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Chapter 1 EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

THE VALUE OF A 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

Success looks different now than it did in the past. High-achieving people are frequently choosing to opt out of the traditional job market and create their own jobs. Successful people increasingly expect to be able to:

Live and work anywhere in the world
Travel as often as they like, for as long as they like
Change what they’re working on to keep up with their interests and abilities
Enjoy earning potential that is not capped by a salary figure
Work with peers across the globe
Outsource things they don’t like doing
Choose their own hours and office

For people who don’t live like this it can sound far-fetched, but this kind of lifestyle is growing rapidly. What does it take to access and thrive with this kind of freedom? The answer is surprisingly simple, and can be best summed up as ‘a 21st century education’.

20TH CENTURY EDUCATION

In the preface to the 2011 revised edition of his book ‘Out of Our Minds’, Sir Ken Robinson observes that ‘The more complex the world becomes, the more creative we need to be to meet its challenges’, and this is becoming increasingly clear in education and the workplace. People now need to be creative to be successful, but while the idea of success has changed, the education system has not always adjusted its methods or goals to meet it.

A 20th century education emphasised compliance and conformity over creativity, two skills that were necessary to do well in a professional or corporate environment and to hold down a good job for decades. Compliance and conformity are now a relic, but they are still key values in many schools, informing policy even when not being expressly promoted to students.

In his book ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?’, educational thought leader Yong Zhao warns, “National standards and national curriculum, enforced by high-stakes testing, can at best teach students what is prescribed… As a result, students talented in other areas never have the opportunity to discover those talents. Students with broader interests are discouraged, not rewarded. The system results in a population with similar skills in a narrow spectrum of talents. But especially in today’s society, innovation and creativity are needed in many areas, some as yet undiscovered.”

Unfortunately, most students continue to be educated in the same way as they were in the past, being taught a standardised curriculum through rote learning and individualised testing, at a one-size-fits-all pace. Far too many students are struggling to learn because they are disengaged and lack motivation. Why go to school when you could learn the same information faster by watching a Youtube video or playing a computer game? Why memorise facts for a test when you have all the information in the palm of your hand anyway? Past methods make little sense to today’s students who learn and think differently, and they make little sense in relation to the changing workplace, where making use of information is now far more valuable than simply knowing things. Schools are failing to teach students to respond to rapid change and how to handle new information because they are clinging to obsolete methods.

21ST CENTURY STUDENTS

Generation Z – born between 1995 and 2009 – most do not remember life without the internet, and have had technology like smartphones, iPads, smartboards and other devices available throughout most of their schooling.
Generation Alpha – born since 2010 – they are younger than smartphones, the iPad, 3D television, Instagram, and music streaming apps like Spotify. This is the first generation likely to see in the 22nd century in large numbers.

Growing up with this level of technology means growing up with a completely unprecedented amount of information at your fingertips. There are kids who have never been more than a few seconds away from the answers to their questions, with everything just a quick search away. They are able to teach themselves about any topic they are interested in without even leaving their bedroom.The current cohort of students come from Generation Z and Generation Alpha. These two generations have grown up with advanced technology as a given in their homes and classrooms. They are digital natives, as comfortable using apps and code as their grandparents were flipping pages.

Generations Z and Alpha are also the most internationally connected in history. They encounter people online from all over the world, and can easily make friends on the other side of the planet before they have even left their home state. Schools and parents are also increasingly offering children and young people the opportunity to travel, creating a truly borderless experience of learning.

The students in our schools today are intelligent, independent and extremely capable. They are skilled with technology and comfortable with global and intercultural communication. We can expect that future generations are going to have even more experience in these areas.

A 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

A 21st century education is about giving students the skills they need to succeed in this new world, and helping them grow the confidence to practice those skills. With so much information readily available to them, 21st century skills focus more on making sense of that information, sharing and using it in smart ways.

The coalition P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Learning) has identified four ‘Skills for Today’:

Creativity
Critical thinking
Communication
Collaboration

These four themes are not to be understood as units or even subjects, but as themes that should be overlaid across all curriculum mapping and strategic planning. They should be part of every lesson in the same way as literacy and numeracy.

