Those looking for a glimpse into the future of education should take a gander at what’s going on inside teacher Rob Murray’s fourth-grade classroom at Leonard Elementary.
Murray’s students are busy constructing their own websites, chatting with students in China and balancing on rubber balls instead of sitting in chairs.
Things have definitely come a long way since the days of the one-room country schoolhouse.
Last week, the kids took their first steps toward designing and building their own websites using a template provided by Google.com.
‘It’s a template designed just for kids,? Murray said.
Once the websites are built, the students will begin posting some of their work on them. They’ll start with an essay they’re writing about something ‘near and dear to their heart.?
‘I’m hoping later on down the road they’ll be able to put other things on there like explaining how to do math problems,? Murray said. ‘It’s a way for them to show their competency (in subjects) through writing.?
Right now, the only ones who will be able to access the individual websites are the students and Murray.
‘We’re going to take it slow because there’s still some apprehension about internet safety,? he explained.
Eventually, parents who have Google e-mail accounts will be able to view their child’s site to see what the kids are learning and how they’re progressing in school.
‘As we get better at this, we will allow their parents to come on, too,? said Murray, noting outsiders won’t be able to access the sites.
The days of students handing in papers to the teacher could soon be obsolete as Murray is planning at some point to start reading and grading their work on their websites. ‘Instead of printing off papers, they’ll be posting their work,? he said.
While all this may seem pretty advanced for fourth-graders, Murray said given how rapidly technology’s advancing and how much it’s already used in our daily lives, it’s important for students to begin learning at an earlier age how to communicate globally, market themselves and use technology in their work.
‘We are integrating this into the curriculum,? he said. ‘We’re preparing them for what they’re going to need to use when they get out of school.?
Murray’s goal is for the students to spend anywhere from an 60 to 75 minutes a week, updating their websites and communicating with their internet pals at the Shanghai Community International School in China.
The students communicate with the Chinese students via a website called epals.com.
All messages are sent through the website, which handles all the security.
The on-line correspondence is helping students refine their global communication skills and learn about another culture on the other side of the world, according to Murray.
What’s really amazing is the students are doing all this while balancing on large rubber spheres called ‘stability balls.?
About a month ago, all of the students? chairs were removed from the classroom and replaced with these balls. Murray read some research about their many benefits.
‘We got the stability balls to allow the kids to have a little bit of movement so they can get all the wiggles out and be more focused on what we’re learning in the classroom,? he explained. ‘A child who’s sitting there and can’t move, they’re going to get bored from time to time and that’s when the trouble starts.?
Overall, the kids really seem to like the balls and think they’re pretty comfortable.
‘They were given the option when we first started to try it out for a couple of weeks and if they didn’t like it, we’d give them a chair. Nobody’s asked for a chair,? Murray said.
Murray’s conducting a research project examining his students? behavior in the first quarter with traditional chairs versus their behavior in the second quarter with the stability balls.
So far, the balls seem to be working their magic based on the classroom’s ‘behavior documentation log,? which students sign each time they act inappropriately or break the rules.
‘I’ve noticed there’s a lot less trips to the (log) than there was first quarter.?
The stability balls also have benefits in the area of physical fitness.
‘It helps a lot with core strength,? Murray explained. ‘There’s no back to lean on so the kids have to sit up straight. It’s helping their trunk get stronger.?
The trunk is your body, not including the head and limbs.
Another research project is being conducted to see exactly how much these balls increase students? core strength.
A few weeks ago, all of Murray’s students did a ‘plank exercise? in which they balanced themselves on their forearms in a push-up style position. How long each student could hold themselves up that way was then timed.
In a few months, students will have to do the exercise again to see if they can maintain that position longer than the first time.