Interview questions for International School Job Fairs
Over the past three weeks, I’ve been asked by a number of administrators in the international world for a list of skills and questions for interviewing potential teaching candidates. The recruiting season for International teachers starts here very soon and schools who have decided to make 21st Century Learning a priority are looking for a checklist of sorts to find those teachers who can teach in a “new school.â€
(Side Note: I wonder if any international schools take their IT Directors with them recruiting? Why or why not? If you were a technology-focused school, don’t you think you’d want them in on an interview?)
You will notice that my list says absolutely nothing about integrating technology or how the teacher uses technology in his/her classroom. No, this list focuses directly on the skill set and the tools these teachers use for their own learning. I want to know what personal technology skills these teachers bring to my school. I want to know how much PD time it is going to take to get them from where they are, to where I believe they need to be in order for the learning environment to change. This list of questions is broken into parts starting with basic computing skills and then moving to more advanced knowledge and skills. During the interview, I would also be looking at the body language in response to the questions and their responses. I want to see teachers get excited when they talk about the latest gadget they bought. I don’t want to hear “I bought a digital camera, but can’t get the darn pictures onto my computer.†Instead, I want to watch someone’s face light up when he/she talks about the new cell phone, or new iPod. I don’t care what the gadget is, it’s the body language and the tone of the response that is important.
Every applicant must first understand the technology situation at your school. Do not bother going through an interview process with prospective teachers if they do not want to or are not excited about teaching and learning in a networked environment. By starting an interview off by being up front and frank, you might save both you and the interviewee some time.
“We are a 1:1 school, meaning all students at our school have a laptop that they bring with them every day. You need to understand that we believe and expect the use of the laptop to be an integral part of your teaching and student learning. What are your thoughts about the use of laptop computers in the classroom?â€
The answer, or non-answer to this question could save both of you time in the interview process. In fact at recruiting fairs, it would be great if schools that are 1:1, or see themselves as schools that truly embrace 21st Century Learning, put that information on their table, their banners, and everywhere else. Teachers should be excited about teaching in this new digital space. If they are not, then you do not want them at your school to begin with. Hiring teacher that do not get excited about teaching in a new networked space will not help to move any information literacy focused school forward.
A thank you to David Warlick and Doug Johnson for some of the questions and their posts on this topic as well.
Questions for teachers entering a technology focused school:
The Basic User: These questions are to get a simple base line of how the teacher uses simple computer tools. I use the Microsoft Office suite because that is what most schools use and these tools are the foundation for most school computer systems and communication.
Please rate your skill set for the following tools as a basic user, average user, or advanced user:
Basic User: Can use the program in its simplest form
Average User: Can use the program and can give examples of ways to use the program in the classroom for teaching and learning.
Advanced User: Can give an example of using the program in the classroom as part of the learning process. Has or is willing to teach others how to use it.
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Publisher
If a teacher answers basic or basic and average to all of these I’d say you have some work to do. In the 8 ½ years now that I’ve been working with teachers at all grade levels I would say that most teachers would rate themselves Average or Advanced on Word and Publisher and Basic on Excel and PowerPoint. So if you have a teacher that does just that…you have an average techie teacher who like most is going to need some support in the classroom.
What e-mail programs are you familiar with (Outlook, Thunderbird, Firstclass, Groupwise) and what do you see as the positive and negative aspects of using e-mail?
E-mail is still a major communication device in schools today. Knowing what system your school has and what system teachers are familiar with is a good way to find out if you will need to train them on a new system. True, most e-mail systems work the same but training is still needed. Also, understanding the positive and negative uses of e-mail is important. E-mail does take away from face to face contact within a school and understanding that there are some messages that are better received face to face rather than via e-mail is an important communication skill to understand.
The Average User: We all use the web today for school and for pleasure. If your teacher candidate doesn’t, well, that’s a red flag! However, does the teacher understand how to truly use the Internet? There are only two questions in this group. One to see if the candidates understand how to verify information, and another to see if their philosophy of web filtering matches the school’s.
Being able to look up information and resources on the web is an important skill. Explain how you go about looking up information on the web. How do you verify that the information you found is trustworthy and of use to you?
This question is asked to see if candidates understand the importance of verifying information found on the Internet. Do they understand .edu sites? Do they know how to check a WHOIS? Listen to their response and see if they can tell you how they verify information on the web and do they sound confident enough that they could teach this to students in their class?
