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About Me

After six years of IB International teaching experience, Jeff Hoffart has found a passion in the facilitation of students taking action. This passion has allowed Jeff to support grade five students to take sustainable action and share this action using TEDx as a global platform.

Every teacher wants their students to take authentic action, but how do we help that process unfold in our classrooms? Now, co-creator and co-founder of ED-ucation Publishing, Jeff is working to spread this idea throughout classrooms across the globe through the creation of an action phase document , accompanied by a published children’s book. In partnership with Tosca Killoran, Jeff plans to share the ideas in this book,
A is for Action, to help encourage and promote sustainable action at a young age in order to help make a positive change in and to the world.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/EducationWithEddie I am a driven young man with a strong work ethic. I consider teaching to be a part of who I am, not a job that I do. I enjoy new challenges and understand that teaching is both a challenging and rewarding career that can never truly be mastered due to the continual change of students’ needs. Therefore, I am committed to my own continuous professional development and life-long learning in my efforts to provide my best for my students’ journey through quality lifelong learning.

I have been through an entire implementation of the PYP (IB) program from pre-implementation to post-authorization. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences in professional development as I have gained a deep understanding of the foundation of the PYP and have helped in the development of the program. I have a plethora of PD experience and have personally attended six PYP workshops from ‘Making the PYP Happen’ to PYP Exhibition, to third tier workshops like ‘The Role of Language’ and ‘Teacher-Librarian Continuums’.

I am a firm believer in character education and appreciate the importance of the Learner Profile and PYP attitudes as a core component of the IB. I understand that these traits cannot simply be taught and believe that the most important factor in helping students to develop appropriate behaviors and attitudes is to be a positive role model myself. My belief is that I cannot expect my students to show respect unless I respect them. The same is true of all the Learner Profile and Attitudes. Thus, as a teacher, I provide optimum learning in a safe, caring, and supportive learning environment for all students and continue to reflect on my own character in order to be the best role model I can.

My goal is for students to develop these character traits, as well as receive a quality education. I strive to ensure students are engaged, enjoy what they learn, understand why they are learning a certain topic or skill, and be able to apply this to their lives. I encourage students to ‘think outside of the box’ and explore higher-level inquiries in an effort to take action in their own lives or in the greater world. Teaching in Taiwan, where there is a large variation in language levels as well as interests, has challenged me to consider differentiation and multiple intelligences in every learning experience that occurs.

I also believe it’s important to develop relationships with students beyond the classroom and am enthusiastic about extra involvement, including sports (e.g. Basketball, Volleyball), as well as activities (e.g. student leadership, technology-based activities, as well as literacy-based activities). I can also offer professional support in Language Curriculum Development (as I have previously contributed to in my role as PYP Language Coordinator), as well as in Resource Management, Integration of Technology and Training (as I have previously contributed to in my role as Resource Coordinator).

In order to gain a deeper understanding of who I am and what I have accomplished to date, please visit my online portfolio @ www.jeffhoffart.com

Location:
Germany, Bonn
Current organization:
Bonn International School
Current role:
IB PYP Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher
Gender:
Male
Areas of expertise:
PYP/IB, Elementary Education, Elementary curriculum and instruction
I am:
Change Agent, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Event planner, Idea generator, Technologist, Web guru, World traveler, Writer/Editor
Associations:
ONE
Languages:
English, German, Chinese, French
My website links:
Jeff Hoffart's Online Portfolio, ED-ucation Network - A collection of my current online projects, Tech Tools for Schools
Universities:
University of Saskatchewan B.Ed
Member Picture

TEDCRED 500+ TEDx Organizer

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Technology Integration in Education, Character Education, Fostering Curiosity and Inquiry-driven Education

An idea worth spreading

It is brilliant that TED-Ed has launched! Earlier this year, a colleague and I began to develop a project extremely similar to this. We wanted to create a you-tube-like network, where any 'expert' (which could be anyone with expertise to share) could contribute. The idea was to provide access to a network of educational videos and provide associated learning resources (e.g. lesson plans, discussion questions, extension activities, writing prompts, related websites and print resources, etc...) to further explore the topic. It is difficult to develop such a project, while doing my best as a full-time educator. I am glad that TED-Ed has launched and I do plan on submitting multiple lessons that I feel match the ethos of inspiring curiosity in the minds of our students.

