21st Century Learning and Teaching

It’s a time that even the federal government recognizes as an opportunity for teachers, principals, and administrators to meet and learn from others around the nation and even the world. Generally speaking, most folks are choosing to connect via some form of social media, notably Twitter. Social media has revolutionized what it means to be an educator and, unfortunately, it often carries a negative connotation such as unprofessional and immature adults who use social media as a means to berate or belittle their students or colleagues.

That’s not what it means to be a connected educator. However, once folks sign up for class Twitter pages or create Google+ profiles and begin finding others with whom they can share ideas, the question looms: now what? Maybe more importantly, so what? Here are 5 things to focus on once you’ve taken the plunge and decided to become a Connected Educator:

The educator becomes a connected educator and through sharing, is an active participant and contributor to the connected educator movement.

Being a connected educator means connecting with other teachers to exchange ideas, improve your teaching practice, and in turn, make a change in education. It is only through being connected that we can collaborate and help to foster learning for the 21st century and beyond. (Being a Connected Educator)

The gap between what is and what could be in education is larger than it ever has  been.  I believe this is largely due to technology and the ability to establish global connections because of social media. Educators are more connected and more aware about education trends than any time in the history of public education.

Imagine how education could be transformed if all educators use their own personal, often passion-driven voices. The bottom line is that if any individual educator believes there are flaws in the education, that it can be done better, then s/he has the responsibility to say something. I reaching the point that I am starting to believe it is a moral imperative for educators to share what they know to be true with other educators; and with administrators, students’ families, community members, politicians . . . the larger global society.

Learn more:

- https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/professional-development-why-educators-and-teachers-cant-catch-up-that-quickly-and-how-to-change-it/

- https://gustmees.wordpress.com/?s=practice

Connected educators model collaboration, learning, and growth for their students by embracing those same qualities in their own professional development.

Learn more:

- http://gustmees.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/education-collaboration-and-coaching-the-future/

- http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=Collaboration