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Reflective Practice and Change

Reflective Practice and Change

Looking back over the past 32  weeks is overwhelming. So much has been covered, and achieved. It would not have been so successful and enjoyable for me without the opportunity to collaborate with others. We have experienced a 21st Century learning environment to learn 21st Century skills. This has formed a model of teaching from which I can develop my practice. My  two main resources are the Microsoft 21st Century Learner and the SAMR model.

One significant change in my practice would have to be understanding the power of collaboration. As a teacher I have found this a powerful way of learning, working collaboratively on assignments and valuing the depth of discussion that has followed.  In the classroom, I have facilitated more activities and opportunities for the children to work collaboratively - not co-operatively, noting the difference!

In the Practising  Teacher Criteria and e-learning:  7 it states: Fully certified teachers promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.

The guiding question for this is;

How do I promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment that embraces e-learning and engages learners?

This year I have used Seesaw for the first time where the children have worked collaboratively and then shared their work. They have recently begun using Google Docs, working either independently or collaboratively to share their work, peer review, either giving or receiving feedback.

I have noticed the level of engagement and excitement in their learning where they can learn off each other. The home school connection has strengthened and the children have had a wider audience to share their work.

PTC  e-learning: 12  it states: Fully certified teachers use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in their professional practice.

The  guiding question is;

How do I use e-learning to advance the learning of my ākonga/learners through critical inquiry with my professional learning?

Why is it I don’t take time in my daily practice to engage in academic readings?  I am so often time poor. Mindlab has required so many readings and I have found the time!  The challenge will be to keep going. Teacher Inquiry, and a robust appraisal system are in place in my school. However Mindlab has given so much depth and purpose to what I do.  Reflection is so much part of our practice. The reflection-on-action in the reading by Finlay  was interesting as so much of my reflection is ‘in action.’ The deliberate reflection, especially through Inquiry is what improves my practice. The importance of professional communities has been reinforced, whether formal or informal and the online communication enables so much more dialogue and interaction with a wider group. Google+, hangouts and webinars have been a new experience.

Where to next, and it can be a dream! I would love to do the course again, just to take it in with no pressure of assignments! Just to go back week by week and review all that we covered. I would like to see others in my school do Mindlab in 2018 and be a mentor. That would have helped me through this year. Maybe be a part of a CoP, Mindlab alumni, to keep learning and share ideas.

Just discovering the Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning  is exciting. It is enough to keep me going. So much to explore and try.

For now, the introduction of digital technology next year as a strand in the Technology Curriculum will be a new challenge.

To sum it all up. Hattie says, “It is what teachers do that makes the difference. They need to be more informed evaluators/consumers of teaching methods that make a difference to learning outcomes for students.”  In reality, that’s what I need to keep focusing on, methods that inspire the learners.

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Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

2018 will see many teachers in our school working more collaboratively in FLE’s. This will also be an opportunity for teachers to look at their pedagogy and make changes. My potential ‘near future goal’ (short term) is  to work with a teacher to implement a shared programme,  two afternoons per week, for our classes based on a model  of teaching that could be described as ‘integrative.’

At present my programme  following the matrix, (p13) by  Mathison and Freeman, could be described as a mix of ‘partially  interdisciplinary’ as explained by  Jacobs , (p.8) as methodology and language from more than discipline to examine a central theme, issue, problem, topic or experience. This term I am basing the learning on a topic. The content, methods, processes or skills taught remain bound to the primary discipline from which they come - science, reading, writing and some mathematics. However with the expectation of meeting  National Standards, I am conscious of ensuring there are explicit acts of teaching which are at times more inline with traditional curriculum pedagogy.

On Friday we do ‘electives’ where children can choose  from a list  of topics which they would like to do. I would class this  as ‘Integrated’ as the curriculum content is more fluid and the teacher is a visionary guide.

The integrative model that my ‘team teacher’ and I will base the student’s learning will see both ourselves and the students being partners in curriculum design. It will be based on a theme.  It will have much in common with the Interdisciplinary approach as we will connect several learning areas, it will be an inquiry based, authentic, and student centred. As teachers we will be facilitators, provide resources and guide the inquiry to ensure students are developing areas in which they have little knowledge or interest. What will set it apart from the other models will be the extent of the collaboration and decision making  by the students that it will involve.  As teachers we can draw on each others strengths and interests to guide the students.  Ruhl talks about a time when teachers were free of Standards and testing and could teach to inspire This is what we want to do. He lists the 5 c’s, choice, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and adds a 5th, caring.