Talk to me about

Global Education, The Integration of Technology in Education, Online Resources for Teachers/Parents/Students, Character Education

My TED Story

I have always been interested in TED and have been an avid viewer for years. I have recently become a member and this year, with the help of my friend and colleague, Tosca Killoran, I am planning my first event: TEDxYouth@BIS in May 2012!

Comments

  • TEDCred score: +4200.50 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

  • A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 27 2012: I love it Thomas! We had discussed starting a TED club next year as well. I would love to stay in contact with you to further discuss what that would look like, and swap ideas back and forth for resources that we could use!

  • A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 26 2012: I grew up staring at a poster of a cat hanging from a branch, with the caption: "Hang in there". I think this was a fairly common poster in classrooms, at least across Canada. I discussed this with a colleague of mine, and we talked about the implication of high school simply being an act of survival, just "hanging in there" day by day, until it was over.

    Although most of the teachers that I had growing up shared this mentality in their pedagogy and instructional approach, I was lucky enough to have a few teachers that pushed us to be active participants in class and in life, rather than simply "hanging in there". The common denominator between these educators is that they had high expectations of us, and believed in us.

    I do my best to model this same behavior with my students and my fellow teachers. I agree that we should not force TED on people, and "try to teach a pig to sing". But, if we believe in the pig, and encourage it to reach towards the expectation of dancing and acting, then perhaps it will choose to sing on its own.

  • A comment on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 25 2012: In addition to the last post about "flipped teaching" and the "flipped classroom", I found an interesting article written on Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/the-flip-turning-a-classroom-upside-down/2012/06/03/gJQAYk55BV_story.html

    In my last post, I mentioned: "Perhaps the way to get teachers to use TED-Ed is more about educating them about the instructional model or theoretical framework of a flipped classroom learning environment.".

    But, I do believe there is some truth to the concerns mentioned in this article:
    -How many subjects are really appropriate for this technique?
    -How does it work for students who don’t have computers at home to watch videos or who live in chaotic conditions that make it impossible to absorb new material?
    -What about teachers who deliver inspiring classroom presentations?
    -Won’t students lose something if those lessons are put on video?

    What are your thoughts?

  • A comment on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 25 2012: I love your insight and perspective Fritzie. I am re-thinking what I said now. Perhaps the marketing point is not so much focused on the concepts of "differentiation" and "individualization", but more on the concept of a "flipped classroom". Essentially, this is a newer concept that is more recently being understood in the discipline of teaching. I found a great infographic that unrolls this: http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

    Perhaps the way to get teachers to use TED-Ed is more about educating them about the instructional model or theoretical framework of a flipped classroom learning environment. Perhaps I was trying to begin at the finish line?

  • A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 25 2012: You are definitely right. It is really tough for younger kids to connect to some of the big issues addressed on TED, and many talks are far too long to hold the attention of younger students. It has definitely pushed me to be very selective in the talks that I show in class. Linda, what are your feelings and perspective on TED-Ed? Have you had a chance to use this in your class? If so, do you feel there is something else TED-Ed could do to make it even more accessible for younger students?

    I think that in order to instill the ethos of TED within our students and to enable them to take action, teachers need to explicitly teach the skills necessary for students to be able to do so successfully. I have recently conducted an action research paper with a few colleagues of mine that focused on the skills necessary for taking action. We created a Phase Document, which includes the skills to be taught, and created a website that gives teachers the resources necessary to implement and unroll this document: http://www.helptakeaction.com/

    I would love your feedback on this, and if you have some suggestions for what you think we could add or modify to help drive this initiative forward.
  • +1

    A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 25 2012: Spot on Debra! I am currently working with a colleague of mine to create a curriculum that focuses on how students can successfully take sustainable action. You can check it out here: http://www.helptakeaction.com/index.html

    One of the biggest components of this is teacher modeling. If we, as educators, or parents, do not model these behaviors, or these actions ourselves, then students may never develop these understandings. It really puts a spotlight on the fact that a great teacher, parent, person, is more about who they are, rather than what they know.

  • A comment on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 25 2012: Thank you Linda for your ideas!

    I have taught within Canada's system, as well as within the International setting in Taiwan, Asia, and now in Germany, Europe. I do believe that many see TED as an additional resource or group or organization. This is very similar to the mentality that we used to teach technology in complete isolation to other subjects. Now, we see that technology is a tool or a vehicle that is integrated in and across all subject areas. This is how I feel about TED. I think it is a perspective and mentality that needs to shift, and this may take some time.