What is your philosophy regarding the filtering of internet sites?
This is not a “game over†question but I think it is an interesting question to ask. Do the candidates’ philosophy match the school’s? How do they feel about information on the Internet? Do they answer that “There is nothing good on the Internet!†or “I always load pages for my students†or “We need to teach students to be safe in this new digitally connected world.†The response might tell you more about their teaching style and their own use of the internet within their classroom.
The Web 2.0 teacher: A teacher that is still standing and has you smiling this far is probably an average teacher that will take time and training to truly use technology to enhance the educational setting. However, if candidates can make it through these next two sets of questions I think you have some winners! It’s not so much the use of these tools as it is that they know they exist. Just by knowing that these tools exist puts them ahead of the average teacher.
Do you read any blogs? If so, which ones?
Of course you would have to know which blogs are out there worth reading and/or write down the blogs mentioned and check them out later. But this could give great insight into candidates’ learning stream. Who are they learning from? What are they reading?
Do you have an RSS reader? If so, what do you subscribe to?
This is a huge hiring point for me. If candidates say they have an RSS reader and they understand what RSS is and what it means to “subscribe†to something, then they are on their way to understanding how teaching and learning changes in a networked digital environment.
Do you belong to any online communities?
What communities does the teacher belong to? Twitter? Any educational Ning sites? A Google or Yahoo group maybe? If a teacher answers he/she belongs to an educational community, then you have a lifelong learner on your hands who is open to learning and thinking in new ways.
Tell me a story of something you learned from your network?
I start looking for body language and excitement level here. Do your candidates get excited talking about learning? Do they explain how they learn in or from a network of other people? How long ago did they learn this new skill or gain this new knowledge? Again, this points to the teacher as a lifelong learner.
Teacher 2.0: If your teacher candidate has made it this far then you probably have a big grin across your face and the teacher is feeling pretty excited as well, because he/she finally has found a school that understands the changing nature of education. This last set of questions takes us to Teacher 2.0. A teacher who understands that the future for our students is different and is continually looking at and trying new things in his/her own personal life to try to understand this new digital world.
Tell me how you think the future you are preparing children for will be different?
I’d love to hear the answers to this one. Of course as an administrator, you too better understand the new connected digital world we are preparing students for.
What is your favorite gadget and why?
I want to see excitement, I want to feel the joy from the person when he/she explains the new gadget.. I want it to be something that the candidate really likes and even explains how he/she couldn’t imagine life without it..
How often do others come to you for guidance in using technology?
Is this teacher viewed as a technology leader by others?
Describe the last new technology that you used and how you used it — and how you learned it?
How old is the last new technology? What passion is in the candidate’s voice? If he/she were “stuckâ€, was help asked for? How did he/she use it for personal use?
Describe the last thing you learned related to your work, that you didn’t learn in a classroom or from a book, and describe how you learned it.
Teacher 2.0 learns from a multiple of sources. He/she understands that learning occurs in the network and because of the network. Was it learnedt from a blog, from a group? Was it learned from a conference or a presentation? Can the teacher explain how he/she learned outside of what we see as traditional learning vehicles? If so, you have a teacher 2.0!
Download PDF of questions only
Download PDF of questions with my comments for answers
[tags]interview questions[/tags]
Technorati Tags: interview questions, davidwarlick, dougjohnson, international teaching
regarding @jutecht’s recent blog entry. I concur, great post! Well written, strong but not arrogant. http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=614
Jeff
Thank you! I have just sent this blog post and attachments to our admin who are off recruiting now. I love the way you have scaled the questions and categorized the level of ‘expertise’. As QA moves into a 1:1 learning environment I believe the willingness of teachers to be part of this and have adjust their teaching style if necessary is crucial. Then of course we need to be moving into the Web 2.0 and then the Teacher 2.0 models….it’s hard work as you know.
What bothers me about recruiting, and I do not mean this as a criticism as chances are my colleagues will be reading your post and my comments here, is that if the heads of schools do not have a full understanding of what a Web 2.0 or Teacher 2.0 educator looks like I don’t know that your questions past the average user are going to help yet. The aim is to get admin on board and actively using Web 2.0 tools themselves so that they can appreciate their value and be able to understand them from first-hand experience. Your idea of taking the IT Heads recruiting…or at least be part of the interview process is essential and is already happening at my school for the IT related positions.