Creativity is about thinking through information in new ways, making new connections and coming up with innovative solutions to problems. Critical thinking is about analysing information and critiquing claims. Communication is understanding things well enough to share them clearly with other people. Collaboration is about teamwork and the collective genius of a group that is more than the sum of its parts.

There are other skills that are important, which fall within these four areas. Entrepreneurship can be considered a skill of its own. Inquiry and problem solving are key. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is one of the most important keys to successful work and relationships. The bottom line? Education needs to be all about empowering students with transferable skills that will hold up to a rapidly changing world, not prescribed content that has been chosen for its past relevance.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

While digital integration is also fundamental to a thorough 21st century education, it is not enough to simply add technology to existing teaching methods. Technology must be used strategically to benefit students. Students are increasingly advanced users of technology even as they enter school for the first time, so this can often mean being open to the possibilities presented rather than attempting to teach and prescribe the use of certain programs. Many a classroom ‘technology class’ has baffled children by attempting to teach them about programs, websites and hardware that are no longer relevant or that they understand far better than the teacher does.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

21st century schools are also responding to demand by moving into international education. ISC Research have tracked these changes in their research. In the past, international schools were primarily for the families of military personnel and diplomats. In the year 2000 there were 2,500 international schools globally with fewer than one million students attending, but in December 2016 there were over 8,600 international schools with almost 4.5 million students. The vast majority of these students are now local children hoping to attend university in the West. Schools which aren’t traditional ‘international schools’ are also striving to create an internationally connected education through travel opportunities, exchange programs, school partnerships, international school leadership, and online communication. Learning to be a global citizen is crucial in a world where technology is erasing borders, and you don’t necessarily need an international education masters degree to incorporate this into your teaching.

21st century teachers need to serve as a guide or mentor for their students, not as the all-knowing sage providing them with all their information. With so much access to resources of all kinds, children are invariably going to know more than teachers on different topics, and be a step ahead of the technology in use. Teachers need to be empowered as facilitators and motivators for learning, so that they can empower their students in turn.

This shift is great news for teachers. Instead of struggling to give kids all the information they need to succeed in areas the teacher knows little about, they can support students as they make their own steps into different fields. It’s about preparing kids to go beyond their parents and teachers, making sure they have the skills to do it, and then helping along the way as they build confidence to achieve.

This means teachers need to be forward-thinking, curious and flexible. Teachers must be learners: learning new ways of teaching, and learning alongside their students. Simply asking questions like “what will my students need twenty or fifty years from now? How can I help give them those skills?” can change your mindset, make you a leader, and help you bring about change in your classroom, school and community.

Start today: Practical tips for a 21st century school
Invite students to contribute to strategy meetings and decision making
Create adaptable learning environments suited to different sorts of collaboration and group work
Encourage students to take ownership of community service programs
Find ways to connect students to people their age in other parts of the world
Review your use of technology in the classroom: how can it be made more effective?

In a time when mental health and wellbeing is one of the biggest challenges facing young people, a 21st century education can give students the skills they need both for now and for the future. Skills like communication, critical thinking and EQ go beyond the workplace: they can help people through the most difficult times of their life. Finding your passion, doing it well, having a sense of purpose and focus, and being able to control your own work and life are all significant steps on the path to wellbeing.

RESULT
The ability to think critically and creatively, to collaborate with others, and to communicate clearly sets students up for success in their careers, but also empowers them to lead happier, healthier lives.

Bringing your school into the 21st century requires taking the lead instead of trailing behind, actively seeking out new ways of doing things and staying in touch with the world outside of the education system. Change on a broad scale requires leadership in the classroom and across the school community, but every teacher can take steps immediately to help their students succeed.

For inspiration, empowerment, proven techniques and strategies in 21st century leadership check out my ONLINE COURSE: Leadership for the 21st Century. Hugely discounted to help you while you are stuck in isolation

Chapter 2 15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher

15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher

Recent technological advances have affected many areas of our lives, including the way we communicate, collaborate, learn, and, of course, teach. Those advances necessitate an expansion of our vocabulary, producing definitions such as digital natives, digital immigrants, and the topic of this post—21st-century teacher.

