A 21st-century classroom is not just any classroom. From kindergarten to Grade 12, iPads, laptops, interactive whiteboards and smartphones are finding their place alongside pens and textbooks in private schools across the country.
While some feel that mobile phones, social media and other communications technologies are distracting, others believe that they are valuable in teaching the 21st-century skills needed to excel in the world. Most private schools have chosen to embrace state-of-the-art technology, developing strategies to incorporate these tools into the classroom in an engaging and productive way.
"As educators, we must determine how to honour the past and those best practices that have been tried and tested while keeping an eye on the future, using technology to promote communication, collaboration, creativity and learning," says Justin Medved, director of instructional innovation at The York School in Toronto.
Technology is making it possible for students to write and present information through a variety of mediums, something educators say is a foundation for 21st-century learning.
Paul Keery, a social sciences teacher at MacLachlan College in Oakville, Ont., for instance, uses podcasting and video production to engage high school students in his history classes. Instead of just reading facts from a textbook and writing research papers, his students are writing scripts, recording audio and video footage, and finding archival clips that bring historical events to life.
"It changes the way the students internalize the information," says Keery, an Apple Distinguished Educator belonging to a worldwide community of visionary educators doing amazing things with technology inside and outside the classroom.
Tools such as Google Docs and wikis are helping to promote communication and collaboration beyond what can be accomplished through a written essay.
Blogs and social media also have their place in schools. Students at The York School, for example, are documenting and sharing their service trip experiences via Twitter and blogs, giving learners the chance to express themselves to a broader audience. "The medium is now as important as the message, so we're teaching students not only how to write well, but how to leverage each medium as a form of communication," Medved says.
Private schools are using technology in safe and supervised environments to improve upon existing teaching methods in response to the needs of this multi-tasking, fast-paced, plugged-in generation of learners. While it's certainly not all technology all the time, these tools are proving to have a valuable place in the modern-day classroom.
Q&A with Susanne Goodridge
Technology can prove you're never too young to learn. At St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School in Oakville, Ont., iPads are being used to teach both academic and social skills to junior and senior kindergartners. The Junior School's IT coordinator, Susanne Goodridge, weighs in on the impact they're having on students.
Q: How are the iPads being used to promote learning?
A: The iPads are used to form a learning station every morning and depending on what the teacher is focusing on, we use different apps to help promote that. Sometimes they're used for letter recognition and formation, basic math skills, learning to tell time, reading and spelling, or memory games. It gives the teacher another medium to practice repetitive skills with the students. We also use the iPad to help kids illustrate and write their own stories. It doesn't replace the use of pencil and paper, but complements it nicely.
Q: How do the students respond to the iPad?
A: Without the keyboard and mouse, the kids are right in there; it's instinctual for them. The iPad offers instant access and they aren't afraid to touch the screen to see what will happen. Their enthusiasm is incredible.
Q: Do you think it's important to have technology in the classroom?
A: I do! Technology is here to stay and it's important that kids are exposed to it and learn a safe way to use it. It's an exciting way to deliver curriculum and keeps the students motivated and interested. It also helps teachers reach different learners. To me, technology is a "must have" part of a balanced classroom.
