21st Century Learning and Teaching

Anyone who's ever had a bad boss aspires to do better. It's fine to be a good boss, but honing your leadership skills can make you a great boss.

Digital Learning Day, February 6, 2013, is a national celebration of educators that shines a spotlight on successful instructional technology practice in classrooms across the country. Join the wave of innovation sweeping through our nation's schools. Participation is free and easy. Sign up now,plan your local activities and plan to watch the National Digital Town Hall that will be simulcast live from the Newseum in Washington, DC!

8 Characteristics Of A Great Teacher

What makes a teacher strong?

What differentiates the best from the rest? There’s no shortage of bodies (some dramatically misguided) attempting to solve this riddle.  The answers are nebulous at best. Below is a list of traits, some of which may be familiar but many of which will never show up on any sort of performance review.  Check them out and see what you think.

1. They Demonstrate Confidence

Confidence while teaching can mean any number of things, it can range from having confidence in your knowledge of the material being learned to having confidence that your teaching acumen is second to none. Though these two (and many other) “confidences” are important the most critical confidence a teacher can have is much more general, and tougher to describe than that.

It’s the confidence that you know you’re in the right spot doing what you want to be doing and that no matter what transpires, having that time to spend with those young learners is going to be beneficial both for them and for yourself.  It’s clear to students when teachers exude this feeling. Working in schools is difficult and stressful, and also immensely rewarding. But if you’re not confident that you’re in the right place when you’re teaching…you’re probably not.

They understand that learning is not a neat and tidy activity and that adhering too closely to rules and routines can drain from students the natural curiosity, spontaneity and passion that they bring to school.  Worrying about what the boss may think can be draining and restrictive in any job, teaching is no exception.

In fact, the best teachers live by the code “It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.”

Learn more:

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2015/07/19/learning-path-for-professional-21st-century-learning-by-ict-practice/

http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=Rise+of+the+Professional+Educator

You could argue all day about which people, alive today or long gone, qualify as the world’s “greatest learners.” But one thing is for sure: you can’t ignore the wisdom of the self-taught. Below we’ve curated ten things autodidacts do to achieve their educational goals on a regular basis.

History is filled with people called autodidacts, or individuals who teach themselves about a subject or subjects in which they have little to no formal education. Benjamin Franklin was an autodidact. So were Jorge Luis Borges, Eileen Gray, Gustave Eiffel, and Frida Kahlo. Modern-day autodidacts might include Julian Assange, Paul Keating, and Bill Gates. The original “self-directed learners,” autodidacts possess intrinsic motivation, self-determination, and a true passion for learning. We’ve all known at least one person who fits this description.

- See more at: http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2015/06/02/10-habits-of-the-worlds-greatest-learners/#sthash.h8rGUO96.dpuf

Learn more:

- https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/learning-to-learn-for-my-professional-development-i-did-it-my-way/

- https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/what-are-the-skills-needed-from-students-in-the-future/

Are you a teacher? Why did you become a principal? Why would you want to be a superintendent? The above questions are asked of educators every single day by people outside of the educational field....

Learn more:

• https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/is-your-professional-development-up-to-date/
• https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/how-to-prepare-for-giving-a-good-course/
• https://gustmees.wordpress.com/?s=quality