Flat Classroom® Projects

learningconnections Multidisciplinary 28, 32, 34 • Performing Arts 31 • Language Arts 35

Flat Classrooms

By Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis

n November 2006, we eliminated the walls of our high school class- Irooms. We embarked to create a joint semester assessment to analyze the trends of information technology and ended up on a journey into excel- lence and into the very future of education itself. This wiki-centric collaboration, aptly named the Flat Classroom Project, an- alyzed the 10 societal trends from The World is Flat by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman. Not only did this project win the 2006 Interna- Screenshot from the Virtual Communication team's award-winning Flat Classroom video. tional Edublog Award for best wiki in education, but Friedman followed the a video including footage “outsourced” One of the most exciting things, project development with much inter- from the partner. To start the project, however, happened at the conclusion est and awarded signed copies of his every student posted a podcast intro- of the project, when expert judges book as prizes. Students formed bonds duction. We intentionally chose voice Jeff Utecht (China), Terry Freedman with those very unlike themselves, and communications to prevent students (United Kingdom), Jo McLeay (Aus- our objectives were far exceeded. from having preconceived notions tralia), and Darren Kuropatwa (Can- about each other. ada) judged the wikis, and presented Why Did We Flatten Our Classrooms? After “meeting” their partners, stu- awards for best wiki and best video. We wanted to challenge our students dents planned their topic using asyn- Additionally, they advised us on how to have a deeper understanding of the chronous tools such as the discussion to make such a project more scalable effect of information technology on tabs on the wiki pages, MySpace, and and more effective based on the most our world. We wanted our students e-mail, and synchronous tools such as current educational research. to not only study the flatteners but to Skype and instant messaging. This level literally experience them. This influ- of student autonomy had its difficul- Embedding Social Learning enced not only the questions we asked, ties—students who were absent or slow This project has reinforced our belief but also the Internet tools they were to communicate would frustrate their that learning takes place in many dif- asked to use as they interacted. For overseas partner. As teachers, we had to ferent ways, times, and places. It also this project, we created classroom- monitor this closely and adjust groups shows us that the single-classroom specific, criterion-based rubrics to also that project deadlines could be met research that emphasizes the effective- low each classroom to assess this as its and we could be fair to everyone. ness of collaborative learning, genuine cumulative end-of-semester project. This project had all of the real-life assessment, and project-based learning flavors of a genuine job assignment or can occur when students have partners How Did We Flatten Our Classrooms? major post-secondary school project that are never in class at the same time. Using a joint wiki, we paired students with deadlines, accountability, and inter- Additionally, social learning research with a global partner to explain the dependence. One student said that this has shown us that the sociability of on- trend, give their viewpoints, and create project “made me more professional.” line learning combined with interac-

