Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Introvert or Extrovert? Is that the question?

When I take the Myers-Briggs tests, I generally come out a pretty solid E – for extrovert.  But I have to be honest, I have always questioned that.  I think I am both an introvert AND an extrovert.  It all depends on what I am doing. 

I have been reading a book that is making me think a little differently about this whole introvert vs. extrovert thing.  The book is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.  Have you read it?

Teacher – total extrovert
Learner – pretty strong introvert
Group work – gosh.  It depends on the group. 

Group work and collaboration are such important skills to have.  Because.  Right?  

Most introverts don’t “take” to group work.  It’s true. For them, solitude is critical to creativity.  However, our classrooms are more or less designed in a way that makes everyone participate in some sort of traditional group work at some point.  Our culture values the characteristics of an extrovert more, and thus we design our learning environments to achieve that.

I am wondering.  Can you think of a way to level the playing field for both kinds of learners?  How might you integrate technology to do that?

Here is a survey I am giving to a group of teachers tomorrow on this exact topic.  If you have a minute, play along!


Just Sharin'
Lee Anne