This will be an exciting venture as we move into a model that will give the students more agency, ownership and allow them to follow their interests and passions. Maybe we are too radical and going too wide and losing the purity of curriculum areas. There won’t be the depth of learning. Setting educational goals will be important and we will need to ensure there is a structure and it doesn’t become as Jacobs refers to as a ‘potpourri problem’, a little bit of this and that. In Jones, it states that with Interdisciplinary Instruction, “ students can become independent, confident individuals who ‘learn how to learn’ and develop lifelong learning skills.”

Whatever model is chosen from the matrix, there is an argument for advantages of Interdisciplinary learning  over traditional approaches

Jones states, “These are: The 'intellectual argument,' which suggests that any field is enriched by ideas or methods from other fields; the 'practical argument,' which suggests that the real-world of knowledge is connected and new ties are formed every day; and the 'pedagogical argument,' which suggests that learning is seriously hindered by the current fragmented system.” The current fragmented system he is referring to is teaching using traditional approaches of focusing on knowledge and separating curriculum areas for instruction.

By beginning in small steps, trying something new, we can take it further as the opportunities to teach collaboratively become more manageable with the upgrade to our classrooms.

Whatever  model, or level of integration we choose to do on the matrix, we want positive outcomes for our students. That’s where caring comes in!

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Using Social Online Networks

Using Social Online Networks

Social media can be defined as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. This leads onto social networking, the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users, or to find people with similar interests to one's own. This helps me clarify, what social media I  am using in my teaching.  Am I just creating or sharing, or including the next step, where my students are interacting with others?

My students are using Seesaw where they upload work to share and get feedback from family and whānau. This is sharing, but it is usually a one way interaction. It cannot be classed as true networking. The children see other’s work and comment. All postings, including comments are moderated by me. We also use the BLOG component, but it is passworded and again, only accessible to family and not a global audience. The children do not have individual BLOG pages.  It is primarily an e-portfolio, a showcase of the student’s work and  a connection with the family. Seesaw has only been introduced schoolwide this year and we are still developing student and teacher skills to use if effectively.

Seesaw is a safe stepping stone to the wider world of social networking for younger students. The children can learn the skills of Internet safety, appropriate postings and privacy issues before I take them further. The next challenge for me is to connect to other Blogs, of which I have the URL addresses either within the school or Seesaw community. I can also remove the password to make it open access. As explained in Using Social Media In the Classroom, linking to global sites will help develop empathy for others and expose them to different world views. Sharing from Seesaw directly to a class twitter account will also be a new challenge. The rationale is that many of these sites are all connected, including Google Docs, Google+,  and are all ways in which I can begin to develop the social networking gradually.

My students have just got their own gmail passwords and are on Google classrooms. They can now email and share work with their peers.  In  Establishing Safeguards, it stresses the importance of establishing a purpose for using social media. What are the benefits for my students? Part of the rationale has been to prepare the Year 4’s for a BYOD class next year, but there are many other factors. It is developing the 21st century learning skills where the students can work collaboratively, sharing their work and giving feedback. The students can  work at home, anytime, anywhere. With this has come new responsibilities, understanding and following the school code of practice. My next challenge is to set up a Google+ class community where they can interact in a safe environment and I can monitor it.

Much of this is new learning  and challenging for me. As stated in Connected Educators, we tell our students to be lifelong learners, we need to be that ourselves. However with social media, it is often the students teaching the teacher. I like the concept of  Teachback, where  one person (who may be a teacher, an expert, or another student) explains their knowledge of a topic to a learner. Then that learner attempts to explain, or teach back, what they have understood. This offers two benefits. It ensures understanding but also leads to further discussion where both parties become the learners. With technology moving and changing so fast, we can’t know it all!

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Legal And Ethical Contexts In My Digital Practice

Legal And Ethical Contexts In My Digital Practice

In the  Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the New Zealand Teaching Profession, it states that as teachers, we respect our trusted position in society and recognise the influence we have on learners, their understanding of the world and the future wellbeing of our society. But when does this relationship with our learners stop and can we ever treat them as general members of the public once they are young adults?

The use of social media has brought about many changes in society.  A new generation is growing up with social networks as an integral way of life. As cited in the Facilitators Guide, personal information that was once considered private is increasingly  being shared on line and can be transformed into public data. The line between professional and personal life has been blurred.