28 Learning & Leading with Technology | August 2007 learning connections |

Multidisciplinary

Flat Classroom Students Speak Out © i S tock p hoto . com / duncan 1890

Student opinions on these trends are very “Although we did know what blogging was “Web 2.0 is a term often applied to a per- direct, opinionated, and sometimes surprising. a few years back, it was seen just as a site ceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Find the entire wiki at http://flatclassroom where teens go to meet new people online. Web from a collection of websites to a full- project.wikispaces.com. But things have changed and now more fledged computing platform serving web ap- people encourage blogging as it enhances plications to end users. Ultimately Web 2.0 “Being able to access the Internet and the learning ... helps them to establish communi- services are expected to replace desktop WWW has greatly impacted business and cation with others so as to share information, computing applications for many purposes.” is continuing to revolutionize industry in our knowledge and resources.” “In some of the schools it is said that these world. In agriculture alone we now have “Blogging has cost bloggers their jobs be- communicative softwares are blocked and satellite-guided tractors, computer controlled cause they talk about confidential information not permitted in the school premises, but the chicken houses, and our cars even tell us about their work place....However, blogging question arises, is it fair on the students as whats wrong with them.” can also be very useful in the work place...to well as the teachers or are we still sticking with learn about other businesses around the world our old school methods?” —Naimul (Bangladesh), Tyler (U.S.), and find out new ideas that could improve Connecting the World Online your business.” —Shakila (Bangladesh), Matt (U.S.), Why We Should Be Promoting Web 2.0 “The impact of the World Wide Web on educa- —Sanjida and Sabbab (Bangladesh), tion is immense. Imagining life nowadays with- Jordan and Kristy (U.S.), “Tools for Sharing Information “Outsourc- out the web is impossible. In the past, people The Changing Shape of Information: ing started in the 1980s....[It] is when we had to find information through books...waste PLEs and Social Networking use labor or components from outside sup- hours and hours of time sitting in the library..... pliers...Most computer companies do not But nowadays, the information comes straight “A company with work flow software does not manufacture all the components used to to our computer or laptop with the help of the have to rely on one set of employees from one assemble their computers, instead they de- WWW.” country instead they can use employees all pend on components for other companies over the world because of the time zones. If a for parts or hardware such as hard drive, —Salvi (Bangladesh), Trey (U.S.), major tragedy happened in the United States cd-rom drive, etc. U.S. computer compa- How the World Wide Web Changed the World the companies with work flow software could nies have established manufacturing and rely on their employees in other time zones development in countries such as India, “Laptops, handhelds, wireless internet, to keep the company making and producing Malaysia, Thailand, and Mexico, this is where and many more devices help educators product.” labor is inexpensive but of good quality.” and learners have an easier time in school. If we look at some schools over the world that —Adnan (Bangladesh), Drew and Ty (U.S.), —Salma (Bangladesh) and Katie (U.S.), have these technology in school then we can Work Flow Software Globalization and Outsourcing see that the students are quite successful as they are walking around with these devices all “When schools are closed due to political “Recently Google has shown an interest in day, and they have all their work in one place. situations (as they are sometimes in Dhaka, Open Source, and it’s stated in an article that it As a matter of fact I am sitting in an area in Bangladesh), online tutoring companies, such will soon be the “Godfather” of Open Source... front of the school garden and writing this as Tutor.com, allow students and online tutors Google is currently more than just a search now.” to communicate. It is effective because it is engine; it has become part of our daily lives. It faster for people to communicate and respond is used by over a billion (1,000, 000,000) us- —Salmaan (Bangladesh), Andrew S. (U.S.), to one another.” ers daily from around the world.” Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing —Cannelle (Bangladesh), Casey (U.S.), —Omar (Bangladesh) and Andrew G. (U.S.), Virtual Communications Google Takes Over the World

