Classroom Without Borders

DreamIT Grant Proposal: Classroom Without Borders Jeffrey Fisher Michigan State University

Classroom Without Borders Part I: Brief Description: The day begins. The teacher takes attendance and collects homework. The lecture is given on the new topic and a new activity is thrown in once in a while. The students watch and listen. There is very little social interaction between the teacher and students nor among the

students themselves. The homework assignment is given. This same routine is played throughout the school year. This is a true example of the traditional educational classroom setting. The sad thing is that this type of routine is carried out throughout much of public education and is the key problem that I will address. Another problem with this routine is that it is a type of education that does not cater to many of our students needs whose learning styles are mostly met through different types of instruction. These successful instructional types are those which include a variety of technologies. Unfortunately, it seems that my content area of social studies is notorious for teachers who present with this less effective model of instruction. Luckily, we are finally beginning to see the emergence of a new and different type of classroom. There is now indeed a push for an educational setting where the information fed to students is not limited to resources solely found in the classroom. To further complete the transformation that addresses this problem, the idea of the classroom without borders was born. To make this transformation, I will be using Facebook Groups along with other Web 2.0 tools. By using these various online tools, I will be able to create a hybrid classroom, a classroom without borders where key activities include those by which students can uncover information while collaborating with others to achieve a common goal. Using these tools will allow the teacher to easily switch from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning, and then to group work easily and efficiently. To evaluate the performance of this newly transformed

Classroom Without Borders classroom, students will initially show more interest in the subject area, thus increasing their thirst for knowledge in my content area.

Classroom Without Borders Part II: Outlining the Transformation The classroom without borders concept places much more emphasis on the student to uncover information. The key activities that the students engage in using this new found information are varied. This transformation from teacher-directed learning, to student-centered and group work will flow naturally. As the learning is now in their hands, there will be a transformation in the students attitudes that the teacher should recognize immediately. When contemplating the backward design approach, I realize that although all of the facets of understanding are applicable, the two most important facets of understanding that I believe are relevant to my content domain are application and perspective. By using the

classroom without borders approach, students will begin to apply prior knowledge to like events in history and in the present. Students will also be able to view events in history more critically with different perspectives because of their transformed knowledge seeking abilities and attitudes. For instance, most students believe that events in history are caused by one event or for one reason only. My goal with the classroom without borders is that the students will become curious enough to look deeper and analyze varied sources more closely to find different perspectives on events. To ensure that the students are getting the desired content, the teacher will use a variety of assessment tools to check for understanding. For example, the teacher can listen to student conversations either online or in the classroom to see if the students are grasping the knowledge. The tone set by the students both online and in the classroom is also a good indication of students attitudes towards activities and also a good indication of their comprehension of the current topic. The teacher can also use summative assessment tools like projects, pre and post tests, unit tests, and sectional quizzes to check for student understanding and growth. Formative

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assessments like skits and classroom discussions that are not graded also indicate comprehension of facts. Many of these summative assessments utilize technology. For example, most tests and quizzes use Google Forms with Flubaroo which allows for quick grading and instant feedback.

Classroom Without Borders Part III: Presenting the Total PACKage Context: I teach at a small, rural school in southern Michigan. We have one K-12 building in our district with approximately 600 students. I teach all high school students in the social studies

department (US and World History and Government and Economics). Each class has an average of 18 students. Within our district, approximately 85% of our students are on free or reduced lunch. According to City Data, 99.2% of our students are Caucasian, and have a median family income of $44,315 ("Camden, Michigan," 2009). One of the biggest constraints to learning is the plain fact that our lesson that day isnt a students first priority when stacked against hunger, family issues such as divorce, and lack of finances, etc. Even social problems take a front seat sometimes. Families who lack financial means usually do not have the opportunity to explore the world in which they live. Their eyes have been blinded by their limited knowledge of the world. However, where problems arise, opportunity exists. I know that the majority of my students have not seen the world and so its my duty and priority, through the use of the classroom without borders, to open their eyes to the wonders that the world has to offer. Within my district, we have plenty of access to technology. Teachers have accessibility to SMART boards, laptop carts, and computer labs. We have recently added a wireless network (WiFi) to our campus. Next year, a few teachers are anticipating a set of iPads as an addition to their curriculum.

