"Thin Walls"

This week's blog got its name because I absolutely loved Clarence Fisher's description of his classroom. He fittingly described his networked classroom as having "thin walls." His students are not confined to the walls of his room but can collaborate, communicate, and learn with people all over the world. I would love to have "thin walls" in my classroom just as Fisher does. While I understand that I am long way from the type of "thin walls" Fisher has, chapter 3 of Personal Learning Networks allowed me to see there are small steps I can start taking to begin my journey in having my own networked class.

When I first saw this chapter, I was afraid a networked classroom would be so out of my reach because of the limited technology access I have. I only have one computer in my classroom and limited time in two computers when they are available. I did not think I would be able to manage or work toward a connected classroom with such limited network availability. Through this chapter, I learned that if I use the resources I have available to me, there are still many ways to work toward a networked classroom. I felt encouraged when the text said, "These teachers were where most of you are now." If they were able to build a successful networked classroom so could I! I am already on the right path with learning, creating and building my learning networks. If I can understand, share, and utilize the web tools I have learned about, I can work toward my goal of a "thin walled" classroom. The transition to a networked classroom would be very slow, but it is one that is within reach. As I said before, I am already on my long journey of the networked classroom because I started with me. I am taking time to develop and expand my learning networks. I can then slowly take those tools into my classroom and include my students in the process. If they see how comfortable and knowledgeable I am about the social networking tools out there, such as Skype, Twitter, and blogs, it will be an easy introduction for them. The text also described a great way to start out small.  The process of integrating the social media networks would start out small with maybe a classroom blog. Then, I would open it up for students to have their own blogs to share. Then we can progressively move on from there. It would be one step at a time to allow the students to get familiar with the tools and technology available to them.

There are so many advantages to a network classroom. My students can contact and communicate with people they would have never been able to communicate with. Authors of their favorite books, writers of popular newspapers, and students from all over the world are at our students finger tips with networked classrooms. They can share their own works and allow others to see what they have created. In addition, students can collaborate with more than just the students in the classroom. They can learn from and work with other students around the world because of all the social media tools available. Networked classrooms also allow students to investigate and search information to real world problems. They are not just limited to the information in their textbooks or the dreaded worksheets. This type of classroom is also great for all type of learners. We have such diverse students in our class. Some students are auditory learners while other students are visual learners. The tools that can be offered through a networked classroom can fit the needs of all different types of learners because there are so many options available online.

While it was easy to come up with advantages, it was a more difficult to identify disadvantages to networked classrooms. There are a few downsides, though, I do not know if you can even call them that. The "downsides" just seemed like the pressures of trying something new in the classroom. I found that because the Internet plays such a crucial role in networked classrooms, safety and ethical use must also play a role in this process. The text mentioned that you cannot just have a lesson here or there, but that safety and ethical online practices were lessons that would be need in place throughout the school year and on a consistent basis. This is an added stress to an already jam packed curriculum. The other difficulty I saw was getting the parents and administrations on board and supportive of a social media based classroom. They may not fully understand the tools or the great things it can bring. In some cases, I think technology can be a scary tool for parents and administrators. This could be a major road block. You have to convince administrators, parents and other staff members that having a networked classroom with social media tools is truly a great thing for the students and can be made safe.

So while I did mention a few downsides of the networked classroom, I truly believe that this is the direction that teachers should be working toward. If we are to get our students ready for the real world, we must use real world tools. They have to know that they are not confined to the four walls of a classroom. There is a whole big world out there, and they have the capability and the networks to access it.

Here is a helpful link that listed great tools to use in the start up of a networked classroom. I also posted this link on Twitter, but I thought I would also add it here!

• Teachers Guide to a Networked Classroom