August 2007 | Learning & Leading with Technology 29 | learning connections

tion can help promote understanding. 1. A unified assessment rubric that expert reviewers, class peer review It was not two classrooms working more adequately reflects the tasks from around the world, and a student independently; it was one classroom and the promotion of higher-level presentation summit in Elluminate. with two teachers who just happened thinking. to be on opposite sides of the world. 2. A simplified judging/feedback Resources system that integrates peer feed- 123 eLearning, Julie’s blog: http://123elearning. Focusing on the Students back and spreads out judging. blogspot.com Student outcomes from this type of Cool Cat Teacher, Vicki’s blog: http://coolcat 3. Initiating communication that teacher.blogspot.com project are often unpredictable. All involves a cultural exchange be- Flat Classroom Alignment with NETS Stan- the planning and organization in the tween global partners early in the dards Video: http://video.google.com/videop world (literally) cannot force two or project. lay?docid=1655320378680486235&hl=en more individuals to get along and meld Flat Classroom judging wiki: http://flatclass Classrooms can be flattened as into a cohesive and collaborative team. roomjudging.wikispaces.com teachers blog and reach out to those Flat Classroom Project: http://flatclassroom We saw incredible synergies happen who share a common curricular per- project.wikispaces.com between teammates who had adaptable spective. Our highly connected world Flat Classroom Project Overview Video: http:// personalities and motivation, perhaps youtube.com/watch?v=Xgc7ERRrLmQ gives educators the global imperative most evident with the Virtual Commu- Horizon Project: http://horizonproject.wiki to connect our people. Flat classroom nication team, Casey and Cannelle (or spaces.com projects have the power to produce Podcast interviews with the Flat Classroom the C-team, as they called themselves). world-class students with a world view judges: http://flatclassroom.podomatic.com/ Not only did this team win three based on understanding, not misin- entry/2007-01-20T06_07_55-08_00 awards but they also collaborated on a Virtual Communication Student Team: formed bias from the media. It will joint introduction video to their topic http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/ require many hard-working, well-in- that offers a glimpse into the excite- Virtual+Communication formed, ethical, diligent teachers and ment that can occur. visionary administrators to give them Julie Lindsay is an interna- the framework to operate. How about tional educator and exponent Where Do We Go from Here? of online learning and global you? Will you be an advocate for a flat As we worked through this project, projects. She recently moved classroom project at your school? the exciting global possibilities contin- from Bangladesh to take up ued to capture our interest. How could the position of Head of IT at Note from the Authors Qatar Academy in Doha. She such a project be scalable and be easy Indeed, while writing this article we has presented at international conferences on to manage and administer? How can are working through our most recent digital literacy and Web 2.0 objectives. She is a we bring in new teachers, be inclusive, member of the ISTE International Committee collaboration, the Horizon Project, and match appropriate classrooms and writes for L&L’s Bloggers Café. including three new amazing globally without being overly cumbersome? minded classrooms in Austria, China, Vicki Davis is a high school How can such projects be assessed and Australia. Many of the best minds teacher and technology ad- and judged by other teachers and in education have partnered to advise ministrator at Westwood peers in a way that is time-efficient Schools in Camilla, Georgia, and share with us how to effectively and productive? and is an award-winning and efficiently collaborate. The rubrics Accordingly, we established three edublogger. She has presented have been extensively rewritten, and at international conferences primary areas of improvement for the other added features include student on wiki collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies, next project: project managers, a keynote speaker, and is a member of ISTE, CSTE, and writes for TechLearning.com.

Call for Curriculum Submissions Have you or a colleague taught a lesson or unit integrating technology that went particularly well? Do you have: • Tips, tricks, or tidbits? • Stories or quotes that demonstrate student learning? • A great tech tool or resource? • Quick ideas easily adapted to other settings or content areas? Celebrating Volumes © i S tock p hoto . com /RBF ri e d If you answered yes to any one of these, please call or write the editor with your ideas: Kate Conley • [email protected] • 1.541.434.8926 Copyright © 2007, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved.

30 Learning & Leading with Technology | August 2007 learning connections |

Performing Arts Using MIDI in Music Classes

aylord Richardson has been turned on to music education Gsince he, as a seventh grade ensemble member, was part of a live recording session. He still remembers the titles of the songs included on the album produced by his music class. Now, 20-some years later, he is inspir- ing his students to compose and record their own pieces, supported by a MIDI keyboard lab. Richardson’s classroom contains a dozen MIDI keyboards, networked together to a master control teacher workstation. Much of this equip- ment was purchased through a VH1/ Soundtree grant in 2001. The Toledo Public School district was selected during this grant competition, with four schools in the corporation receiving funding to incorporate digital technologies into the music classrooms. A visit to Richardson’s classroom reveals students engaged in musical composition. As students don ear- Music teacher Gaylord Richardson can listen to individual students or create ensembles phone/microphone headsets and pull through the networked system. Student compositions can be exported and burned to CD. out staff paper, he patiently sits at his computer station, listening to individ- will use for their composition. Before and have a deeper understanding of ual student performances and provid- MIDI technology, this required the orchestrations because of their work in ing technical and artistic feedback. actual particular instrument—and, of the MIDI lab. As the student pieces are “That’s good. Now you need 8 bars. course, a musician who had mastered finished, students export them from How many do you have now? ... Re- it. Now a student can play a violin, the keyboards as .aif files and burn member, a half note is getting how French horn, or electric guitar sound them to a CD. These students, at the many counts? ...That’s right. Now play on the keyboard. These melodies are end of the school year, will travel to a it again from the top.” then paired with an accompaniment local recording studio and participate As students develop their melody style (reggae, blues, ballad, and so on) in a live studio recording session, rem- lines, they share their musical ideas that enables a student to create a piece iniscent of the field trip Richardson with others in the class using the with full orchestration—again, with experienced as a seventh grader. The networked systems. Richardson can just a touch of a few buttons. inspiration continues. invite all students to listen or play to- With all this technology, are the stu- Savilla Banister is an associate professor of gether, or combine smaller groups of dents really learning anything about classroom technologies at Bowling Green State students into an ensemble with just a music? Richardson can answer with University, and the L&L curriculum specialist for few clicks of the mouse. an affirming “Yes!” He has found that visual and performing arts. Banister is a former Once the students establish their students are becoming more fluent in K–8 music and art teacher, who partners with melody lines, they select the instru- notation reading, are more adventur- local K–12 teachers in integrating multimedia technologies into their curriculum. ment sounds (or voicings) that they ous and creative in their compositions, By Savilla Banister

