As a special education teacher, I can say that my classroom is far different than the one I attended as a child. There are some large differences I see in general education now than when I was in elementary. Some of the main ones are technology and critical thinking, especially in the area of math.
This week I have really struggled with the questions that guide the discussion. Does my classroom reflect the 21st century or is it grounded in the 20th century classroom? In reading chapters one and two of A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change (2011), Thomas and Brown discuss two different ways culture is formed in the classroom. The first is through a mechanistic approach, essentially teaching students skills in progression with the goal of results. The second is through a learning environment which they explain as, “the rich resources provided by the digital information network—where the context in which learning happens, the boundaries that define it, and the students, teachers, and information within it all coexist and shape each other in a mutually reinforcing way” (Thomas & Brown, 2011, Location 335). The former teaches students about the world and the latter creates a culture of learning within the world. So what does this mean for me? I teach special education. I have students who are educated in the general education setting all day long, students who have extensive behaviors making the smallest transitions difficult, and I have others who just need help in reading, writing, and math. Right now, at this point, I think I am still in the 20th century classroom. My students who need intervention in reading, writing, and math come to me for an hour a day and we work on skills to catch them up to the general education curriculum. I am working with them in a mechanistic approach. They have goals and I am trying to meet their goals. How can I create an environment within my classroom that fosters just what Thomas and Brown describe over and over again in their stories of people authentically learning in situations that aren’t necessarily academic? How do I at the same time meet their goals for social interaction, reading, writing, math, and adaptive behaviors? When I think about 21st century learning, the idea of project based learning comes to mind. This way of learning allows students to use critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity; often referred to as the “4C’s” (Kay, 2014). I also think that 21st century learning incorporates technology. For these two to work together, we need to know what we want the students to learn and use technology devices with direction (Couros, 2012). As I researched project based learning from a special education standpoint, resource after resource pointed to inclusion in the general education classroom. These articles reframed how I think about my job. Instead of getting down on myself for not being proactive in the 21st century, I can look at the things I am doing well and expand on those. Our school has the inclusion model, so all of my students are educated in the general education classroom to the maximum extent appropriate. For my learners that need 1:1 support all day long, I have put in hours of work helping them gain the skills to be included in the general education classroom. What I can do now is expand on that. One way I advance into having a 21st century classroom is by collaboration with the general education teacher. Bringing in what the students are going to do in their classrooms can prepare them to have the background knowledge or extra practice needed to participate with their peers (Goldberg, 2012). One teacher talks about the project based learning model at his school and the steps he took to make his students who were pulled out of class have a successful experience. The steps followed this progression; changing the label of the students, opened herself to new opportunities, and never water down for special needs and goals. In the second step of opening himself to new opportunities, Hernandez (2015), states “The thought of planning projects solo, and then working on them with my students, was daunting. I knew it would be extremely crucial to get involved with a grade level team for collaboration” (Hernandez, 2015). I can very much relate to Hernandez before he got involved with the collaboration teams. The thought of using my short amount of time to make my own projects seems daunting. For me to make a 21st century learning environment, I think the biggest action I can take for my students is collaborate with the general education teachers. Planning for these little learners will give them greater access to joining a culture that they can learn through engagement within the world. References Couros, G. (2012, September 12). 21st Century Schools or 21st Century Learning? Retrieved February 2, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-schools-or-learning-george-couros Goldberg, P. (2012). Achieving Unprecedented Learning Results for Students With Disabilities in a PLC. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/200/achieving-unprecedented-learning-results-for -students-with-disabilities-in-a-plc Hernandez, S. (2015). Full PBL Inclusion: Ensuring Deeper Learning for My Special Education Students (Part 2 of 4) - P21. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1753-full-pbl-inclusion-ensuring-deeper-learni ng-for-my-special-education-students Kay, K. (2014, June 25). 12 Nuggets of 21st-Century Learning. Retrieved February 02, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/12-nuggets-21st-century-learning-ken-kay Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace. Kindle Edition.
2 Comments
Larissa
2/4/2017 12:15:32 pm
Hi Andrea,
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Jule
2/4/2017 02:12:31 pm
I would imagine that it is hard to incorporate various 21st century skills in your short hour with students. If we look back at strategies like inclusion, this was pretty uncommon in the 70s and 80s. Now, inclusion is in all schools. I'd like to think that the adaptation of 21st century skills into the special education classroom will follow the same trend. In the next five to ten years, I would hope it would be easier for you to feel like you are creating a "4Cs" classroom!
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