Obviously, teaching in the 21st century is an altogether different phenomenon; never before could learning be happening the way it is now—everywhere, all the time, on any possible topic, supporting any possible learning style or preference. But what does being a 21st-century teacher really mean?

15 CHARACTERISTICS OF A 21ST-CENTURY TEACHER

Learner-centered classroom and personalized instruction:As students have access to any information possible, there certainly is no need to spoon-feed them knowledge or teach one-size-fits-all content. Students have different personalities, goals, and needs, and offering personalized instruction is not just possible but desirable. When students are allowed to make their own choices, they own their learning, increase intrinsic motivation, and put in more effort—an ideal recipe for better learning outcomes.

Students as producers: Today’s students have the latest and greatest tools, yet the usage in many cases barely goes beyond communicating with family and friends via chat, text, or calls. Even though students are now viewed as digital natives, many are far from producing any digital content. They own expensive devices with capabilities to produce blogs, infographics, books, how-to videos, and tutorials, just to name a few, but in many classes they are still asked to turn those devices off and work with handouts and worksheets.

Sadly, often these papers are simply thrown away once graded. Many students don’t even want to do them, let alone keep or return to them later. When given a chance, students can produce beautiful and creative blogs, movies, or digital stories that they feel proud of and share with others.

Learn new technologies: In order to be able to offer students choices, having one’s own hands-on experience and expertise will be useful. Since technology keeps developing, learning a tool once and for all is not an option. The good news is that new technologies are new for the novice and and experienced teachers alike, so everyone can jump in at any time. I’ve used a short-term subscription to Lynda.com, which has many resources for learning new technologies.
Go global: Today’s tools make it possible to learn about other countries and people firsthand. Of course, textbooks are still sufficient, yet there’s nothing like learning languages, cultures, and communication skills by actually talking to people from other parts of the world.

It’s a shame that with all the tools available, we still learn about other cultures, people, and events from the media. Teaching students how to use the tools in their hands to visit—at least virtually—any corner of this planet will hopefully make us more knowledgable and sympathetic.

Be smart and use smartphones: Once again—when students are encouraged to view their devices as valuable tools that support knowledge (rather than as distractions), they start using them as such. I remember my first years of teaching when I would not allow cell phones in class and I’d try to explain every new vocabulary word or answer every question myself—something I wouldn’t even think of doing today.

I’ve learned that different students have different needs when it comes to help with new vocabulary or questions, so there’s no need to waste time and explain something that perhaps only one or two students will benefit from. Instead, teaching students to be independent and know how to find the answers they need makes the class a different environment.

I’ve seen positive changes ever since I started viewing students’ devices as useful aids. In fact, sometimes I even respond by saying, “I don’t know—use Google and tell us all.” What a difference in their reactions and outcomes!

Blog: I have written on the importance of both student and teacher blogging. Even my beginners of English could see the value of writing for real audience and establishing their digital presence. To blog or not to blog should not be a question any more.
Go digital: Another important attribute is to go paperless—organizing teaching resources and activities on one’s own website and integrating technology can bring students’ learning experience to a different level. Sharing links and offering digital discussions as opposed to a constant paper flow allows students to access and share class resources in a more organized fashion.
Collaborate: Technology allows collaboration between teachers and students. Creating digital resources, presentations, and projects together with other educators and students will make classroom activities resemble the real world. Collaboration should go beyond sharing documents via email or creating PowerPoint presentations. Many great ideas never go beyond a conversation or paper copy, which is a great loss. Collaboration globally can change our entire experience.
Use Twitter chats:Participating in Twitter chats is the cheapest and most efficient way to organize one’s PD, share research and ideas, and stay current with issues and updates in the field. We can grow professionally and expand our knowledge as there are great conversations happening every day, and going to conferences is no longer the only way to meet others and build professional learning networks.
Connect: Connect with like-minded individuals. Again, today’s tools allow us to connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Have a question for an expert or colleague? Simply connect via social media: follow, join, ask, or tell.
Project-based learning: As today’s students have access to authentic resources on the web, experts anywhere in the world, and peers learning the same subject somewhere else, teaching with textbooks is very 20th-century. Today’s students should develop their own driving questions, conduct their research, contact experts, and create final projects to share, all using devices already in their hands. All they need from their teacher is guidance.
Build your positive digital footprint: It might sound obvious, but it is for today’s teachers to model how to appropriately use social media, how to produce and publish valuable content, and how to create sharable resources. Even though it’s true that teachers are people, and they want to use social media and post their pictures and thoughts, we cannot ask our students not to do inappropriate things online if we ourselves do them. Maintaining professional behavior both in class and online will help build positive digital footprint and model appropriate actions for students.
Code: While this one might sound complicated, coding is nothing but today’s literacy. As pencils and pens were the tools of the 20th century, today’s teacher must be able to operate with today’s pen and pencil—computers. Coding is very interesting to learn—the feeling of writing a page with HTML is amazing. Even though I have a ways to go, just like in every other field, a step at a time can go a long way. Again, Lynda.com is a great resource to start with.
Innovate: I invite you to expand your teaching toolbox and try new ways you have not tried before, such as teaching with social media or replacing textbooks with web resources. Not for the sake of tools but for the sake of students.