Classroom Without Borders Content: Motivating students to learn is especially difficult in social studies, which students perceive as boring (Schug, Todd, & Berry, 1984; Shaughnessy & Haladyana, 1985). In 2004, according to a Gallup poll, only 5% of students surveyed from ages 13-17 ranked social studies as their favorite subject (Keifer, 2004). Students, in general, come into my class with a preconceived notion that they will not enjoy nor like social studies. Students dont see the patterns, they dont appreciate the loss of lives for freedoms and rights, and, most importantly, they dont see how history is relevant to present-day. Despite the challenge that this loss of interest presents, I want to re-engage the youth of today to appreciate social studies and show them that social studies is relative. They will also want to come to my classroom because it isnt constricted to solely having the teacher lead the classroom. Students also come to my class with a limited technological literacy. This new approach will help address those issues.

Technology: My first attempt at the classroom without borders was used on 9th grade US history students, 10th grade World History students, and 11th grade US Government and Economics students. I had more success with my younger students who were not yet hooked to the Twitter world. I used Facebook Groups because it seemed more organized and I assumed more students would already have Facebook accounts (approximately 86% of my students had Facebook accounts). The students who did not have a Facebook account used their friends account to complete the tasks. The parents who were a part of the groups were on board with using Facebook groups in the classroom.

Classroom Without Borders I created Facebook Groups for each of my classes to keep information separate and content specific. In terms of support, my administrator gave me full approval. Facebook in our school district is not blocked. In order to jump-start the process, I first went through my class

rosters during the summer, searched for students, and then sent them a message about joining the group. I was able to get a few students this way, but added the others as school progressed. After adding students to the group, I began to ease them into other instructional technologies. The use of Google Forms and Google Docs was needed to organize material and allow for collaboration on assignments. Other web tools were added as students became more familiar with my use of technology in the classroom. Ultimately, at the end of the year, students were asked to upload videos to YouTube via cellphones and then submit their URL to a Google Form like an assignment drop box. In the future, as our district begins to slowly move 1:1, I would like to continue to add to the classroom without borders by incorporating more technologies that could perhaps combine the benefits of both Facebook Groups and Google Forms (i.e. Evernote). Also, I would like to incorporate more technologies that are assistive to students with special needs. When incorporating some of these technologies and web tools, I feel that some of the special needs students are left behind or are forced to do the assignment using pencil and paper as a modification. Providing more specific directions, using speech-to-text, text-to-speech, or the use of how to videos will help these students.

Pedagogy: As most educators know, there isnt one pedagogical approach that will work better than another when teaching students. There should be a combination of teacher-centered, group, and a

Classroom Without Borders student-centered approaches. This combination of teaching approaches is beneficial for many reasons. First, its important that the teacher allows the students to uncover information for themselves (student-centered). Through my studies and as I have gained knowledge of various

learning theories and developmental psychology, I have found that motivation doesnt happen by using one method. Ben Johnson of Edutopia says it well when he states, Real learning requires doing, not listening, or observing only. (Johnson, 2013) Posting a 3-5 question assignment on the Facebook Group for the students to download and to research would be a simple, great start to letting the students find the information for themselves. Students are then given time to research questions and provide citations. Students then are asked to answer a question on the Facebook Group like, What was an interesting part of your research that really made you think? Why? This activity will allow the students curiosity to take their understanding to another level. The teacher can use these responses in the classroom as a conclusion to the lesson (having students explain their answer) or use them as a way to check for understanding. Once they are finished with the assignment, a teacher-centered approach begins. Before the lecture, it helps if the teacher allows the students to group up with one another and report their findings (group work). If the teacher poses the questions so that they are openended (have multiple answers), then the students will find that there isnt only one reason for why things happen in history. It will also help them realize that things are connected throughout history and that there are patterns throughout the topics we cover during the year. I do use lecture with my students through the use of Microsoft PowerPoint (See Appendix 1). It seems that lecturing has such a negative connotation attached to it, but good, well-practiced lecturing can really help students turn facts into understanding. The Power Points

