As education progresses further into the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly apparent that teaching and technology are inseparable. Whether the classroom is face-to-face, hybrid or online, technology plays a significant role in education and a teachers ability to integrate technology into the classroom is becoming the norm, just as hanging a chalkboard in the classroom once was. From a teachers perspective, Teaching within hybrid and online learning environments is considerably different from teaching traditional courses (Crawford, Smith, & Smith, 2008, p. 145). A hybrid or online course can be challenging and require the instructor to acquire different teaching skills. A traditional teacher may not transition well into a hybrid or online setting and the same may be true of the course materials the teacher brings with them. Transitioning is not simply condensing lectures and eliminating activities. Lecture strategies employed in the traditional classroom do not retain the motivation they provided when transferred to video (Crawford et al., 2008). Such is true of humor. Teacher use of humor may also serve as a powerful means of gaining liking and establishing a report with students (Wanzer, n.d., p. 117). In an online environment, humor is not possible when lectures disappear, according to Bates and Watson, and gaming strategies replace humor to stimulate interest (2008). Bates and Watson refer to the online environment as guided discovery which unlike direct instruction in a face-to-face classroom, guided discovery is more appropriate for online learning (2008, p. 40). The responsibility of learning shifts from the teacher to the student, while the teacher assumes the role of facilitator, guiding instruction rather than lecturing on the topic. In addition to new teaching strategies, new tools for teaching have to be developed (Bates et al., 2008). Computers are tools in the online classroom and teachers must acquire skills to incorporate technology into the curriculum. In the United Arab Emirates, English Continuous Assessment through Rich Tasks (ECART) is the incorporating of an ESL curriculum into a hybrid-learning environment.ECART, introduced at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year is an online/hybrid program that incorporates collaborative learning, critical thinking, and problem-based learning (Merlot Pedagogy, 1997-2014) and develops students into sustainable independent learners. Writing Assignments are completed in a face-to-face classroom as well as through ICTs (Information and Communication technology) by means of internet applications, CD-ROMs, video technology and various computer programs. A student evidence folder is maintained to validate student learning is occurring (ADEC, 2011). ESL students will use the lesson plan titled Worlds Tallest Building Opens in Dubai (Banville, 2010) to meet the requirements of the ECART program. The activity will provide a shift from traditional teaching by utilizing both formal and informal learning. Students begin in the classroom with a reading/listening activity followed by a series of objective questions, which will be contained in a file located on their iPads. An informal aspect of the lesson is a field trip to the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. Students divide into pairs and record one another, using their iPad, observing the Burj Khalifa and interacting with their waiter while ordering a meal. The lesson will resume in the classroom with a brief writing exercise and the instructions to complete the ECART assignment outside of class and online. ECARTs design is to develop vocabulary, utilize the internet and foster writing skills. Long past are the days of chalk and talk in a traditional classroom. Teachers are taking the reins of change and enthusiastically embracing technology in face-to-face, hybrid and online classrooms. Technology is a tool for change. If change is to occur in the classrooms, it must begin with the teacher, not the technology (Buckenmeyer, 2010, p. 34). Just as the chalkboard was the current technology in 1801, Blackboard will be erased and replaced by newer technologies in the future. Educators should caution against complying with the notion that technology will transform classrooms. It is essential to realize that current technology without clear justification is no change at all. Necessity is the mother of invention, not the other way around.Are there only three types of classrooms: Face to Face, Hybrid and Online? Are there other options? Is an Under-Water classroom a viable option? Which teaching strategies would be best suited in an aqua-learning environment?

ReferencesADEC. (2011). English continuous assessment: 2011-2012 ecart inquiry process product integrated strand tasks. [Report]. Retrieved from http://djamel.wikispaces.com/file/view/CA+2011+2012+Amendment+28SEP11.pdfBanville, S. (2010). Breaking news English. esl/efl lesson plan on the Burj Khalifa. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1001/100105-worlds_tallest_building.htmlBates, C. & Watson, M. (2008). Re-learning teaching techniques to be effective in hybrid and online courses. [Article]. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, 13(1), 38-44. Retrieved from https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-1870578-dt-contentrid19160678_1/courses/EDU520.901238026230/Documents/Relearning%20Teaching%20Techniques%20to%20be%20Effective%20in%20Hybrid%20and%20Online%20Courses.pdfBuckenmeyer, J. (2010). Beyond computers in the classroom: Factors related to technology adoption to enhance teaching and learning. [Article]. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 3(4), 27-35. Retrieved from https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-1870578-dt-content-rid-19160651_1/courses/EDU520.901238026230/Documents/Beyond%20Computers%20In%20The%20Classroom.pdfCrawford, C. M., Smith, R., & Smith, M. S. (2008). Course student satisfaction results: Differentiation between face-to-face, hybrid, and online learning environments [Article].. CEDER Yearbook, 135-149. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=5&sid=636c887c-54ab-4819-8477-abb51dddd7e8%40sessionmgr112&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU %3d#db=edo&AN=48277519Merlot Pedagogy. (1997-2014). Teaching strategies. [Website]. Retrieved from http://pedagogy.merlot.org/TeachingStrategies.htmlWanzer, M. (n.d.). Use of humor in the classroom: The good, the bad, and the not-so-funny things that teachers say and do. Our teaching behavior,116-126. Retrieved from http://www.uab.edu/Communicationstudies/richmond_files/Richmond%20Humor%20in%20Classroom.pdf