Another thing that bothers me about recruiting and international schools is that you cannot always choose who you really want. There are other constraints such as what the spouse teaches and the suitability as a couple, number of children etc etc. International teaching is not a cut and dry process with recruiting however that sense of excitement, that sense of being able to solve problems and work with IT tools is essential and I think you have outlined this excellently in your post!
Thanks and good luck!
Justin Medved tells me ISB takes him to interview with the admin – but he’s in Bangkok, so I wonder if they take him to other fairs (or even go to other ones themselves)?
My principal asks questions that I’ve given him, and lets me advertise our school’s vacancies on my blog. The way I see it, teachers who apply via a post on my blog (“Clay sent me”) show that they’re tapped in by virtue of being hooked into the e’blogosphere).
I think teachergeeks should go to fairs. We can detect the BS more easily, and distinguish web 1.0 teachers (“I have a class website,” which is actually one-way communication only) from the 2.0 teachers.
Great post Jeff, thank you! As someone who has just gone through an interview process for a position in a new school I relate to much of what you’re written here. I fear that these same questions were probably not asked at the school I left as they replaced staff for the new year. You’ve really hit the nail on the head with your approach and you’re right, if a teacher is not excited and passionate (and capable) regarding the use of ICT in education (if that’s what the school espouses it believes), then it’s better to find that out sooner rather than later. Once a “less suitable” teacher gets into a school it can be darn difficult to move them on! I’ve passed your post on to school admins i know.
Thanks again!
I’d love an interview like this, and I’m not even a teacher. Sadly, I know for a fact that most of the people who teach my sons would look utterly blank in repsonse to most of these questions.
pshew —
first interview i felt i did great at. LOL Still standing proud at the end!! (grins)
I thought the progression of the questions was superb and I especially liked the one about your network coming to you. (Not just you learning from the network!!)
Excellent post, Jeff.
Thank you for making it available for us to easily share with our admin!!!
Jen
Julie,
I too wish it was as cut and dry has hiring the best teacher with a passion for change but understand that in the international world it’s all about the “fit”. That being said…if a school puts it out there that this is the type of teacher they are looking for, they they’ll attract those teachers who are looking for a school with an eye on the future. I agree a lot of schools claim to be 21st Century Schools but very few are actually taking the steps needed to start down the road of change.
Clay,
Yeah…if the career fair was here in Shanghai…I’d be there, or at least be able to meet candidates for a coffee and a chat. That is a positive for ISB for sure.
For me more than anything is that schools that really do want to hire teachers who can help shift a school to new learning need to be proud of it and need to go to fairs looking for those people! Get excited about changing your school and candidates will feel that excitement and want to join you.
I love this blog Jeff. I thought the one question you did not ask and would be very helpful is “Do you own and blog?” and “Can I read it.” After all we do publish online for all to see.
b
Jeff,
Amazing post! I used it as a self-assessment tool and posted the answers on my blog.
diane
I might put it out the other way. If/when I decide to change jobs, these are the sort of questions I’d want to be asked! I want to know if the culture of the potential employing organization embraced learning, embraced new technologies, embraced enthusiasm in education.
Jeff, fascinating questions and prompts. I especially like this one – “Describe the last thing you learned related to your work, that you didn’t learn in a classroom or from a book, and describe how you learned it.”
It was surprising when I asked a similar question that folks relied on a once a year technology conference, occasional workshops at the regional service center. It’s a measure of how much has changed that those who fail to create their online learning network really aren’t worth starting with for a district position. At this point, I want a self-starter who’s connected, rather than someone who sees learning as an episodic, once in awhile event.
Some time ago, I gathered a few questions…those are shared here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ybwun
Best wishes,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-mGuhlin.net
http://mguhlin.net
Jeff, I am sending this to my principal, but I thought I’d share that not every school or school admin in SC is up to par on these. I’d wager some would run screaming from the interview, and that’s just sad. We are making progress though, as my principal has recently asked me to help her create a blog and develop a reader. Yeah!
Hello Jeff,
These are great questions and have a deep committment to future learning. I have just gone through the process of applying for jobs and have rarely had anything like this asked of me. Why? Like Cathy’s comment, I don’t thin school admins are up to speed and don’t know what they don’t know!!! I’ve had some very narrow questions asked of me and have walked out feeling so dissapointed in the lack of buzz or enthusiasm that comes from the interviewing committee!! Shame.