Before digital technology it was more clear cut. Any contact with a past pupil was generally face to face and a brief encounter and the teacher was still considered to be in a “teacher role’.  With the introduction of facebook, I  at times get ‘friend requests’ from past pupils. These have been deliberate acts on their part to make contact and be part of my facebook life. Once you press ‘accept’, your lives become connected on a new level. Both parties have access to each others pages, communicating via messaging, and  sharing information which can be passed on to third parties. Where once it was a teacher/pupil relationship, it has changed to one based on a common ground. Each stakeholder is on an equal footing and consideration needs to be given to both.

I question myself. What is the purpose for maintaining  contact on facebook , especially as it is generally for a substantial length of time. As a professional and still a part of the professional community, I still need to adhere to the code of ethics that state that teachers will  show a commitment to the teaching profession by demonstrating a high standard of professional behaviour and integrity. This contact is for present students as well as those in the past.

Fortunately I am not a frequent or avid facebook user, but it does make me feel a little sad that there are past pupils who genuinely want to make contact. I decline. In the past, I would not have shared my personal life, so why now. One strategy cited in Henderson et al,. is for teachers to create a social networking profile specifically for their professional work. This would involve a lot of extra work managing and for what purpose.

Perhaps the school policy has made my decision to ‘decline requests’ easier.

“Using social media in your personal life: Teachers' personal use of social media must also be governed by confidentiality and professional standards. Maintain a professional boundary, and consider whether it is appropriate to extend or accept friend or connection requests with parents, students, or others involved with the school.”

I take this as past and present.

Youtube

Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness In My Practice.

Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness In My Practice.

Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness is caring for Māori students as Māori. This means the context and pedagogy in the classroom is responsive to the child’s culture and  based on relationships. Bishop states that it is teachers who can make the difference to Māori student’s learning achievement. Teachers can set the context for learning where Māori  can bring their own understanding, culture and identity.  The result of this can be  increased engagement and student achievement. Bishop uses the term, ‘agentic teachers’, ones who reject deficit theorising, blaming external factors,  and work  collaboratively and positively, caring for the students, caring that they learn.

We have 566 students, 13% are Māori. Whilst this is not a large percentage, it is 75 students, almost three classes. In our 2016 ERO review, to move forwards, it was identified that we implement approaches that effectively meet the needs of the child. This made me think. What approaches are we using that meet these student’s needs?  In Cowie,  findings from a research project found that when completing  science projects, Māori  students thrived when they were  able to do oral and visual presentations alongside and in addition to written presentations, dramatisations, video and model construction to communicate their ideas.  Teaching other students younger or less skilled than themselves offered a culturally authentic opportunity to show and share what they have learnt. This is the tuakana,teina concept.

Learning Activities

I use all the above with my students, but I do not always  give them the choice when presenting. Maybe I need to be more flexible and not worry about whole class activities. Pedagogical approaches that lead to higher achievement  is when students can take charge of their own learning, Alton-Lee, (2003). I need to use more student agency. One area I believe we do not do well is provide Te Reo Māori  for our children. It is fragmented through the school. Plans are underway to give us a platform based on Tuwharetoatanga and  more structure to implement it. As Bishop says, we need support and professional development to provide for our Māori  students’ learning. In regards to Te Reo, using the ‘Mauri ‘ model, we would be in the state of Mauri Moe, where there is proactive potential.

School-Wide Activities

Our Kapa Haka group, Te Roopu Puke Taumata, would be considered as Mauri Ora, being actively engaged. We have two teachers, supported by a group of Whānau and tutors who have recently performed at the Tuwharetoa festival. The group is so popular that there are 140 children involved. The concept of tuakana / teina is used where the older students help the younger ones. As teachers we value Kapa Haka in our school and appreciate that it provides the opportunity for our Māori  students to perform, in their own context. What makes it so special is that it is so popular, all children want to be a part of it.

Bishop  states that what is good for Māori  students is good for other pupils, but what is good for other students is not necessarily good for Māori . A colleague frequently reminds me that Māori , as is Te Reo Māori, are unique to New Zealand. In his video, Sir Sidney  states that, “for Pākehā students, non-Māori students I would expect the same. I would want them to be comfortable in mainstream society. I want them to be comfortable in Māori society as well as their own whatever that might be. So it's quite an ask.”  Yes it is an ask and a challenge for teachers at my school to be culturally responsive to all our students.

