Applied Practice in Context - Activity 10

Summarising My Postgraduate Learning Journey

I began this journey in July 2015.  Initially I was drawn to the digital content and opportunities to explore other ways that I could include technology within my own practice.   Little did I know how the following 32 weeks would stretch me in multiples ways as I uncovered how I lead, teach and reflect.

Having been left with more than a plate of 'food for thought' at the end of this road, I will need to carefully pick the next route in my learning journey.

Practising Teacher Criteria in eLearning

How does my current practice in eLearning relate to the 12 criteria as illustrated on the Ministry of Education's enabling eLearning website?  The following are three examples of where I feel I have best met the criteria:

1.  Professional relationships and professional values

• Criteria 2:  Demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of ākonga.

How do I use eLearning effectively to actively promote the well-being of all ākonga/learners for who I am responsible?   

Creating positive digital citizens was a learning objective that I undertook with my Year 5&6 learners in 2015.  One of the ways that I did this in an authentic learning environment, was to sign my class up to KidsedchatNZ. This weekly 'chat' on Twitter provided my students with opportunities to read and write online, in a safe environment.  They learned how to respond to questions in an appropriate manner (and with only 140 characters), as well as how to protect their identity by not using full names or including any personal information, e.g. address.

KidsedchatNZ is a fantastic way to build an understanding around digital citizenship.  My students not only established some online relationships, but they also began to understand the power of online communication and how it's so important to think and reread before pushing the 'tweet' button.

2.  Professional relationships and professional values

• Criteria 4:  Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.

Prior to enrolling with Mind Lab's Postgraduate certificate, I was a member of several groups on the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) and regularly posted and joined in with discussions on Twitter. These were important online arenas for learning from, contributing to and supporting others with regards to not only eLearning, but education in general.   I began to form online relationships with other educators who had similar needs and together we gathered answers to our questions.  

This online professional learning and development increased once my Postgraduate journey began.  I have joined more online communities through Google+ and also added several new blogs to my 'reading' list - some global and others belong to fellow Postgraduate educators.   In addition to these sources, I have also been made aware of online learning areas, e.g. Blendspace, which can be a 'go to' if I require ideas to support my learners.

In addition to these online spaces, I feel that I have demonstrate commitment to my own professional development and learning by independently enrolling and continuing my personal growth through The Mind Lab Postgraduate programme.

3.  Professional knowledge in practice

• Criteria 8:  Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn.

During the process of completing my DCL1 assignment, I gained answers as to why some of my students were not feeling very positive about writing.   By gathering student voice and having them complete a survey, I had a better understanding as to how my ākonga/students learn - and how they would like to learn.

After completing this assignment, I made changes to my practice so that these students could take more ownership for their learning.   They were able to have a greater choice about what they were writing, so long as they were demonstrating an understanding of the learning intention, e.g. language features and genre.   Some of the boys wanted video coverage for writing motivation, so we shared videos of interest, talked about what we saw and heard.  This lead to a brainstorm of vocabulary and excitement about writing that had not previously existed within these students.  

This change in practice proved to be very powerful.  Getting student voice enabled me to understand how they learn.  It is definitely something that I will continue to do with all ākonga.

Areas of Improvement

The following are two examples of where I feel that I need to improve on:

1.  Professional relationships and professional values

• Criteria 1:  Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all ākonga.

The guiding question here is - how do I embrace eLearning to establish and develop working relationships with my ākonga, their whānau, and my colleagues to support the learning of those I teach?

I am currently in a Year 1&2 learning environment where technology is limited, but steadily growing - and so too is the capability of these young learners.   While they are not using digital tools in the same way as my previous Year 5&6 learners had been, they are able to take photos, record voice and video. These are used widely to capture learning which is then uploaded to their individual blogs.   

So, while evidence of learning is currently included in our day-to-day practice, I feel that there is a lot of room for improvement in relationships with the Learners' whānau.   Many of the Learners come from homes where English is not their first language.  This leads me to question whether the current methods of communication, e.g. email and SignMe, are appropriate.  Can the parents/caregivers access these messages that are in English?   

Also, evidence suggests that the Learners' blogs are not being viewed by their parents/caregivers. Each time a Narrative Assessment is posted to their blog (a minimum of 12 times per year), an email is sent home with notification and a link attached.  Yet the blog's page views indicate that the blogs are not being viewed.   This is something that I would like to get rectified.   The question is... how?

2.   Professional knowledge in practice

• Criteria 6:  Conceptualise, plan, and implement an appropriate learning programme.

My fellow colleagues and I have identified that our planned learning is not meeting the needs of all 87 Learners in our learning habitat.   Reasons for this are due to limited understanding of English, varied cultural backgrounds and possibly also due to an unreadiness for learning.  

An area that I would like to explore in the immediate future is how eLearning can support and extend what I am trying to achieve when planning programmes of work for groups and individuals.

What eLearning tools are they currently using?  What are their needs and what are they capable of using independently or collaboratively?     

I am considering using QR codes and teaching videos to support independent learning.  In addition to this, I am interested in finding out more about 'design' learning and how this could be incorporated with 'play-based' learning to support our young Learners who have limited english vocabulary and to also ease the transition from the New Entrants learning habitat which predominantly follows that play-based learning model.

There are many questions to be answered and research to be explored before we can implement an appropriate learning programme, but I am excited about being an agent of change.  21st century learning is quite different to that which I experienced as a student and I'm delighted to be a part of it.

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 9

Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness

This week's topic has made me question our curriculum, what I plan for learning and the subject matter that I cover.   Have I been enabling opportunities to engage with indigenous knowledge and is my practice including culturally responsive pedagogy?