Anyway I won a great job that I am thrilled about – (Ultranet Coach for Victorian schools in Australia) So happy to leave those horrible interviews behind me.
Helen
I’m sure that this will sound stodgy… but it’s real life.
As an international teacher, do you have a pension system? Hows the health care? Can you save money for future needs? Do you have to renegotiate all of that over and over again?
Also.. are you certified to teach or administer in the states? If you wanted to return… how would that work out?
And my last question…and this probably sounds frivolous… (but I’m entirely serious)
Can you have a dog and be an international teacher?
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This is a great post! I’ve recently reached the stage where I’ll be doing the hiring for my department, and I’d really like to be able to use some of your questions. I just wonder if I’ll be allowed to — too many ‘old-school’ types ;0)
I’m also of the belief that a lot of your questions could be condensed by simply asking applicants to send in their blog address. That allows one to see what the applicant knows and how connected they are before it even gets to the interview stage.
What a great post and a wonderful way to find those that are learners. If I could be asked those questions…the tech people here think I am nuts with toys and apps. And let’s not mention what I learn from those blogs I read!
When I was interviewed it was a joke. The school board interviewed me. Granted technology was not in place here but it was pathetic. Not sure who gave them that power but none of them were professionals or managers.
With the technology purchased with the grant money we received, I would hope that they find people that fit the vision though no one else is working with wikis, blogs, or nings yet. Very few administrators get this either.
Superb posting. I’m currently looking for work in an independent or international school. I’d hope that the people who interview would be interested in these sorts of things, but my own experience has been that they’re just trying to afloat. Sad, truly.
Thank you for the questions; I’ll be blogging about the questions, and I’ve gone and started answering them, putting my responses online in my credentials package.
[…] Jeff Utecht posed some questions, the other day, for recruitment interviewers looking for networked teachers. Perhaps a good […]
Hello, Jeff,
Great post, with some great questions —
After reading it, though, I got to thinking about, for lack of a better term, the “human face” of the technology — I started as a comment on your blog, but it morphed into a full-on post at http://openacademic.org/news/hiring-questions
Cheers,
Bill
@Helen – You asked, can you have a dog and be an international teacher?
Speaking generally, every country has their own visa laws and rules concerning immigration. Bringing pets into the equation ups the complication factor considerably.
That said, some countries do recognize the diversity international educators bring to the table and make extra allowances for foreigners. So, if your credentials are deemed valuable and your’s is a Dog 2.0 it would probably be a cinch. HTH
Hi Jeff, thank you very much for this post – it is a great way to assess oneself. I teach in a midwifery program and we are looking to deliver our material to distance students in a flexible manner. So I believe this assessment is a great place for us to think about where we fit into the program as teachers. Here is the link to my assessment. cheers Sarah
Hi Jeff
I enjoyed reading this post and agree that taking an IT director off to a fair is the way to go. One day we won’t believe that we ever went recruiting without them. I was proud of myself that I was able to make it right down to the end not only understanding what you were talking about but also being able to answer positively and in an informed way to your questions.
Thanks
Wow! Teachers who are excited about using technology, who enjoy the learning process enough to be learners, who try different ideas about learning and are trying to get overseas to do it. Now, how to beam them down from their spaceship.
Somewhere in the interview an interesting teaching sort of thing would be the interviewEE educating the interviewER. Example: What is the most effective application of technology in learning or teaching that you have experienced and what about it made you think it was so effective?
Or this could be a question to the interviewER, to get a sense of how edtech savvy their new boss is….
Hmm, what would a list of those questions look like?
cheers!
I just keep thinking: What schools are actually anywhere remotely close to caring about this – even knowing about it – to put a high priority on these qualities in a teacher?
Sincere question. I’m not trying to be provocative. I’m hoping somebody will bother to answer.
Because I keep thinking that the only interviews to work at a school like this are going to come from us – when we create our own schools like this.
Whatever “this” is.
I think there are schools out there that are, not sure if there are administrators that are. One of the teachers that works at my school left a comment above saying she felt pretty good about these questions, and I think most teachers at my school would so OK at this…but we’re building these teachers here at SAS. My question is, how many other schools are building teachers that can even answer these questions? Only when we have teachers that can answer these questions do the questions become worth asking.
