Millenial Classroom Project

Rachel Mercer rjmercer@mosspointschools.org

Daniel Doyle djdoyle@mosspointschools.org

Concise Goal:

To create a fully engaged learning environment for all students, regardless of ability level, focusing on the skills and knowledge-base required to succeed in today’s society.

Overview

In student centered teaching, we center our planning, our teaching, and our assessment around the needs and abilities of our students. The main idea behind the practice is that learning is most meaningful when topics are relevant to the students’ lives, needs, and interests and when the students themselves are actively engaged in creating, understanding, and connecting to knowledge (McCombs and Whistler, 1997). Students will have a higher motivation to learn when they feel they have a real stake in their own learning. Instead of the teacher being the sole, infallible source of information, then, the teacher shares control of the classroom and students are allowed to explore, experiment, and discover on their own. The students are not just memorizing information, but they are allowed to work with and use the information alone or with peers. Their diverse thoughts and perspectives are a necessary input to every class. The students are given choices and are included in the decision-making processes of the classroom. The focus in these classrooms is on options, rather than uniformity (Papalia, 1996). Essentially, "learners are treated as co-creators in the learning process, as individuals with ideas and issues that deserve attention and consideration" (McCombs and Whistler, 1997).[1] In addition, we recognize that in a changing society the emphasis on technology and developing 21^st Century Skills[2] should be central in all students’ educational experience.

Objectives

• Majority of lessons should be “project-based”, involving progressive/cumulative units (less or shorter lectures).

• Majority of lessons should be “student-centered” (~75% student-centered and 25% instructor-centered) with the teacher working more as a guide or facilitator in the classroom.

• Lessons should always connect objectives to real-life material/situations.

• Lessons should always engage students on a higher order of thinking (problem solving, discovery, challenging)

• Create a “kinetic-classroom” (active not passive) with lots of cooperative hands-on and out-of-seat student engagement (group work, discussions, presentations, labs, etc). This fosters leadership skills, cooperation and professionalism. Cooperative Learning = Collective Understanding.

• Daily use of fundamental technology (Activboard, Flipcharts, Moodle)

• Regular use of advanced technology (Podcasting, Blogging, WebQuests, etc)

• Instructors should regularly seek student feedback on material covered, lessons and/or vibrant issues (evaluations, forums, suggestion-box, etc)

• Classrooms should be clean and organized to promote a structured and welcoming learning environment.

• Walls should be decorated with aesthetically and intellectually stimulating visuals directed toward student learning and motivating.

• Walls should display student work (refreshed on a regular basis).

Team

• Rachel Mercer
• Daniel Doyle
• Teaching Staff (high school) 

Timeline

• Kickoff: Monday
• Business Case Complete: Tuesday
• Specification Complete: Wednesday
• Coding Complete: Thursday
• Testing Complete: Friday
• Release: Saturday
• Celebration: Sunday

Tasks/Milestones

• Write Business Case
• Write Specification
• Code Solution
• Test Solution
• Release Solution
• Plan Party