I think an innovative classroom is an ever changing classroom to meet the needs of the students.  It is a student centered classroom with activities and learning experiences that enhance the level of retention and learning for each student.  Mrs. Henry noted a highlight from the conclusion of ITS chapter 3 that “Innovative teaching strategies must be based on both learning objectives and student learning needs.”  You can create all the learning objectives you want, but if they are not conveyed in a manner that fosters learning for each student, they can not be met.  Many of the youtube videos for the week focused on technology and the ways it can be used to meet learning objectives and the needs of the students.  One in particular entitled Constance Steinkuehler on Interest Driven Learning really embodied what it takes to make an innovative classroom work.  She discussed a very structured and detailed plan to form a guild website and when talking to her students realized they quickly lost interest in the class.  She was able to reformat the course design to better meet the needs of the students, while also meeting the objectives for the course. This reformatting or redesigning of how the course is taught is a perfect example of the ever changing nature of an innovative classroom.  The innovative classroom is built around the students and is used to present the course material in a manner that is interactive, fun, exciting, and educational.

It seems like most of the class has had an instructor that stood there and recited their powerpoint word for word in a monotone voice, much like the clear eyes commercials with Ben Stein.  I can’t recall much of what was said in those lectures, especially because I lost interest and played games on my phone to pass the time quicker.  The point of courses like that are designed to transfer lots of facts in the easiest manner possible.  Information is being passed on and retention of the material is being measured through a multiple choice test, but how much effective learning actually took place for each student.  The basis of an innovative classroom is to push past dated educational models like this and expand the way information is passed on to students so more effective learning can occur.  ITS explains “developing effective teaching strategies is challenging  and requires persistence but can be exceedingly rewarding and fun.”  The book also mentions the use of media in a nursing class in which students were able to use sight, touch, and movement through, a song, a painting, and even a poem that encouraged retention of the material.  These activities that involve other interests of the students applied to learning experiences cultivate better retention of material for certain students and makes learning more enjoyable for students and faculty.  Looking outside the box and pushing the envelope for better ways to meet students learning needs is what I feel the innovative classroom is all about.