Colonialism vs Cultural Responsiveness

Colonialism brought an education system to New Zealand that made it difficult to include any alternative cultural ways and beliefs.  The spoken language within the school grounds was to be English.   Indigenous knowledge and culture was ignored and forbidden - to the extent that children were punished for speaking in te reo (Wikipedia, 2016).

Since the 1970's, our education system has slowly been moving away from the apron strings of an english education system.  I consider myself to be receptive of other cultures and practices.  During my childhood, I lived in South Auckland and attended schools that were a melting pot of Māori, Polynesian, Asian and European students.  Since leaving school, I have travelled extensively and prior to teaching, I worked within a company that required me to travel regularly to China.  However, I have come to realise that having knowledge of another culture does not mean that I am being culturally responsive.

I respect cultural beliefs, e.g. no sitting on tables, touching of heads or expecting eye contact from all students. Te reo is used in the classroom, posters sharing language and cultural events are displayed on the wall, we play games from different cultures and read legends - but I'm now understanding that this doesn't mean that I am fully engaging with culturally responsive pedagogy.  As Mike Hogan mentions in his video, I need to "stop doing the surface stuff."  I'm still the one planning and organising what is being recognised and understood, rather than inviting the students and community to share their knowledge.

Gonzalez et al (2005) suggest that the,

 "key elements of culturally responsive pedagogy positions students and their communities as having funds of knowledge and expertise directly related to their lived experiences."

Planning often includes an inquiry or pathway to support student understanding of our environment and the world around us.   It was interesting to view Vicky Tauli-Corpuz's video, 'Understanding Indigenous Worldviews' and to hear about the tension between modern scientists versus cultural traditional knowledge.  Are we looking for new answers to environmental problems when instead, we should be looking to the past and exploring the practices of indigenous people?

Current Practice

How do I and my school address cultural responsiveness in practice?

School-wide Activities

My school is in its second year of operation.  We are what has been labelled as an 'Innovative Learning Environment' where the learning takes place in open-plan and flexible learning spaces.  The current role is sitting at 260 Learners and is rapidly growing as a result of the housing growth in the surrounding area. 

The inclusion of culturally responsive practice is still in its developing stage.  Our school logo is made up of koru shaped pieces which reflect our four vision principles.

In the foundation year of 2015, the school reached out to the Nga Tai iwi on the Umupuia Marae in order to make connections with the people and the land where the school is positioned.  Our eBoT and SLT met with members of the iwi in consultation for the opening, names of our spaces and to learn appropriate waiata.   We have a 'hui' twice a week to welcome new Learners and there are several cultural groups that run during the day and after school, e.g. kapahaka, desi dance, sign language and mandarin classes.

Our school's demographic make-up is unique with its large proportion of Chinese 26% and Indian 25% Learners.  We also have a number of Learners from the Kelston Deaf School who attend each day to learn within our learning habitats.  This opens up many opportunities to look at our culturally responsive practice and ensure that we are identifying and including the cultural background of all Learners as well as communicating effectively with the parents, caregivers and whānau to seek their expertise and involvement in their child's education.

Learning Activities

According to the Code of Ethics for Certified Teachers, I have a commitment to the parents/guardians and family/whānau of learners to involve them in the decision-making about the care and education of their children.   This activity encouraged me to step back and view how I have been planning for the learning in the past, as well as within my current learning environment.    Am I using a cultural lens?

My currently learning environment is a large open space that I share with three other Learning Coaches to support 87 Learners.   We are in discussion at the moment as we reflect on how we are meeting - or not meeting, the learning outcomes as planned.   Some systems and procedures are not being as effective as they should be and so our planning will be changing to make a difference.   This will be an ideal opportunity to consider involving the parent/whānau in the learning by inviting them to a meeting to share up-and-coming learning so that they may have a chance to contribute.  We could follow this up with another meeting to share and celebrate the learning journey and learning outcomes.

Enabling the contribution of indigenous people to assist culturally responsive practice is now on my radar.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes me and my Learners.

References

Gonzalez N., Moll L., Amanti C., (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorising practices in households, communities and classrooms.  Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum

Hogan, M., (2016).  Culturally responsive practice in a mainstream school EDtalks. Edtalks.org. Retrieved 22 March 2016, from http://edtalks.org/video/mike-hogan-culturally-responsive-practice-mainstream-school

Tauli-Corpuz, V., (2012).  Understanding Indigenous worldviews. YouTube. Retrieved 22 March 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXjGPR41zhk

Wikipedia (2016).  Education in New Zealand. Retrieved 22 March 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_New_Zealand

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 8

Legal Contexts and Digital Identities

Up until recently, I have been a teacher within the community in which I live.   This was a fantastic position while my young children were at primary/intermediate age, because throughout working full time, I could also play an active role in their daily life at school - attending sporting activities, participating in their learning experiences, watching their assembly items and sharing moments of celebration.   This seemed an idilic situation, however, as time passed and social media usage increased, I began to feel it become increasingly difficult to keep my private digital identity separate from my professional one.

Facebook

I have had a Facebook account since 2006.  Initially it was a place to share photos with family and close friends.  Over time my list of friends grew although I have always been mindful of whom I accept or request as a 'friend' - especially if they too lived in the same community and had children that attended my school.  As a teacher in a small community, I already felt that my private life was merging with my professional one, so it was only natural to want to do the most that I could to protect my privacy, and that of my family.

Unfortunately, this 'privacy' has slowly disintegrated over time.  An example was when a 'friend' posted photos of myself at a party which were viewable by not only parents of students who were 'friends' of the party host, but also their children as they had Facebook accounts too. Although there was nothing wrong with the photos in general (they were of me dancing at the party), I did feel that my private life had been invaded - my private digital identity had been exposed.

