Conversations on Learning

One teacher who I feel exemplies master teaching in the 21st century is a grade 7/8 teacher from Manitoba named Clarence Fisher . Reading his blog reveals almost daily insights and journey into creating a classroom where students are engaged and involved in authentic learning and where they have a great deal of ownership. This post addresses some of the concerns about providing students with choice. Clarence writes:

Our classroom blogs show who we are, our wikis show what we are working on. Certainly there are classes that use their spaces differently and more effectively, but we are learning. We take suggestions from all corners of the globe and try to represent ourselves honestly and truthfully to the world. We invite parents in to our virtual spaces, members of our class, other local classes, and other kids or adults around the world equally. We privilege no one. A resource that a student uses in the classroom is just as likely to have been gained from being published on a blog in China as it is to have come from me. We evaluate all information equally.

Without having the words for it, I think this is something that we have edged towards in our classroom without realizing it. I didn't set out to have an open classroom, I set out on this journey to change and improve the learning environment of my classroom, but transparency is something we are gaining along the way.

As you read the entire post, you'll see how much he believes in providing students with choice within the parameters of the classroom. Is this something teachers should be striving towards? What examples are currently helping us move towards this type of learning environment?