Will age based classrooms be a thing of the past?

With all the options for opportunities for student learning, will age based classrooms be dropped or changed?  Some educational professionals look to the future and say yes. 

Jeff Livingston, an executive with McGraw Hill, proposes that age based classrooms are a thing of the past.  In his article he proposes that new methods being employed by teachers allow students to progress at their own rate and not according to age levels.

This is a question for the educators and parents among us.  What do you think, how will our classrooms within a school be set up?  Can you describe your classroom in 2017?  Will yours look just like today?

 

It is already the middle of July and ….

It is already the middle of July and for most of you, things are beginning to look forward to the new school year.  No one wants to rush the rest of the summer but here are a few ideas for looking to the beginning. 

The network of teachers on We Are Teachers (WAT) site have put together a set of creative ways to look at that old stand-by of seating charts and classroom organization.  There is always room for one more idea on how to gather students for learning.  Personally I like the idea of giving students an opportunity to use a “gym” ball or exercise ball as a seat.  You do see everyday in a classroom those students who must fidget, well this idea allows that to happen without distraction. 

Enjoy the last weeks of July and begin gathering your enthusiasm for the new school year ahead.