My 21st Century Classroom

 

 

If I had complete control over my future classroom, the decisions that I make about things such as the basic colors, arrangement, organization, technology and accommodations would require research before I make any real decisions.  The way the classroom is set up has a lot of importance and can either make or break the students' learning experience. 

To begin, the color of my ideal classroom's walls would be peach.  Although light blue and purple are commonly used colors for their ability to help provide a tranquil atmosphere, I believe that peach will work best for me.  According to Kevin Dinsmore, an eHow contributor, a warm color like peach provides a relaxing atmosphere that "allows learners to focus on their studies rather than be distracted by their environment."  Peach has also been shown to stimulate creativity, something always welcome in a classroom.  You can read more about great colors for classroom walls here.

When it comes to the arrangement/organization of my classroom, I will try to make it so that distracting objects, such as a computer or TV, will not be in the front of the classroom.  Such things can cause a huge distraction to the student and are better kept out of direct eyesight.  I always preferred groups, tables or clusters to the standard rows I encountered during my elementary, middle and high school years.  I had found it works against the student when it comes to communication and creativity.  And, since my classroom will be used for younger children, that is the last thing I would want.  I would want a separate area for reading, one that's both appealing and comfortable.  This would be in the back of the classroom preferably, to prevent it from being too distracting.  As for the art area, another thing that I believe is important for any early childhood classroom, it is also in the back of the room.  The sink is close by to prevent unnecessary tracking of paints.  For my classroom organization, the website that I have found when it comes to its construction is here.

(It would not let me select the video I found so that it could be inserted.  Instead, this great video I found on classroom flow can be found HERE!)

 

For the technology aspect of my classroom, I was kind of torn.  How far do I really want to go?  Since IWBs are only useful when they are used properly, I would learn how to actually use it the way it was meant to be used.  I think that it would be very useful to the classroom if I could incorporate it.  From my layout, you can see that I have also included a TV.  This would be useful if something I wanted to show was on tape or currently on a network.  When it comes to many movies, thought, I could Use the IWB.  I also like the idea of there being cameras for the children to use (To make videos, take pictures and the such).  The idea of using an iPad was so controversial in our class, that I am torn.  I would love all of the opportunities that iPads could create, but the strong opinion of one of my classmates against them makes me second guess myself.  But, as this is an ideal classroom of my own choosing, I ultimately think that the benefits may outweigh the risks.  Of course, though, we must remember that while technology is a great to further and enhance learning, there is a point where we must remember human interaction is also very important.  I found an interview with Dr. Perry online, and they help to draw the line of what is appropriate and what is overdone. 

 When it comes to accommodations in my classroom, I do not know what to expect, so preparing for many different things was helpful.  For instance, I placed the groups so that someone with difficulty getting around could get to their seat or anywhere else in the classroom without feeling barricaded or squished.  I tried to keep the floor plan both simple and spread out in order to make it easily  accessible.  If the student gets easily overwhelmed and needs to take a breather, the reading area is ideal for them to take a break.  The shelves surround the area so they will have some privacy.  And it won't draw extra attention to that student because they are in the back.  And if the students have trouble with their vision, not only will the large wording on the IWB help, but there will be braille resources available. This, along with this, helped me with the accommodation aspect of the classroom.

I would also love to have Skype available in my classroom.  I love the idea of my students being able to communicate with other student through out the country and around the world.  The connections that would be forged would be a learning experience for everyone involved and would help showcase the diversity in our world.  I would like many different community members to be able to come in and speak to the students, but if they do not have the time or ability to do so, I would send them one of our personal cameras so they can film the message to my student where they feel comfortable.  I, of course, would want to keep the parents involved, so live streaming the Skype calls and posting the videos both the community members and the students make would help keep them in the loop. 

I obviously have a long way to go before I have the knowledge and skill to run my own classroom.  I need to make connections with other teachers and hear what helps them do what they do.  Finding others in the same boat as me would also be very helpful, especially hen it comes to bouncing ideas off of each other.  I am not quite ready to tackle a classroom on my own, but I do look forward to the day that I am.