I have always believed in lifelong learning. During the last couple of years, though, I have seen the importance of sharing this philosophy with my students. As a librarian and educational technologist, I have many opportunities to introduce new technologies to enhance and transform their learning. If I waited to introduce these new technologies until I thought I was an 'expert' using them, I would NEVER share them.
I think my students appreciate my honesty when I introduce a new technology. I will often share with them the basics and tell them I am learning with them. Quite often, as we are learning, students are learning from each other and I am learning from them. I will ask students if they are comfortable sharing their learning with the entire class. Some students will happily go to the front of the classroom to speak, while others will share with only a few students. Either way, we are all learning together!
I want my students to be curious forever. I want them to know it is a strength to ask for help and learn from others. I want them to have a growth mindset and try something new as often as possible. I want my students to be inspired to learn everyday.
Image credit: http://immooc.org/blog-prompts/
Image credit: http://immooc.org/blog-prompts/
Wow, if we could get students (and adults!) to understand that it is a strength to ask for help and learn from others, we'd be well on our way to a culture of collaboration! I'd love it if someday a student would come back to me and say, "Ms. Storm, you sure didn't know everything, but you sure knew how to learn!"
ReplyDeleteLaurie,
DeleteThat would be the biggest compliment! Teachers don't know everything and we need to demonstrate that it's okay ask for help. It truly is a strength...one that has taken me 43 years to understand. :)
It's such a big change from when I was in school, and teachers were supposed to know everything and we were supposed to sit back and absorb their knowledge (or the knowledge we acquired from the textbook). It's been a big shift for me to not feel I have to be the 'tech expert', but it's also a big relief, too! I'm sure your students are that much richer for seeing you model your growth mindset!
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