August 2007 | Learning & Leading with Technology 31 | learning connections

Improving Small Group Learning

hree students in Amanda often considered an elementary school Down Moore’s first grade class are on practice. Older students may work in the hall, Tthe floor working with an over- groups to solve real-life problems in Rayna head calculator. More are gathered software simulations, data collection Lee’s around small tables in the back of the surveys, and so on. Yet another group fifth room and around the teacher’s table may develop a lesson on symmetry grade near the chalkboard where Moore is using a video camera and editing class- using a dry erase board to reinforce software. The possibilities are endless. room is yesterday’s math lesson. Four pairs are A tape recorder and headphones engaged working on computers using virtual can become a powerful listening in lit- manipulatives, and yet three more are center to reinforce reading skills in eracy cen- reinforcing their math skills by solv- first graders or be the foundation for ters. “Small ing mysteries in Fitz and Martina’s literature groups in eighth. A digital group instruc- Math Adventures. The timer goes off camera could be used for an ABC tion allows me to give and students are in motion again scavenger hunt for kindergarteners individualized instruction to all of only to settle down in different places or a tool to capture images of the ele- my students,” she says. “Using this moments later. What is going on? ments of art for senior high students. time to focus on specific areas of im- How is anyone learning anything in Science probes and online resources provement not only gives the student this seemingly chaotic environment? can reinforce difficult science con- immediate knowledge, but the confi- Moore is engaging her students in a cepts. iPods can be used to record dence of knowing they can achieve.” A proven, research-based instructional oral histories or provide an outlet for group of students are gathered around strategy—small group learning, some performing a creative writing piece. a CD player listening intently to the of which uses technology. Whatever the subject or grade level, story read aloud. They are working technology-based small groups can on identifying the literary elements Infusing Technology provide reinforcement or enrichment in the story. The playback is paused Math, reading, language arts, of learning. occasionally so group members can science, social studies, discuss setting, characters, and so on. art, music—technol- Elementary These uses of technology allow teach- ogy-based centers “Using technology ers to address the different learning can influence un- with small groups styles of their students. derstanding and has several ben- learning. By the efits,” saysDanna Middle term technology, I Crump. “First, it Armed with video and still cameras mean computers naturally sparks and video editing software, middle as well as digital even reluctant school students work in small groups cameras, overhead learners’ interests. to create movies to explain science calculators, geo sa- Once I have their concepts such as symmetry and spec- faris, tape recorders, interest, it is much tra so that their peers in the local iPods, science probes, easier to teach or rein- elementary school will understand the software, WebQuests, on- force our content. For me, scientific concept. Each group works line resources, and more. another advantage is that technol- to determine what images or video Small group learning using tech- ogy evens the playing field. Many chil- best presents the topic, writes the nology can be extremely beneficial dren who don’t necessarily do well with script for the video, and then imple- to middle school and high school paper/pencil activities shine when al- ments the action plan for the video.

© i S tock p hoto . com /M as z a / nano toma l learners even though this strategy is lowed to use the overhead or keyboards. Finding real-world examples clarifies Kinesthetic learners are particularly en- and develops understanding for them- By Tammy P. Smith gaged by technology.” selves and their audience.