Webwise.ie suggest teachers check their privacy settings when using social media, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Instagram.   They also suggest that profile photos should be generic and holiday photos should be set to private.   My main reason for having a Facebook account is to share photos with family and friends, so instead of setting these to 'private', I have them set as viewable by family and friends only - not public.   Profile photos, on the other hand, can only be set as 'public' so I am cautious about which ones I use for my profile picture.

An additional security measure suggested by Webwise.ie is to prevent search engines linking to a profile by editing the search engine options in privacy settings.  This is a useful strategy because it's interesting to see what pops up when you type your name into a search engine.

Digital Footprint

Many online accounts will add details to your digital footprint.  The first time I typed in my name on a search, I was shocked to see how much was linked to my name.

Screenshot taken 16 March 2016

Although there was nothing to be ashamed of, it was disturbing to see how much was visible to the world.   I was also concerned to see that many of the items were linked to learning that I had done with students from previous years.   I began to wonder how these students will feel in years to come... to know that their learning is visible to the public through something that I had created in previous years.  Has their digital footprint been created through my own doing?   Fortunately, I have only used their first names (standard precaution when being a digital citizen), but it is frightening to see how open our lives are once we engage with an online environment.

Type your name online - what will you find?

References

Privacy, F. (2015). Facebook for Teachers: 11 Tips for Protecting your Privacy.Webwise. Retrieved 15 March 2016, from http://www.webwise.ie/teachers/facebook-for-teachers/

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 7

Social Media in Teaching and Professional Development

In this blog post I will share my views on social media and its use in teaching and in professional development. 

Global Connectivity

Our classroom walls or the school gate are no longer the boundaries for access to professional development or support.  Technology has opened the school gates; enabling connectivity with anyone around the world.  The ability to connect with other educators is not limited to within New Zealand, but also internationally and this has played a huge part in who I am and what I do within my practice.
I can create my own PD and tailor it to meet my needs and interests which is not always fulfilled through my school's professional learning journey.  Through the internet, I can connect with other educators around the world; sharing ideas and join in with discussions.  This has enabled me to ask questions and support others with their own wonderings.  It has also brought about challenges - ideas that conflict with my own beliefs and encourage me to question my own practice. 

I have been a member of Twitter since April 2012.  During this time I have been able to be actively involved in online conversations about educational issues and ideas that were previously unavailable to me.   My network of professional colleagues has increase substantially and I connect with many of these followers on a regular basis

More recently, I have joined several groups on Facebook that are connected to education, e.g. NZ Teachers (Primary), Learning Through Play and NZ Teachers - New Entrant to Year 2.  I have found these groups to be invaluable for ideas and information about what other teachers are achieving within their learning environments.

Another online community that has supported my own personal growth has been the Virtual Learning Network (VLN).  I can select the groups that I would like to join - follow current discussions, look back on previous discussions and start-up a new discussion.  I have also had the opportunity to participate in webinars about BYOD, 21st Century Libraries and Modern Learning Environments.

Connected Learning

As Kathy Cassidy mentioned, children today are born into a digital world and their learning becomes authentic when they are connecting with others.  What could be better than real life reading and writing on a blog or Twitter?  I feel that as an educator, it is important that we support these young people to be savvy online users - aware of the implications when the tools are used inappropriately, but also aware of the positive benefits from learning online, e.g. current global issues, connecting with experts and instant feedback (gaming programmes).

In the past five years, I have used a range of social media within my class and I have found that it has provided my students with opportunities that they could not have attained without connecting online. Through Twitter, we have participated in Kidsedchatnz (http://kidsedchatnz.blogspot.co.nz/) - an online chat session held fortnightly where students can answer set questions and respond to each other's answers.   Involvement in these chat sessions has enabled me to support my students with online behaviour in a safe and positive environment.   It has also provided us with an authentic geography learning opportunity to learn where the 'tweets' are coming from.

Due to the age of my learners, we have not used Facebook as a medium for online connectivity.  However, I can see its benefits within secondary-aged students.   The ability to form closed groups where discussions can take place and media uploaded could be a fantastic online learning environment.

Social Media - Yes or No?

I feel that social media has provided myself and my students with a range of learning opportunities that would not have been available through any other context.   Like most things, social media does have it's negative points, and can be damaging if not used correctly.  But we are in the profession of education and as educators, it is our role to coach and support our learners to use the tools correctly so that they can obtain the best results possible.

References

Cassidy, K. (2013). Using Social Media in the Classroom. YouTube. Retrieved 3 March 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZStaz8Rno

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 6

Professional Context - Broader Context

What's certain is that the world is changing faster than at any time in human history.

Philip Stephens, FT, December 2012

Global trends such as increasing migration and climate change, national trends on government spending in health and pensions, familial trends of child well-being as well as technological trends (Education & Skills Today, 2016) lead us to ask, "How will these trends will influence education?"

Contemporary Issues

In this activity, I have been asked to identify two contemporary issues or trends which are influencing or shaping New Zealand education and are most relevant to my own practice.

Below is an illustration of the 10 Trends that are expected to make a growing impact on education in New Zealand, according to Core Education's team of researchers, digital experts and educators.

The two trends that I wish to evaluate are Cultural and Economic;  in the areas of diversity and computational thinking.  

Cultural - Diversity

Core Education refer to cultural diversity as being pedagogies that cater for diverse learners and groups of learners, UDL, different belief systems and multiple languages in schools.  At the beginning of this year, I began working as a Learning Coach at Ormiston Primary School in Flat Bush, South-East Auckland.   This school opened at the beginning of 2015 and is attended by children from a variety of ethnic groups - many coming from homes where English is their second language.  

