“Giving Classrooms a Purpose” is the title of an article I wrote that was published in Teacher Magazine today. It’s a revised and expanded version of a post I wrote in November titled Compasses Or Road Maps?
Ordinarily, you need to register (for free) to read their articles, but this one seems to be available without registration.
Any feedback is welcome.
I have read your article today and love your specific examples or differences you provide between the traditional lecture type of classroom verses the social learning theory. Over the years, I have transferred over to a social learning environment, almost naturally due to my subject area of computer science and journalism. Students ( I teach at the high school level) love the freedom and in the end, I hardly ever have fights. There is more student buy- in to the work which leads to increased motivation and an increase in responsbility for one’s own learning.
Hi Larry,
Establishing a mission that is relevant (and current) is so important for organizations, including classrooms and school libraries. I’m a school library media specialist who is about to have a grand opening of a newly expanded library media center (now known as the Library commons). I had to revise the library’s mission because it was 3 years old.
More importantly however, is to have copies of the mission statement posted prominently so that everyone can see it. I’ve been in schools where nobody knew of their school’s mission.