What is a 21st century teacher?

There is an ongoing discussion in the edcuational sector on the millenium learners, next generation learners, Gen Y, 21st century learners etc, a  beloved child has many names..Main issues which use to be expressed and discussed are as is done by OECD already in 2006:

The main issues used to be addressed  are the following  by OECD:

So who are they then? Millennials is a term widely used to designate those generations born from the 1980s onwards and who have been raised in a context where digital technologies form an inextricable part of daily life. In short, Millennials are the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital media, and most of their activities dealing with peer-to-peer communication and knowledge management, in the broadest sense, are mediated by these technologies. Accordingly, Millennials are thought to be adept with computers, creative with technology and, above all, highly skilled at multitasking in a world where ubiquitous connections are taken for granted. This is why they are also often referred to as the Net Generation or even the homo zappiens (Veen, 2003) for their ability to control simultaneously different sources of digital information.Veen argues for the need for New Education Systems. This is tue, and there are urgent needs for transformations of educational systems.

Homo Zappiens  

What is less discussed is the issues on what and who is the 21st century teacher? This was done in a blogpost by Joe Stumpenhorst, June 22nd 2012. Thanks for this valuable blogpost.

Stumpenhorst advocates that althoug people toss around and speak about education attaching the word 21st century to appear to cutting edge or to be on the front end of trending ideas and things are so-called 21st century, yet there are no differences from ideas fo the past, from 20th or 19th century. Stumpenhorst emphazes the role and some key characteristics that good 21st-century teachers need. To summarize

• Be a connected educator
• Be a master of technology
• Be a reflective practitioner
• Be an advocate  

Be a connected educator. The idea of being a connected educator is not necessarily new, but it is certainly transformative through the technology of social media. Teachers can connect with other teachers, administrators, parents, students and other education-minded people worldwide with the click of a button.  Regardless of what kind of tools you use, a good 21st-century teacher must be connected.

Be a master of technology.  A good 21st-century teacher knows the difference between what is shiny and new conserning technology and what truly has potential to transform learning for students. A new hammer is great, but a good carpenter doesn’t try to screw in a bolt with one. In the same way, a 21st-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 as the profession in many ways has not changed in 100 years. Tools in our classrooms have changed, but the pedagogy and practice have not. A 21st-century teacher is able to look at his or her practices and adapt and change based on the needs of learners. The learners need to be in the centre, personalized learning, learning on demand and lifelong learning. Too many teachers are teaching as they did when they started their careers 10, 20 or 30 years ago. What we know about student learning and motivation has changed; so, too, must the art of teaching. Stagnation is the death of any teacher.

Be an advocate. The final thing  important for good teachers in this century is to be an advocate for themselves as well as the profession.  As teachers, we can sit and complain 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 is perceived in the public eye. 

There are urgent needs for many directions of innovation for the 21st century...

None of these ideas is radical or groundbreaking. Yet, too many teachers are content wrapping up old practice with new gimmicks and wondering the reason we don’t improve. To gain respect as a profession, a 21st-century model of constant growth and improvement must be embraced. If we don’t get better, there is just ourselfes we can blame.

Follow Josh Stumpenhorst on his blogs at Stump the Teacher, which has received EduBlog Awards nominations, and tweets @stumpteacher.

A beloved child has many names

Some of the buzz words we often hear today, describing learning for the 21str century are just to mention some; personalized learning, interpersonal learning, connected learning, collaborative learning, second life learning, 3d learning, mobile learning and virtual learning.  There is  a change in the paradigm for teaching and learning, or rather learning and education, including formal and informal learning as well as the Bildung concept, from the Humbolt school in Germany. Life, society and things are changing. The blogpost from educatorstechnology claim that "old methods and pedagogies are no longer relevant. The teacher-controlled learning where deconstructed and reconstructed information is presented in a highly formal and standardized classroom settings becomes very obsolete." It is often claimed that the 21st century pedagogy teachers have urgent issues to be aware of, such as:  What is the driving engine behind this huge transformation in learning ? and Do we need a new pedagogy to better enhance learning ? and What do we desire?

Doubters, however often raise questions like: Tell me what is the differences with the new paradigm for the 21 st century, everyone is talking about? Of course there is not just one answer on that, neither are there any simple answers. Probably it is more a question about attitudes, approaches, collaboration and glocalisation. Learning and education today is worldwide, community based, merging generations and cultures within lifelong learning perspectives and dimensions. The way Steve Wheeler argues in one  of his latest blogposts that the community is the curricula raise totally different demands and dimensions for learners, teachers and educational organizations. How will educational institutions cope with this new approach with  a huge variety of physical and virtual communities. Some differences on pedagogy from the 20 century and the 21st century paradigms are explained in the YouTube clip.

Advancements in technology and particularly social networking technologies are changing the whole educational framework. Users have access to information whenever and wherever they want . Blogs, wikis, socializing sites, podcasts, networks more and more democratizing knowledge and creating huge impacts on the process of schooling. Technology advancements have touched every facet of life including education.That’s why every educator and teacher should reconsider certain values and principles and that it is not just a question on technology. What is then special with the 21st century learner: