When comparing the classrooms of the 20th century to those of the 21st century the results are vastly different. Fifteen years ago the relationship of the teacher to the student was mainly a one way street. The teacher would instruct for a certain period of time either by lecturing or running a visual slide show. Essentially there was little communication in the relationship due to the fact that there was not an even flow of information and mutual exchange of ideas. It was widely assumed that students could only learn by writing down what the teacher told them and then memorizing it. Critical thinking and problem solving where not emphasized, nor was creativity for that matter (unless it was an art class).
The classroom of the 21st century must function as a center for the exchange of ideas between teachers, students, parents, and administrators. The best way to do this is by implementing technology that can facilitate interaction amongst all involved parties. Simply by using technology in the classroom the students can get involved more easily. The 21st century classroom encourages team work, not competition, in the student body. Group projects, thus, foster the development of the subject matter and keep the learners involved in learning! By learners I don't just mean students but teachers and parents as well! As long as we are all on the same page the 21st century classroom will far exceed it's 20th century predecessor.
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