Making the Shift...
From 20th Century Educator to 21st Century Educator
What Does 20th Century Learning Look Like?
The Cemetery Classroom
Teacher-centered. Each desk is equidistant from the next in rows. Collaboration is frowned upon and seen as cheating.
Worksheets
Content Focus
This statement gets thrown around heavily today in educational technology. It is my belief that this statement is somewhat misleading. In 20 years, the world will still have plenty of doctors, lawyers, chefs, etc... However, the truth to this statement is that the service and manufacturing industry jobs that have been so plentiful over the last 100+ years are no longer all that plentiful. Most of those jobs are being automated or outsourced at a rapid pace. I think that this question should read, "How do we prepare students for the connected and collaborated world we now live in?"
A 2014 Economist survey asked business executives which of the following (select up to three) are the most critical skills for employees in your organisation to
possess today?
What Does 21st Century Learning Look Like?
Collaborative Classrooms
Project Based Learning
Process Focus
Soft Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
- Creativity
- Communication Skills
- Teamwork
- Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
- Conflict Resolution
- Leadership Skills
How does technology fit in a 21st century classroom?
Technology, much like content, should be seamlessly integrated into the classroom. While technology is important to learning outcomes, it is just a tool. It should be leveraged, but should never be used as a crutch. That being said, this generation of students live in a connected world. Shouldn't we, as educators strive to be where they go to learn? The internet can be a very powerful platform.
The Final Piece: The Lifelong Learner
Every 21st century educator I have ever come across has one thing in common. They are a self-described "lifelong learner". Much like those that are successful in other fields, these professionals work tirelessly to build a professional learning network, or PLN. Focusing on technology, social networking has been of great benefit to me in building my PLN. Specifically, Twitter and Google+ have been huge assets in the creation of my PLN. There are literally thousands of educators collaborating and driving change on both of those services.
Jeff St. Andre
Email: jeffstandre@gmail.com
Website: jstandre.com
Phone: (940) 855-7511 .328
Twitter: @jstandre