Examining the 21st Century Classroom: Developing an Innovation Configuration Map

Despite it being the second decade of the 21st century, there still exists a range of definitions of what a 21st century learning environment is. This can be troublesome for teacher educators as we strive to prepare teachers for environments we can't clearly describe. In order to describe a 21st century learning environment, we developed an IC Map based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model of Change (CBAM). Results indicate that 21st century skills can be manifested in the learning environment through content-based and project-based approaches, but of equal importance is having a 21st Century Ecology. Implications of this study extend to teachers, teacher educators, and school administration.