Classroom Without Borders include hyperlinks to text and visuals such as videos and images. Using a combination of text inside the PowerPoint, followed up by a lecture, and then finishing with a video or picture can prove to be a very powerful, effective learning tool for students. I use a lecture to clarify any misunderstandings that students might have had while doing research prior to the lesson. As I continue to grow the classroom without borders, I would like to place more emphasis on a student-centered approach that allows students to educate each other more. As I progress in my teaching skills, I have realized the importance that students can play in each

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others education. In a sense, I would like students to uncover information to discover new ideas and then to share those ideas with their peers in monitored and structured manner.

The Total PACKage: My big idea of integrating the classroom without borders approach does not adversely affect any of the TPACK framework. In fact, by increasing technological literacy with my students, the other areas of the TPACK framework are enhanced. In relation to Deweys primary impulses for learning, I believe that the classroom without borders approach allows students to uncover information (inquiry). It then allows them to take their uncovered information and use it to create (construction) a final product and present it to online and classroom audiences (communication and expression). Using the classroom without borders approach allows for a deeper understanding of social studies because students are realizing the relevance of social studies in their lives. Additionally, as stated previously, the classroom without borders approach allows the students multiple avenues for understanding the material (videos, web sites, PowerPoint notes etc).

Classroom Without Borders The SAMR Model:

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Technology has greatly impacted my teaching and the student learning in the classroom. The use of technology in my classroom has heightened the effectiveness of learning to a level previously inconceivable in the traditional classroom. The use of Facebook Groups is more than a substitution for prior activities. With the Facebook Groups, I have been able to augment learning by giving students different tools to express their knowledge or opinions of what they have uncovered. There has also been a modification of learning by allowing the students to work collaboratively through discussion forums both online and in the classroom. Finally, the classroom without borders approach has allowed my students to begin to reach the redefinition phase by incorporating a variety of multimedia tools to show understanding of uncovered knowledge. It is my goal in upcoming years to work toward mastery of the redefinition phase of the SAMR model. I would like to take my Facebook classroom to a more global environment where we can collaborate with other students internationally on issues that affect us all.

Classroom Without Borders Part IV: Evaluation I have found that the classroom without borders concept has proven to be a successful program for many reasons. However, with every program there are things that need to be

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modified for upcoming years to make the program even more successful. A teacher needs to be cognizant of our ever-changing world and thus should tweak and adapt his or her curriculum to suit the new and diverse needs of their students. I have taken various steps to measure the impact of this program. First, I noticed that other teachers have started to adopt the classroom without borders. I was able to give a professional development presentation during a staff meeting to show teachers what successes I have had. As a result, at least seven other teachers have created Facebook Groups for their classrooms or for extracurricular activities (See Appendix 2). I also noticed that students began to upload their own web articles to the class page that were relevant to our current topic. Other articles were not relative, but concerned something they felt was important to discuss anyway. The fact that students were uploading their own information was a breakthrough moment because it was not required. Students also began to post questions that they had on assignments to the page. In return, other students began to respond to those questions and were helping their classmates understand the information (See Appendix 3). Also, it was not uncommon for students to come into class and discuss what others had written the night before on the Facebook Groups page. Finally, I gave the students a survey. These are the findings:
Question: How well have the Facebook Groups 56% helped you in the classroom? 44% 0% Have really helped me: A little bit: Hardly at all:

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Question: How often do you interact with the Facebook Groups?

