Week 19 - Community of Practice

Week 19 - Community of Practice

Activity 3: Contribution of Teacher Inquiry Topics to my Communities of Practice

I will use Jay and Johnsons’ (2002) Reflective Model to reflect on how two potential and inspiring digital and collaborative learning related teacher inquiry topics would contribute to my Communities of Practice.

Step 1 (Descriptive):

I have three Communities of Practice (Wenger, 2000) that I often collaborate with on a regular basis.  My Digital Technology team, Syndicate team and First language support team. Though I have indicated three different CoP’s, some of the members are in two of the three teams.

I have two possible inquiry topics that I could investigate and take to all three CoP.  The first is; ‘How can we use current theory in digital learning and practice to improve the outcomes for Maori and Pacific students?’ and the second is; ‘How can we connect more with our parents and community without demanding more of their time for face to face visits to discuss and show their children’s working progress?’  

Both these inquiry topics relate to my Communities of Practice.  Our schools last Education Review Office (ERO) visit had been an eye opener for everyone, especially our leaders (this included me).  Have you ever felt that feeling when everything is going good and great?

That is exactly how it was.  It wasn’t until ERO’s visit (15.9.2014) that we realised there were things that we could have been doing better.  My possible inquiry topics link with ERO’s last report (2.11.2017).

My syndicate team took ERO’s report as a shared interest and we often got together casually to discuss what was working or not in our classrooms.  Here we formed a deep trusting relationship with one another and often found ourselves having ‘friendly debates’ on different matters.

Step 2 (Comparative):

This year I am leading a new syndicate with different members.  So the strong relationships have yet to be formed but I feel we do share similar interest that will support my inquiry topics going forward.  Members of my former syndicate are part of my other CoP so the collaborative work still takes place but in a different space and under a different subject umbrella.  In saying that, all our talks still links back to the classroom and our learners.

My CoP would not exist if it weren't for our learners. Our shared interests are our learners and their progress to succeed. Each member of my CoP comes with their own strengths and set of skills.  They see things from different angles and views, they have their own opinions but respectfully listen to others if different from their own.  This is where it is important that we have the ‘friendly debates’ that way, problems or issues are discussed in a way that isn’t confronting but used as a way to learn from each other.

Step 3 (Critical reflection):

Wenger (2006) says “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”

Research on CoP explains the importance of working together and building relationships with people who share the same passion, this is exactly how I see my whanau community at school.  I want to be able to share their children’s learning experiences with them, I want parents to feel and know that they are part of the school community and to speak out when they are proud or concerned.  

Both inquiry topics bring up great discussions and I can see good relationships being formed with every stakeholder in school not just the Maori and Pacific.  Though I have focused on a target group at school, more stakeholders coming through our doors are of other ethnic groups which they too will need the support to help them with their achievements.

I’ve had to read Wenger’s (2006) above statement a few times, I know it makes sense and I know that more heads together is better than one.  But, as I reflect over this week’s activity, I know that sometimes I find myself trying to work problems and issues out on my own. I definitely don’t think I can solve it on my own, but more so that I have to try it first before taking the matter to the CoP.  So, I was also wondering if others do this too or is this me being the STORM before the CALM?

References

Bain, M.(2013, July 25) Poster: Connecting Communities of Practice at UBC (The University of British Columbia).  Retrieved from https://ctlt.ubc.ca/2013/07/25/connecting-communities-of-practice-at-ubc/

Jay, J.K. and Johnson, K.L. (2002) Capturing complexity: a typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 73-85

Wenger, E.(2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization,7(2), 225-246.

Education Review Office Website.  Cannons Creek School Reports. Retrieved from http://www.ero.govt.nz/review-reports/cannons-creek-school-02-11-2017/

Bradd, S.(2013, May 11). Drawing Change: Facilitation Resources - Visualising a Community of Practice. Retrieved from https://drawingchange.com/facilitation-resources-communities-of-practice/

Knox, B.(2009, December 4). Cultivating Communities of Practice: Making Them Grow.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtu be.com/watch?v=lhMPRZnRFkk

Week 18 - Future-Oriented Learning and Teaching

Week 18 - Future-Oriented Learning and Teaching

Activity 2: Reflecting on changes in my future oriented teaching practice

Theme 1: Personalising learning

Albert Einstein couldn’t have made it any clearer.  One size does not fit all and yet today, our education system is still failing our ever growing diverse learners.

