Should the classroom be just limited to the four walls? What do you think.......?

As I sit in my physics room, waiting for the MYP personal project class to begin.....a strange feeling seems to grasp me. Am I alone? Or am I connected to the whole world? In the last few days I am seeing the advancement of technology in gaining knowledge from a very closer perspective...My laptop and internet have just given me some wings with which I am actually flying at a speed almost that of light and connecting with so many people.

Recently joined LinkedIn, and actively visiting this website has connected me to so many relevant people all around the world. IB teachers, Coordinators, Head of Schools, IB professionals............so many forums..........which has made information ..all of that or maybe even more than what I thought I needed..... all available to me at a single click. I would have taken years to google all of that.

So if technology can do wonders in  the way I am gaining information and enhancing my knowledge bank why can't it do for student?. Why does it have to be the way generations before us have done it? Why can't we as teachers try to remove the four walls and expand the interactive zone to the entire world.? Why can't we show the students that computer is just not just a device to play games but to do lots more? Maybe to shape the person who they are going to become....

Collaborative learning ... should have a permanent place in today's education system. I am lucky to be a part of the IB Community where I can get the platform to use my creative and analytical skills to perhaps sharpen those of my students......

So that leaves me back to my knowledge issue ......should I, as a facilitator be focused on the content and curriculum and past papers which would limit my interaction with students limited to a few textbooks? Or should I open  my students to the world so that they can understand at the end of the day along with some knowledge of physics....how important it is to live with others in one world and what is the right way of doing that....

As I move towards my MYP personal projects students I know another gate is going to open bringing in a whole new fresh bundle of thoughts and ideas.............

How to be available and relevant as a teacher?

This was written in response to a question posted by Jeffrey Plaman about how you can be available and relevant as a teacher. Jeffrey is in Singapore where he's a Digital Literacy Coach at United World College of South East Asia. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator with a special interest in developing digital citizenship.

Hi everyone...............the two questions posted here have really forced me to think in a different perspective altogether. I really liked the posted conversations above " people like to use technology for learning and not just learn the use of technology..." and "the constructivist theory of shopping for the needs of the various people around."

I have a variety of role to play in my school (Choithram International School, India), which is a complete IB school. In the variety of roles that I play I need to stay connected with different kinds of people, students as well as other facilitators. Sometimes even same people but in different contexts.

For me availability is much more than just being physically present. The virtual availability to students and peers helps in accomplishing a lot. Currently I am using the platform of www.edmodo.com which has really helped in creating, communicating and collaborating. Nowadays this third c seems to be the most important. I believe that even finding the right kind of knowledge is the first to a constructive learning. When all people who are experts in different field remain collectively connected in one platform then students tend to benefit a lot from this output. We are somewhat able to raise the benchmarks of the kind of learning that we want both the facilitators and students to have.

In the words of eminent poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore,  "Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time." - Rabindranath Tagore. In accordance with this it is very necessary to upgrade ourselves and be prepared to face the digitalization. But as supervisors/coordinators/heads, we need to understand that some of us were born in a different time and might not be able to adapt with the changing system. Hence a practical exposure to them is highly needed.

Next to deal with how I make myself relevant ......increasing my level of knowledge to the context is highly important before I can make myself relevant for the stuff. Again the changing technology, where with a button I can connect to so many people on social and professional networking sites, has helped me immensely to get the relevant stuff from the right kind of people. Twitter, Linkedin, Blogging sites, help a lot to this regard.............

Sometimes while explaining a topic from quantum physics ,I wonder that  the development of the theory might have come after I finished my learning, but to make another person understand that do I have the relevant stuff to deliver......And I find myself connected to various platforms, being more confident with the sharing......so go on sharing knowledge .....you might not know for whomand how it is relevant?