The Classroom with NO Walls A lecture for Ort Elaine Hoter

Inside the classroom Outside the classroom Artificial environment Teacher controlled Rules and regulations Confined by time Isolated from real world Other classes the community naturelife the world

Why have schools? The Academics say Schools are places where students learn to participate in the world of knowledge. Each field of study--math, science, humanities, arts, social science--wants to influence the content of school learning. The disciplines set both national and world-class standards for student achievement and establish ways to measure student mastery. The mind

The Economists say Schools need to prepare students, mentally, socially and technically for work. They must increase the relevance of school learning to work in the community. All workers will have to be comfortable with technology and schools are the place where this can be accomplished for all students. Students need to acquire new competencies that will be useful in the workplace. The body

The Community says Schooling involves more than learning discipline knowledge, and learning to be productive. It includes learning that we are interdependent and our actions have reactions. Schools engage students in civic education by promoting the values that are basic to communal living. Schools should support democratic values. Schools should help students understand political power, influence, interdependency, and interpersonal structures. The heart

The English Curriculum Language teaching is more effective when teachers:  activate pupils’ background knowledge.  encourage the development of a positive self- image by providing success oriented tasks and positive feedback  create a language-rich environment, one that provides pupils with ample opportunities to encounter a variety of verbal and visual stimuli and use the language in different contexts and registers.

create a supportive environment, one that allows pupils to take risks, to make errors and experiment with the language. create a supportive environment, one that allows pupils to take risks, to make errors and experiment with the language. are aware of and sensitive to pupils’ diversity and cater to it are aware of and sensitive to pupils’ diversity and cater to it take the pupils’ level of cognitive and linguistic development into account take the pupils’ level of cognitive and linguistic development into account allow pupils to make choices allow pupils to make choices incorporate task-based activities into their lessons incorporate task-based activities into their lessons provide opportunities for peer interaction provide opportunities for peer interaction. .. provide feedback that is on- going and formative. provide feedback that is on- going and formative. encourage pupils to use English outside the classroom. encourage pupils to use English outside the classroom. allow pupils to find out what they know or do not know by themselves. allow pupils to find out what they know or do not know by themselves. encourage pupil autonomy encourage pupil autonomy create problem solving contexts. create problem solving contexts. stimulate pupils to broaden their horizons through the use of English. stimulate pupils to broaden their horizons through the use of English.

Principles Underlying the Choice of Materials List of principles List of principles so what about all this connection with the outside world and the curriculum?

A change in the way we teach   Teacher at the center  Student at the center  one teacher one class  a linear approach  a multifaceted approach  an overlapping approach

To make this change we need TEARS! TIME RESOURCES EXPERTISE SUPPORT ACCESS Leggett and Persichitte (1998)

A Classroom with No Walls Two or three days a week, Hampshire High School students walk into Bill Moore's outdoor classroom. They wade across rivers with Moore, taking water samples. They stomp through forests, examining trees. They knock on doors, asking their grandparents to describe how the landscape has changed. And they present their findings to their classmates, to the school board and to civic organizations. In the process, they learn about the history, geography, economy and ecology of their community. They learn to appreciate where they live.

Is an on-line course a classroom with no walls? What are the benefits? Time constrictions is there collaboration or self study? Is it just learning for an exam? Is it problem solving or Project based? Does it open the world to the participants? ?

Types of learning communities 2-classes Intercultural project Intercultural project between deaf and hearing community Intercultural project A joint readingA joint reading of Ann Frank’s diary A joint reading

Data collection Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble: Global Grocery List Project International Home Remedies Data collection between Palestinians Data collection between Palestinians and Israelis

Ask and expert Loads of categories to choose from choose from choose from Take part in an international journal Online magazine Online magazine

What works in a cultural project? Need: a time framework a time framework a number of small authentic tasks a number of small authentic tasks information and cooperation from the other class information and cooperation from the other class class time to work on tasks class time to work on tasks presentation preparation presentation preparation a summation (projects or results in a gallery, an online meeting) a summation (projects or results in a gallery, an online meeting)