What my classroom will look like in the 2011-2012 school year...

     The look of my classroom this year will change... both in the physical layout and in the content/activities that my students participate.
  
     I love where the article discussed engagement.  I need to ensure that my student's brains are fully engaged at all times.  I plan to do this by continuing to integrate technology seamlessly throughout my lessons.  This will better prepare my students for the 21st century.  I also need to incorporate problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity throughout our daily activities.  


     The concept of the article seems perfect.  I would love for every student to have their own digital device 24/7.  This would be an ideal situation, but the questions asked, such as who would purchase the devices, are an obstacle that we face.  


     This year I'm hoping to focus on helping my students achieve digital literacy keeping in mind the three parts.  The three parts of digital literacy include using information to solve a problem, using media and digital technologies to communicate/collaborate, and digital citizenship.  This will better prepare my students for the real-world and the unknown jobs they will encounter upon graduation.


     I need to focus on my role in the classroom.  My role as an educator is to be a facilitator, role model, collaborator, designer, and engager.    I plan to facilitate personal reflections as a form of collaboration in my classroom.  This year I started this and it really helped my students reflect on their goals, reading levels, progress, etc.  I usually am able to customize and personalize learning activities to address various student needs and this year I want to focus on doing this using digital tools and resources.  I also need to zone in on setting a good example for my students when it comes to digital citizenship.  My students need to be explicitly taught about topics including issues such as copyright.  Lastly, I plan to engage in professional development throughout the year.  I'm going to attend the Pinnacle conference and the Teacher and Learning Conference, lead staff development, and participate in staff development.


     I found this image and it sums up my thoughts.  The image is from an article by Prakash Nair in Education Week about 21st century school remodeling.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/99107397@N00/3927020130/in/photostream/