2. Is a lifelong learner.
“I have found that not only for teachers, but anyone involved with using technology to enhance their productivity, whether it be in manufacturing, sales and marketing, science and research, or education, the most important quality is to be a flexible, life-long learner, willing to accept and embrace change, willing to make a mistake and be wrong (with the caveat that from those mistakes improvements are made and new skills are learned), and to keep the focus on the process and the outcome, rather than the tool. After all, when the day is over, technology are simply tools to improve our quality of life; when they fail to do that, it’s time to invent new tools.” —Chuck Dinsfriend, MBA, CTO mentor, director of Information Technology Services, Woodburn School District
“A great … educator will embrace not only technology, but be willing to learn from colleagues and students.” —David Brandvold
“I believe that a good 21st-century educator should be able to pose open-ended questions to students without having to know one exact answer. This educator fosters students so that they become the captains of their own learning. Learning becomes purposeful and meaningful for students as they work through real-world activities.” —Jonna Wallis, 6-12 Language Arts academic coach, Professional Development Center, Scottsdale, Ariz.
3. Fosters peer relationships.
“In this technology-driven era, it is more critical than ever that we foster relationships with and between our students. We must model and demand courtesy, we must model and demand communication, and we must model and demand respect and cooperation—our students need us to show them how to treat each other. They may have 500 friends on Facebook, but do they know how to be a friend? Technology can foster isolation, therefore interpersonal relationship skills must be taught in our classrooms so that our students can go on to be effective in the workplace and fulfilled in their lives. Helping students learn life’s lessons is becoming increasingly more important—interpersonal relationships, letting students know teachers genuinely care for them—and will help students be more successful in life.” —Julia C. Bernath, District 7 board member, Fulton County Board of Education
- #4: 25 education trends for 2018 - December 26, 2018
- Video of the Week: Dealing with digital distraction in the classroom - February 23, 2018
- Secrets from the library lines: 5 ways schools can boost digital engagement - January 2, 2018