The school is also a satellite unit for the Kelston Deaf Education centre.  Sign language is prominently used right across the school.   The aim is to help students with hearing difficulties integrate into school life and achieve educational success.

Impact on my practice

Currently, the school role is 250 and will eventually, with further building plans in the pipeline, cater for 700 Learners.  A large proportion of these learners will come with diverse needs and cultural backgrounds.  As of December 2015, the ethnic composition at Ormiston Primary School was:

• Māori 3%
• Pākehā 7%
• Chinese 26%
• Indian 25%
• Cambodian 10%
• Fijian 10%
• Middle Easter 5%
• Other Asian 3%
• Other 11%

The cultural diversity that is already present in my school (from both cultural identify and the deaf learners) has meant that I am having to make a change to the way that I have previously taught.   My own cultural beliefs and language are almost alien to this school's environment, even though I live only 17 kilometres away!  

I have spent that past ten years working in a school which was predominantly mono-cultural - with cultural backgrounds, expectations and beliefs that were close to my own.  The authentic learning experiences that I planned were derived from my own cultural world and were accessible by my students.

Now, in this culturally diverse environment, I am having to review my 'Pakeha' way of thinking as many of these students have had limited 'kiwi' experiences.

How do I address this trend?

Questions, conversations and collaboration.  These are the three actions that I will initially undertake in order to get to know my Learners.   If I am to meet the needs of these Learners, then I need to know more about their cultural background, what makes them 'tick' and how we can get a balance between the culture at home vs the melting pot of culture at school.  This will mean getting to know not only the Learner, but also the family.  Whanau and community involvement will be one way to access and embrace their culture. 

I feel that the move away from the traditional 'industrial' model aligns with the acceptance of diverse cultures and needs of each learner.   I'm looking forward to working within an environment that is quite unique, yet a reflection of how our world is evolving to be a melting pot of cultures.

Economic - Computational Thinking

Core Education describe this trend as the impact of STEM on curriculum, coding, the drive for skills for employment vs holistic education outcomes for all, and play-base curriculum.  

According to Sir Ken Robinson (2006), schools are killing creativity by standardising learning and consequently not enabling personalised learning.  National Standards were introduced to New Zealand schools in 2010 and since then, I feel that literacy and numeracy have been at the forefront of learning - leaving other curriculum areas to be squeezed in whenever time permitted.  Over the course of a week, there is time to include The Arts, Science, Technology and Social Sciences but I don't feel that these curriculum areas are valued as much as literacy and numeracy.  Take a look at the the reporting system to confirm this feeling.

Impact on my practice

Global changes will require future-focussed learning to include these less recognised curriculum areas and I find this, along with the inclusion of coding to be very exciting.  Science, technology and coding are areas in learning that often provide learning opportunities for hands-on exploration - along with collaboration, problem solving and creativity.   If STEM is to be valued in the learning environment, then I may need to flip my planning around to put the STEM subjects first; with literacy and numeracy woven through.

Play-based learning is encouraged in my current school and I am currently learning how to provide my Learners with 'play' opportunities to encourage social skills, exploration and creativity. 

How do I address this trend?

A typical day at my current school begins with a provocation and time to explore.  Here, my fellow Learning Coaches and I have an opportunity to introduce science, technology and engineering related ideas to initiate curiosity within the 6-7 year old Learners in our habitat.  I would like to find out more about the 'maths' part of STEM - as numeracy is 80% of our learning at the moment.  Does STEM desire this, or should it be more strand related and problem solving content?   

Coding has been something which I have 'dabbled' with in the past.  Reasons for not using it have been due to limited technology and my own knowledge.  Yet, when I have included it in our learning there has been much excitement and engagement from the Learners.  I'm sure that coding can be included across all curriculum areas.  I need to put some time aside to research online coding communities to find out what is currently been done in other learning environments, then consider how I can initiate coding.

Play-based learning is currently happening within my school - especially within the New Entrants habitat.  I am interested to find out how play-based learning with my 6-7 year olds can be integrated in our curriculum areas, without the Learners thinking of it as 'just' play.  There are several online communities can help to answer this question as well as provide me with examples and ideas.

Where to from here?

Preparing today's Learners for tomorrow's world - if I think too much about it, it can be quite daunting.  However, I can also feel excited by having the opportunity to be part of the change in our current education system.  

References

CORE Education's Ten Trends 2016 | CORE Education. (2016). Core-ed.org. Retrieved 22 February 2016, from http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends

Education & Skills Today, (2016). The trends shaping the future of education, 

Oecdeducationtoday.blogspot.co.nz. Retrieved 22 February 2016, from http://oecdeducationtoday.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/the-trends-shaping-future-of-education.html

Robinson, K. (2006).  Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?  Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en

Stephens, P. (2012). State versus citizen in tomorrow’s world - FT.com. (2016). Financial Times. Retrieved 26 February 2016, from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/75dfa02c-448d-11e2-932a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz42xx4cDGB

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 5

My Professional Community

Two professional connections from the above map that have impacted on my practice are Twitter and EduCamps.  

Twitter

I was introduced to Twitter prior to attending the uLearn conference in 2012 and received a further push by Anne Kenneally who was running one of the breakout sessions that I was attending.  Initially I was unsure why and what I needed Twitter for, then slowly the ball started to roll and as it gathered momentum, I realised the power of Twitter and wondered why it had taken me so long to get on board.