Ever since I started using TED talks and my own activities based on those videos, my students have been giving very different feedback. They love it! They love using Facebook for class discussions and announcements. They appreciate novelty—not the new tools, but the new, more productive and more interesting ways of using them.

Keep learning: As new tools and new technology keep emerging, learning and adapting is essential. The good news is: It’s fun, and even 20 minutes a day will take you a long way.

Chapter 3 Who is a 21st Century Teacher?

Who is a 21st Century Teacher?

What does it mean to be a 21st century teacher? The term is frequently tossed around the media. So beyond being up-to-date with the latest classroom technology, what does a 21st century teacher actually look like?

The 21st century teacher looks forward to the future. They are aware of the ever-changing trends in technology and are in tune of what the future may bring to education. A good 21st century teacher is aware of the career opportunities that will be in the coming years for their students, and are always advocating towards forward thinking and planning to ensure all students will not be left behind.

Let’s take a look at a few key characteristics of a 21st century teacher:

· A Master of Technology in the Classroom

Technology in the classroom is moving at a rapid pace and the 21st century teacher moves right along with it. Classroom technology; whether it’s for lessons, assignments, or grading, can help students learn better and faster, and help make a teacher’s time more effective. A 21st century teacher does not have to have a class set of tablets in every child’s hand, or the latest Smart-board. But they can have a nice balance of educational tools in their classroom. An effective teacher knows what technology in the classroom can truly help transform their students’ education. They know what the best tools are, and how and when to use them.

· Knows How to Collaborate

An effective 21st century educator must be able to collaborate and work well in a team. Working with others is an important 21st century skill. Over the past few years, being able to collaborate effectively in the workplace has grown quite rapidly. Learning is deemed to be more effective when you can share your ideas and knowledge with others. Sharing your expertise and experience, communicating and learning.

· Is Adaptive

A 21st century teacher is able to adapt to whatever comes their way. Teaching is a career that has pretty much stayed the same over the past few decades. The tools have changed over the years (Smart boards have replaced chalkboards, tablets have replaced textbooks) but the practice has not. The 21st century teacher is able to look at their practice and adapt based on the needs of their students. They must be able to adapt their teaching style to include different modes of learning, adapt when a lesson fails, and adapt to new technology. They must be able to adapt to the curriculum and the requirements and be able to use their imagination to teach in creative ways.

· Is a Lifelong Learner

The 21st century teacher is a lifelong learner. They don’t just expect their students to be lifelong learners, but they too stay current and on top of what’s new in education. Even though they may still use the same lesson plan from years before, they know how to change it to keep up-to-date with what is current. A great teacher will not only embrace technology, but be willing to learn more about it.

· Advocates for Their Profession

It’s a critical time in education and how it and teachers are being perceived. With the common core being implemented and judged, the teaching profession is being met with a close eye now more than ever before. Instead of sitting back, a 21st century takes a stand for themselves and advocates for their profession. They pay close attention to the important issues and talk about them with their community. They keep parents and students informed on what’s going on in education and address on issues head on.

