Hyperlinks: TP#5: "From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able" - Wesch

The following article: Innovative Classroom Ideas by Kristine Brite of eHow.com

(url: http://www.ehow.com/info_7967834_innovative-classroom-ideas.html)

Gives a brief summary of some of the points found in 'Physical, Social, and Cognitive Structures Working Against Us' section of "From Knowledgable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media Environment" by Michael Wesch on AcademicCommons.org

(url: http://www.academiccommons.org/commons/essay/knowledgable-knowledge-able)

In Wesch's article he speaks about the physical structures of the classroom and how they are designed to draw attention to the professor in the front of the room. Brite's article that traditional classrooms are 'teacher-centered'. She goes on to explain how the teacher is the sender and the student the receiver, setup in a one-way communication style. Wesch's statement is very similar stating that the classroom is designed for the student to 'acquire information' from the professor, 'follow along' and 'trust authority. Brite believes "students are active learners" in innovative classrooms environment that utilize new media.

In the 'From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media Environment' article, Dr. Wesch makes it clear that we "must redesign our learning environment to address leverage and harness the new media environment now permeating our classrooms." When speaking of innovative classrooms Brite speaks of teacher's creating blogs to communicate with parents, students using cell phones as clickers, the use of laptops to answer teacher's questions online and draw visual responses on a board via educational software and hardware. She even speaks of using Skype's video chat services to communicate with other students and people in other countries. Brite labels this as 'problem-based learning'. She also says that it allows for students to "work independently to research subjects while teacher helps students one-on-one."

One section of Wesch's article is basically explaining where we are now and where we should be when it comes to educational environments. While Brite's article summaries the realities of an innovative classroom experience. Both articles were informative and I wanted to take it a step further by exploring outdoor learning, going beyond the classroom; literally. Below is a youTube video (url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HIPnlp160k) that demonstrates the outdoor learning experience.