32 Learning & Leading with Technology | August 2007 learning connections |

Multidisciplinary

e 1-to-1 In his eighth grade science class, and concepts in ways that mesh with Don Locke selects slide presentations their strengths in presenting their Revolution in developed by his class to demonstrate knowledge. Learning is Here! the concept of sound propagation. Pendergrass reviews the artifacts They view the presentation ina large and provides direct feedback. She group, then groups review the key outlines the strengths and weakness- points presented in preparation of es of each group’s literary analysis the upcoming unit assessment. Stu- and conducts a large group discus- dents post questions to the class blog sion. She addresses the strands pre- for further peer review prior to the sented within the blog and responses assessment. from the college professors are dis- cussed at length. High School Debbie Pendergrass’ junior English Wrapping It Up class exploring Lord of the Flies is With today’s emphasis on meeting buzzing with activity as students work the needs of each child as evidenced in small groups utilizing technol- by legislation such as No Child Left ogy to analyze this novel. One group Behind, technology-based small group uses Inspiration to compare and instruction provides students contrast the novel with the with a way to engage in movie Au Revoir, Les En- higher-order think- Learn from the leaders— fants. Another group ing, reinforces prior • Proﬁ les of the most success- is creating a survival knowledge while ful school-, district-, and WebQuest using connecting it to statewide 1-to-1 programs the many exam- new knowledge, • Comprehensive guidelines ples from litera- promotes coop- for planning and imple- ture of isolation. eration and col- menting a 1-to-1 program A third group laboration, and creates a podcast teaches respon- • Classroom management and simulating a radio sibility. With professional development newscast of the crash benefits such as strategies that really work and experiences the these, the invest- for 1-to-1 teachers survivors endured prior ment in planning, or- • Tips for diﬀ erentiating to their rescue. A final group ganizing, and restructuring instruction and making the posts to the class blog their questions class time allocated for implementing most of the 1-to-1 learning and analysis of difficult passages so technology-based small group centers environment local college literature professors can is well worth the effort. share their expertise with students to give them a deeper understanding of Tammy Smith is the curriculum resource Available Now—go to the novel. These uses of small group teacher and assistant administrator at Hilliard Elementary School in Hilliard, www.iste.org/bookstore instruction coupled with technology Florida. During her 11-year teaching to order today allow the juniors to document their career she has taught middle school art and understanding of literary elements technology at the elementary and college levels.

L&L wants your opinion! Send comments to [email protected]. Participate in our monthly reader poll at http://www.iste.org/LL.

August 2007 1to1book_TP.indd | Learning 1& Leading with Technology 12/14/200633 4:40:12 PM | learning connections

Discover a World Multidisciplinary of Mysterious Plants

We conclude the ac- o become an effective educator, I tivities with the students believe teachers should incorpo- having to name one Trate all learning styles, and teach thing they learned about across the curriculum with every op- the unit. Additionally, portunity. Interdisciplinary units allow they use the Web sites teachers to use auditory, kinesthetic, and the anthology story tactile, and visual modalities to reach to help them compare every type of learner. Technology is and contrast the two valuable because it has the capability different plants using to incorporate all four modalities. either Kidspiration or My third grade unit on carnivore Inspiration. plants begins with students reading My students like to “Fly Traps! Plants That Bite Back” do additional research from Scott Foresman’s Reading: Imag- by looking at other Web ine That! The story describes the char- sites or checking out acteristics and adaptations of various a book in the library plants. The students enjoy reading a about plants. They add story about a boy’s adventure with the additional informa- carnivorous plants and then extend- tion to their Kidspi- ing it to learning about other plants of ration charts. Other that species. They discover how car- Inspiration/Kidspiration nivorous plants contribute to the food usages include character chain by eating insects. Students compare analysis and prewriting and contrast Next, small groups use a micro- Venus’ flytraps ideas for creative writ- scope to look at slides of various plant and pitcher plants ing in their journals. leaves and insect organisms. Students using Kidspiration The students also look identify the organisms, paying close and Inspiration. at a Biology of Plants attention to details of plant structures. Web site that I have re- They already know how to identify the searched as a wealth of three main patterns of leaves from a information to expand previous science unit, and are familiar their knowledge about with skeletal structures from a mini- the topic. unit on animal skeletons. Students try At the conclusion, to identify the insects on the slides, students feed insects then check the labels to make sure to two donated Venus’ they guessed correctly. At first, when flytraps to examine their the students viewed the various plants function as meat-eating without the aide of powerful magni- plants, learning life skills fication lenses, they were not able to on how to properly care see the details of their specimens, and for living organisms. wondered what they were missing be- Next, students visit a Web page that At the conclusion of the lesson, they yond what their own eyes would allow I created about pitcher plants and determined how the two plants were them to see. They got excited because Venus’ flytrap. They do two scavenger alike and different. hunts, one where students look for microscopes allowed them to see the Maria Shaver is a third grade teacher and details of the structures of the plants. answers to important questions by has been teaching for 14 years, 7 of them at St. clicking on various links and another Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta, Georgia. By Maria Shaver where they label the parts of a plant. She has a BS and an MEd in education.