21st Century learning means teaching just as you have done in the past centuries, but with way better tools. Today’s teachers have a great advantage, they have powerful learning tools at their disposal that they didn’t have before. 21st Century technology is an opportunity for students to acquire more knowledge. Teachers have the ability to move away from being the dispenser of information to someone who can guide them and prepare them for their future.

Lastly, the 21st century educator must use teaching strategies to ensure that the focus in education is on preparing today’s children for the future of where they will live and where they will work, not for our current world.

What does the 21st century teacher look like to you? Do you think they must have a set of specific skills and characteristics? Please feel free to share your thoughts with us below.

Chapter 4 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher

Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher

What does a 21st-century teacher look like to you? You may have heard this popular buzzword thrown around your school or on the news, but do you know what a modern-day educator really looks like? Beyond the obvious of being up-to-date on the latest in technology, they can have the characteristics of a facilitator, a contributor, or even an integrator. Here are six more key characteristics of a 21st-century educator.

They're Adaptive

They are able to adapt to whatever comes there way. Being a teacher in today's world means that you have to adapt to the ever-changing tools and changes that are being implemented in the schools. Smartboards are replacing chalkboards and tablets are replacing textbooks and a 21st-century teacher needs to be okay with that.

Lifelong Learners

These educators don't just expect their students to be a lifelong learner, but they are as well. They stay up-to-date with current educational trends and technology and know how to tweak their old lesson plans from years before to make them more current.

Are Tech Savvy

Technology is changing at a rapid pace and that means that a 21st-century teacher is right along for the ride. The latest technology, whether it's for lessons or grading, will allow the teacher and student to be able to learn better and faster. An effective teacher knows that learning about the latest gadget can truly transform their students' education, so they are not just current on the new trends, but really know how to master them.

Know How to Collaborate

An effective 21st-century educator must be able to collaborate and work well within a team. Over the past decade, this important skill has grown quite rapidly in schools. Learning is deemed to be more effective when you can share your ideas and knowledge with others. Sharing your expertise and experience, and communicating and learning from others is an important part of the learning and teaching process.

Are Forward Thinking

An effective 21st-century educator thinks about their students' future and is aware of the career opportunities that may arise from them. They are always planning to ensure that no child gets left behind so they focus on preparing today's children for what's to come in the future.

Are Advocates for the Profession

They are an advocate not only for their students but their profession. Today's teachers are being watched with a close eye because of all of the changes in curriculum and the Common Core. Instead of sitting back, a 21st-century teacher takes a stand for their themselves and their profession. They pay close attention to what is going on in education and they address these issues head-on.

They also advocate for their students. Today's classrooms are filled with children who need someone to look out for them, give them advice, encouragement, and a listening ear. Effective teachers share their knowledge and expertise and act as a role model for their students.

21st-century teaching means teaching as you have always taught but with today's tools and technology. It means utilizing everything that is important in today's world so that students will be able to live and prosper in today's economy, as well as having the ability to guide students and to prepare them for the future.

Chapter 5 Top Five Characteristics of a 21st Century Educator

Top Five Characteristics of a 21st Century Educator

Last week’s blog post looked at some of the characteristics of a successful 21st century learner. But what does it mean to be an educator in a world that is continuously changing and moving at tremendously fast speeds?

Traditionally, teachers have delivered information to students much like a ‘sage on the stage’, but if children are to be truly future ready, the 21st century teacher needs to be more of a ‘guide on the side’, supporting learners in exploring and expressing their unique competencies in order to grow and flourish as individuals.

Here are the top five characteristics that today’s teachers must embrace to make the education space mutually rewarding and enjoyable for their students, themselves and other teachers alike:

Love for learning

Successful 21st Century educators don’t just expect their students to be lifelong learners, but they too stay current and on top of what’s new in education as well as other fields that interest them. They enjoy acquiring new knowledge and are enthusiastic about new experiences. They endeavour to stay current and know how to change old lesson plans to be more suitable for today.

When teachers love to learn, their enthusiasm will naturally inspire students too, contributing to a more stimulating classroom environment. Students will also feel free to share their knowledge and ideas with the teacher, which helps them build confidence and grow into independent thinkers.

