Key change in my professional practice

Mindlab Activity 8: Key change in my professional practice

Step 1 (What): Identify one key change in your professional practice

Two key changes that I have made in my professional practice has been developing my ‘Professional learning’ which is to use inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners and ‘Teaching’ which is to teach and respond to learners in a knowledgeable and adaptive way to progress their learning at an appropriate depth and pace (Ministry of Education, nd). By inquiring into my own teaching, I have been able to identify areas that are needing development.

Step 2 (Now what): Evaluate the identified change

Stage 1: Problem identification

The problem that I have identified was the slow shifts I was seeing in my students Mathematics development. My students weren’t progressing at the same level other students in our school has been progressing, and I wanted to know what I could do to turn this around. What approaches are others using that is successful?

Stage 2: Observation and analysis

I have found that at times my explanations weren’t clear, and what seemed straightforward to me, was utterly confusing for my students. Also, I tended to keep my maths groups progressing at relatively the same speed, therefore students that grasps a certain concept quickly, maintained with the group and wasn’t pushed to excel further. This was to keep my teaching neat and tidy, but was of no benefit to my students.

Stage 3: Abstract re conceptualization

At this stage, I have considered using flipped learning in my classroom. This would allow all explanations to be carried out effectively from well sourced materials, but at the same time, allow students to work at a pace suited to their needs. This gives my students that need an extra push, time to work through at their own pace, as well as boosting those students that are raising ahead.

Stage 4: Active experimentation

I believe that flipped learning is not a means to an end, but will support my teaching. I have to further inquire as to how this may look in my classroom and how to get the most out of this strategy. As I like to know what each student is doing, where they are at, flipped learning creates some challenges for me. This is future learning for myself to consider.

Step 3 (What next) Share your next plan(s) regarding your future professional development or your future practice.

I want to continue exploring flipped learning and how I can best utilize this strategy and how to best manage students using flipped learning. What other areas of my teaching could benefit from flipped learning?

References

Ministry of Education (nd). Our code, our standards. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/our-code-our-standards

Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural RESPONSIVENESS

Mindlab Activity 7: Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice

According to Milne (2017) “cultural identity is not a thing that needs to be celebrated on certain occasions such as cultural weeks, rather teachers and school should embrace student cultural identity at every opportunity throughout curriculum and learning activities, school policies and events”. The school I’m currently at strives to improve the achievement for Maori students. Although it has been a priority for many years, more effort has been made in the last three years to promote the learning and success of all our Maori students. Our principal has set up a group MASAM, Maori Achieving Success As Maori, and invites whanau and the community to bring forward their ideas and suggestions as to how we can successfully support our Maori Students. These meetings as held monthly and are open to anyone wanting to join in.

From these meetings, we have decided on our school vision statements, policies, goals and school values which encompasses our Maori learners needs. From here, we are able to plan accordingly and seek funding if need be from our BOT for suitable learning activities, and/or resources.

As a staff, the area that is lacking, is Te Reo Maori. Teachers have all been a part of Tikanga Maori courses, our latest being with Tamsin Hanley regarding “Te Ao Maori”. This year we are further developing the language spoken and increasing our understanding and pronunciation of commonly used words and phrases. We are partaking in Te Reo professional development through The Ministry of Education.

As a teacher, I pride myself in the knowledge I have already obtained of the Maori culture and language and strive to continue learning. I am of South-African background, having moved to the United States at the age of 14, and then finally to New Zealand at the age of 17.

Using ‘The Action Continuum” from Milne’s presentation (CORE Education, 2017), I would say that at our school, the majority of our teachers and the management of our school currently lies within the green area - Indigenous and culturally centred, structures and practice are embedded but still colonial.

As a school, we need to continue our own professional development of Tikanga Maori and Te Reo Maori. Further to this, we need to provide our Maori students opportunities to share their experiences and knowledge with the class, and allow more student agency. Continue the home-school partnerships that have been established, and endeavour the strengthen the weaker partnerships.

References

CORE Education.(2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

Milne, A.(2017).Coloring in the white spaces: reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

Contemporary trend in New Zealand or internationally

Mindlab activity 6
Step 1 (What): Identify one trend that is most relevant to your practice:

The trend that captivates my attention, along with most of the other Mindlab-ers is the rate at which technology is taking over in society. As a child I always thought it would be great to have a shop where you can scan your own items and pay for them.  This I thought was a fairytale, and far from ever being real. Within 10-15 years, this was a reality. And it didn’t just stop here, now you don’t even have to physically go to the shops, online shopping is so easy and convenient.

