An Oldie, but a Goodie...

Three years in technology and blogging is a REALLY long time, but valid and creative ideas are most definitely timeless.  I wanted to share a post with you from late 2014 which still holds plenty of relevance today because this list really isn't about the technology, it's about quality (and fun) teaching practice.

Check out this list of 21 Things Every 21st Century Teacher Should Do This Year.  I'll meet you back here in a few minutes.

First, I'm not a fan of the term "21st Century."  I'm not even sure what it means anymore.  Don't worry too much about that.  If you're totally stuck on the term please read this post and this post.  "21st Century" is way more than a buzzword, it's most definitely a way of life in teaching and learning.

Second, these are manageable tasks.  I'm not trying to encourage you to do every single one of these things this semester, but choose one or two and see where it takes you and your students.  You never know what may happen (in a very good way.)  Going paperless for a week, participating in a Twitter chat, creating a class hashtag, and some others are very simple to try and/or implement.  Take it slow, be purposeful, and definitely GO FOR IT.

Third, I can't help but think about the potential impact on students here.  When teachers step outside their comfort zones there is some serious positive modeling going on.  You, as the teacher, don't quite know how things are going to go, but you are willing to try something new, and that is going to be appreciated.

So again, this particular post is pretty "old", but the practices and skills contained within it continue to evolve with the times.  Help make 2017 great by trying some new approaches and practices and see where things go from there!

***CCSD's Office of Instructional Technology is ALWAYS more than happy to support you and your colleagues (and, of course, students too) with the purposeful and meaningful implementation of technology into your instruction.  Please feel free to contact our team via email or via our request form.  We'd love to help you with your instructional adventures!