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Contemporary Trend In New Zealand or Internationally?

Contemporary Trend In New Zealand or Internationally?

My definition of a “trend’ is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. One trend that is relevant to my practice which is  becoming common throughout school curriculum globally is computer coding. Back in the 90’s I remember coding with my son on his Commodore 64 and using Logo and Roamer Turtle in the classroom. It all seemed to die a death until recently. Now our staff are talking about it, and getting prepared for the introduction of ‘Digital Technology’ which will be a new strand in the  New Zealand Technology Curriculum next year. STEM activities, which include coding,  are being implemented throughout the curriculum. This follows other countries, particularly in Europe where Estonia was one of the first and Finland in 2016, and Australia to name a few who have introduced coding into their curriculum. In the UK,one million BBCMicro:bit devices were put into schools for the children to learn coding. Is there research that coding will make a difference to their learning or are we going with evidence that it is a skill that is predicted to be important in the future.

In Horizons,(2016), Code.org predicted in 2020 there will be 1.4million jobs and only 400.00 computer scientists to fill them. Are we just teaching coding to provide workers for the future? In the OECD report it suggests teaching programming and advanced computing skills to provide the skills needed for the future. I certainly don’t think I am teaching coding for the economic future. I see the value in the creativity and computational thinking that the activities provide. This is a component in the new digital curriculum. The students are able to think creatively, solve problems, accept challenges work collaboratively and show resilience. These skills flow into other areas of their learning and hopefully make a difference to their achievement. However in Horizons Report, these skills can be applied to many jobs. Again, preparation for future needs and jobs.

Education does have a role in providing the skills and competencies needed to work in the students ever changing world, but also to live. Teaching coding does keep bringing me back to the purpose of education.  Camins, in The Washington Post,  discusses the debate as to whether the purpose of education  should be to prepare students to enter the workforce or as he states, ‘education should prepare young people for life, work and citizenship’. Critical thinking, creativity, interpersonal skills and a sense of social responsibility all influence success in life, work and citizenship. The need to be prepared for the labour market is mentioned in the OECD report but it states that there is a need for other competencies, which should not be neglected such as the social and emotional intelligence. If learning to code helps them be successful in the future, it will hopefully flow into success in their personal lives and enable them to contribute to society.

In the OECD 2016 report, coding was identified as the new ‘trend’ for the year and was identified as a short term trend. This means the  adoption of coding into K12  (NZ Years 1-12) education globally would be rapid. My  Year 3 & 4 class is  on board as are classes all around the world,enjoying coding. It is fun and enables them to work in an environment where they can take risks and try new ideas. They are aware that they are part of a global trend  and I am preparing them for their future.

References

Horizon Report.(2016) NMC/CoSN. Horizon Report. K12 Edition.

Trends Shaping Education. (2016) OECD Publishing.

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Current Issues In My Professional Context

Current Issues In My Professional Context

Hilltop School is a Decile 9. The school recently celebrated 50 years which means we have some history and stability. Parents  have an expectation of high achievement for their students.

The climate is the atmosphere which we have in the school. One of welcoming, and supporting all learners which is underpinned by our school values. Integrity, Kindness, Responsibility and Respect.   These follow on to our school culture which is our unique identity,  the shared assumptions, beliefs and ‘how we do things.’ This I have discovered is a wide area to discuss, but narrowing  it down, I have focused on teacher culture. This is what leads to school improvement, hence change, and that is what we are going through at present.

We are moving to a more collaborative style of teaching where some are beginning to teach in ILE’s. We are moving from what, as cited in Stoll,   Hargreaves calls  ‘egg crates’, single cells,  to ones that could fit more into a mix of collaboration and contrived collegiality. The term “Balkanisation’ (where teachers form small collaborative groups) was new to me and sent alarm bells ringing. We moved away from a Team structure because they were becoming insular and autonomous, like  cornershop dairies  as opposed to a supermarket.  If  groups of teachers working together become a clique, and become insular from the rest of the school then  this would need to be addressed.

In our school strategic plan there are  inferences that link to the list of ‘norms of improving schools’. Developed by Stoll and Fink. “Develop an  open to learning mindset where effort is valued,” to name a few. These  norms can be shared by teachers and students alike.  Collegiality relates to the collaborative way we will be working together as a staff and with our co-teachers in our ILE classes.  In Stoll, Little talks about the levels of collegiality. The highest level most likely to lead to improvement and in our situation to avoid balkanisation is when there is a shared understanding and an inderdependence  between all teachers, not just groups and a robust system of review and critique which we already have in place . Collegiality,  can also refer to our students. We want our students as 21^st century learners to be collaborative and reflective.

