Ten Ideas for Better Classrooms

Ten Ideas for Better Classrooms

I just watched the amazing video on Edutopia called “10 Ideas for Better Classrooms.” The video begins with a thought that I think sums up what teaching should strive for: “Imagine if kids, from the beginning, could be learning through developing the interests – through things they are in love with, that they care about.”  I fully believe that teachers should strive to teach students through the students’ interests and wants.  Right now I am taking college classes, and I know that I retain so much more when the material interests me and is relevant to my life in some way.  If it works for me, why would it not work for my future students as well?

The ten ideas in the video are simple, and yet I believe that the ideas are sometimes hard to implement in the classroom. The following are the ten ideas for better classrooms and my thoughts on what they mean:

1.     Project-Based Learning

·         Make the students excited about solving a problem.  The students in the video were competing with one another to design a dome for a futuristic school in geometry, or elementary students were building a fire extinguisher for space.  This hands on approach helps create interest in the students.

2.    Technology Integration

·         Technology is prevalent in today’s society and students tend to use it frequently outside of school.  The students are familiar with and interested in technology.  Therefore, teachers should utilize this interest, and incorporate up to date technology in their classrooms to cultivate interests and assist learning.

3.    Integrated Studies

·         Take a unit that may be featured across the curriculum and incorporate it in all studies.  The video showed an 8^th grade class that had a unit on cars.  The teachers got together and incorporated this unit in all subjects.  In Science, the students built the car.  Then, in Language-arts, the students wrote car commercials, and finally, they calculated loan payments in Math. I believe that this would be a fantastic way to build interests and hold students’ attention.

4.    Cooperative Learning

·         I did not have cooperative learning when I was in school and was hesitant about this concept when I first heard about it a few years ago.  However, the more I learn about it, the more I believe it should be incorporated in the classroom.  Students learn how to arrive at an answer through communication, collaboration, and problem solving.  These students learn through working with each other!

5.    Comprehensive Assessment

·         Focus on in-depth learning instead of teaching to the test!

6.    Emotional Intelligence

·         I really like the quote “educating the heart is as important as educating the mind.”  Students need to realize their feelings are important, and I think that good self-esteem will lead to better learning.

7.    Teacher Preparation

·         I believe that the direction that teaching programs are moving is a major improvement.  The video mentions that “getting perspective teachers into real-life classroom settings early and work with a mentor teacher” really helps teachers reach their full potential.

8.    Parental Involvement

·         Implement programs that involve parents.  I loved how the school in the video included the cultural aspects of the students into the school programs. 

9.    Community Partners

·         Get members of the community involved.  I think that this is an important aspect that gets overlooked.  The school is part of the community, and the community makes decisions that affect the schools.  By getting the community involved, it helps the schools, students, and those in the community.

10.  Maximize Resources

·         Don’t forget to utilize the resources in the community.

"10 Ideas for Better Classrooms." 2005. Edutopia. Ed. Edutopia. Web. 20 February 2014. <http://www.edutopia.org/10-big-ideas-better-classrooms-video>.