smartblogs.com http://smartblogs.com/education/2012/06/22/what-21st-century-teacher/

SmartBlogs on EducationPeople toss around terms in education and attach the words “21st century” toappear cutting edge or on the front end of trending ideas. As a teacher in the 21stcentury, I find it amazing to see some of the things that are so-called “21st century”and yet are no different than ideas from the 20th or even the 19th century. With thatin mind, I have reflected recently on what it takes to be a teacher in the 21st centuryand what such a teacher would look like.

Obviously, a 21st century teacher should be tall, handsome and have a sweet spotfor superheroes. Beyond that, I think there are some key characteristics that good21st century teachers need.

Be a connected educator. The idea of being a connected educator is notnecessarily new, but it is certainly transformative through the technologies of socialmedia. Teachers can connect with other teachers, administrators, parents, studentsand other education-minded people around the world with the click of a button. Thereare many tools out there that allow teachers to connect. Regardless of what you use,a good 21st century teacher must be connected. There is no right way to do this. Forme, I use Twitter and my blog to connect and learn from and with educators aroundthe globe.

Be a master of technology. Now, I am not saying that good 21st century teachersneeds to have an interactive whiteboard hanging on their walls, tablets in every kid’shand and mobile devices in every corner of the room. In fact, I think it might be morethe opposite — or at least a balance between extremes. In recent years, educatorshave gone overboard with spending money and pumping technology everywherethey could possibly afford. The problem is that little training was offered, and muchof purchasing was used as a badge of honor to say they had tech in the building.

Interactive whiteboards are being used as chalkboards once were, computers arebeing used to make flashcards and tablets are being used to do word searches. Agood 21st century teacher knows the difference between what is shiny and new andwhat truly has the potential to transform learning for their students. A new hammer isgreat, but a good carpenter doesn’t try to screw in a bolt with one. In the same way, a21st century teacher knows what tools are needed and when and how to use them.

Be a reflective practitioner. This is probably one of the most important areas, aswe as a profession have in many ways not changed in 100 years. The tools in ourclassrooms have changed, but the pedagogy and practice has not. A 21st centuryteacher is able to look at his or her practices and adapt and change based on the

needs of the learners. Too many teachers are teaching today as they did when theystarted their careers 10, 20 or 30 years ago. What we know about student learningand motivation has changed; so, too, must the art of teaching. Stagnation is thedeath of any teacher.

Be an advocate. The final thing I feel is important for a good teacher in this centuryis to be an advocate for themselves as well as the profession. If we as teachersthink someone else is going to say nice things about our profession and sharepositive notes on the evening news, we are wrong. As teachers we can sit andcomplain about it … or we can do something about it and find ways to tell our stories.It is a critical time in the history of education and how the profession in perceived inthe public eye. We are under attack in many places, and rather than playing the partof a wounded animal, we need to stand up for ourselves and advocate for the greatwork we do every single day.

None of these ideas are radical or groundbreaking. Yet, too many teachers arecontent wrapping up old practice with new gimmicks and wondering why we don’timprove. If we want to gain respect as a profession, then we must embrace a 21stcentury model of constant growth and improvement. If we don’t get better, we onlyhave ourselves to blame.

Josh Stumpenhorst is a sixth-grade language arts and social science teacher atLincoln Junior High School in Naperville, Ill. He is an athletic director, teamleader, computer club adviser, track and basketball coach, and serves oncurriculum and technology committees at the school and district level. His workhas been recognized by the International Society of Technology Educators as amember of the “Emerging Leaders Class of 2011,” the 2012 Illinois ComputerEducators “Educator of the Year” and the 2012 Illinois Teacher of the Year. Heblogs at Stump the Teacher, which has received EduBlog Awards nominations,and tweets @stumpteacher.