Definition of 21st Century Classroom

a) 21st Century Classroom is a new approach towards education where teachers no longer
function as lecturers but as a facilitator of learning.
b) Students learn to use the inquiry method and to collaborate with others.
c) A microcosm of the real world the will experience once they leave classroom.
d) Development of skills such as higher order thinking skills, effective communication skills,
collaboration skills, making them adept with using technology and all other skills that they
will need in the 21st century workplace.

21 century classroom vs conventional classroom

Conventional classroom

21stcentury classroom

Focus: memorization of
discrete facts

Focus: what students Know, Can Do and Are Like after

all the details are forgotten.

Teacher-centered: teacher is
center of attention and
provider of information

Student-centered: teacher is facilitator/coach

Learners work in isolation Learners work collaboratively with classmates and others
classroom within 4 walls
around the world the Global Classroom

Textbook-driven

Research-driven

Literacy is the 3 Rs
reading, writing and math

Multiple literacies of the 21stcentury aligned to living

and working in a globalized new millennium - aural &
visual literacy, financial literacy,ecoliteracy, media
literacy, information literacy,cyberliteracy, emotional
literacy, physical fitness/health, and global competencies.

Definition of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

a) Umbrella term that includes any communication device or application.
b) diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create,
disseminate, store, and manage information.
c) Often spoken of in context such as ICTs in education, healthcare, libraries and so on.
d) ICT is often studied in context of how modern communication technologies affect society.

Benefits of 21st Century Classroom

1. Teachers

ICT facilitates sharing of resources, expertise and advice

Greater flexibility in when and where tasks are carried out

Gains in ICT literacy skills, confidence and enthusiasm.

Easier planning and preparation of lessons and designing materials

Access to up-to-date pupil and school data, anytime and anywhere.

Enhancement of professional image projected to colleagues.

Students are generally more on task and express more positive feelings when they use
computers than when they are given other tasks to do.

Computer use during lessons motivated students to continue using learning outside school
hours.

2. Students

Higher quality lessons through greater collaboration between teachers in planning and
preparing resources.

More focused teaching, tailored to students strengths and weaknesses, through better analysis
of attainment data

Improved pastoral care and behaviour management through better tracking of students

Gains in understanding and analytical skills, including improvements in reading

Comprehension.

Development of writing skills (including spelling, grammar, punctuation, editing and redrafting), also fluency, originality and elaboration.

Encouragement of independent and active learning, and self-responsibility for learning.

Flexibility of anytime, anywhere.

Development of higher level learning styles.

Students who used educational technology in school felt more successful in school, were more
motivated to learn and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem

Students found learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and studentcentred than in a traditional classroom

Broadband technology supports the reliable and uninterrupted downloading of web-hosted

educational multimedia resources

Opportunities to address their work to an external audience

Opportunities to collaborate on assignments with people outside or inside school

3. Parents

Easier communication with teachers.

Higher quality student reports more legible, more detailed, better presented.

Greater access to more accurate attendance and attainment information.

Increased involvement in education for parents and, in some cases, improved selfesteem.
Increased knowledge of childrens learning and capabilities, owing to increase in
learning activity being situated in the home.
Parents are more likely to be engaged in the school community.

Benefits of ICT

-Allows students to have access to more comprehensive sources of information: Students learn
basic skills related to information retrieval. In class, the teacher and the manual are not the only
sources of information. Several choices are available to them. Moreover, the integration of tics in the
classroom can allow us, as a future teacher, to instruct students and to socialize more with respect to
websites.
-Improve communication between students and teachers: if a teacher wants to communicate with
students, it is essential to have a means of communication. For this, the computer is a good way to
convey a message. We must, first of all, make known to students to become experts in this field. We
must guide them in their learning. By cons, we must realize that children are born with technology and
it is not uncommon for a student or several students excel in this area which is
the technologie.De addition, the integration of ICT in classes allows for a quick and economic to the
most diverse knowledge on a wide range of topics and subjects (El Jarrad, 1996). It is essential to
know that several sources of information available to us and they can be printed and made available to
more learners.
-Improve self-esteem: Self-esteem can play for students since most of them know the technologies
available to them and they are able to understand the explanations and how to use it . The information
technology and communication skills help in this area as well as knowledge in each subject and
discipline.
-Promote increased student achievement: ICT allows them to progress at their pace and needs. With
the help of access to sources of information, learners are also able to update their learning potential
and creativity.
-Help to develop skills to work in collaboration and data processing: In most cases, teachers
encourage teamwork as it allows students to better understand each other. Thus, they talk together and
establish common ground.

Use of ICT in 21st Century Classroom

Information and communications skills Examples: Using communication, information

processing, and research tools (such as word processing, e-mail, groupware, presentation
software, and the Internet) to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create, and communicate
information). These skills include information and media literacy skills.

