics addressed. In our vision, every classroom will have wireless technology. Every student, teacher, and administrator will always have wireless accessibility, so safety and security are high priorities. Throughout all technological applications appropriate safeguards will be in place. There will be several levels to accounts (students, teachers, administrators, and IT personnel). Inappropriate websites will be blocked according to account type. (i.e. Teachers and administrators will be able to access email, but students will not). Every piece of technology will have proper filtering, security systems, antivirus software, and appropriate firewalls.


 * **Privacy Issues**

All personal information obtained from students, teachers, and administrators will be strictly confidential. Since our school will be wireless, safeguards will be established so only people with appropriate access can view this information. Next, all users of the system will have their own unique access code to logon to the server. The security that is currently in place for logons will be adhered to. Finally, privacy will be limited for lower level users (i.e. students). For safety and privacy issues, any administrator or IT person will be able to monitor student accounts. Teachers will be able to monitor the work of their students. We will update our acceptable use policy as necessary.


 * How will we assess how visitors to our wiki have grown, changed or learned?**

We will develop a survey to measure how visitors have grown, changed or learned as a result of visiting our wiki. This will be created on [|http://www.surveymonkey.com]. On our survey, there will be a series of questions regarding design and ideas for the future. Users will have a checklist to choose from as well as a place to answer open-ended questions.


 * Links related to teaching and learning in the 21st century (i.e. constructivist learning theory, integration of technology)**

The 21st Century virtual classroom will largely connect to the Constructivist learning theory as students use technology to help construct their own meaning of the world around them through technology generated tasks and projects. In constructivism, learning is equated with creating meaning from experience and students in the virtual classroom will be working hands-on an gaining proficiency and experience in their use and understanding of what technology is, how it works, its purpose and how it can be both efficiently and effectively used in the learning process. The virtual classroom will provide students with opportunities for higher-order thinking and complex problem solution. Teachers will act as a facilitators or coaches as they help students use the new technology and provide them with activities and lessons that scaffold on their previously constructed knowledge. The students will be actively engaged in solving problems as the work will be technology driven. Students will have to locate the resources, such as websites, analyze data (origin of sources), and be actively learning throughout the process in order to complete projects or solve problems.