The
personal learning environment is the environment where persons choose their own
tools and spaces and develop networks for creating and sharing knowledge. Teachers need to begin to seriously consider
operating as facilitators in the truest sense of the word where students are
allowed to work at their own pace and level.
It is a fact and unfortunately so that our classrooms today are not
really designed to meet the needs of 21st century students. I think teachers need to be encouraged to use
their initiative to come up with an agenda to truly involve and challenge the
students to create and share knowledge in harmony with the curriculum
standard. I really love the idea of the
flipped classroom where teacher shoots video of the content which allows students
to take charge of learning for and by themselves and the teacher facilitates
the application of the content in the classroom. My concern though is at what level this idea
may be practicalized; I see this taking place more effectively in Grades 5 and
6 in the elementary school and really taking off in high school.
The diagram below is my idea of the learning environment in the connected classroom.
