Open Classroom Model
Connect – Collaborate – Create
Verena Roberts – November 7, 2012
In my attempt to bridge the gap between Connected learners and Open learners, to offer an alternative opportunity for all educators to integrate technology in all k12 curriculum, I have developed an alternative strategy to meet the needs of students in any school today.
I propose an open instructional model to enable synchronous and asynchronous social interaction across the continuum of distance and blended learning environments.
These are some of the basic characteristics of my model:
This model includes, provides support for and challenges all learners at any grade level. It is designed to meet the need to engage learners of all ages, in any curriculum or in any learning environment.
I would use this model in collaboration with other instructional design methodologies. It is not intended to be used a the “only way to learn. I believe that the most meaningful learning happens from a “blended” approach to learning – this includes everything from worksheets (we all need easy tasks) to cooperative learning opportunities. The Open Classroom would be used in conjunction with a wide range of other instructional designs.
I would also endorse an open learning environment as the most significant area to incorporate an Open Classroom Model – which includes open leadership, open resources and open pedagogy (or which the open classroom is a model). This is the image from my previous blog post.
Like any pedagogical principle, the Open Classroom Model will follow a continuum (as written about in previous blog posts).
Various competencies will have to be met in order to transition through the Open Classroom Model Continuum.
#BeyondFacebook12
This November 27-29, 2012 I will offer the first course based on the Open Classroom Instructional Model.
Participants:
Students between the ages of 14 and 18 are invited to participate. If a student is between the ages of 14-17, a parent permission form is required.
CONNECT:
Platform:
The students will be introduced to the canvas invastrcture LMS (Learning Management System) and asked to complete their profile and introduce themselves.
COLLABORATE:
Procedure
Students will be split into randomly created groups of 5 students.
Two teachers will be responsible for facilitating 20 students.
The students will have two days to complete the blog and one day to send their blog to as many people as possible.
CREATE:
1) Create an open blog
2) Tell as many people in the world about your blog
In the canvas course, the students will have resources about 1) blogs, blog creation and blog content 2) Group work 3) Social Media and 4) videos about student behavior expectations, security and privacy. The students will also have a rubric to set clear expectations on course timelines, audience, and blog content.
Assessment:
After a week, students will be asked to go into a digital personal and peer assessment tool. To demonstrate understanding a badge, they will need to exemplify how they met the task competencies, and how their peers met or did not meet the competencies.
Then I will debrief and consider the lessons learned before I offer #BeyondFacebook13
What do you think of my model? In your opinion, could it meet the needs of every learner? Why or why not?
Open Classroom Model by Verena Roberts is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.