Monday, July 19, 2010

Being a Student

I spent the last 2 weeks in some fairly intense classes. Aside from content, here's what I liked about them:
  • Grades weren't a big deal.
  • No homework. Well, there were assignments and presentations, but it didn't feel like homework.
  • We were allowed, even encouraged to multi-task. Laptops and cell phones weren't forbidden, and they set up chat boards and forums for us to use.
  • The entire building was designed for learning and collaboration. One classroom had rows just for the old-school people, but the rest of the rooms were set up with various configurations of chairs, tables, and pods.
  • "Students" who were experts in the teachers' weaker areas were given class time to present on their specialty. I got 30 minutes to teach a session on Interactive White Boards :)
So, how much of this was possible simply because we are adults? What could I transfer to my 6th grade classroom?

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