Who says classrooms need desks and four walls? York Road Elementary School 5th grade teacher, Derek McQuiston, has a dream so big it simply won’t all fit in a traditional learning environment. Heralded by many as a pioneer, Derek McQuiston created Classroom Without Walls with a mission to introduce students to field-based experiences where they can connect classroom learning to real life. His quest goes beyond his 5th grade class. Derek wants his ‘Big Dream’ to change the way all children learn in the 21st century. A monumental, inspirational and timely vision such as this needs a big voice to go from a grass roots effort to standard procedure in classrooms across the country.
RevenFlo Web Team met Derek through their work with Our Education Vision, a collaborative project with South Carolina Schools (SCASA). Quickly seeing the potential of Classroom Without Walls, RevenFlo knew just what Derek needed – the voice of the Internet. As managers of The Hive, RevenFlo introduced Derek to the free website work Hive students do for community non-profits. During fall 2011, Hive students designed and developed a blog website for the Classroom Without Walls project. The newly launched site gives Derek McQuiston a platform to share not only his vision but, also, how his dream is impacting his 5th grade class. The Blogging site allows Derek to show how core ideas of Classroom Without Walls like creative use of technology, instructional design, and, methods of day-to-day instruction, serve to unlock kids’ curiosity and get them excited about learning. Follow Derek’s blogs and you’ll quickly understand why he wholeheartedly believes a classroom is more than desks and walls.