Back to the Future

      Back in 1990, I had to take a class called Audio/Visual Education. In this class, I learned how to make transparencies for an overhead projector. I had to write a paper about the equipment used in the classroom. Since Star Trek, the Next Generation was popular, I proposed the idea of a Holodeck. Teachers could program the classroom to project any period of time on the walls, holographic images of characters would be displayed around the room, and the students could interact with the characters.  I imagine the Globe Theater with Shakespeare and his entourage performing Romeo and Juliet.  Flashfoward 25 years later, and we have seen the development of the IMax Theater and the holograms of Michael Jackson and Tupac on stage. Would these ideas ever come into the classroom? It's too expensive to even consider it at this moment. However, if I could design my own classroom, called "The Ye Olde Literary Shoppe, what would it have in it? I would get away from the traditional classroom; here are my thoughts.
     As I walk into the room,  I see a stage located in the middle part of the room by the Smartboard. This stage is a replica of the one in the Globe Theater. Students use it to perform plays and to give speeches and presentations. The smartboard is used for displaying backgrounds and information. To the right of the stage, there is a collection of nonfiction and fiction books for students to peruse. It's a mini-library filled with poetry, classical novels, biographies, magazines, books about career choices, and Ipads. Surrounding the bookshelves are bean bags, tables, and chairs where students can sit , read, and blog. A Keurig is on a table so that students can drink hot chocolate or tea while they read. Marker boards are on the walls; students use them to plan out their ideas.
     On the other side of the stage, there is the technology corner. It has Macbooks and printers, and students work on essays, create books, design apps, work on an e-portfolio, or just create using technology. Again, a marker board is on the wall so that students can use it to make plans. The
Socratic Discussion corner finishes up the room. This corner has a big, round table with eight chairs scattered around it. Students would use this section for debates and discussions. Rules are displayed on the walls, and a marker board is also available for the students to use.
     There are no desks in the room, even for the teacher. The teacher is the guide in the room helping the students learn the information. There is another marker board that the teacher uses to finalize plans or wrap up the teaching session. Students choose their own learning paths to follow and have to meet the requirements during the year. I wish I could have a classroom similar to this one.