Frequently:

Sometimes:

Never:

41%

58%

0.4%

Overall, the idea that I had for the classroom without borders approach was successful. However, like any big idea, there were issues that cropped up and my idea was no different. In this technological day and age it is not uncommon for students to bore easily. For instance, students began to not interact with the Facebook Group as much. To approach this problem, I received a solution from a co-worker to post questions daily that pertained to the lesson for the day. This was successful for a while, but it then began to slow down again. To encourage more students to participate online, I then began to offer extra credit for their responses. As I move forward, I will continue to encourage and intrinsically motivate students to become more engaged in online learning.

Classroom Without Borders Part V: Key Educational Issues Developing Literacy, Technology Skills:s

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As we move into the 21st century, the definition of literacy (being able to read and write) is changing. However, as more communicative technologies have been added to society, a need for technological literacy has arisen. Literacy skills (reading and writing) are gained through various student-centered assignments. For example, students will find basic definitions for historical terms. They will also read sources to find creditable information and communicate their thoughts and opinions with others through online discussion forums. Students are also gaining a wide variety of technological literacy skills, such as how to properly navigate the Web, how to use various Web tools and how to create personal accounts within those tools.

Assistive Technologies (Universal Design for Learning) The classroom without borders approach gives the timid student an opportunity to show his/her understanding online, rather than facing peers in the classroom setting. When students are working on assignments, they are more attentive and their ability to focus is greater than in the traditional classroom where they sit and listen. Some basic assistive technologies are available to students such as increased font size, and the ability to highlight and bold important words. In the coming year, I want to use more text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies to assist those students in need. When implementing the UDL method, its my goal to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and every diverse learner can succeed.

Social and Ethical Uses of Technology

Classroom Without Borders At the beginning of every students high school career, each student signs an ethical

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agreement for the use of technology and the Internet. At the beginning of each year, I instruct the students that they are to be on Facebook only for educational purposes as it is school policy that they do not utilize Facebook during school hours for anything other than educational purposes. I do constantly preach to my students about the importance of becoming a digital citizen and leaving a flawless digital footprint. I also monitor them closely as they research topics for my class. Too many of our students believe that they can type what they want online without repercussions. However, I need to be more deliberate when planning my lessons to be sure to include elements which teach my students to become better digital citizens.

Developing Creativity and Critical Thinking Skills The classroom without borders approach allows the students to engage in friendly competition. In their efforts to be more creative than the other groups/students, they automatically analyze the information more deeply, thus enhancing their critical thinking skills. The classroom without borders allows the students to create a product that is unique to them and isnt common among all. Each submitted project/assignment will be different because of their ability to use a variety of media to show their final product. Teachers need to realize that student work/output is going to look different based on student diversity. In laymans terms, we arent all on the same skills level. Therefore, we must assess students on different levels. Much of the final product will be assessed based on each individual skill level and the progress made throughout the school year.

Using Technology to Engage in Professional Development & Leadership

Classroom Without Borders My personal professional development mission is to excite other teachers about

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technology. In keeping with my goal, I know that it is important for me to keep abreast of all the technological advances being made in education and otherwise. My passion for technology has already given me the opportunity to lead my staff and other audiences (local school districts, universities, and MACUL) in learning the importance of integrating social networking tools into their teaching repertoire. In order to keep up with the latest in technology and education, I have utilized various Twitter hash tags and other educational media venues.

Classroom Without Borders Appendix I:

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Appendix II:

Classroom Without Borders Appendix III:

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Classroom Without Borders References Camden, michigan. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/CamdenMichigan.html Johnson - http://www.edutopia.org/blog/great-teachers-do-not-teach-ben-johnson Keifer, H. (2004, June 15). Math = teens' favorite school subject. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/12007/math-teens-favorite-school-subject.aspx Schug, M. C., Todd, R. J., & Berry, R. (1984). Why kids don't like social studies. Social Education, 48, 382-87.

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