Twitter has enabled me to create and follow my own personalised learning journey - switching paths and exploring new territory when I felt the need to step outside my 'knowledge zone' - or as Wenger suggests, 'community of knowledge'.   Through Twitter, I have been able to ask for support and be part on online discussions which have been difficult when limited to 140 characters at a time!                                           Source

One of the added bonuses of Twitter is that it has gone beyond an online connection with a broad range of people involved in education in many different capacities.   Through Twitter, I have made some life long friends - some that I have met face-to-face and others that I'm sure that I will meet in the future.  These professional connections have now merged with my personal life - across disciplines.

EduCamps

In 2013, I read about an eduCamp that was planned for late February in Rotorua.   I was interested in attending this event however to get there, I did something that I would discourage my own children from ever doing.  At 6:30am on a Saturday morning, I found myself in the vehicle with people whom I had never met before - on my way to EduCamp Rotorua.  Well, I say never met, but that's a lie.  Although I had never met them face-to-face, I had known them for a few months via Twitter.  The conversation flow all the way down State Highway 1 and by the time we reached our destination, we agreed that the ideas shared on that two hour drive were up there with the best PD that we had every experienced.

EduCamp itself was mind blowing.   Other educators like myself, giving up their Saturday to share and learn from each other.   Each educator presented a two minute 'smackdown', then if the demand was sufficient, they would facilitate a workshop in the afternoon.  At that stage, I was interested in learning more about technology and how it can be used to support learners.   The discussions on that Saturday were predominantly technology-based, but there were also some 'smackdowns' on learning ideas for literacy and maths.

I have since attended three other EduCamps in Auckland, and will be returning to Rotorua next weekend for another.  It's not just the sharing of ideas, but also the discussions that evolve over the day.  These discussions have opened up new doors of interest for me that have provided a greater understanding of how I can support today's learners.   My professional learning network expands as a result of attending an EduCamp and we continue our conversations long after the event ends.

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 4

Communities

According to Wikipedia, 

A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values, or that is situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a village or town).  It is a group of people who are connected by durable relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who mutually define that relationship as important to their social identity and practice.  Although communities are usually small, community may also refer to large groups such as national communities, international communities, and virtual communities.  

In my mind, community gives one a sense of belonging and helps to form our own identity of who we are and what we wish to be a part of.    We can move from one community to another and, in some instances, never return to a community - this can be of our own choice, or one that we have no control over.

Landscapes of 'Knowing"

Etienne Wenger talks about 'landscapes of knowing'.  After viewing his video , I began to wonder which landscape of 'knowing' I am currently walking through.  Over the course of my life I must have moved through hundreds, if not thousands of landscapes.  How much do my landscapes change when I step between communities, e.g. work, personal, education, virtual, travel?  Is it possible to be the same person in each, or do we change in someway to 'fit' within that landscape?

What is My Community of Professional Practice? 

My current community of professional practice is a new community for me as I have just joined the team of educators at Ormiston Primary School.   

Wenger defines a community of practices as 

a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

I applied for a position with this 'community' as I believe in their approach to learning and wished to be a part of a team that was still in the process of setting up systems and open to new ideas (their foundation year was 2015).   My role is that of a 'Learning Coach' in a Year 1 and 2 Learning Habitat (a flexible learning space).   I like the change in role name from 'Teacher' to 'Learning Coach' as it reflects a move away from what is perceived to be the role of 'teacher' which can unfortunately still have links to the industrial way of learning.

My community of professional practice can be broken down into the following groups:

• all the educators
• the Learning Coaches within my habitat
• the Learning Coaches and Learners within my habitat

As a new member of this community, I am going through the challenges that anyone passes through when entering a new community - getting to know members of the community, understanding the expectations and protocols of the community and enabling others to learn about me and who I am.   This takes time although these steps are made much easier when the community are open-minded, willing to share and accepting of differences.  The community of educators are able to share ideas and support each other through regular meetings where every voice is heard and all ideas are considered.  Every Learning Coach has a blog and site so we can share our reflections and ideas - learning from each other and posting comments to reaffirm or challenge.

I am still in the early stages of being a member of this community, but I am enjoying the collaborative community - both face-to-face and virtual.    The student community is multi-cultural which makes for an eclectic mix of identities, needs and abilities.  It is a vibrant and fast-growing community - a community that I am delighted to be a part of.

Critical Analysis

I will respond to three questions in relation to my community of practice within my school.  The first being:

What is the purpose and function of my practice?

In what ways do I cater for the community of my practice?

As mentioned above, my purposes within this community is to support the Year 1 and 2 learners in my habitat, and other Learners school-wide through clubs, playground duties, sports groups.  What I do and why I do it is directed by our school vision:

Guarantee every learner engages in innovative, personalised world class learning

This has a major influence on the purpose and function of my practice.   It is a vision that I consider when I plan for the learning with my Learners.   It is also a vision that I consider when I embark on my personal learning journey.  I feel that this vision applies to not only my student learning community, but also to the educator learning community because if we are engaging in innovative, personalised world class learning, then it will have a flow-on effect to our student community.  Within the Learning Habitat, myself and the other three Learning Coaches plan together, discuss our community of Learners and look for ways to provide the optimum learning opportunities.


The second question is:

What are the challenges that I face in my practice?

How would I or my community of practice address them?

My school is in an area of exponential housing growth that is predominantly occupied by immigrants where the child is first generation New Zealander.   The home language is usually not english and this does create a challenge when communicating as well as building a learning environment that transfers seamlessly between home and school.   I am working with 5-7 year old children who require support with literacy development yet it is difficult to have this provided at home when the parents and/or grandparents (which are often the caregivers) do not speak english.  

I am currently exploring ways to utilise technology for reading support within the home.   There are are a range of literacy websites and apps to view and trial with the Learners and we will encourage the use of them for home learning, once they have proved to be successful in meeting the needs of the Learners at school.