When I started teaching 8 years ago, our school had 6 desktops that were being utilised amongst 100 students. Being a bit of a techy nerd, I pushed for our school to increase the devices we had available for student use. At first, many of my colleagues wanted nothing to do with our new C.O.W. (Computers On Wheels). The C.O.W. permanently lived in my room, and my students very quickly learnt how to log on, log off, type, search the web and e-mail. My colleagues quickly noticed the student engagement with learning when using technology and wanted in.  At this stage, we were only using the technology as a substitute for the old ways we did things.

Step 2 (So What): Analyse the trend

With the change in technology, jobs are no longer safe. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly taking jobs from people that require repetitive movements, or predictable outcomes. For example, self checkouts, ATM’s, robots in car manufactures, etc.

As A teacher, I would hope that my job would be secure in the future, however there are some jobs a Robot could do to replace some of the tasks teachers are required to fulfill, e.g, assessments, playground duties, planning (to some extent), marking (closed questions), etc. There are also some areas of teaching where AI would make ‘better’ teachers compared to humans for example non-judgemental criticism from teachers. Many other teachers, (as I read through others’ blogs), identify some of the main characteristics that computers do not possess, which is important to be a successful teacher that makes a difference. “While machines can handle a variety of specific tasks, we haven’t yet come close to creating artificial general intelligence (AGI) — the kind of machine that could answer the tough questions outside the purview of the immediate lesson that good teachers should be prepared to tackle. Today’s robots also lack the empathy and ability to inspire that teachers bring to the classroom” (Houser, 2017).

Step 3 (Now What):

With this increasingly growing trend, students these days no longer require to be taught information, but rather how to find information needed, problem solve and to work collaboratively. I’m needing to prepare my students for a future I know nothing about, and can’t begin to predict what skills are needed for them to be successful in the future. I need to prepare my students to be adaptable, and to think outside the square. I need to prepare them for jobs that do not exist yet.

References

Houser, K. (2017). The solution to our education crisis might be AI. Futurism. Retrieved 18 March 2018, from https://futurism.com/ai-teachers-education-crisis/

Professional Online Social Networks

Mindlab Activity 5
Step 1

How have you used social media tools in your teaching/professional development?

• I use Facebook as a way to connect with other educators. I have joined to a variety of ‘communities’ to support my own professional development. Reading through others’ questions and related answers, discussions or responses, helps to form my own understanding of certain concepts or areas of development.

What characteristics of the social media you have you harnessed in your teaching/professional development context?

1. Create, share, adapt and reuse content;
2. Engage in digital dialogue and collaboration
3. Create linkages, groups and communities,
4. Social interactions with other users.

Step 2

How could social media be used to benefit the teaching and learning?

• Professional development, discussion with other teachers to seek advice and support, seek feedback and different viewpoints regarding professional/teaching issues/dilemmas, etc.

What are potential challenges that teachers need to be aware of when they are integrating social networking platforms into teaching activities?

• Privacy
• Cyber bullying
• Inappropriate content - videos, photos, comments
• Religious/personal views of parents/whanau
• School cyber safe policies

Step 3

What are the implications for using social media in teaching and/ or professional development?

• When using social media in a safe, cyber smart way, teachers are able to enhance teaching and learning for the students as learning become more authentic and connected. Students are able to connect to the world in ways not possible before technology.
• Teachers are able to connect and seek feedback from teachers all around the world, being exposed to varying viewpoints and ideas regarding any particular topic. By considering the viewpoints of others in our own country and around the world, teachers are better able to make decisions that will impact students learning in positive ways.

In what ways does this reflective process inform and change your perspective?

• It makes me think about ways that I could use social media in the class.  I have always used social media to support my own professional development, however have not considered using it with my students. I always thought social media would be more beneficial for intermediate aged students and older, however after watching the Video realise just how powerful it can be with students of any age.
• This term in my class our students are writing to their penpals in Ireland. They are handwriting their letters and sending using snail mail. This is a great way of connecting with people from around the world and broaden their understanding of the world around them.  This learning could further be deepened by connecting with these students on a digital platform where dialogue and itneraction is immediate.