As an author, I have written two books on Netiquette
(see below). There are many when education is mentioned in my books. Similarly,
education has evolved significantly. The article below focuses on adapting to
the computer age.
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1. The 10 Skills Modern Teachers Must
Have
By Amanda Ronan on December 29, 2015
eudemic.com
There’s been a lot of talk
recently about what it means to be a learner in the 21st Century. Earlier
this year, we put together a guide with skills important for students today. So, why not a list for educators, too? The list goes beyond
technology and social media. Check out what skill we think makes a modern
teacher, and let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.
Skills
for Modern Educators
1. Engage
in Professional Communities: Teachers can sometimes lead a
very solitary existence at school—spending all of their time tutoring before
and after school and scarfing down lunch in front of the copier or spending
their free period, if they’re lucky enough to have one, at their desks while
grading papers. But, as professionals, teachers have to know how to learn and
grow from participation in professional communities. No one teacher’s
experience is universal, so networking with your educator peers is an important
way to get great ideas and share your own. Modern teachers engage with each
other using a variety of means, including professional
development conferences andtechnology.
2. Understand
How to Use Technology: You don’t have to flip your class or employ 1:1 devices,
but you do need to understand how technology works and how it benefits
education. Your students are undoubtedly tech-savvy and you should be, too. By
understanding at least the basics about useful tech
tools, apps, and software, you may begin to discover ways to lighten
your workload and better engage your students.
3. Know
Where to Locate Useful Resources: Not to brag, but Edudemic is a great place to start with this one. We’re dedicated to
creating great articles that include lots of useful resources. But we’re not
the only site out there that is focused on curating great stuff for teachers.
You should also check out sites like TeachersPayTeachers, Pinterest, andEdutopia. Make asking about and sharing resources part of your
participation in professional communities. And don’t forget to ask your school
or community librarian—they’re experts in resource procurement.
4. Participate
in Social Media: In the past, teachers were
determined to keep their private lives private, but that’s changed. Teachers
are signing up for social media accounts in droves, often for use in the
classroom with students or even to communicate with parents. The power of social media is not lost on modern
teachers who see the tremendous value in being able to connect instantly with
people in both their local and wider global communities.
5. Develop
Great Communication Skills: All of this networking and
social media use means teachers today have to be great communicators. Excellent
speaking and writing skills are important, whether those skills be used in
blogging, vlogging, tweeting, or emailing. If you’re not sure whether your
public communication skills are up to par, ask colleagues to edit your work and
find templates online for things like back to school letters and weekly class
updates.
6. Don’t
Be Afraid to Say “No”: For the sake of your sanity
and for your students’ learning, don’t take on any more committees, councils,
or clubs than you’ve already got on your plate, unless you are certain you have
the bandwidth. Great teachers get overburdened with extra duties because
administrators like to see star educators sharing their expertise with others.
It’s hard for teachers, people who are nurturing caregivers, to say no. But
when you are stretched thin and can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take
care of anyone else, either.
7. Take
Time to Disconnect: In the same way you should
learn to say “no” to people, you should also take time to disconnect from your
own self-imposed obligations. You don’t have to answer all 50 parent emails
tonight, attend a Twitter chat, monitor a Facebook forum, update your blog, and
add pictures to Instagram in one night. Teachers already have a lot going on,
and when you add staying on top of technology to the mix your time becomes even
more limited. Modern teachers are plugged in, but they also need to know when
to disconnect. Don’t burn out.
8. Celebrate
Diversity: Students these days are often given a bad rap for being selfish
slackers, but as their teacher, you know that children in school today are
among the most liberal, open-minded, accepting generation to ever grow up in America.
Kids today come from all kinds of family circumstances and identify with all
kinds of different racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Modern educators celebrate the diversity of their students’
experiences and use individual differences as a tool for learning about others.
9. Remain
a Life-Long Learner: Let’s face it, the world is
changing quickly. Did you ever think you’d see drones, self-driving cars, or 3D
printers in your lifetime? Teachers are at the heart of education and learning,
and as such need to pursue opportunities to continue to learn and better
themselves. It used to be easy to dismiss the idea of participating in
educational opportunities by saying you didn’t have enough time. Well, modern
teachers don’t have that excuse anymore. Webinars, MOOCs, and online classes have made
it possible for teachers to become students whenever and wherever is
convenient. So find an online course that sounds interesting and sign up.
10. Do
What You Do Best: While the media and lawmakers
may not treat you as such, you are a trained professional. You’ve got a degree
in education and you know how to run a class. You know how to identify when
students are struggling and you know how to help students enrich their
learning. Developing and bettering your practice is always encouraged, as it is
with any profession. But don’t feel like you have to jump into whatever’s
trendy in technology just to be relevant. Modern teachers know how to balance
what they know is best practice with what tools can help them best reach their
students.
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Another Special Announcement - Tune in to my radio interview, on Rider University's station, www.1077thebronc.com I discuss my recent book, above on "Your Career Is Calling", hosted by Wanda Ellett.
In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ
has a website with great
assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the
premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to
Improve,
Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super
Charge
Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been
published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for
young people. You can view my
profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:
www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki
In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and Yahoo. I am also a
member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and
Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman
Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been
contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and PSG of Mercer County, NJ.
I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems,
a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email,
network management software, security products and professional
services. Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.
Over
the past twenty-five years, I have enjoyed a dynamic and successful
career and have attained an extensive background in IT and electronic
communications by selling and marketing within the information
technology marketplace.Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.
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