The final question is:

What are the core values that underpin my profession?
Evaluate my practise with regard to these values.

The above mentioned vision statement, our school's '4 C' values (capable, curiosity, collaborate and connected) along with the Code of Ethics and Practicing Teacher Criteria are the core values that underpin my profession.  They provide guidance for not only how I engage with learning, but also how I act within not only this community, but other communities as well.  Examples of these other communities are my online presence with my personal learning network and also the community within which I reside.   

I guess this last statement takes me back to Wenger's theory about 'Landscapes of Knowing'.   Even as I transfer between one landscape to another, I take some of the knowledge (of who I am) with me. So even if the landscape is different, remnants of our identity come with us.   

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 3

My Response to Finlay's (2008) Article

Some questions that I had before I read Finlay's (2008) paper were:

• Are our own reflections limited by what we know and understand?   
• Are our reflections limited by culture, religion and age?  
• Are there different types of reflection?

Source

As Finlay (2008) suggests in her introductory paragraph, reflection can sometimes be used to 'rationalise practice' and 'to mull them over', then analyse our practice critically to look for any loophole and make necessary changes to our practice.   This is how I have thought of reflection.  Now, having read all the article - and reflected on it, I am coming to an understanding that there is more to reflection than meets the eye.

Reflection - Critical Reflection - Reflexivity

Finlay and Gough (2003), mention that these three can be placed on a continuum.  Their belief is that a basic reflection with no critiquing is at the beginning of the continuum, followed by critical reflection (my stance on this is outlined below).   I was interested to read about 'reflexivity' -  personal reflection and social critique.   This is a style of reflection that I will try to employ in future as I believe that any reflection on my practice should include some form of self-awareness of how my own background, beliefs and feelings have impacted on my practice - and have these had a positive impact on the outcomes of the learning taking place?

Reflect or Reflect Critically

I am puzzled by Reynolds' (1998) suggestion that one can just 'reflect' or 'reflect critically'.  How can one reflect (think about an event) without being critical - even just a little?   Even while reflecting on a day-to-day activity such as the drive home from work, there would be some critique, e.g. how I could have avoided driving my car on the uneven surface through the road works, thus avoiding any possible damage to the suspension on my car.

To be involved in critical reflection doesn't mean that one has to think negatively, or pull apart an idea and pick at it.  On the contrary, after a meal at a restaurant I might reflect on how well the meal was cooked, what flavours I tasted and what aromas I smelt.  These, although critical, could still sum up a positive experience.

Mutual Collaboration

This variant of reflection is one that I can accede with.   When working with a team, collaboration in planning follows discussion and reflection on current practice - What went well?  What didn't go well?  Why didn't it go well?  What changes need to be made?   This variant of reflection is also evident within a teacher-student partnership while conferencing and discussing a piece of work, during formative and summative assessment.   

This year I will be mentoring a PRT within my team.   I envisage multiple opportunities to collaborate, discuss and share our practice in order to reflect, critique and develop new ideas to support the learners in our habitat.   As a result of reading Finlay's paper, I also realise that my PRT, due to limited time in the education sector, may not be able to critically reflect to the same extent that I or another educator may be able to.    It will be important that I support my PRT to 'see differently through practical and practice experiences' (Loughran, 2000).

My Reflective Practice

At times, the process of reflection has been just that - a process.   While it has been good to be given a set time to reflect, it has not always been the appropriate time, e.g. little data had been gathered, an observation had to be rescheduled or I had not been given enough time to 'chew' over the lesson in order to reflect deeply.  Sometimes the reflection was on a part of my practice that would not be repeated.  Therefore, the reflection outcome was not useful as I was not able to make any changes and improve my practice.  Therefore, the reflection was not thought of as worthwhile as I knew that I had no opportunity to apply my reflection feedback to a future area of learning.

Source

Rolfe's (2001) model of reflection is one that was widely used by both teachers and students in a school that I was recently working in.   Although this is a simple model to use and follow through the processes of reflection, I feel that another model would be more suitable to bring about a more critical reflection when conducting an inquiry.  For this reason, I will use the 'Sprial of Inquiry' (Timperley, H., Kaser, L., & Halbert, J., 2014), to support the reflection process of a more in-depth inquiry.

Source

I remember when I first started teaching, the thought of regularly reflecting on my practice to identify what went wrong made me feel that I would always be looking for flaws.  I asked myself, "Would I ever get it right?"  I wish I had been reassured by Quinn (1988/2000, as cited by Finlay) in those early days that 'critical' does not have to mean 'negative', but instead a means of helping to gain some form of understanding about what has happened and how to move forward.

References: 

Finlay, L., (2008).  Reflection on 'reflective practice'.  PBPL paper 52.  Retrieved from, 

www.open.ac.uk.pbpl

Finlay, L. and Gough, B. (2003) Reflexivity: a practical guide for researchers in health and social sciences. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Loughran, J.J. (2000) Effective Reflective practice, A paper presented at Making a difference through Reflective practices: values and Actions conference. University College of Worcester, July 2000.

Quinn, F.M. (1988/2000) Reflection and reflective practice. In C.Davies, L.Finlay and A. Bullman (eds.) Changing practice in health and social care. London: Sage. (Original work published in 1988 and reproduced in 2000).