Empathic

The 21st century teacher models empathy every day and gives students plenty of opportunities to demonstrate it. Why is empathy so important? Because it is a natural companion to tolerance and the ability to understand the diversity in our world makes it easier to see things from multiple perspectives. This in turn nurtures individuals who are conscious about using their knowledge and skills to help improve the human condition and make a positive contribution to the world. A good way to embrace empathy in the classroom is through integrating the use of games and websites into the lesson such as those mentioned ..

Tech-savvy

Technology is changing at a rapid pace and that means that a 21st century teacher must enjoy riding the change. The latest gadgets, applications, software and websites enable incredible transformation in the way we learn, whether it’s personalisation of lessons or gamification of the learning process. The 21st century educator understands and capitalises upon this through not only keeping abreast of the latest trends, but also experimenting with new tools and techniques that can enhance both their own and their students’ learning. However, this does not mean that technology is used just for the sake of it, even in instances where other teaching methods would be more appropriate. Effective 21st century teachers are able to integrate technology in the classroom to truly inspire and advance student learning.

Collaborative

Well-known educational author, Harry K. Wong, states that the trademark of effective schools is a culture where all teachers take responsibility for the learning of all students. The 21st century educator understands this and recognises that a student shouldn’t be the responsibility of only one teacher, but of all teachers.

Sharing expertise and experience, and communicating and learning from others is an important part of the learning and teaching process. Therefore, teachers today must value working with others and be comfortable contributing their unique ideas and perspective within a team.

Increased effective collaboration exposes teachers to improved practices, which leads to stronger pedagogy. And of course, the more effective a teacher is, the more the students will benefit and thrive.

Creative

in a world where technology can answer any question we Google, students need more opportunities to learn how to brainstorm and think creatively in order to succeed. Creativity is definitely different for different people. For some, it may be about inventing new ways to do the same things, while for others, it may involve the process of discovering new things. No matter what the concept, the 21st century educator makes it a priority to motivate children to be inventive, resourceful and expressive.

They do this through creating a classroom where the flow of invention is not disrupted by the regular class routines, textbooks and assignments. A creativity-driven classroom is characterised by enthusiastic question-answer sessions, assessment of performance and feedback, cooperation with others when it comes to sharing ideas, as well as the independence to freely express oneself.

Chapter 6 THE 7 ROLES OF A TEACHER IN THE 21ST CENTURY

THE 7 ROLES OF A TEACHER IN THE 21ST CENTURY

In which roles are you often involved?
Are there any roles in which you have less experience?
Are there any new roles you might try in the future?

It is clear that the 21st-century classroom needs are very different from the 20th-century ones. In the 21st century classroom, teachers are facilitators of student learning and creators of productive classroom environments, in which students can develop the skills they might need at present or in future.

However, before we begin to understand the evolving role of an ESL teacher, let’s outline some of the most popular teacher roles. Harmer, J. states that ‘it makes more sense to describe different teacher roles and say what they are useful for, rather than make value judgments about their effectiveness.’ So here are some of the most common teacher roles:

Teacher Roles:

Most teachers take on a variety of roles within the classroom, which role do you think most defines your role in the ESL classroom?

The Controller:The teacher is in complete charge of the class, what students do, what they say and how they say it. The teacher assumes this role when a new languageis being introduced and accurate reproduction and drilling techniques are needed.

In this classroom, the teacher is mostly the center of focus, the teacher may have the gift of instruction, and can inspire through their own knowledge and expertise, but, does this role really allow for enough student talk time? Is it really enjoyable for the learners? There is also a perception that this role could have a lack of variety in its activities.

The Prompter:The teacher encourages students to participate and makes suggestions about how students may proceed in an activity. The teacher should be helping students only when necessary.

When learners are literally ‘lost for words’, the prompter can encourage by discreetly nudging students. Students can sometimes lose the thread or become unsure how to proceed; the prompter in this regard can prompt but always in a supportive way.

The Resource: The teacher is a kind of walking resource center ready to offer help if needed, or provide learners with whatever language they lack when performing communicative activities. The teacher must make her/himself available so that learners can consult her/him when (and only when) it is absolutely necessary.

