Summer Blog....Challenge Accepted

After reading my twitter feed this morning like I do every morning to get my daily news updates and find out what's happening in the world of connected educators I came across a favourite blogger and connected principal, who I was also lucky enough to see speak, George Couros (@gcouros) . I had originally decided to spend my summer blogging by reflecting on my past year but now have to decided to take Mr. Couros' challenge . I then continued on through my twitter feed and stumbled upon this blog "How to Ace Your Teaching Interview" posted by @Edtweeps.

I found this post really interesting. I have just finished my second year of teaching and consider myself a digital native but only because I was lucky enough to get a job in a school division who embraces and encourages teaching to the 21st Century Learner. Through my first two years of teaching I have changed how I used my twitter account (became more connected with other educators and educational technology), I started a blog and am spending my summer thinking of and coming up with ways I can used technology and social media more and more effectively in my classroom. However, if I were interviewed by the principle in the above blog two years ago....I don't think I would have been hired. It's not because I wasn't using technology in my teaching and it wasn't because I wasn't using social media or didn't have social media accounts. I don't think I would have been hired because when I did my post secondary education, use of technology was not used or demonstrated. In my "educational technology" class. I "learned" how to use Microsoft office (I grew up using Microsoft Office....I know how to use it!). In my the same class and my "Ethics and Law of Teaching" class I was instilled a fear of using social media....especially Facebook. We weren't told, check your privacy settings, create a professional account or now a page. We were shown the negative effects of having a Facebook account was and thus every year I see friends who change their name on Facebook for fear of "being found".

Twitter, edmodo, linkdin, etc weren't even mentioned. I never used or looked at Notebook until I started my practicum. Although I don't think I am quite where I want to be with being a connected teacher and encouraging and using technology to its fullest in my classroom...I think I would be hired by that principal today. So, I leave you with this, if you are a teacher if you went through the interview with the above principal, would you get hired? And, do you think Post Secondary Institutions are prepared teachers to teach 21st Century Learners?