34 Learning & Leading with Technology | August 2007 learning connections |

Revising with a Word Processor 7JEFPDPOGFSFODJOH7JEFPDPOGFSFODJOH GPS,m$MBTTSPPNT evision is a powerful lure when using a word processor. "1SPHSBN%FWFMPQNFOU(VJEF I teach my students many of the features they might use Rwhile revising when we are in the computer lab. I roam around the room looking over shoulders, consulting with students as they develop their pieces. Occasionally I conduct revising seminars. On those occasions I bring the PC Viewer to class and ask a student if I can use her file. Anyone can be easily confused or overloaded with information when revising with a word processor, so to avoid cognitive dissonance; I display only short pieces during these sessions. Then we go to the computer lab to rehearse the word processing features we experimented with the day before. I suggest showing students one or two of the following five features: 1. Open a familiar text, something short, asking them to insert returns after each sentence so they stand alone. This helps students see if their sentences are complete. Ask students to experiment with arrangement, cutting and pasting sentences Co-authored by for effect. Camille Cole, Kecia Ray, 2. Boldface the first four words of every sentence. This calls & Jan Zanetis attention to sentence openings, begging the writer to recast 8SJUUFOCZUISFFFEVDBUPSTXJUI repetitive patterns. EFDBEFTPGDPNCJOFEFYQFSJFODF 3. Demonstrate how to use the Find feature for every occurrence JNQMFNFOUJOHJOUFSBDUJWF of -ly, -ing, and -ed. This is a good time to remind students WJEFPDPOGFSFODJOH *7$ UIJTCPPL they can find and replace overused or commonly misspelled JTàMMFEXJUISFBMMJGFTUPSJFTBOE words. I’ll ask students to search every occurrence of “to” be- QSPWFOTUSBUFHJFTGPSVTJOHUIJT QPXFSGVMFEVDBUJPOBMUPPM cause when an infinitive is used as an adverb, the base verb, and the action it carries, is weakened. '&"563&4 4. Show how the spell checker works. I make sure students understand that the computer cannot read and that they still  $PNQMFUFQSPHSBN have to decide if what the computer flags is correct. This is EFWFMPQNFOUHVJEFEFUBJMJOH IPX*7$XPSLT OFDDFTTBSZ especially true with homophones such as to/too/two and IBSEXBSFBOETPGUXBSF there/their/they’re. (And don’t get me started with computer- JNQMFNFOUBUJPOTUSBUFHJFT ized grammar checkers.) DMBTTSPPNNBOBHFNFOU 5. Work with multiple win- DVSSJDVMBSEFTJHO dows/files and expand  *OTQJSBUJPOBMWJHOFUUFTEFTDSJCJOH or compress a sentence, TVDDFTTGVM*7$QSPHSBNTBOE experimenting with detail QSPKFDUTXPSMEXJEF or syntax. Or spend some  6TFGVMUFNQMBUFTBOEBHVJEF time cutting and pasting UP*7$SFTPVSDFT to reorganize an entire an essay. -FBSONPSFBOEPSEFSUIJTHSFBU —Rick Monroe began teaching English SFTPVSDFPOMJOFBU in 1978. Two years later he was using word processing with his students, and since then has been an advocate for incorporating technology in to the

curriculum to help students articulate © i S tock p hoto . com / chihhang www.iste.org/bookstore their thoughts. 1.800.336.5191 Language Arts

August 2007 | Learning & Leading with Technology 35