One way to better understand the concept of a 21st century classroom is through exploring what it is not. Unlike the numerous resources we have shared here on the defining features of a 21st century classroom, today I am sharing something different. This is a visual realized by Sean Junkins based on an article from Teachthought. The visual features ten ways to fake a 21st century classroom. I paraphrased and summarized them for you below. While I really like this work, I do, however, have some reserve on ideas in number 6 and 7. I don't think they are properly articulated in the visual. But still the gist behind the work is well communicated. Have a look and share with us what you think of it.
1- Do Projects
Start your year with assigning students big world-changing projects to work on.
2- Create a class Twitter account
Create a Twitter account and start sharing trivial and mundane links on it.
3-Force collaboration
Push students to contrive collaborative work.
4- Video conferencing with strangers
Use unplanned, unprepared and random video conference sessions with no relevance to what you teach and what your students learn.
5-Be dramatic
Make parents believe that students are learning by repeatedly playing videos such as Ken Robinson and Shift Happens and creating a heightened sense of urgency in class.
6- Buy iPads
'Get iPads to a classroom full of students pinching and zooming on little glass rectangles.'
7-Make students blog
Force students to blog
8- Apps on apps on apps
Download as many apps as you can till your iPad's storage capacity is used up.
9-Blend, blend, blend
Blend whatever the cost and no matter whether students have access or the thinking habits to deal with flipped instruction.
10- Add a column for "creativity" on every rubric
'Creativity is a 21st century currency, and the best way to make sure it happens is to give points for it.'