[…] closing, I will leave you to read this post and think about the questions he is raising. How would you answer these […]
I agree that this whatever this is, is still pretty new, and not only are administrators not on board many old teachers are still very hesitent to get on board. There are still many digital immigrants clingning to their ways and afraid to assimilate and learn the new culture.
Actually, let me rephrase that-administrator may like the sound of a 21st century school, but are unfamiliar with what that means and how to get it…things will change when more 21st century teachers move up to admin…
Great post. Thanks!
This has been a wonderful read, both the post and the comments because it is something I struggle with. I am one of the tech geeks, as Clay mentions and I am a want-to-be administrator who considers how things are going every time this recruiting season comes upon us.
I, too, have been asked to provide questions to admin for interviews. I’ve been asked, like most of you, what I think of a teacher as they apply for a job.
On one hand, (the geeky one), I see that a skill set or knowledge base high in the areas that Jeff’s questions highlight are becoming more and more valuable in the schools that we want to make – the schools that we believe our children need and will benefit from.
But on the other hand, I have known many great teachers who I think would come out leaning “Basic User.” Yet I see their passion, I see the engagement in their students’ eyes and work and discussions and I wonder how they get passed over with interview questions like this.
I want to change schools and “how we do business” in them, hence the desire to be an administrator, but I also worry that in our edublogosphere, we talk so much about the gadgets and the tech and what great things we see and believe in and we forget the other things that have made education effective over the time before this exponentially changing era.
A teacher who engages kids and makes them feel appreciated, provides them safe opportunities to take risks and ultimately helps them learn is still a good teacher…even if they don’t have an RSS feed. In discussions on other blogs by Scott McLeod and Dan the Teacher, we’ve heard how us tech geeks have to be salespeople.
I will take trying to “sell” my tech tools to a Great Teacher any day. They may not know much about what’s out there, but they will recognize what will help them get kids to learn when they see it (if I am doing my job well). Do I think understanding and using RSS and other web 2.0 tools is important? Sure. But ultimately we are not in a world where the info lit skills are the ONLY thing that kids need to learn. They still need to learn math and science and art. And they still need to think and be engaged and take risks and LIKE coming to school. The tech does some of that…but only in the hands of a good teacher.
There are plenty of mediocre teachers out there with RSS feeds and iPods. And some great ones who still have CDs and read a newspaper. I think that for questions to speak about a teacher’s worth, they need to address their passion for subject matter, for learning and for students too. And we can’t start dismissing teachers because they are “old”.
Otherwise, our students are missing out.
I like this quote that supports Dennis’s comments.
“The more powerful technology becomes, the more indispensable good teachers are.â€
Michael Fullan, 1998
Dennis, I love your comment. Much to think about there. In random conversations with admin around my school, we’ve been talking about how starting with the upper grades is possibly the hardest approach, because students have been conditioned by that time to conceive of education as “memorize/test out/forget.”
We’re wondering whether starting a 1:1 program with little ones isn’t more prudent (and lordy, you can picture the bonanza of breakage, damage, and loss, but anyway…). Get’em young and condition them (hate that word) to conceive of the new literacies as “traditional,” “mainstream,” “normal” education. Then there’s no de-programming necessary at the upper levels – which is what we’re seeing at my own 1:1 school.
Let me repeat that: students themselves resist laptops in the classroom because that’s not “normal” education to them. They want end-of-chapter questions and memorization lists to a shocking degree. Old dogs at the ripe old age of 17, resistant to learning new tricks.
It really seems a river we can’t push, the way I see it now. This generation of teachers and administrators and politicians will have to retire, and this generation of students graduate, while we wait for the digital age to become so obviously central that schools will face the music and change. Schools and churches are always the last to acknowledge new knowledge – too much vested interest. The Church was last to admit the world is not flat, and schools will be last to admit that it is becoming flat again.
(And Jeff, you can bet our teachers at KIS know and use all the geekiness to some degree – hey, where’d that “gadget” comment go, or am I dreaming? – but how well is the question, along with “What is using this stuff well?” Since it’s all so new, we can’t forget the data is still out.)
Great comment, Dennis. I’d only add that those traditional teachers (undoubtedly brilliant and to be cherished, even if they can’t send an email) are often loved by the students, again, because those students cling to addictive traditions too.