As a resource the teacher can guide learners to use available resources such as the internet, for themselves, it certainly isn’t necessary to spoon-feed learners, as this might have the downside of making learners reliant on the teacher.

The Assessor:The teacher assumes this role to see how well students are performing or how well they performed. Feedback and correction are organized and carried out.

There are a variety of ways we can grade learners, the role of an assessor gives teachers an opportunity to correct learners. However, if it is not communicated with sensitivity and support it could prove counter-productive to a student’s self-esteem and confidence in learning the target language.

The Organizer:Perhaps the most difficult and important role the teacher has to play. The success of many activities depends on good organization and on the students knowing exactly what they are to do next. Giving instructions is vital in this role as well as setting up activities.

The organizer can also serve as a demonstrator, this role also allows a teacher to get involved and engaged with learners. The teacher also serves to open and neatly close activities and also give content feedback.

The Participant:This role improves the atmosphere in the class when the teacher takes part in an activity. However, the teacher takes a risk of dominating the activity when performing it.

Here the teacher can enliven a class; if a teacher is able to stand back and not become the center of attention, it can be a great way to interact with learners without being too overpowering.

The Tutor:The teacher acts as a coach when students are involved in project work or self-study. The teacher provides advice and guidance and helps students clarify ideas and limit tasks.

This role can be a great way to pay individual attention to a student. It can also allow a teacher to tailor make a course to fit specific student needs. However, it can also lead to a student becoming too dependent or even too comfortable with one teacher and one method or style of teaching.

Chapter 7 Ten Essential Characteristics of a 21st Century Educator

10 Essential Characteristics of a 21st Century Educator

This is a first draft and I am trying to learn through reflection. Would love your thoughts on the ideas below.

People have come to loathe the term “21st Century Education”, or “21st Century Teacher”. The argument is that “we are 16 years into the 21st century!”, yet I would argue, we have 84 years to go! I could have not predicted the iPad, Chromebooks, Pokemon Go, or anything else like this. Yet, as I was thinking about that very idea, it is why I believe there are some very important traits that educators need right now. We are in the 21st century, we are educators, so what does that mean and look like in our world and for education?

It is not technology that is having the biggest influence on what we do; it is the speed of change being thrust upon us. We also have more access to information and ideas, so we can do better. If you know better, you have to do better.

Here are ten characteristics that I am exploring and starting to see as crucial for educators in the 21st century and beyond, as we continue to live in a world that is continuously changing, and moving at tremendously fast speeds.

Relationship Builder

50 years ago, relationships were the most important thing in education, and 50 years from now it will be more so. Do our students feel valued when they come to school? Do we seek to simply engage them in content, or do we seek to empower them to create? I have argued for years that we need school teachers, not just classroom teachers. Every child in the school is all of our responsibilities. In a world that is becoming more and more complex, students need to know that they can trust the educators to see them as individuals, and that they are valued. None of the other strategies or approaches will matter without this foundation.

Learner/Adapter

The only constant that we can count on education is change. We know that this is true. You could have been an amazing educator 10 years ago, but if you have changed nothing since then, you could become irrelevant. As the world continuously moves forward, if you stand still, you are ultimately falling behind. This doesn’t mean that some things in education don’t stay true forever. We do not have to change everything, but we need to continuously evaluate our practices and the impact on students to grow and get better. New resources and initiatives will always be part of education, and we need to critically think about them, and ask questions to move forward, but we need to model the same openness to learning and change that we expect from our students.

“If we create a culture where every teacher believes they need to improve, not because they are not good enough but because they can be even better, there is no limit to what we can achieve.” —Dylan Wiliam

Inclusive

Do we want everyone to think the same by the time to walk out of our classrooms or schools? If we do, it is not really thinking; it is compliance. Our classrooms are becoming so much more diverse in so many aspects, and this is something we need to embrace. Every single individual has different experiences and strengths that they bring to the classroom, and we are all better if we look to tap into those strengths and build a community around them.

Reflective

Information is coming our way faster than ever. If anything, we need to slow down and critically analyze it, not simply accept everything that we hear. Reflection becomes essential in this process. This is crucial that we embed time in our days and the days of our students to not only reflect, but make their own connections to learning.

How could you possibly move forward without looking back?