Collaborative teaching will be new to us. Rosenholtz, in Stoll, would consider us a “moving school with freedom to focus on our priorities.” Hargreaves  refers to” ‘real schools’ because they move around.” This implies a degree of flexibility and the ability to adapt and change.  Stoll takes it further and has a list of typology of ‘moving schools.’ Top of the list is  ‘moving’ and where I think we fit. One indicator is working together to respond to changing context. It reminds me of the word situational. We are now on an evolving path of defining our school culture and effectiveness. It’s like an escalator. We’ll get off for a while, but then be back on. We may go back for a time to reassess or redefine, but we will always be moving. Along our ride we will be looking at research and reflecting  to produce evidence of effectiveness in improving our  school culture. For us the ride has begun with school visits, robust staff discussions and teachers being placed in groups. We are moving slowly but the pace will quicken. Am I ready?  Time will tell. Mindlab has been a good start. The pedagogy in place is important – not just the bean bags!

References

Hilltop School. Website: https://sites.google.com/hilltop.org.nz/hts

Stoll, L. (1998). School Culture.  School Improvement Network’s Bulletin, (9), p 9-14.

Wilson, M. (2015). Investigating The effectiveness Of Modern Learning Environments On Improving Student Learning And Achievement. Website: http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Principals-sabbatical-reports/Report-archives-for-2007-2015/Secondary-award-recipients-2015/Wilson-Mark

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Community of Practice

My Community Of Practice 
 Definition

Firstly I had to find a definition of Community of Practice  (CoP).  My initial concept certainly changed by the end of my posting. The term Community of Practice was coined by Jean Lave and Etienne Wagner.  The basic principle is that learning occurs in social contexts where people have common goals and interact as they strive towards these goals.  A community is a group, but a community of practice is a group of practitioners, professionals, and in the education field teachers or other educationalists. This made me think of my school practice, the staff and leadership meetings that we have and other groups such as Mindlab, to name a few. But on further reading I discovered there was more to defining a CoP.

Cited in Innovative Learning, Smith and Mckeen compare a CoP with Teams which gave me more clarification to make a judgement on what I belonged to:

* A CoP is a forum where you can share knowledge and promote learning in a particular area.

* You can be a part time, marginal or active member.

* Membership of the group is voluntary, and the group is self organising, informal and can have a leader or facilitator.

* Identity, a common interest underpins the group formation.

* The groups evolve and are fluid. It disbands only when there is no interest.

* The group discovers value in exchanges of knowledge and information and this sustains the group and ensures topics relevant and exciting.

In comparison a Team is selected, not voluntary and there is an expectation to contribute. It is hierarchical with a leader and the group delivers value in the result it produces and can involve co-ordination of many tasks.

 My CoP's

After this research, I was ready to make my decision.  I discovered CoPs could not only be work related but also home and leisure. A matrix with criteria would be helpful with this! Hence some of my CoPs are:

A follow up group from Mindlab on a Monday afternoon where we discuss topics, is voluntary, open to anyone interested and, who knows how long we will keep going!

A CoP of 2! I meet and work with a colleague. We have a shared identity of being Mindlab members and have established a community of collaboration, meeting and doing assignments together.

My students and I are part of a CoP. We have an elective programme where students and myself follow our passions and meet every Friday. I am the facilitator and learning from and with the children. We are able to share ideas, learn off each other and work collaboratively.

Teacher facebook could be considered a CoP. I belong, although I am not an active contributor. Using Google+ as part of Mindlab is also a CoP.

The above were not what I  had thought of at the beginning of this posting. They all involve social interactions, a shared identity,  working collaboratively and based on a focus of learning.  The challenge for me is that they can be temporary, especially the ones connected to Mindlab and what will I belong to after that ends? Being a member does add value/energy to what I do.  There are many established groups online I could ‘follow’ through twitter or selected BLOGS. I prefer groups that are not so large that you feel disconnected and unable to form a relationship with. CoPs evolve through interaction , so who knows what next? This needs further investigation as to what’s out there.

References:

 Innovative Learning:

http://www.innovativelearning.com/teaching/communities_of_practice.html

EDpuzzle ‘Cultivating Communities of Practice. Making them Grow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhMPRZnRFkk