Building A Thinking Classroom Without Technology
Recently on Edutopia, George Couros wrote about the difference between 21st century schools, and 21st century learning, and what is possible within the traditional “4 classroom walls” approach. It’s an interesting idea in the midst of an industry frenzy on flipped classrooms, iPads, and other gadget-based experimentation.
Defining what is a subjective and abstract concept is something education continues to wrestle with, but only because it’s such an important and exciting idea. What does–or what can modern learning look like?
In the post, Couros also included an image by Krissy Venosdale entitled “A Tale of Two Classrooms,” that outlines two approaches to learning–one teacher led and content-based, one simply focused on thinking and learning.
The most interesting part? Neither have anything to do with technology.
So then the onus isn’t on school budgets, clever technology, or even magic data machines, but rather the space between our heads, and our collective ability to forge truly thinking classrooms.
This happens with, among other things, a new emphasis on the process and joy of learning itself–the role of play in learning, how curiosity functions, balancing collaboration with the need for independent and quiet reflection, and fully honoring the complex concept of what it means to understand.