Journal 7: Teaching in the One-to-One Classroom

Teaching in the One-to-One Classroom by Alice Owen, Sam Farsaii, Gerald Knezek and Rhonda Christensen

In this article, the authors stress the importance of "letting go" of old teaching models. The "stand and deliver" method of the past will no longer prove effective in this day and age where technology is utilized in the classroom. If every student has a laptop, this type of instruction will render a meaningless state, prompting us as educators to move on to a more differentiated instruction. Through an instructional strategy of guiding and facilitating student learning, we can open the door to a new style of learning for students, allowing for further growth and engagement in the classroom.

Q1: If I worked at a school with less funding, how would I get my students lap tops so that they too could share in this one-to-one style classroom?

A1: Perhaps I could arrange fundraisers through the district, or even write to a computer company about the importance of computers in the classroom. Maybe with statistics to back up my plea, donors would feel inclined to help broaden the learning scope of today's youth. Hopefully, the government will stop cutting funding for schools and teachers, but until then I hope some of my other ideas would warrant positive results.

Q2: How will I alter my teaching to allow for a one-to-one classroom to thrive?

A2: As the article suggested, I would focus more on group work rather than direct teaching. This way, students are becoming more independent in their learning, but are also able to share ideas and strategies with classmates. This will help increase the diversity of concepts in the classroom, as well as teach students how to work cooperatively and respectfully in a group.