3 Ways a Flat Classroom can Revolutionize Education

In order for education to change, innovations must be made that are initially slow to catch on, find their niche, and eventually turn the current system upside down. This idea was presented by Clayton Christensen in his book, Disrupting Class. The following are three ways that I see the the flat classroom, or global connectivity for all students, catching on through the context of education for my students.

1. Global Perspective

Living in a small town can be as pleasant as it is isolating. In a school that (most years) is 100% white, problems can occur with the unknown. Most of my students are not aware of what is possible outside of the walls of the classroom, and technology could open their eyes and put their thoughts to work. The ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of people can expand their minds and broaden their viewpoints to see ideas in different ways.

2. Class Selection

I feel that our district does a great job with what is available to expand the offerings available to our students. We have a partnership with Hawkeye Community College as well as Project Lead the Way. One of our students has participated in various mathematics courses through Stanford University. However, so many opportunities still exist. This process of expanding education could occur with an obscure course that we do not offer, or an something totally independent from the district initiated by a parent or student. Educational opportunities have never been more readily available.

3. Making Learning More Meaningful

Within the walls of a traditional classroom, you can only make experiences so real. You can create fictitious projects that mimic real-life, but following through with all the objectives and details can be almost impossible. I want what is best for my students, and the idea of a flat classroom can make education meaningful. I have a project where we discuss the relationship between surface area and volume, and put it in the context of a food company. What size box should they make to hold the product necessary, but save money on production costs? Wouldn't it be great to actually work with a company to see what they are looking for? A flat classroom provides this experience.

These three ideas only touch the surface of the flat classroom. What are your ideas for implementation?

Credit given to ToGa Wandering through flickr.com/creativecommons