“We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” John Dewey

Networked/Collaborative

When you hire anyone for a job, you do not just hire them, you hire their entire network. Networks consist of both “online spaces” and face to face collaboration. Creating diverse networks in and out of education is crucial, understanding we can learn a great deal from the person across the hallway, as we can from the person on the other side of the world. To create the best experiences for students, you need access to the best ideas; this can come from anyone and anywhere. When you are networked, great ideas often find you, not the other way around.

As David Weinberger states, “The smartest person in the room is the room.” If that is true, how big is your room? How do you access this “room” to be better for your students?

Innovator

We do not only need to embrace meaningful change, but we need to create it. Innovation is about creating “new and better” things; it can be iteration (a remix of something) or invention (something totally new), but it has to be better. As the skills that students need in our evolving world become increasingly complex, we have to be in the mindset where innovation in the norm, not the exception. How do we look at what our students need and create opportunities for them to learn in deeper and meaningful ways? How do our students become these same innovators? They will need to become this in their world, and hopefully it is because of us, not in spite of us.

Remember…innovation is probably not in your curriculum, but neither are worksheets.

Leader

The notion that “everyone is a leader” is something that has been challenged a great deal over the years, yet what does being a “leader” mean? It is not being a boss. There are some principals who are not leaders, and some teachers who are amazing leaders. What is crucial to think about is whether or not you have the ability to influence others to positively move forward in specific areas. In our schools we have leaders in curriculum, technology, community building, and so many other areas. We not only empower people to lead, but give them the opportunities to lead from where they are. If only a few people are “allowed” to lead, meaningful change will happen at a much slower pace.

Storyteller

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ― Rudyard Kipling

“Lecture” has become a bad word in many education circles, while Ted Talks have exploded. Many see this as irony, but what I see is that these aren’t lectures as much as they are stories.

If we want meaningful change, we have to make a connection to the heart before we make a connection to the mind. People have to feel something. Simply sharing information is not a way to create this connection, but we have to think about how we create this connection. Telling stories helps people create their own connections and meaning, and in a world that is information rich, we are vying for the attention of our students. These stories we tell are the ones that stick with our students longer than simply sharing ideas. We need to look at not simply sharing ideas, but helping share information in different ways that are memorable and compelling. Your story and stories matter, and will resonate long after our time with our students.

You might not feel you have anything meaningful to share, but we all have a story to tell.

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” ― Brandon Sanderson

Designer

The learning environment matters. How does the space make people feel? Do they have options to learn in a variety of ways to suit their needs? I talk a lot about the Starbucks; many people do not go there for the coffee, but spend time there for the feel of the space. The notion of the “designer” is not only in how we create our spaces, but the experiences that are created for learning as well. I often ask, “would you want to spend the whole day learning in your own classroom?” The point of this is to think about learning from the viewpoint of those you serve, not simply your own. We have to understand what possibilities exist in our world today, and be extremely thoughtful in how we design learning experiences to maximize space, resources, and access for all learners.

Are your learning experiences designed to meet the needs the of the unique learners in your context? How do you ensure that you are building on the strengths and passions of all learners? How does the space and environment you create factor into the learning experiences? These are all important considerations for how we designing learning experiences today.

Artist

I have been thinking about the idea of “educator as artist” a lot more recently, and love this quote from John Steinbeck;

“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.”

When you see what you do as an art, and you realize that the minds you help shape are a beautiful canvas, teaching is more than a job, it’s an art. Small details matter more. Access to tools become crucial. Great educators are artists, plain and simple. We need to embrace this thinking and empower teachers to hone their craft and allow them the resources and space to do what’s best for the learners in their classrooms.

My hope is that I have shared characteristics that are timeless and will be still relevant and crucial 84 years now in the year 2100, and beyond. We know that information will continue to be thrown at us in rates that we can’t comprehend. We also understand that change is something that will continuously happen, and that we will have to not only deal with, but understand and create ourselves. As educators, we need to constantly think about the world that we live in, and how important it is to capture and develop the hearts and minds of the learners we serve. The characteristics that I have listed above should be timeless, and are crucial to ensuring schools are not only relevant, but leaders in our global communities.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 09.08.2020

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