1. The 21st Century Teacher
Beverlee Andrews
EME 2040 – Introduction to Technology for Educators
Digital Story Telling – Due 12/7/12

2. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century
Technology: The professional teacher uses technology (as appropriate) to establish an
atmosphere of active learning with existing and emerging technologies available at the school
site. She/he provides students with opportunities to use technology to gather and share
information with others, and facilitates access to the use of electronic resources.
Students are much more technologically savvy today, but technology changes so
quickly that it’s difficult for everyone to keep up with the latest wave. As a teacher,
in order to help my students learn, I need to be keep up with them. I have learned
that there are many tools available to assist with helping students learn – meeting
them where they are – which involves excitement for technology. Students learn
best when they understand the materials and are engaged in learning materials
that meet their different learning styles. Whether it involves engaging them with
material derived from online sources, or designing a learning experience where
they are learning contextually, it is my responsibility as their teacher to support
them in learning using the latest tools available.

3. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century
Learning Environments: The professional teacher understands the importance of setting up
effective learning environments and begins to experiment with a variety of them, seeking to
identify those which work best in a particular situation. The teacher provides the opportunities
for student input into behavioral expectations by helping students develop a set of shared
values and beliefs, by encouraging them to envision the environment in which they like to learn,
by providing occasions for reflection upon the rules and consequences that would create an
environment and by honoring dissent.
One example of what I learned related to this competency is the idea of
including my students in the development of the AUP. Although a few in
the discussion groups disagreed with including students in this process,
my view is that since the school already has an AUP which requires both student and
their parents to sign, I will incorporate more specific rules into my classroom AUP. I
would involve the students in the creation of the classroom AUP that would be
“owned” by the class. To do this, I would enhance their critical thinking skills by
conducting a SWOT analysis with each class, identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats inherent in this classroom technology I would ask the
students to create a standard for breaking the classroom rules and provide a process
for what happens when a student disregards the rules established by the class. By
allowing the students to be a part of the process of establishing the rules, they will
self-police their own behavior and the classroom activities using technology will be
an integral part of their learning, rather than being viewed as a struggle by both
teacher and students. Severe discipline issues will be handled accordingly.

4. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century
Continuous Improvement: The professional teacher recognizes the need to strengthen her/his
teaching through self-reflection and commitment to lifelong learning. The teacher becomes
aware of and is familiar with the School Improvement Plan. The teacher’s continued
professional improvement is characterized by participation in inservice, participation in
school/community committees, and designing and meeting the goals of a professional
development plan.
This course is part of my continued professional development for teacher
recertification. I am impressed by the vast amount of technology that is available for
teachers’ today and I believe that all teachers should be exposed to learning about
the latest available. I strive to stay current on the technologies and reflect upon the
learning gains that result from continuously learning and making improvements along
the way. I have used data to enhance my performance and experiment with new
teaching practices. I participate in learning communities and share with others.
Staying involved and positive is the key to successfully connecting with both students
and teachers.

5. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century
Role of the Teacher: The professional teacher establishes opens lines of communication and
works cooperatively with families, educational professionals, and other members of the
student’s support system to promote continuous improvement of the educational experience.
Teachers have the potential to impact students’ lives in a myriad of ways. How a
teacher reacts to a student, expressions said, confidence and trust established… all
can provide students with support or harm. It is very important for teachers to be
advocates for students by working with the families to establish what is needed to
best educate the individual student. Understanding their background helps to
understand them better, so personal goals can be met. In my teaching experience, I
have learned many things from my students, including compassion and
understanding. By providing them with the opportunities to express themselves,
(within reason) they develop a trust in and a respect for me as their teacher. My
experience has been that students need teachers to be more than disciplinarians, but
to be a sounding board for them when they need attention. Involving family
members, as appropriate is wise and creates an inclusive environment.