What does a 21st century classroom look like?

Walking into a classroom of the 21st century, observers would see the usual computers, overhead projectors, and white boards, but they would also see more technology than just what meets the eye. Students who are growing up in the 21st century are all technologically advanced for their age. They have all grown up with computers, iPods, social websites, blogs, and cell phones that prior generations have found foreign. Rather than excluding those technologies from the classroom, teachers should embrace them.
Classrooms of the 21st century are made up of interactive lessons and cooperative groups. The projects are more hands on and they let the students use tools that they enjoy such as blogs and podcasts to get their points across. Teaching children how to email projects and use the Internet to find reliable sources is a skill that they will most likely need throughout their lives, so why not start it now? Textbooks are not entirely a thing of the past though. Examples from books and journals can still be used, but in moderation just like any other learning tool. Technology is constantly changing, and the elementary schools need to keep up, because believe it or not even the little second graders walking through the halls have the latest and greatest versions of cell phones and iPods. When teachers relate the material to things that the children are familiar with and like, it can engage the students a lot more and seem fun to them. And ultimately, that is what we as educators want.
Teachers in the 21st century classrooms need to be more creative as well. If teachers can change the way that they teach then the students will be better off. The classrooms that can combine the old ways with the new ways will be the ones that are the most successful and beneficial for the students.