Classrooms for the Future is about

• recognizing and embracing the need for high school reform,
• enabling teachers to use technology as an effective tool for educating students, and
• preparing students to enter and successfully compete in the ever-expanding high-tech global marketplace.
 
The Classrooms for the Future (CFF) initiative has transformed the way high school teachers teach and how students learn in over 540 Pennsylvania high schools, affecting over 12,000 teachers and 500,000 students, by equipping English, math, science and social studies classrooms with enhanced technology, internet connected laptop computers for teachers and every student, and other state-of-the art resources.  Teachers are creating assignments that not only use technology, but offer students opportunities to develop 21st Century skills such as collaboration, problem solving, creativity and innovation. 

Instructional Change
Classrooms for the Future is moving instruction in Pennsylvania high schools from what one might commonly think of as learning activities or School 1.0 to 21st Century learning environments or what we call School 2.0.

SCHOOL 1.0	SCHOOL 2.0
Teacher centered	Learner centered
Content coverage	Learning and Doing
Memorizing information	Using information
Lecturer	Facilitator/Co-Learner
Whole group configuration	Flexible grouping configuration
Single instructional and learning modality	Multiple instruction and learning modalities to include all students
Memorization and recall	Higher Order Thinking Skills - creativity
Single discipline	Interdisciplinary
Isolated	Collaborative
Textbook dependent	Multiple sources of information
Teachers teaching to one learning style	Teachers addressing multiple learning styles
Learning content	Learning how to learn
Learning isolated skills and factoids	Completing authentic projects

Instructional practices are
• more rigorous (higher order on Bloom’s taxonomy),
• student centered (more constructivist) and
• relevant (real world). 

Range of Instructional Use
The Range of Instructional Use chart demonstrates this graphically. The vertical axis on the left is Complexity, with explicit reference to rigor or new Bloom’s taxonomy from basic on the bottom to higher order at the top.  The horizontal axis is Instruction from teacher centered or didactic instruction to student centered or constructivist instruction.  The diagonal axis ranges from more abstract, artificial activities to authentic, real world or relevant activities.  The goal of CFF is to create more learning opportunities that are where the three axes meet in the upper right hand corner of the chart.

Range of Instructional Use chart:  By Metiri Group. Commissioned by NCREL for Engauge

Professional Development
To make these changes, teachers and school leaders participate in extensive professional development on how to best harness the power of technology to increase student achievement and ensure students are ready for college and the high-tech global job market.  The professional development activities include vendor provided face to face practice with equipment and instructional strategies, online blended study job-embedded courses for teachers and administrators and a half time instructional coach to assist teachers with just-in-time professional development.  The role of instructional coach is key to the success of Classrooms for the Future. CFF instructional coaches work with teachers to ensure that their lessons and projects are about rigorous, relevant curriculum rather than about the technology.

Click below for a full description of the Classrooms for the Future professional development program.  CFF Professional Development Program

At the end of the CFF Day
Chalk, blackboards and textbooks are still essential components for educating students today, but there is no question that in order to engage young people who are growing up with technology in a cyber-world, we must incorporate a greater level of technology into our schools.  By introducing students to these resources and teaching them effective and appropriate use, we are helping to ensure our students will be best prepared to grasp new technological trends and utilize them to their fullest advantage in a global 21st Century job market