Is an Effective Communicator

Demonstrates Lifelong Learning

Anticipates and Adjusts

Remains Relevant

Takes Risks Is Curious

Has Grit and Resilience

Develops Connective and Collaborative Relationships

The 21st Century EdTech Leader

...thoughts derived from 18 years of teaching and learning...

1. Is an E!ective Communicator Assumptions are the termites of relationships. - Henry Winkler

In my experience, a signicant roadblock to fostering positive and productive student-teacher relationships can be found in miscommunication. In communicating directions, expectations, content, and achievement, teachers must be conscious not only of how they are communicating but also of how they are being perceived by their audience. Tone, body language, and word choice can all inuence how teachers are perceived by students and can therefore also impact student learning. Whether communicating in person, or online, being aware of what and how you are communicating, in addition to how you are being seen, is paramount for true student understanding to occur. Staying calm and focusing on effective communication strategies can assist 21st Century Leaders in avoiding inaccurate assumptions and building positive and productive relationships. Effective leaders communicate effectively. (Click here to return.)

2. Demonstrates Lifelong Learning Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. - Socrates
Lifelong learning is an important characteristic of 21st Century Leaders as it demonstrates that an individuals education is never truly complete. Further, lifelong learning is an essential component in dealing with change. Demonstrating lifelong learning can assist teachers in making connections with students as it levels the playing eld and places both in the role of the learner. In my experience teaching, it has always proved valuable to share what I am learning with the students that I teach as it opens their eyes to the reality that learning never really ends. Effective leaders understand that education never really ends. (Click here to return.)

3 & 4. Anticipates and Adjusts The empires of the future are empires of the mind. - Winston Churchill
Being able to anticipate within the classroom and adjust accordingly are both essential skills for 21st Century Leaders. As technology changes the world around us and continues to dramatically impact the speed with which we access and apply information, it is essential for teachers to be able to anticipate and adjust. Being proactive with student interests and needs, and then having the exibility to redirect instruction appropriately can allow teachers to dive deeper into content and engage students more effectively. Technology is a tool that teachers can leverage to improve a students learning experience inside the classroom. Teachers who are student-centered can create a culture where anticipating areas of interest, monitoring learning, and adjusting instruction based on what is being experienced is the norm. The focus here is on process over content, where anticipation allows teachers to better guide students and adjustments provide an avenue for student-directed learning. Effective leaders anticipate what those who follow need and adjust their own actions to provide it. (Click here to return.)

5. Remains Relevant The only person who is educated is the one who has learned to learn and change. - Carl Rogers
Remaining relevant is essential for leaders of any generation. 21st Century Leaders must demonstrate an ability to stay current with the culture and to reect the time that they are in, not a time that has passed by. Remaining relevant is comparable to keeping up with current events. As the culture and attitudes change, adapting to those changes and being able to live in relation to new ideas and perspectives becomes increasingly important. Remaining current with technology trends and pedagogical shifts can allow teachers to mix the new with the old and incorporate elements from their students worlds with the latest, and historically proven, best-practices. Remaining relevant provides technology leaders with an ideal avenue for capturing, retaining, and leveraging the interest of todays electronic generation. Effective leaders understand the world they live in. (Click here to return.)

6 & 7. Develops Connective and Collaborative Relationships Nine tenths of education is encouragement. - Anatole France
The teacher-student dynamic is an essential part of the educational process, and forming strong bonds with students is vital for both student and teacher success. 21st Century Leaders understand that how students connects to their peers, to their teachers, and to the curriculum itself, is going to drive the learning that is taking place inside the classroom. Being keenly aware of how to develop and maintain strong, or connective, relationships with students and then provide ways for students to transfer those connections to their studies is what matters. Teachers who are connected to their students can experiment with greater degrees of collaboration. With collaboration at the core of a connective relationship, teachers can provide students with more meaningful learning experiences. Effective leaders connect with those who follow and collaborate with them as they lead. (Click here to return.)

8 & 9. Has Grit and Resilience People seldom see the halting and painful steps at which the most insignificant success is achieved. - Anne Sullivan
Grit is the ability to persevere through tough times. Resilience is the means by which to recover from a setback. Together, grit and resilience combine to form a trait speaking to ones capacity to overcome fatigue and failure. Teaching students how to engage and invest in the learning process and see something through from beginning to end is at the heart of grit and resilience. Things of value rarely come free and without sacrice. 21st Century Leaders teach students to be gritty and persevere when faced with challenging concepts. They also challenge students to nd inner resilience when they dont understand things the rst time through. Effective leaders not only teach grit and resilience, but they have both in abundance themselves. (Click here to return.)

10. Is Curious Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. - Will Durant
Curiosity is essential to cultivating an active mind. It fuels interest and opens up a world of possibilities. 21st Century Leachers who foster curiosity can reap the rewards of more engaged students and more meaningful learning. Being curious is an essential component of lifelong learning, and revealing ones own curiosity to students can help teachers guide students towards their own unique interest areas. Curiosity can free the learning process to include more than the content outlined in a unit plan. Curiosity can lead students to more authentic self-directed exploration of process and product. Effective leaders foster, and demonstrate, curiosity. (Click to return.)

11. Takes Risks Go out on a limb. Thats where the fruit is. - Jimmy Carter
Being willing to take risks is a fundamental part of facing fear and failure and coping with lifes setbacks. Students are often reticent to take risks, as failure may expose to others what they cannot do. It has been my experience that cultivating a classroom culture where risk-taking is encouraged and explored can lead to greater understanding and more meaningful learning. When teachers take risks with their approach and pedagogy it demonstrates to students the importance of exploration and the willingness to face failure. 21st Century Leaders help students to step outside of their comfort zones while modeling risk-taking themselves. Embracing risktaking helps people to overcome a fear of failure - a characteristic common in humanity. Effective leaders take risks and encourage others to do the same. (Click to return.)