Meaning student space for recording/creating that is.
Today wrapped up a 21st century experience I coached a fifth grade math teacher through. The curriculum concept was PEMDAS. Long story short, the kids created videos about the order of operations. They were finalized by sharing them globally through Edmodo. One of the struggles we encountered was SPACE! We had kids all over the hallway, staircase, and classroom trying to record songs,skits, poems, and lessons. There was plenty of undesired background noise and interruptions in the recordings. After reflecting back on this lesson, it confirmed (once again) the need for The Cube's recording studios and SPACE.
Another insight I had was on the outcome of our videos. So often teachers want to see a perfect lesson delivered in a step by step format. In this engaging lesson, students were self-directed. There was no step by step lesson. Students worked collaboratively in their groups. Observers would have witnessed strong communication occurring about their math concept. Then there was the final product.....creative movies THEY put together, not the teacher. Were all the movies that the fifth grade students uploaded to Edmodo perfect? NO! We had soft voices, background light drowning out faces, kids acting out their skits behind others taping, a guitar too loud so the lesson was hard to hear. But in the eyes of the students, they were FANTASTIC movies. The students were passionate about their outcomes. They were fully engaged through the entire process. Would a step by step lesson been more beneficial? I don't think so.
I am eager to see The Cube be a place where teachers can release control and allow students the opportunity to be engaged and demonstrate that self directed learning.