Technology is becoming more prevalent in classrooms and teachers are becoming more innovative with how to use various tools in their classrooms. 

George Couros, Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Canada, shared five critical questions teachers should ask when being innovative in their classroom.

"Although we should have different ways and options to reach all students, we far too often start thinking about the 'stuff' instead of what our students need," Couros said in a blog post on ConnectedPrincipals.com. "For learning to be 'student-centred', then our questions should often focus on the student experience in the classroom."

One of the questions Couros offers to teachers is for them to ask "would I want to be a learner in my own classroom?"

"These high expectations are something we need to tap into for our students," he said. "If we asked this question and started to empathize with the experience our students have in the classroom, it would really help us think about learning from their point of view. For example, if worksheets were handed out in a professional learning opportunity, some teachers would be bored to tears, yet do we do the same thing to our students? That type of learning is not about what is better for kids, but what is easy for teachers. We have to try and think about the experience from our student’s perspective."

Another question teachers should ask themselves is "what is this student's passion?"

"Relationships are the foundation of every great school, so we need to learn more about our students and what they love, and tap into them," Couros said. "One of the best experiences that I have ever had in school as an educator was “Identity Day”, where kids would share things that they loved outside of school in a type of display or presentation. There was such an enthusiasm to share their interests, and it is important that from this knowledge, we help to create better experience for our students that taps into these passions."

Read the full story and comment below. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor