Today we talk a lot about how to prepare students for 21st century and what skills they are supposed to acquire. However, before we give high expectations to students, should we look at ourselves first? Students learn in part in watching our behavior and our actions certainly exert impact on their learnings. If we are to influence students’ capacity to contribute to the 21st century, we have to change our own and our instituions’ behavior.

This thoughts arised when I read Will Richarson’s article, URGENT: 21st Century Skills for Educators (and Others) First which has initiated around 150 comments so far. Obviously, Will’s post hit a nerve.

When we talk about making life-long learners out of our students,  it’s very ironic that some of our teachers are not learning for themselves. And it’s no surprising to find teachers or educators who talk about transforming education with technology while  hardly any trace of technology could be found in their life or work!

As critical change agents, teachers can do a lot to influence their students so as to change their own pedagogies and push forward the change in education. They don’t have to teach, they have to help their students learn and learn with them.

Learning is a growing process, not only for students, but for educators.