Romanian teacher sets example in Microsoft Innovative Educator program

Mirela Tanc, a secondary school teacher in Oradea, in western Romania, was presented in a Microsoft feature on how she brings technology into the classroom. Tanc, who teaches Romanian, is active member of the Microsoft Innovative Educator program. She has received almost 90 badges and certificates which prove her competency in Microsoft’s educational tools and services. Minecraft in Education, OneNote, Sway, and Skype are among the tools Tanc uses in her classes. For instance, she once asked her pupils to recreate a scene from a book in Minecraft. The children had to research the topic in order to build the scene, thus "achieving more motivation than with classical teaching methods,” she explains. The teacher previously represented Romania at the Education Exchange (E2) summit and has worked on many other international educational projects and initiatives. She will also help organize the “Teaching in the 21st Century – examples of good practices” conference, where teachers from abroad will attend. On the role of the teacher, she believes in the importance in finding a balance between empathy, connection and tech skills. “Even if we live in a world of technology,” she explained, “some skills will always be in demand: empathy, connection, experience, imagination and clear values. All of these things can only be taught by a teacher – not a machine. The role of teachers is to find the balance.” (Photo: Mirela-Gabriela Tanc on Facebook ) editor@romania-insider.com