Rolfe, G., (2001).  Retrieved from,
http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/Public/LISS/Documents/skillsatcumbria/ReflectiveModelRolfe.pdf

Timperley, H., Kaser, L., & Halbert, J., (2014).  Retrieved from,
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Pedagogy-and-assessment/Evidence-based-leadership/Data-gathering-and-analysis/The-spiral-of-inquiry

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 2

Metacognitive Reflection on Learning and Practice

The past 24 weeks of study has been a personal journey that has impacted on my own practice and personal growth.  My previous understandings and beliefs have been both confirmed and challenged. It has also given me an opportunity to put myself in the shoes of my learners and that has enabled me to be more aware of the needs and support that they may require.

Key Competencies

Source: http://www.thinkgames.co.nz/webpages/competencies-of-mind/

In week 3, I reflected on the above key competencies to identify which ones were my personal strengths and which ones would I like to develop further.   Below was my response to this reflection:

Which of the following KCs are your personal strengths?

Which of the following KCs would you like to develop further during the next 32 weeks?

How does your own KCs have an impact on your leadership?

How does your own KCs help you to create an environment and activities that foster your students' KCs?

Using language, symbols, and texts Relating to others

Thinking Managing self

My own KCs impact on my leadership through the way that I am seen and heard by - both students and colleagues. In a collaborative environment (which has developed very quickly over the past two years), there has been a greater need to reflect on the impact that I make. The feedback through voice and action help to direct which skills I need to work on.

I try to create a learning environment that makes each student feel comfortable and welcomed. To me, it's important to know my students - both personal and learning needs. In more recent times, I feel that I am able to provide greater support to my students through my ever-increasing awareness of the range of digital technologies that are available for the diverse needs of my students.

Development of Key Competencies

Do I feel the same five months later and which two key competencies do I feel I have developed the most over the past 24 weeks?

In week 3, I had included 'Managing Self' and 'Thinking' as the two key competencies that I felt needed further development.   As an oversight, I omitted to include 'Participating and Contributing' in this reflection. I feel that this key competency would have been in column two - requiring further development.    So which of these three key competencies have been developed the most? 

Firstly, I would say that thinking and the way I think has changed over the past 24 weeks.   In the first 16 weeks my weekly visits to Mindlab introduced me to new ideas and theories to explore and critique.  Each night I would drive the 50 minute trip home and ponder over what had been discussed during the session.  Questions developed around my current thinking, e.g. How do I lead?  What ways do I use technology to support learning?  Where could Monkey Jam support learning?  Is my planning agile?  How can I use gaming in education?   

The second key competency that I feel has developed over the past 24 weeks is 'participating and contributing'.  My involvement in learning communities such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+ has increased - both with posting and commenting.   I was previously involved in these communities, but more as an observer, rather than a participator.   Through these communities, I have been able to source answers to my questions (provoked by my thinking), provide feedback and generate new wonderings.  

In addition to online communities, I feel that there has been development in the way that I participate and contribute in team meetings, interact with colleagues and undertake professional development.  Learning and understanding generated by Mind Lab's postgraduate programme has played an important role in this development.   It has required that I question research and theories; not take information at face value, but ask how it will support and have a positive effect on the learning environment.   

Key Changes

I have identified two key changes in my practice that have taken place since July 2015:

1. Providing alternative ways to assess learning and understanding
2. Leading in alternative ways

In the first 16 weeks of the Mind Lab's postgraduate programme, I began to realise how it's important to 'do' the learning, discussion, collaboration and then prove understanding by putting this learning into practise.  This 'proving' didn't need to be in written form or yet again, another powerpoint. Instead, this 'proving' could be demonstrated with digital technology, e.g. movie, stop/go, claymation, creating a model etc. I have since made an effort to provide a learning environment where the learner can preview learning material and have an opportunity to be involved in discussions and/or work collaboratively to increase a sense of involvement and understanding in his/her learning.   The learner is then encouraged to 'prove' their understanding by applying this newly learned knowledge in some way, e.g. digital or traditional format.

Another key change was to look at the various ways that I can lead others.  I not fully aware of how different leadership traits (Charry, 2012) can impact on the desired outcomes.   Throughout 2014-2015, I was involved in some major changes within the learning environment with regards to technology platforms and BYOD.   After learning about the various leadership styles, I was able to reflect on how I had lead the change and gained a better understanding of how my actions played a role in the outcomes.   Since learning about leadership styles, I now consider each set of stakeholders and/or the community to identify which style of leadership would be best to support and lead a process of change.

References:

Cherry, K. & Cherry, K. (2016).  Do Great Leaders Share Certain Traits? About.com Health. Retrieved 15 February from,
http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/fl/What-Is-the-Trait-Theory-of-Leadership.htm

Metacognitive image: sourced from
https://execusensoryandneuropedagogy.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/metacognition1.jpg

Applied Practice in Context - Activity 1

Welcome

This post is the first of ten activities which make up the two assignments for Mind Lab's Applied Practice in Context.  It is my 'welcome' post - a chance to share a little about myself and an overview of my teaching approach and style.

Who I Am

I am fifth generation New Zealander (on both sides of my family) - born and raised in South Auckland.   Being the youngest of four meant that I have learned to be patient, stand up for myself and get used to wearing hand-me-downs!

At the age of 20, I left New Zealand to travel the world.  My first stop was Camp America, followed by a solo journey across America courtesy of the Greyhound bus company.  Having never travelled overseas before, I quickly developed the necessary skills to cope with downtown bus depots and American processed food.  

For almost three more years, I continued my journey across the globe; through parts of Europe, UK and Africa.   On my return to New Zealand, I had a position where I was required to travel up to China a few times a year.   This, along with holidays to Australia and the South Pacific have continued to steadily fill my 'cultural' cup. 

I am the proud mother of two amazing daughters and wife of a very patient husband.   One daughter is beginning her final year at college and the other is about to start her third year of a four year degree in product design.  My husband is a builder, but would much rather be spending his days sailing and supporting any national sporting team (especially if they are playing Australia).  