Thinking and problem-solving skills Examples: Using problem-solving tools (such as

spreadsheets, decision support, and design tools) to manage complexity, solve problems, and
think critically, creatively, and systematically.

Use digital technology and communication tools to access, manage, integrate and evaluate
information; Construct new knowledge; Communicate with others effectively. Examples:
Using 21st Century tools (such as word processing, e-mail, presentation software, the Internet,
spreadsheets, decision support programs, design tools, e-learning, time management programs,
and collaboration tools) combined with learning skills in core subjects equals 21st Century
Skills (ICT Literacy).

Learn academic content through real-world examples; Learning must expand beyond the
four classroom walls. Teach and learn 21st century content - Global awareness Financial,
economic and business literacy, and Civic literacy.

Use 21st Century Assessments that measure 21st Century Skills High quality standardized
tests Classroom assessments for teaching and learning.

Drawbacks of 21st Century Classroom

1. Effective differentiation is complex to use and thus difficult to promote in schools.
2. Many teachers hesitate to differentiate their instruction because they think they lack time,
administrative support and professional development resources.

Disadvantages of ICT
a) Plagiarism- Apart from Web sites that claim to help students write term papers, there are numerous
cases of students downloading information from the Net and turning them in for grades. We can
minimize this problem by requiring students to cite research sources. There is an online service,
Plagiarism.org at http://www.plagiarism.org/, which can assist us in minimizing cases of plagiarism in
the class. This service claims to prevent plagiarism by determining if a term paper has been copied
from the Internet or not.
b) Student Privacy- Criminals, marketers, and other persons can easily get information from students
when they are online. These could post danger to students lives or may even lead to litigation against
the school. To avoid this problem, students should be educated on the dangers of giving information to
people online. Parents and teachers need to supervise students online activities.
c) Low Income Groups- According to the US Department of Education, over 50% of public schools
with a high minority enrollment had a lower rate of Internet access than public schools with a low
minority enrollment in 1997. The same was true of instructional rooms in those schools. In addition,
students from lowincome families may not have computers at home or may have computers at home
with no access to the Internet. Consequently, students in lowincome communities may be
disadvantaged. To reduce the effect that social or economic status may have, we should give Internet
assignments that students can easily complete while in school. If necessary, schools may need to keep
computer labs open for longer and/or odd hours. The use of computers at public libraries should also
be encouraged.
d) Preparation Time- It takes a lot of preparation time to effectively use the Net for education. In
addition to designing Internet based lesson plans, we may have to surf the Internet to download lesson
plans and adapt them to support the curriculum objectives or visit sites to select those appropriate for
classes. We have no choice but prepare in order to help your students become responsible user of the
Internet.

Advices
1) More funding should be raised to practice 21st century learning in classroom.
2) Students should be aware while surfing the internet and not fall victim to cyber crimes.
3) New courses for teachers to enhance their ICT skills.

Opinion
I believe that by implementing 21st century learning in classroom would greatly improve the quality
of students produced. However, surveillance of students on the net should not be taken lightly.

Research question 1: How do exposure to and use of ICTs in school affect future
employment?

Research question 2: What is the impact of computer-literacy instruction in schools?

Research question 3: What is the gender impact of ICTs in education on access, use of,
attitudes toward, and learning outcomes?

Research question 4: How can ICTs be used to present, comment on and discuss student work,
and what are the implications of such impact?

Research question 5:Are some school subjects better suited for ICT integration than others?

Research question 6: What would be a useful set of core indicators that could be used across
countries?

Research question 7: How have monitoring and evaluation work related to the uses of ICTs in
education been conducted in LDCs, and what can we learn from this?

Research question 8: How should monitoring and evaluation studies of the impact of ICTs in
education in LDCS be conducted?

Research question 9: What is the gender impact of ICTs in education on access, use of,
attitudes toward, and learning outcomes?

Research question 10: How can/should educational content for dissemination via ICTs be
produced to ensure inclusion?

Research question 11: How to the types of learning strategies fostered by the use of ICTs
impact special needs and disadvantaged students, and how do they differ by gender?

Research question 12: How do different ICT applications, audio/verbal versus visual
representations of educational content, and communicative modes impact communicative
practices and create/reinforce/ameliorate various exclusions and inclusions as curriculum and
communication methods are moved on-line?

Research question 13: What are the best practices for producing, disseminating and using
educational content in audio format (including via radio) for deaf students?

Research question 14: How can issues related to ICT use for special needs and disadvantaged
students by introduced into teacher professional development activities, and what are best
practice examples of such activities?

Research question 15: What are the emotional, psychological and cultural impacts of ICT use
on learners from disadvantaged, marginalized and/or minority communities?