What Does a 21st Century School Look Like?

Folks probably think I’m a travel Nube when I take pictures out the plane window.  It is, after all,  Meteor Crater.

This post rambles a bit before I get to the point.

I’m home for a few days, and, as I’m sure is plain from my early morning Tweets, I am in need of a weekend.  With an unusually large buffer between last night’s arrival in Raleigh (midnight) and my next flight out, I’m hoping to relax a bit.  But before I start, I want to get a few things out.

I’ve been a part of some very good events over the past week  in California, Virginia, and yesterday in Arkansas.  On Saturday, I worked at another of those events where an active school district brings the conference experience to the teachers — unable to send all teachers to conferences.

The opening keynote was delivered by Steve Edwards, and provided a very good general look at education today and the youngsters we are charged with educating.  That was followed by some breakouts and then a mid-day general session which I presented.  Now struggling to carry two laptops with me now (MacBook and netbook), I’d loaded up everything into an older computer bag, somehow missing my Mac video dongle.  We finally exported my Keynote slide deck over to the tech guy’s Dell, and, of course, there were multiple problems with the element builds.  In addition, none of the QuickTime videos would play with their slides, so I had to run them separately.  It all worked out, and I played along with the difficulties, but that presentation was very hard work.

Yong Zhao speaking about education

The day closed with Yong Zhao, whom I have only nearly been able to see before.  His message was well delivered, carrying special credence, given that he was born in China and he plays that distinction brilliantly.  His message was simple — “High stakes testing is bad for our children and for our future.”

What I thouht was especially important and bold was his claim that the achievement gaps between the U.S. and other countries (USSR 1958, Japan & Korea 1983, Singapore 1995, China & India 2007) is not the problem that challenges us today.  We have a need, a political need in my opinion, to compare ourselves educationally with other parts of the world.  This requires measurement, and measuring education is something you simply can’t do in the short term.  In the long term, we (U.S.) continue to do pretty well.  As other countries rise economically, the U.S. has not fallen that much, and where we have fallen has been where we have forgotten what we are really good at, in hopes of comparing more favorably with what other countries are good at. (italicized is my opinion)

More the the point of this post, I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with some of the staff of South Morrison Elementary School, a “21st century school.”  Some of their teachers put together some amazing poster sessions featuring their students’ work with ThinkQuest projects and PhotoStory. 

The central theme of our BBQ flavored conversation was t he challenge of getting reluctant teachers to buy in to the spirit and practice of a 21st century school.  Since the principal was at the table, I suggested that the use of digital networked content be part of the evaluation expectations for teachers, and that it needed to go much MUCH deeper than just saying, “We want you to do one technology-infused unit this year.”  I suggested that all relics of learning and teaching that are shared, must be digital.

However, the general consensus was that using an expectations approach exclusively, and some of the other suggestions might result in too much of an “us” vs “them.” atmosphere.  I apologize for forgetting names, but a young man, who was a tech teacher (former attorney and part-time actor), suggested that it should all be part of a school-wide conversation, that spirit and practice needed to be generated out of the school’s voice, not just the voices of early adopters.

Such a school-wide conversation needs to start with a question, and what rose out of our discussion was, “What does a 21st century school look like.”  Part of that was my customary caution about the 21st century label — that it means something to me, because I spent nearly 50 years waiting for it.

But it’s still a good question.  They have 21st as part of the label of their school, but in what other ways does the school look new and innovative.

So what do you think the 21st century school (School 2.0) should look like to families and community?

13 thoughts on “What Does a 21st Century School Look Like?”

  1. It should look nothing like a 20th century school. Libraries will be filled with computers or Kindles rather than books. It will be hard to find the teachers since the students will be directing their own education. Desks will be replaced with large tables and work stations with a computer (or netbook, hand-held device) for every student. Paper will be scarce. Teachers will collaborate and take on ownership of every student’s education and not their own.

    I feel like I could go on and may have t blog more about this elsewhere. Thanks for the prompt.

  2. I think that the 21st Century School would be a 1:1 school. The Kindles would be a nice touch but I would be hesitant to replace the books in the library. They still remain a valuable resource for research. As much as I love to use a lot of technology in the classroom, I still feel that students need to understand that there are more places to gather information than the internet. I always encourage the use of multiple forms of resource materials.

    I think that schools might take on more of a large library/commons type of look where students can hunker down and get comfortable with their learning environment. Teachers will be available for some further explanations of things. Teachers will spend much of the day in their office or cruising the commons to interact both via forums and in person with the students. They will also need to dedicate much time to responding to discussion forums, occasional synchronous chat sessions, grading projects, and maintaining their online classrooms.

