Last week, the students in my class and my teaching partner’s class worked together to create a short video about our 21st Century Classroom. We decided to enter our video in the Mindshare Learning Video Challenge.

One key theme that comes up in this video is that the 21st century classroom allows us to connect with others on a global scale. I was particularly impressed this week when students decided to harness the power of this connection for one of their current media literacy projects. After reading a variety of stories about how children have made a difference in the world, the students were challenged to pick an issue and create a media campaign to share with others how they could make a difference. This was not about raising money, but instead, about raising awareness. I was incredibly impressed when two groups of students chose to use Twitter to spread the word on their projects.

In the 21st century classroom, students know how to use social media responsibly to not just share their learning with others, but also to raise awareness and ask for help. Students are tackling real world problems in a mature way, and they’re building a positive digital footprint even at a young age. I applaud all of my students for being so responsible online, and using social media to discuss important issues. So during this holiday season, I hope that you’ll help me out (and help my students out too) as we look to collect food donations and give gifts to charity. Please share your thoughts using the hashtags #need4food and #HelpThem on Twitter. Thank you!

What does a 21st century classroom mean to you? How do your students use the power of social media to connect with others, raise awareness, and make a difference? I’d love to hear your stories!

Aviva