In my spare time (or should I say 'time out' as no time is 'spare' at the moment), I enjoy spending time in my garden, reading, walking, swimming and dancing (when no one is looking).   I feel so fortunate to be living in a community where the locals smile and say "hello" as I walk by and regular events bring us together to catch up with one another. 

What I Do

2016 has brought about some changes in my career.  After ten fabulous years at Beachlands School (where I was given every opportunity to extend and be challenged), I am now beginning a new teaching position at Ormiston Primary School.  Here, I will be working alongside three other Learning Coaches within a Year 1&2 Learning Habitat with 87 Learners.

This change will enable me to work as a team - to support, observe and be observed in my practice.   It will provide me with learning opportunities that are not accessible in a single cell classroom.   I'm really excited about this change in career although I'm a little anxious about how long it will take me to learn the names of my 87 learners!

Teaching Approach and Style

I endeavour to provide a learning environment that is stimulating, raises curiosity and meets the needs of each learner.   I am not afraid to be innovative and try something new in order to make a difference or help to engage a learner.  To me, this is what makes teaching such a wonderful career.  Traditional methods can be blended with ever-changing technology; a planned lesson can be put on hold in order to seize an opportunistic moment; each day is different to the next and this is what I find so exciting.  

Education is changing.  It's not the same as that which I experienced as a child and at times I feel like everything is moving too fast and I would like to get off the 'bus' to catch my breath.  For some, it would be very easy to stay at that 'bus stop' - a place of familiarity and a sense of calm.  For me, however, I'm in for the journey and can't wait to see what's around the corner.   

Image sourced: http://responseabilitycoaching.com

Mind Lab: Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice

image supplied by themindlab.com

The Mind LabPostgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning)

I became aware of The Mind Lab and their Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning) during 2014.   What interested me about this programme was the combination of both digital and leadership content - and how the assignments could be directly related to my own class practice.  At that point in time I was an eLearning Leader within my school (as well as class teacher) and was looking for a way to utilise what I already knew and further develop my skills in both leadership and technology.   

Literature Review

Fast forward to January 2016 and I am now half way through what has been both a challenging yet inspirational journey.   Before the end of 2015, I carried out a literature review with the main question being:

How might an innovative learning environment (ILE) enhance the learning of key competencies in a primary school?

The purpose for choosing this topic for my literature review was firstly due to my newly acquired position as Learning Coach at Ormiston Primary School that I would begin in Term 1, 2016.   Ormiston Primary School, which began operating at the beginning of 2015, has flexible learning spaces and consequently is recognised as being able to support the creation of an innovative learning environment (Nikki Kaye, 2015).  Having previously worked in single cell classrooms where I felt I was quite receptive to innovative ways to support my learners, I realised, however, that I had little knowledge in how to make the most of an environment with flexible learning spaces.

Secondly, I was curious about what current research had been undertaken with regards to the key competencies and how they aligned with 21st century skills which, as research suggests, are a necessity for our learners of today, if they are to be ready for the future (whatever that looks like). Also, has consideration been given as to how innovative learning environments and the key competencies benefit Kaupapa Māori and include Te Noho Kotahitanga? 

I found many articles supporting the ideology of today's students meeting the needs of a changing world by learning 21st century skills, e.g. problem solving, critical thinking, creating and collaborating.  These skills align with the five key competencies:

• thinking
• making meaning
• relating to others
• participating and contributing
• managing self 

However, researchers advised that educational systems around the world are making changes to their curriculum and assessment instead of inventing a new paradigm that cultivates creativity, entrepreneurship and global competence (Zhao, 2015).   This feeling is echoed by a number of other people in the education arena, e.g. Sir Ken Robinson identified a need to change with his TED talk 'How Schools are Killing Creativity' and 'Changing Educational Paradigms'.   There is also a growing number of local educational leaders calling for change with NZCER's report 'Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching - a New Zealand perspective'.  

Future-Focused

As the hours rolled on by while my eyes scanned over page after page of researched text, I began to form my own wonderings about myself as a future-focused educator.  How can I create a learning environment that encourages learners to be inquisitive and accept that getting it wrong is part of learning, while they are being constantly measured against standardised tests? How do I create an environment where the learner is a creator, not a consumer?  How do I ensure that the culture and values of every learner is integrated within the learning environment?  

I also began wondering about education in Aotearoa. Will there be extra funding to support professional development so that all learners have access to innovative environments?  How do we move from an industrial education system to an agile model?  How do we close the gap between those that do, and those that don't embrace digital technology for supporting learning needs and 'breaking down the classroom walls'?

I have spent time reflecting on my own practice and realise that my planning and delivery of instruction have had a strong focus on the subjects that are measured against standards - reading, writing and mathematics.  The same amount of focus has not been spent on supporting learners to develop creativity, entrepreneurship and global competency skills.  I would like to take the opportunity, in my new role as learning coach within a Year 1-2 habitat, to focus on the growth of each learner as an individual and draw out their creativity and collaborative skills within an innovative learning environment.

Watch this space!



References:  

Kaye, N. (2015).  $17m Ormiston Primary School, Auckland, officially opened.  Retrieved from,
https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/mediareleases/detail/2015/10/23/-17-m-Ormiston-Primary-School-Auckland-officially-opened


Robinson, K. (2006).  Do school's risk creativity?  Retrieved from,
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?

Zhao, Y. (2015).  A world at risk: an imperative for a paradigm shift to cultivate 21st 
century learners.  Sprinter Science+Business Media, New York.  Retrieved from,
www.nepc.colorado.edu/blog/world-risk