EDLD 5362-Final Project-Week 5

*** DUE TO THE FILE BEING SO LARGE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL AT JCANTU@BEAUMONT.K12.TX.US ***

EDLD 5362-Week 4 Assignment-Blueprint of Technology Based Classroom

The Classroom of Tomorrow

Joseph L. Cantu

Lamar University

Abstract

            The continuous growth of technology has allowed students, parents, and educators to begin incorporating said technology into the classroom. The use of mobile device and their applications, tablets, and internet has enhanced the way a classroom should be in order for all students to receive an excellent level of education. By further investigating The Horizon’s Report K-12 Edition, a blueprint model has been created in order to describe a futuristic style classroom.  

The Horizon’s Report K-12 Edition begins with a very reflective quote from William Gibson that all should consider, “The future is already here-it’s just not very evenly distributed.” I believe that this is the main reason why many school districts lack the technology they need. Monetarily, school districts do not have the funds necessary to invest in the plethora of technology that is available. However, what districts fail to realize is that although it requires a lot, financially, it is the after-effect that schools, students, parents, and educators benefit from.

As I began viewing the videos for this week’s assignment, the only thing I kept on telling myself is “if only I could have half the technology.” Although I do not have many resources available to me technology-wise on my campus, I have always envisioned in my mind the dream classroom I would like to have.

The model I would like to use for my futuristic classroom is that of a café type.  Just as in the Sydney Center for Innovation in Learning video has applied a theme to their classroom, providing a café theme to mine will provide the students with a very comfortable ambience. Firstly, I would like to have a very spacious classroom with ample space for students to be able to move around if necessary. Although one may think nothing about it, but space is probably the most important part to a student. If the student feels constrained, then their attention in the classroom shifts from the teacher to their comfort level. In addition to the space, I would also like for the furniture to be very modern with a lounge style feeling. We must begin to train and stress to our students the meaning of collaboration just as principal Stephen Harris states. In addition to the space and furniture for the classroom, we must also begin to consider the different amenities we would like our students to have access to. First and foremost, we must be able to provide Wi-Fi. We are in a world of technology that, according to the Horizon’s Report K-12 Edition, “61% of Americans age 12 and up own a mobile device, and 44% specifically own a smartphone.”  Therefore, we must be able to provide our students with the capability with connecting to the internet with their own device. For those students that do not have the luxury of owning a device, one can be provided to them with the proper checkout procedures. In addition to having access to the internet, I would also like my classroom to have access to five flat screen televisions. Just as in The Classroom of the Future video, I would like students to be able to see, from around the room, what I am displaying, what I am lecturing about, and what I need them to do. This allows all students from everywhere in the classroom to be able to see. This helps with many under privileged students who are too afraid to state their inability to see or who do not have the funds necessary to purchase glasses. In addition, if the televisions are not in use for the classroom, they will be on 5 different stations such as the news, documentaries, and educational programs. Students will have the ability to use headphones to connect to the television or sit with a group to view a certain program. Furthermore, to the above mentioned, other amenities such as whiteboards, smartboards, and tablets will further enhance the education of the student. However, I believe that setting the ambience with the space and furniture is the foundation of having a technology-based classroom.

With this in mind, it seems that many educators are against the use of much technology in the classroom for various reasons. However, it seems that the main reason is that many are too scared that technology might replace the teacher. Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach perfectly tells us that “teachers will not be replaced by technology but teachers who don’t use technology will be replaced by those who do.” Therefore, we must adapt to the new ways and styles of technology in order for us to have pedagogical success.

References

1. Harris, S. (0). Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/49879366
2. Mediaineducation. () (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcXEznPXj8k
3.  New Media Consortium. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2012-horizon-report-K12.pdf
4. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzi2RIt8_nk