Clay, great points. It is true that their “greatness” is measured in the context of what is becoming a more and more antiquated educational system. You are right…there is no point in kids being good at school in 1960 anymore. But engagement and risk taking and love of learning continue to be valuable skills/opportunities. And hopefully great teachers are still accomplishing that alongside learning and sharing 21st century skills (which include those mentioned above).
Who was it in Shanghai that quipped that the best thing that the older educator could do was die?
Schools are slow to change because we the teachers are slow to let go of that which we know and have done. And it is/will be the job of tech geeks like us and hopefully adminstrators like I hope to be to engage our teachers into seeing the worth of the tech and in the worth of necessary change. What can be so clear to us is still very unclear to others. Add to that a parent community who believe that they turned out fine and so their kids should get the same schooling they did. “That’s not the way I learned it!” they say.
But on the other hand…these times ain’t waiting, are they? Schools need to change and hiring is the best way to do this.
Great point, Clay, on what does using it “well” look like.
Great line: “The Church was last to admit the world is not flat, and schools will be last to admit that it is becoming flat again.”
Ahh Dennis how quickly we forget the basic rigors of classroom instruction, and I’m not talking about administrators my tech role model.
For many a secondary international educator the rigors of externally assessed courses dictate the types of assessments that students must master; and at high-flying schools mastery means testing into the abnormal portion of the curve. The assessments are in no way tech based, gadget related or mildly 2.0. And the argument can be made that postsecondary institutions rely heavily on very traditional forms of assessment. Now ICT can certainly supplement, better engage and of course develop performance on traditional assessment tasks, but is it really in kids’ best interest for those tasks to no longer be the central focus as we “change” schools? Did Princeton suddenly become a 2008 school, no more lectures and no more tests? Has AP abolished multiple choice? I am wary of those who choose to reinvent systems from the bottom, like grade 6, as they never suffer the consequences of their choices. Ask an AP Calc teacher how they feel about Every Day Math. Standards trickle down people, down!
Any interview question that allows teachers to demonstrate the depth of their passion for education is a solid interview question. And if a school is delivering that model through technology then RSS questions are great, but I’m curious about this underlying assumption that integrating web 2.0 is an improvement, rather than simply a different delivery model. I’ll give you the word “change” but the implication of “improvement” is in my opinion an open debate. Blogging may be a way for a student to eclipse a benchmark or demonstrate competence with a standard, but is it possible that the best way to master the essay portion of an exam is through, you know, essay writing being the major focus? Of course my assumption is that the essay is the best way to demonstrate the quality of one’s thinking, but for academia to be a community they have got to have some traditions, but anthropology was a long time ago.
Dennis can you remember a time when the best thing you could do in HL math was math questions on a piece of paper, no matter how hard you racked your brain to be creative, original and engaging? It’s like UBD and HL math, I’m coming to the conclusion that for certain aspects of the course there are no Essential Questions or Enduring Understandings other than “Engineering faculties need to know you can do this, and when you get there they will give you even more math so that it actually becomes meaningful. And then you can blog about it.”
Would if be provocative to say that ICT at times (most of the time?) cannot improve upon a classical education-and that’s why Stanford continues to use the Socratic seminar rather than Twitter. Not because they are old, but because they are smart. Just as an old teacher can be great, can old teaching strategies be just as great; dare I say impossible to improve upon?
And can I be even more provocative as I am the last of the non-believers. Is it possible that proponents of 1:1 delivery models, like me, are really the same people who said tables are superior to desks, classrooms shouldn’t have walls, performance assessments are better than tests, standards are better than objectives, whole language etc etc. Is the best answer really not a little Buddhist my Bangkok pal: following the middle path gives us the little bit of what we need, but when we go to extremes we get a whole lot of illusionary distractions. I think a sniff of 2.0 is plenty, no mastery, no standards, just some engagement value to access higher order thinking and literacy. Web 2.0 supports differentiation, and that’s plenty, but it is nothing more than packaging.
I would posit that a master teacher choosing a Web 2.0 instructional task versus a master teacher choosing the most traditional instructional task is akin to arguing Gatsby over Tom Joad. But then again I think I know the answer to that one.
And I know Dennis that 2.0 is to prepare us for the way the world is and how the world will be-but your education was not 2.0 and hear you are with the rest of your blogging pals, being all 2.0. Is the secret not higher order thinking skills and literacy-the reading writing speaking using numbers kind? The devices, gadgets and software have to change or we will have nothing to buy.
But of course Marla and I are just tourists here.
