#classroomrescue
Simple phrase with an imperative mission.
Why are the majority of students ranging from primary to secondary
dreading to go to school each day? The answer is simple- stress. Gone are
the days where kids can just be “kids”, instead replaced with testing and
more testing. We are living in an era where educators are under constant
scrutiny and an endless barrage of what teachers are doing to fail students
and it all comes back to data. If teachers are stressed, it can be transferred
onto students. Thankfully, in my school district the burden of testing has
diminished substantially over the past few years, but in adjacent districts
almost 90 out of 180 days of the school year calendar were filled with some
form of assessment or testing.
So how does this relate to #classroomrescue? Our students need super
hero teachers to rise above the testing villains/stress and bring back the
engaging classroom from the brink of extinction! Our profession needs
saving, our students need saving. Period.
How can it be done? First and foremost, creating an classroom culture that
is creative, collaborative, energized, student and technology-centered. An
engaging classroom culture embraces the unique intricacies of each
student and can transform the educational atmosphere. Several features
can help bring students out of the school slump- creativity of classroom
space and extending learning with technology.
Trending lately are playful spaces motivated by student choice: lounge
seating for reading and collaboration, flexible-seating to allow student
choice and active spaces to propel ideas to optimize authentic learning.
According to edutopia.com, this specific educational environment
encourages “social networking” within the classroom - as seen in startup
companies throughout the country. Think of a typical classroom, students
are told to “sit down, be quiet, and work”. Is this how it really is in the real
world? No! Collaboration is key! I’ve found in my years in teaching,
sometimes students learn more from their peers then they could ever from
me. Thus allowing students to network socially can stimulate discussions
that can extend beyond the classroom and/or topic. But they need the
space to do this!
One of my favorite ways to extend learning outside of the classroom is to
engage with students within social networking integration- no I’m not talking
about Facebook. Rather edchats on Edmodo.com- where we can further
discussions outside of classroom walls. I can post a video for students to
watch that night and groups can reflect in chat mode. Because I teach 6th
grade, some students even take the lead some nights and post questions
for their classmates to respond. The more students incorporate themselves
within discussions the classroom culture remains dedicated to the class
mission: representative that every member of the classroom community is
vital.
Top 5 FREE sites for Social Networking Students: Fostering Collaboration
in the Classroom Culture
According to mashable.com, the following are the most trending sites to
utilize to engage students collaborative efforts.
1. Edmodo.com- Obtaining student accounts (parents can create accounts
too!), chat forums can extend learning from the classroom at home! The
teacher can create polls, quizzes and pose questions for students and
groups to chat about!
2. EDU 2.0- Teachers can share lesson plans, quizzes, videos, online
gradebook, classroom blogs, debate tools and chat forums to create a
network with classrooms and even schools.
3. Collaborize Classroom- An online discussion forum which allows ALL
students to have a voice, unlike in the classroom where just a few
students always raise their hand ;) This site is actually an app where
educators can choose from four discussion format choices.
4. EduBlogs- Can be utilized for group projects, journals, class web pages,
parent newsletters, etc.
5. Kidblog- Best for younger students and is a great tool to use for
classroom chat forums. Educators are able to edit and remove any
content posted by students.
Students AND teachers deserve less stress within the classroom walls.
However it is up to us to foster that positive and engaging classroom
culture. What better way to start then integrating technology?!
References
Help Readers (2012, August 30). 300 Potential Teachers [video file]. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/OFc3NiHFHh8
Kessler, S., (2015). Fantastic Free Social Media Tools for Teachers.
Retrieved from: http://mashable.com/2010/10/16/free-social-media-toolsfor-
teachers/#4Uut97cVXsqW.
Williams, J., (2016). Create a Startup Culture in Your Classroom. Retrieved
from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/create-startup-culture-in-classroomjennifer-
williams.
