Designing the 21st Century Classroom 20th - 21st September 2011, New Delhi, India 28th - 29th September 2011, Shanghai, China

Overview:   “Education is serious, but that doesn’t mean it has to be grim.”  “I don’t think we’re in Kansas any more.”  “Schools are killing creativity.”  These quotes by William Glasser, Dorothy (Wizard of Oz) and Sir Ken Robinson illustrate the philosophy of 21st Century Schools which is incorporated into all our professional development and curriculum design.  The way we are educating children worldwide must change, and this is why: Diversity Standardized testing mania Technologies and Multimedia Media Literacies (Note: this is not a workshop that centers on educational technologies, but centers on curriculum design which incorporates, or utilizes as a vehicle, these technologies in order to achieve curriculum and instruction aligned to the realities of the 21st century.) In this workshop we will address these issues, and more, as you . . . Learn Curriculum Design and Classroom Strategies to: Meet the needs of your students Bring your classroom into the 21st century Exceed the standards Raise standardized test scores Maintain meaningful, authentic curriculum!     Objectives:   By the end of this two-day professional development experience the participants will have created a unit of curriculum designed specifically for their classroom and which incorporates the needs of their particular students and the resources of the local community.  This curriculum will be based upon their investigation of authentic education in the 21st century. Methodology:   Participants will spend two days working collaboratively as they examine critical attributes of the 21st century and then apply their findings to the development of curriculum and instruction.  Throughout the two days participants will be actively involved in a variety of activities, groups and presentations.  Activities are designed so that throughout the workshop participants will be practicing the classroom structure and strategies for the 21st century classroom.  They will not just hear about, but will experience, the 21st century classroom!  Sessions in which participants will be working collaboratively and/or are involved in activities are marked with (P) at the end of the description of that section.  Very in-depth sessions are marked with ***.  What You Will Do: Participate in a variety of groups while learning classroom strategies experientially Gain new perspectives as you collaborate with other educators Develop a unit designed for your classroom reflecting the goals, needs and interests of your students, campus and community Analyze and apply current educational research and best practices in education as you design your 21st century classroom Incorporate new technologies and multimedia into your curriculum design What You Will Investigate/Learn/Apply: Curriculum Design Project-based Learning Problem-based Learning Integrated Thematic Research-oriented unit design Service Learning projects Standards - aligning to and exceeding State and National standards Technologies and Multimedia - utilize these 21st century tools as vehicles to implement your curriculum Multiple Literacies needed for living and learning in the 21st century Classroom Strategies to develop Self-Directed, Independent and Interdependent Student Learning Global Classroom - use the Internet to create collaborative projects and conduct authentic research, nationally and internationally Student Motivation — utilize these strategies to ensure that your students are engaged with the curriculum Classroom Organization and Management - structures to support the 21st century classroom Addressing Diversity and Social Issues— the “Isms” - Racism, Classism, Sexism, anti-Semitism and religious oppression, Linguicism, Ableism, Ageism Media Literacies— introduction to use of multiple forms of media to motivate students, implement the curriculum and for assessment as students learn Media Analysis, Media Critique and Media Production skills! Multiple Intelligences Differentiated Instruction Media Literacy - accessing, analyzing, critiquing and creating products in a variety of media. Classroom Climate Physical Environment High Expectations Emotional Climate Cooperative and Collaborative Grouping Parental and Community Involvement - authentic involvement, truly contributing to the curriculum and instruction - the learning process -  not the "please come to the school and run off these papers for me, or shelve these books, or decorate my bulletin board."  True, highly motivated and valuable participation. Themes - what kind of themes you can select, and how to incorporate everything, taking learning to greater levels.     Agenda: &   Day 1 Introduction – participants will review the goals and agenda for the two-day workshop: The 21st Century – participants will examine and analyze critical attributes of the 21st century, from demographic changes to the technological revolution, our media culture and more. The Purpose of Schooling – a review of how and why curriculum and instruction were designed and delivered for the 20th century and identification of changes required in the 21st century. *** Multiple Literacies for the 21st Century – participants become familiar with the variety of literacies required for successful participation in the society of the 21st century, including visual literacy, aural literacy, computer literacy, ecoliteracy, financial literacy, multiple media literacies and more. (P) Restructuring Schooling in the 21st Century – redefining of “learner”, “teacher” and “school”; characteristics of 21st century schools. The Global Classroom - here participants will examine the characteristics of the global classroom, and will be presented with specific strategies to take their classroom global – literally.  They will receive a list of excellent resources for connecting with classroom projects or individual classrooms with whom to collaborate all over the world.  They will examine the potential of the use of the Internet and email, but also be aware of many other means by which to take their classroom global if the technology is not available. *** Say, Look What They’re Doing – an in-depth examination of real projects in actual schools at various grade levels around the country.  You will identify critical attributes of the 21st century classroom and curriculum, project ideas.  Small group discussions and whole group sharing. *** The 21st Century Classroom - what to look for in a classroom.  What is a quality classroom in the 21st century?  Participants will be presented with characteristics of a quality classroom as well as specific steps to take in creating/designing a quality classroom for the 21st century.  These include designing the physical environment, the emotional environment, academic expectations, and an in-depth examination of classroom management, organizational and learning strategies.   Day 2 *** Designing Curriculum for the 21st Century Classroom – this session will include overviews of several sample units of curriculum at the elementary level.  Participants will analyze these units, then design units for their classroom using tools provided in this session and incorporating the information and strategies learned in previous sessions.  Participants will work collaboratively in grade-level groups to design an actual unit for their classroom. (P) Culmination - Participants will present and explain their unit design to the whole group. (P)     Potential Audience:   Classroom Teachers and Principals K-12 Staff Developer Curriculum Specialists University Professors of Education University Students in Teacher Education Programs   Investment:   New Delhi, India   Rs 13,500/-   Shanghai, China   US$ 529 Contact:   Shonal Agarwal CEO Chapters International Email: shonal@chaptersinternational.com chaptersinternational@gmail.com Website: www.chaptersinternational.com