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The Web 2.0 teacher, unfortunately, has no place in the schools that need such teachers the most. Poor schools don’t have these supplies and resources for use in the classroom, and students do not have reliable, readily available Internet access.
It’s a shame, but a hard truth.
http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com
Jeff what a great post, and self-assessment tool! I returned to the US just a year ago, after doing an exchange in Melbourne, Australia.
I didn’t feel comfortable at my school after returning, and had a couple of interviews last spring. I didn’t get either position, although I was in the top 3. I think if I’d read or thought about these things prior to those interviews, I’d be at a new school now, instead of thinking about it again this spring.
Thanks – I’m much more focused now, and no I need to be in a more forward thinking school. We still use the “integrating technology” question!
Thanks for these questions. Great way to assess myself and see if I’m up on where technology is heading.
[…] منبع: Thinking Stick […]
[…] Possible Interview Questions for Teachers – from Jeff Utecht’s blog […]
Great post (and site)!
I have waited until our recruiting was over to post this comment. I found a wide range of “2.0†understanding in the teachers interviewed for positions. Check out my blog for a Podcast of an interview using some of the questions.
Here’s the link: http://nlcommunities.com/communities/dhrhoads/default.aspx
Regarding administrators being “up to speed†with the new technologies, I’m an overseas administrator and doctoral student a Seton Hall University. Will Richardson and Alan November are the two teachers for our “microcomputers†course. The course name is antiquated and the two teachers are cutting edge. I think that is a good example of the “speed†(or lack thereof) change happens in education. Again, for some interesting reading regarding the status of some administrators’ thoughts on educational technology visit my blog with the above link. Looking forward to hearing from some people: dereck.rhoads@asfm.edu.mx
[…] Dereck Rhoads left a comment the other day on what has become my most popular post to date about Interview questions for International School Job Fairs. While recruiting Dereck used some of the questions that I put forth in the post, changed them, […]
[…] Dereck Rhoads left a comment the other day on what has become my most popular post to date about Interview questions for International School Job Fairs. While recruiting Dereck used some of the questions that I put forth in the post, changed them, […]
[…] Will showed us a blog post regarding technology interview questions to ask teachers. The post was on “the thinking stick” blog authored by Jeff Utecht. When my interviews were […]
[…] of the best blog entries I have read was Jeff Utecht’s How to prepare yourself for technology interview questions at your next Job Fair. I think it’s his #1 viewed article, […]
[…] of the best blog entries I have read was Jeff Utecht’s How to prepare yourself for technology interview questions at your next Job Fair. I think it’s his #1 viewed article, […]
[…] Interview questions for Technology Focused Schools […]
Hi Jeff – After reading your post, it is more evident to me that my rating score is in need of major improvement. I’d like to describe it as BW2.0 (before Web 2.0) BW2.0 I felt I was “advanced”. But with the emergence and existence of the many uses of Web2.0 I am re-learning to stay on top of the forefront. Thank you clear picture you presented.
[…] to go 1:1 in the near future, Andy and I worked to put together a list of questions similar to the list that I created last year. To hep administrators as they start recruiting with some questions they can ask during the […]
[…] came to me last year with a list of questions which I thought were well thought out. I’ve written about the international school recruiting […]
This is a very great site. its having many useful informative. its a job searching site. thanks for sharing……..
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Muthu
Cv interview questions
Interview questions for International School Job
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=614
An excellent article for both candidates and those hiring teachers. Thank you I must check out the rest of the blog.
Ruth
@khokanson did you see these? http://tinyurl.com/c4z5pd & http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=614
Dude ! It’s awesome issues right in there, I am an Indian Computer english teacher in China ! Please do submit somthing about face to face interview with chinese teachers.
[…] Interview Questions for International School Job Fairs […]
Thank you for another awesome post. Regards, Alex ~ InterviewPattern
@jutecht blog on Interview questions for International School Job Fairs. Are these types of questions really used?http://tinyurl.com/monc9b
[…] Possible Interview Questions for Teachers – from Jeff Utecht’s blog […]
Thanks for the nice Article. You have provide very informative information which is very helpful for every student who are facing interview first time.
[…] Schools Job Fairs. I never knew that these existed. [Note: Jeff Utecht at the SAS in Shanghai has blogged about similar job fairs]. I conducted a Blackboard LMS workshop or two at the Singapore American School back in late 2003 ~ […]