    I do respectfully disagree with "TED is not for everyone". I do think that there can be different levels of involvement. But, that is similar to saying that Education is not for everyone or Inspiration is not for everyone. One of the purposes of this conversation, is to try to come up with ideas and resources to successfully disprove this statement. I don't have the answers myself, but I do think that, if we all work together, we can find a way to more successfully integrate inspiring ideas within our teaching, rather than "add it on".

    I am currently teaching in the upper primary, as a Grade 5 teacher. We held a TEDx event this year, with 17 youth speakers, 12 of which came from Grade 5. Their ideas and action were amazing! You can check out their videos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6AAF48379A09E839&feature=plcp I would highly recommend Kate or Shivani's talks to get started.

    Next year, we are beginning to hand over the responsibility of organizing our event to our Youth Organizers, who are in Grades 6-7. In the coming years, we are aiming for a similar goal to TEDxYouth@Tokyo, which is completely organized and managed by youth.

  • A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 25 2012: I completely agree Fritzie. We must always have an understanding of opposing views, dialectical standpoints and alternate perspectives.

    In the last decade, it has been more and more abundantly clear that Education needs to focus on the learner, and the learner's diverse needs, in order to be successful. Terms such as "personalized education" and "differentiation" often come up, and this is what TED-Ed allows you to do.

    I feel that I am quite tech-savvy, but I am also very careful in which technology I use to enhance learning in my classroom. I view TED-Ed as a tool for teachers (specifically the flipping lessons component), as it is a way in which we can choose appropriate information for our students, and personalize it to our local class setting and lessons by adding applicable questions and links to go further.

    I don't see it as: "Hey, there is a new technology! We should try it out!" I see it as the reverse. We, as teachers, are expected to / and need to, differentiate and personalize education in order to be successful - and someone has made a resource tailor-made to educators to help us do that....this is what I would like educators to consider.

    TED-Ed is not an "extra". It is a vehicle that helps to drive the learning in our classes forward. If this is accurate, or close to, then why are there so few educators actually using TED-Ed regularly? (This is based on my communications with multiple schools). I do understand it is very new, but how do we educate these educators to begin to use this in their classrooms?
  • +1

    A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 24 2012: I definitely think you are right about the action component. Our students' talks this year focused on Sustainable Action. Students did not present just an idea, but also presented an action that they had taken already or were planning to take, which would sustain for years to come. This was highly motivating for the speakers!

    Upon reflection, I feel that something that we could have done better at our TEDx event, is get more community members who have connections with the event theme to attend. If we had more delegates and members from organizations such as United Nations, UNICEF, etc..., our students may have had a greater chance for success in making their ideas and action a larger reality.

    I guess this comes back to the initial question. We did invite members from some of these organizations, but some of the members did not even know what TED was. So, again, it comes down to the education of our communities. One resource I thought was very powerful, was an info graphic about TED and TEDx: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fidelman/7402394044/

    Again, if you did not know what TED or TEDx were, it would not mean much. So, I am interested in further ideas and resources to enable us, and everyone, to be able to successfully make TED accessible to each and every person.
  • +2

    A reply on Conversation: Within learning communities, how do we educate youth about the ethos of TED and get them excited about contributing to the TEDx community?

    Jun 24 2012: Hi George,

    Initially, my reaction was very similar. But, upon reflection, I realized that this is the reason why others have labeled TED as some sort of an elite group. I am interested in having TED accessible to all, including my primary students.

    As a teacher, I could not introduce topics (e.g. multiplication, the writing process, how to be an inquirer and ask good questions) and expect that students either get it or they don't. My career depends on me to find alternate methods and ways to ensure all learners experience success. I feel there is a need for education, not only of students, but of parents, teachers, entire communities.

    I feel that every teacher should be using TED-Ed in their classrooms...but they're not. So, how do we get them to? What is it that is holding students, or teachers, or anyone back from using, experiencing, and contributing to TED, when we know it is such a great resource/organization/community?

    I feel that this is the question we need to answer. My Co-organizer and I felt that part of it, was that everyone learns in a different way. That the world is made up of a diverse set of learners with multiple intelligences. We needed to change how we "marketed" what TED was by choosing some of the shorter videos to share with students and our learning community, by making an eBook that used simplistic language, built-in quizzes, and videos of youth success stories on TED.

    Although we made large steps in our mission to further educate and spread the ideas of TED, we are still looking for further ideas and resources to enable us, and everyone, to be able to successfully make TED accessible to each and every person.
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