Teachers that want to create and maintain DLC in TRE must first get the resources (the technology) they need, such as computers, wireless internet, cell phones, MP3 players, and smartboards. The availability of these tools and how easy they are to use will greatly affect how proficiently the students will learn. Teachers must then instruct the students on how to use this technology in an appropriate way, and how to best gather all the information they need. Once the students are comfortable with the technology they can move forward and begin to use these resources on a regular basis. Teachers can begin cooperative learning projects, much like the example in the book. Students need to be included in the lesson planning and should be able to help direct their education. The classroom functions as a Democracy when the teacher and the students, as well as parents and other community members, work together to shape the learning experience. Teachers should regularly as the students what they are interested in learning about themselves, the environment, culture, or the world. These questions and open classroom discussions will help the teacher target specific learning objectives and will also help to create specific learning projects. The students will feel more engaged in their learning when they’ve had a hand in shaping it, and will also feel excited about working with the different technology throughout the process. Teachers can also encourage different strengths in the students, and can usually work with students to help with any weak areas.
One key aspect of maintaining DLC’s is respect. The author points out that developing and maintaining respectful relationships in the classroom is necessary to keep the group centered on learning. Including students in discussions about learning, as well as about social events, national events, and global awareness will help foster a respect for the teacher as well as with other students. The students will learn respect for opinions and beliefs that disagree with their own, and will allow them to discover aspects they might not have thought of before. Using tools, such as the internet, to do research on these different aspects will help them to think more like global citizens instead of focusing on their immediate surroundings.
In a TRE the teacher must ensure that all the technology is being used appropriately, especially on social media websites. Things like cyberbullying have become a problem in the last several years, and in order to maintain a DLC the teacher must ensure things like this do not happen in the classroom. Inappropriate use of technology will directly affect how well (or how poorly) a classroom functions as a community.