One of the first things they teach us at Teachers’ College is that a student is the centre of the learning.  Person-Centered Approach "Self" or "Self-Concept" - the perceptions and beliefs about oneself (Rogers, 1959).  Building relationships and getting to know your learners take time, but is valuable information to know.  A change I made in my classroom was using learner maps. Getting my learners to tell me how they liked to learn and what helped them learn.  Knowing this information I was able to plan lessons to meet their needs.

I was excited about getting to know how my learners liked to learn, because I felt the information I would gather would give me light bulb moments on how I could support them more.  So yes, I was fired up in using this process, but as old habits do or stuck mindsets, I only allowed my learners to tell me how they like to learn one way. After I realised I had stopped half my learners from expressing themselves freely, I started again.

At first the students thought it was an odd question:  

“What do you mean you want me to tell you how I like to learn?”

The students reaction is almost the same as their parents/caregivers when you are telling them at parent-teacher conferences how they can help their child at home:

“I’ll get their big brother and sister to help them with that.”

For me personally, it was hard to hear parents feel they didn’t have the ability to help their child/ren at home, even though they did.  Changing mindsets are hard, but not impossible.

Has this experience improved my teaching practice?  Well, I can definitely say, it has made me work harder to build relationships with both parents/caregivers and students, so conversations about school and home life become the norm.

Theorist Lev Vygotskys’ (1978) Zone of Proximal Development explains the area between what the learner can do independently, and what they can do with help from others.  This as well as other theorist work by John Dewey (1904) Progressive Education and Jean Piaget (1936) Cognitive Development focused on how student learn which is better known as student-centered learning.  The three theorist had the student at the center of their theory, from a hands on approach to a peer collaboration or adult support. This goes back to getting to know your learner and how they learn best.

With everything, nothing is ever perfect, there is always room for improvement and reflection.  Some students were not sure how they learn best, so they could not answer the question truthfully but copied their friends answer so they had a response.  For students who are not sure of how they like to learn, I would give them different opportunities to learn using a range of materials, in several environments.  Allowing the children the chance to think about their learning in the actual environment supported their responses.

One thing I did get from implementing this change was know matter how much work I put into planning it out and thinking it was going to work, there was always something I would miss or I didn’t think of.  I don’t mean this in a negative way, but more of a reminder to myself that when things don’t work out the way I planned, I need to then look at the situation from a different angle.

References:

Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable.

Rogers, C. (1986). Carl Rogers on the Development of the Person-Centered Approach. Person-Centered Review, 1(3), 257-259.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.  Retrieved from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/social-development/

Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Piaget, J. (1959). The language and thought of the child (Vol. 5). Psychology Press. Chicago

Piaget, J. (1976). Piaget’s theory. In Piaget and his school (pp. 11-23). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Retrieved from https://www.learning-theories.com/piagets-stage-theory-of-cognitive-development.html

Week 17 - Reflective Practice

Week 17 - Reflective Practice

Jay and Johnson (2002) Reflective Model

Step 1 (Descriptive stage): Briefly describe your current reflective practice

Thinking about my own reflective practices after watching and reading the required class documents, I feel a bit embarrassed to say what I do or what I don’t do.  In Linda Finlay’s (2008) article ‘Reflecting on Reflective Practice’ she gave an example quote:

“Unless teachers develop the practice of critical reflection, they stay trapped in unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and expectations.  Approaching teaching as a reflective practitioner involves fusing personal beliefs and values into a professional identity”

(Larrivee, 2000, p.293)

The first part of Larrivee’s (2000) quote made me question myself.  Am I trapped? I know I make judgments, interpretations, assumptions on my students learning as well as my teaching practices all the time through my own observations on what is happening in the classroom.  But I feel I have easily made unexamined judgments, interpretations and assumptions too, due to my understanding or lack of understanding, of the importance to practice critical reflection.

