Module 7 Activity 11 Flipped Classrooms

Unlike the traditional classroom, the flipped classroom provides the opportunity for the creation of personal learning environments where students use their own spaces to learn.  On an everyday basis, students are generally engaged in communication through social networks by using computers, mobile phones or tablets, and learning using the flipped classroom basically harnesses the same skills and hardware. In this way, the students will feel comfortable as they grapple with the learning.  It is the way to go as far as learning is concerned, since it focuses on students learning at their own pace and the teacher spending time with individual students creating effective differentiation.

21st century learning spaces must cater to the needs of the students by providing opportunities for them to socialize while they work, and use critical thinking skills and problem solving to solve tasks.  The learning spaces must be dominated by areas for student collaboration, communication and  innovation to advance knowledge.

Module 7 Activity 10 Project Ideas

There are many ways in which project ideas may be presented.  I am an advocate for projects that have strong real-world components which have as their bases the implementation of a solution/strategy.  When published, the product will assist the rerader with the information/ideas that may be used in his or her situation.  In publishing their ideas, students will have to communicate and collaborate and find ways and means of presenting their projects that are creative.  Students will be engaged in the exercise and will learn as a result.

Module 7 Activity 9 Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning involves mutual engagement between members of a group working towards a common goal.  It involves using problemsolving and critical thinking skills to solve problems as they arise when doing tasks.  As a teacher, I see the merit of using this method to develop my students social skills and basically give them an opportunity to deal with their own learning.  They will depend upon each other for decisions that need to be made and steps to be taken to successfully complete an activity.  The teacher in this case will only act as guide.

Module 7 Activity 8 Communication in a Connected Classroom

This activity has caused me to take a second look at what communication isin relation to collaboration. We communicate everyday within our classrooms and throughout our daily lives whether it be through synchronous communication or asynchronous communication, but one of the main focus of communication in the connected classroom is through digital storytelling. There are a myriad of interesting ways in which we as teachers could make learning interesting for our students while at the same time enhancing the learning taking place.  Our students are not strangers to facebook and twitter, and as teachers we need to utilize the resources that are at hand to teach. Communication in the connected classroom will  motivate learners and will increase their creativity and their communication skills.

Module 7 Activity 7 - Social Media in Project Learning

Social media is a way of collaborating or communicating inside and outside the walls of the classroom.  It is critical for the blended classroom where the students are virtually 'taught' by the teacher without being onsite.  In this way, students can access the learning from any avenue as long as they have access to a computer, mobile phone, tablet or similar device.  Teachers will need to plan their lessons ahead of time and determine the tasks that the students will be rerquired to do so that critical thinking and problem solving are involved. The use of social media can make learning fun for our students.