21st Century Learning and Teaching

As children, everything we do in life comes with a coach, a teacher, or a parent directing us and helping us along the way. Words of encouragement are...

Learn more:

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

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

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

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

How educators can assist learners is developing a growth mindset.

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

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

Why You Must Reflect and Improve
Students are what we do. They are the center of our classroom, not us. However, as a teacher, I am the most impactful single person in the classroom. Honest feedback from our students will help me level up.

I've been doing this for more than ten years. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry -- and sometimes I'm mortified. But I can honestly say that every single piece of feedback I've received has made me a better teacher. And great teachers are never afraid of having or inviting hard conversations. This is one of best practices that has helped me to be a better, more excited teacher every year.

Learn more:

- https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/practice-better-ways-to-say-i-dont-know-in-the-classroom/

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

Suspends Judgment – Silences the Inner Critic

The ability to hold off on judging or critiquing an idea is important in the process of creativity. Often great ideas start as crazy ones – if critique is applied too early the idea will be killed and never developed into something useful and useable. (note – this doesn’t mean there is never a time for critique or judgement in the creative process – it’s actually key – but there is a time and place for it). (http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/05/09/9-attitudes-of-highly-creative-people/)

Many new ideas, because they are new and unfamiliar, seem strange, odd, bizarre, even repulsive. Only later do they become “obviously” great. Other ideas, in their original incarnations, are indeed weird, but they lead to practical, beautiful, elegant things. Thus, it is important for the creative thinker to be able to suspend judgment when new ideas are arriving, to have an optimistic attitude toward ideas in general.

Tolerates Ambiguity

Ambiguity tolerance may be… the “willingness to accept a state of affairs capable of alternate interpretations, or of alternate outcomes,” (English & English 1958). In other words, ambiguity tolerance may be central to creative thinking. (http://knowinnovation.com/tolerating-ambiguity/#sthash.XqxhaQh3.dpuf)

With the toleration of ambiguity, creativity gives way to new ideas, stimulates the acceptance of others’ viewpoints, and thus raises tolerance, understanding and cooperation. (http://www.academia.edu/2506344/Creative_climate_as_a_means_to_promote_creativity_in_the_classroom

Persists Even When Confronted with Skepticism & Rejection

Learn more:

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