    The school would be decked out with several wireless access points as well as several network jacks for those that may need to plug in. There would be additional technology staff to help maintain the networks and take care of end user issues that would undoubtedly arise with all the laptops. There would be several additional batteries with charging bays to keep students mobile. Cell phones would also be used for making contacts with students. Learning may very well become a social activity.

    Oh dear, I think I could say many more things but will cut it off here for now. These were just some initial thoughts that dropped in to visit my mind. So many more can be shared. I look forward to hearing what the other readers might envision.

  3. I think that they paper to computer ratio is an interesting conversation, but they are simply relics of what the students and teachers are spending their time doing. I like the idea of ubiquitous access to digital, networked information, though I’m not sure that the Kindle is the ideal window. I also agree with Stager’s desire that books continue to be part of the landscape.

    I especially like the vision of a learning commons where students are working and teachers are acting more like consultants than leaders. The picture that entered my mind was the physical layout of a typical kindergarten room, or even a day care room, being continued into the upper grades.

    Students would be working, but in the same spirit of the work they engage in when playing many of the video games that they spend time with. Their work would be such that they are constantly asking questions, and are in constant need of information and collaborative arrangements for inventing solutions.

    More specifically to the conversation I was having yesterday, over some delicious BBQ, I would want the community, when visiting the school either physically or virtually, to readily see, without having to look hard, what students are learning and how they are learning it. When the community looks at the school, they see learning — not a school.

  4. As a teacher librarian I find one of the commonest things a student will say to me about books is ‘but that book was published in the 90’s!’ It’s as if time has stretched – and of course, so it has with the Internet and ubiquitous computing delivered by a multiplicity of devices. Students don’t think of 21century learning – they live it. So in a sense we have to stop looking backwards, and just act swiftly in response to technology changes, knowledge developments, and the responsibly we have to develop the next generations of wonderful global citizens. Being responsive is the key. It’s not about 1:1 or wireless networks or any infrastructure. Rather it’s about fluidity and metacognitive diligence while we engage in learning tasks – wherever and whatever learning space we happen to be in. Am I sounding vague? Perhaps. It’s easy to draw up a list of items that a 21c school could be labeled with. It’s not so easy to ensure that the mindset of the teachers operating in 21C schools are actually doing the kind of job our students need them to be doing. By the way, I am a great advocate of technology AND a great advocate of books for developing the love of reading and literacy expertise that ensures a capacity to learn. Paperbacks and mobile devices have equally important roles in developing literacy expertise.

  5. This topic has been at the forefront of my work lately. I am advocating for our district to go in with neighboring districts to start a project-based program with networked classrooms where students could earn credits doing projects and have access to teachers licensed in any content area through the network. I think the 20th century model does a good job of addressing the concrete sequential learner’s needs but places the abstract random at a disadvantage. What the 21st century technology allows us to do is effectively address the needs of the abstract random learner. Any 21st century school will be shaped by what the technology allows and not merely use technology to enhance what it has been doing all along.

    I have been blogging about this quite a bit this year, here are some of my recent posts:

    <a href=”http://carlanderson.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-21st-century-education.html”What is 21st Century Education?”
    Project-Based Hybrid (Traditional ISD-Charter Partnership) Pedagogy Model
    Reasons Teachers Should Consider Online or Hybrid Teaching
    Embracing Disruption

  6. 21st Century school should create a wireless community involving parents, students, community, and people. The students will be literate not only in cyberethics, but in cyber codes of conducts. The parents will be able be able to see examples of their students work, and parents and community partners will be able to participate in the development of class wiki’s and blogs, adding to the rich learning. Students will no longer be dependent on step-by-step exercises, but will be immersed in strategically aligned virtual games, simulations, worlds and project based learning that involves troubleshooting, research, and teamwork skills to complete, and may eve work on multiple projects at a time to satisify their new way of thinking in parallel. Students will learn that there is not always one ‘best’ answer to every situation. Libraries will become virtual media centers, and students will learn about the wonderful knowledge contained within the deep ‘hidden’ web. Call me an educational Geek, but I envision even students being enthusiastic about what we’re going to learn today because the learning will be relevant, fun, and accessible from anywhere.

  7. I believe that 21st century education is defined by what 21st century technology makes possible that was either not possible or insurmountably difficult to do without it. We can’t allow the technology to be the defining factor in a vision of a 21st century classroom because the rate of change in technology would mean a nebulous vision of what 21st century education and 21st century classrooms would be. Our traditional classrooms are well suited for the types of instruction that favors the concrete sequential learner. Such classrooms to some degree assume that all students fall within a margin of the median student in needs and abilities. It has to in order to work. The traditional system of schooling places students who are abstract and random thinkers at a disadvantage. Their learning needs as they relate to content delivery and motivation are not met in the concrete sequential education system. We have known this for years but constructivist approaches to learning and teaching, which research has shown to best address the needs of these disenfranchised learners, have been extremely difficult and time consuming for teachers to implement in the traditional system. 21st Century technology has made implementing constructivist pedagogies more managable, thus allowing schools the ability to implement both instructionalist practices that address the needs of the concrete sequential learner and constructivist practices that address the needs of the abstract random mind. Right now the technology that has the most influence to change how instruction is delivered is web2.0 but that may soon change. It is highly conceivable that on the horizon is a new technology, or set of technologies, that will alter this landscape further. When that new set of technological advances comes along and we are still in the first quarter of the 21st century it seems foolhardy to make claims that a 21st century classroom is simply one that integrates technologies we currently have. It makes more sense to view this through the lens of pedagogy.

    A 21st century classroom is one which provides equal opportunity for student learning to all learning styles, treats each student individually with individualized learning plans, and incorporates both instructionalist methods and constructivist methods of learning. It is more a shift in focal point than what is included. In a 21st century classroom there are not rows of desks. There is no clear front of the classroom. The center is shifted from teacher to student and the teacher is an active learner in the classroom community. There may be computers in this classroom but not necessarily. Clearly technology will be present but that technology could be the technology we allow students to bring into the environment, not simply what is provided there by the school.

    For a related discussion:
    What is 21st Century Education?
    Project-Based Hybrid (Traditional ISD-Charter Partnership) Pedagogy Model
    Reasons Teachers Should Consider Online or Hybrid Teaching
    Embracing Disruption
    What is Online Learning Anyway?
    Budget Cuts, Disruptive Innovation, and a Solution for Public Schools

  8. I’d like to comment on the idea that what is needed is a “school-wide conversation.” If you’re looking for incremental change over the course of, say, the entire 21st century, I think a school-wide conversation is just the ticket. But if you want to actually have change happen in your lifetime, change the reward system. If you’re the principal, be totally aware that there will be a great howl and a gnashing of teeth; some of those teeth may gnash on your leg. But stick to your guns, provide serious, high-quality workshops, and offer a LOT of encouragement. Let those who resist retire or transfer, and fill their positions with tech-savvy new teachers. Then contact “Wired” or “Fast Company” to do an article.

  9. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post and comments.
    The internet pays a huge part in many of these ideas. This assumes students can read/make meaning and write/formulate ideas.
    I am interested in how these new schools would teach or if they would teach some foundational skills explicitly. I think of the needs of my own children ages 6 and 8 and their survival in such environments. Some traditional methods of learning are worth savouring aren’t they??
    Thanks for challenging my thinking.

  10. I love the idea of the community seeing learning occurring in the school. The sad truth is that parents are comfortable seeing their children’s education mirror their own 20+ years ago experiences in education. I find parents rejoice when I tell them that we teach grammar, because they had to suffer through grammar. What I don’t point out is that their child is a native English speaker, and the classtime spent on grammar is wasted (though mandated due to state graduation requirements). To me, a 21st century education is one that is truly individualized to each student’s needs, as well as to their interests. Technology is simply a tool to address those needs effectively.

  11. Just because something is the “traditional” way of doing something doesn’t mean it’s always wrong or ineffective. I think technology can have a highly effective and applicable role in today’s classrooms; however, I also believe wholeheartedly that books are necessary for literacy development and to help students fall in love with learning (possibly language).

    Part of this philosophy comes from my past experiences I suppose. Poverty presents things more simplistically. When I taught children living in poverty, being able to read and write was more of a concern than having a SMARTboard or a television. I think technology depends on the cultural context in this regard. Additionally, I believe the effectiveness of the materials presented (traditional or technological) depends on the personality and implementation method of the teacher herself/himself.

    My dad was a computer analyst for a good ten years. It has been really helpful and fun learning about technology through my father’s experiences. I am in no way anti-technology, but I do believe it must neither be overly emphasized nor substituted for on-hands classroom learning.

    I think the older generations have just as much to learn about contemporary society as we as the present generations have to learn about the older generation. 🙂

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