Mission Possible: Reimagining the 21st Century Classroom

Mission Possible: Reimagining the 21st Century Classroom
2012 Summer Teacher Workshop @ Smithsonian

The Model Classroom is a nationwide community of educators working together to develop strategies to extend and recognize the learning that takes place outside the classroom. It begins with a professional development workshop where educators are invited to carefully examine and describe their own teaching practice. They then consider how that practice would change if their students were required to identify and develop solutions to authentic problems in their communities. What resources would they bring to bear? Would they partner with community organizations or experts? How would they incorporate today's digital technologies and social networks? How would they use the greater context of addressing these real world problems to cultivate critical thinking habits as well as reinforce reading, math and other fundamental skills?

During a Model Classroom workshop, teachers participate in a set of missions that take them out into the community so that they can experience firsthand, the excitement of discovering opportunities for learning - much in the same way their students will. They share their experiences with colleagues and then develop and document project ideas to take back to the classroom.

Unlike other professional development, the Model Classroom program encourages educators to continue to work and communicate with the New Learning Institute. NLI consults, provides program support, and shares the best practices that educators develop as part of successfully implementing their projects.

Model Classroom educators ask students to be creative problem solvers, sensibly deploy digital media, and embrace civic engagement as a pathway to becoming ingenious and resourceful 21st century learners.

File: SI Mission Possible 2012 Final Presentation