Classroom 10 and the 21st Century Students

What is Classroom 10?

Classroom 10 is term coined by the Tahoma School District nearly fifteen years ago to describe our vision of an ideal instructional environment. We now define Classroom 10 as an instructional environment where students acquire 21st century skills as defined by the district Outcomes and Indicators while learning the key concepts and skills of the disciplines as referenced in state and local standards.

Classroom 10 is a student-centered learning environment that asks our students to use a variety of teacher-guided strategies (such as Thinking Skills and the Habits of Mind) to make meaning from information and create new information.

The students might be answering an essential question posed by the teacher or investigating a key concept important for the discipline instead of just memorizing a list of facts and vocabulary. An example might be exploring the concept of systems in a science class or answering a question such as, "How do the human body systems interact?"

Classrooms 1, 5 and 10: The Differences.

To help you understand what we mean when we say "Classroom 10" in the Tahoma School District, let's examine classrooms on a continuum from 1 to 10 with 1 being the most traditional. Notice how the goals and methods of learning change from Classroom 1 to Classroom 5 to Classroom 10.

Classroom 1 is completely content (fact) based. The students memorize and repeat back information as the number one learning goal. The facts may be delivered by lecture or by reading. Example are memorizing the parts of a cell, state capitals, or historical dates. Tests focus on questions that are all fact based primarily using multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, or labeling diagrams and maps.

Classroom 5 is also content based; however the teacher engages the students in a variety of activities. We may see is students working on projects that help them memorize the content. Activities may support different learning styles; however the primary purpose is still the aquisition of information, memorizing and repeating information.

In the Classroom 5 example students build a model of a castle labeling the parts showing how the rooms are used.

Classroom 10 takes a different approach. In the example below students apply the thinking skill of compare/contrast to learn about life in a medieval manor. The content we see in classrooms 1 and 5 is still present because students need content to apply thinking skills, Habits of Mind, and district Outcomes and Indicators.

Students must process and create with information to practice 21st Century skills.

We can use new methods of assembling ands gathering information. A resource kit may be written or electronic. Technology allows the easy reorganization, saving, and sharing of information as students synthesize their new learning to create an original product.

Key to Classroom 10 is having students process information, rather than just memorizing facts.

Presentation to authentic audiences raises the bar for quality.

How do the Outcomes and Indicators drive Classroom 10?

The Tahoma School District student Outcomes and Indicators are the characteristics we would like our students to demonstarte at graduatiion. A teacher working with students through the rough draft of a paper to produce a final piece of writing is not only teaching writing skills but is also developing quality producers. Students working together on projects must models the characteristics of collaborative workers and effective communicators to achieve success. Adults taking even a quick read through the Outcomes and Indicators can identify the importance of these characteristics in "real life."

Click here for a better look at the Outcomes and Indicators.

What are the Nested Objectives?

Classroom 10 instruction includes subject area content, learning activities, key concepts and themes, the developement of various skills and the application of Habits of Mind for the purpose of demonstrating the Tahoma School District Outcomes and Indicators. Learning objectives in a classroom are nested to achieve multiple learning goals. The diagram below illustrates how the various pieces fit together.

What are the Habits of Mind?

Educational leader Art Costa synthesized the Habits of Mind nearly twenty years ago, originally calling them Thinking Behaviors. These habits categorize ways in which we think. (Print version)

• Thinking Flexibly	Remains open to alternatives; sees many possibilities
• Managing Impulsivity	Thinks before acting; is deliberative
• Striving for Accuracy	Uses criteria to evaluate quality; demonstrates craftsmanship
• Gathering Data through the Senses	Observes using all sensory pathways; engages the multiple intelligences
• Thinking About Thinking: Metacognition	Puts into words his/her own thinking; self-reflects
• Thinking Interdependently	Builds on other people’s thinking; works collaboratively
• Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision	Uses words carefully; strives for specificity in language
• Finding Humor	Exhibits a whimsical approach to life
• Persisting	Keeps on trying; does not give up easily
• Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations	Learns from experience
• Questioning and Problem Posing	Asks questions; enjoys problem solving; is curiousEnjoys making and doing original things, strives for fluency and elaboration
• Creating, Imagining, Innovating	Enjoys making and doing original things, strives for fluency and elaboration
• Listening with Understanding	Listens to others attentively and Empathy and with sensitivity
• Takes Responsible Risks	Willing to take on new challenges; not afraid of making mistakes
• Responding with Wonderment and Awe	Enjoys problem solving; demonstrates curiosity
• Remains Open to Continuous Learning	Strives for improvement; searches for new and better ways
Art Costa- author

What are the Thinking Skills?

Thinking skills enable students to make meaning from data. Students organize, evaluate , and create with data. Thinking skills are the foundation of learning because they allow students to process information in all content areas for a wide variety of purposes.

(Print copy)

• Goal Setting	Determining direction and monitoring progress
• Problem Solving	A situation that needs resolution
• Decision Making	Choosing from alternatives
• Observing	Using your senses to learn about something in detail
•Comparing/Contrasting	Looking for similarities and differences
• Sequencing	Arranging things in an order
• Classifying	Grouping things by common characteristics and assigning labels
• Finding Patterns	Detecting repetitions
• Predicting	Determining what will happen next
• Inferring	Deriving meaning from clues, hints, evidence
• Finding Evidence	Proof to support a given statement
• Main Idea	Major point or central thought
• Summarize	Restate in a simplified or condensed version
• Fact and Opinion	Fact: That which can be proved or disproved Opinion: A belief or judgment
• Cause and Effect	Recognizing actions and their reactions
• Point of View	Determining perspectives
• Detecting	Bias Finding a one-sided or slanted point of view
• Analysis	Breaking into parts to determine meaning
• Synthesis	Creating a new whole
• Evaluation	Judging using a criteria

What are the 21st century skills?

The 21st century skill are summarized in the diagram below as identified by the North Central Regional Education Laboratories for their EnGauge project, initially released in December, 2001.

In the Executive Summary of the the 21st Century skills, enGauge asks, "Are your graduates ready to thrive in today's Digital Age?"

EnGauge goes on to say, "The world in which our children live is significantly different from that of yesterday. Today's youngsters use laptops, pagers, instant messaging, and cell phones to connect to friends, family, experts, and others in their community and around the globe. They are bombarded with visual messages from the media— messages specifically targeted to tap into the billions in discretionary spending they control or influence. Members of this generation expect to actively participate in and through their media, hence the decrease in time spent by teens in viewing television and the corresponding increase in time spent on computers, gaming, and the Internet. Our children now have at their fingertips a virtual world—with all its promises and pitfalls."

We believe that these 21st Century skills are imbedded in the classroom 10 model- the nested objectives-that drives our work to impact the learning of our students.