About My Classroom
Welcome to Mrs. Fleszar's 3rd Grade Classroom!
Classroom Design
When I began incorporating technology into my classroom, I knew that the classroom setup would need to change in order to promote 21st century skills such as Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking. I chose to utilize flexible seating to help nurture a collaborative space where students could feel comfortable and safe to learn. Research shows that "Children need to move. Flexible seating allows them to wobble, rock, bounce, lean or stand, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, blood flow and core strength" (2018). With flexible seating, students are able to get the movement that they need by providing them with multiple seating options to meet each of their individual needs. In my classroom we have the following seating options: rocking seats, rocking chairs, rolling chairs, pillows, stools, high-top table and chairs, bean bags, beach chairs, wobble seat, cube seats, traditional desks and chairs, standing room, and floor space. The students feel comfortable to learn and work in a flexible seating environment.
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I have had the opportunity to implement 1:1 Chromebooks in my classroom since 2015. With the addition of this technology, I have been able to facilitate more collaboration, greater student engagement, and differentiation. The Chromebooks have afforded me the ability to highly differentiate my classroom instruction through the use of online learning by way of self-paced modules. Technology integration has placed my students in the drivers seat and given them ownership over their own learning. The MAET program has provided me with the tools and knowledge to most effectively utilize technology in my classroom.
1:1 Chromebooks
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Curriculum
In my classroom, I work to implement hands-on activities and project based learning that engages students and help them to apply learning content. With the use of technology, my goal is to work on developing 21st century skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. In all content areas, students are taught to complete collaborative projects, often using their Chromebooks to accomplish this task by making use of the following programs: PowerPoint, video, papers, searching for pictures to print of for posters, Prezi, etc. In addition to academic content in my classroom we strive to encourage a positive classroom culture by working on citizenship, encouraging students to maintain a growth mindset, being responsible and treating others with respect.
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References:
Top 10 Benefits of a Flexible-Seating Classroom - Smith System Blog. (2018, April 25). Retrieved from https://smithsystem.com/smithfiles/2017/11/29/top-10-benefits-flexible-seating-classroom/#
Photo Credit:
All photos are my personal photos and I have the rights to use them.