Step 2 (Comparative stage): Reflect on alternatives and other viewpoints in light of research  

According to my results to the first question of the survey, I answered how I’ve always thought.  If I can’t criticise my own work, I shouldn’t criticise my colleagues. However, I welcome critical feedback and expect it in my profession whether the outcome is successful or not.  Though I welcome it, looking at my response to the second question, I believe I reflect all the time, making my own judgements and evaluations and these are often shared and discussed with colleagues.  But as I continue to read Findlay’s article I start to feel that what I think I do as reflective may actually just be surface evaluation. Zeichner and Liston (1996) came up with five different levels at which reflection can take place during teaching and the more I read them, the more I know I need to gain more practice in reflecting for purpose.

Step 3 (Critical reflection) Given these various perspectives and the implications

1. How does this reflective process inform and renew your perspective?
2. What are the implications for your reflective practice when viewed from these alternative perspectives?

One thing I have confirmed for myself in this Reflective Practice, is that I can’t expect to grow, learn or change effectively without practice and theory.  Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988) suggests that practice and theory enrich each other in a never-ending circle. I’ve always known that reflecting on your own practices is an important part of growing mindsets and changing behaviours, however this weeks readings and research has me realising my knowledge of reflecting is very limited.

So where to from here?  Hopefully over the weeks it will be evident through this blog that I will have grown more creative and reflective in my postings.

Resources:

Jay, J.K. and Johnson, K.L. (2002). Capturing complexity: a typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 73-85.

Skills Team Hull Uni. (2014, March 3). Reflective writing.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoI67VeE3ds

Finlay, L. (2009). Reflecting on reflective practice. Practice-based Professional Learning Centre, Open University. Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/sites/www.open.ac.uk.opencetl/files/files/ecms/web-content/Finlay-(2008)-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf

TeachingEnglish Website (2011). Reflective Teaching - Exploring our own classroom practice. Retrieved from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/reflective-teaching-exploring-our-own-classroom-practice

Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(3), 293-307.

Yang, S., H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Educational Technology & Society, 12(2), 11-21.

School of Education, UoN (2014, February 14). Reflective Practice - Slideshare. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/Rayedish/reflective-practice-44666975

Where did June go?

OMG...

Sorry BLOG lovers, I blinked and June disappeared!

Nelson Mandela

My style of leadership...

Style:  Participative

Other Names:  Democratic or Consulting

Amount of Control:  Medium (selling, reasoning, persuading, consulting)

What it Involves:  

* Builds consensus through participation: the leader makes the final decision, but the team to contribute to the decision-making process

* The leader asks the team's opinions & uses these to make decisions

* The team is kept informed & are allowed to discuss & propose changes to policy

* The leader can't know everything: this is why you employ skilful team members

* This style is not a sign of weakness, more a sign of strength your team will respect.  

When Used:  
* When organisational flexibility and a sense of individual responsibility is needed

* Where team working is essential

* When quality is more important than speed or productivity

Pros - mutual benefit:

* Allows members to feel part of the team & leader to make better decisions

* Members feel in control & motivated to work hard

* Increases job satisfaction by involving the team in decisions

* Helps to develop team members' skills

* Most consistent in quality & productivity

Cons:

* This style may result in indecision, and some team members may be left feeling confused and leaderless

* As participation takes time things may happen more slowly than with an autocratic approach, but often the end result is better

I guess if I was to be compared to anyone that portraits great leadership, I am honoured for that person to be 'Nelson Mandela'.  

The question was asked in class "Would the results be the same if another person was to answer the 50 question on me?"  The question got me thinking, would the results be the same?  I would truly hope it would for I feel that the explanation of Participative Leadership style is already how I work or the type of leader I try to portray.  

Discussions and readings on Emotional Intelligence (EI), also made me reflect on my leadership skills and how I model leadership and my ability to understand people, what drives them and how I can work cooperatively with them.  Trust is important to me and I believe that what ever leadership style or emotional intelligence skills you acquire, none of it will truly build real relationships if trust is not there. 

Whakatauki

He aha te kai o te rangatira?  He korero, he korero, he korero.

What is the food of the leader.  It is knowledge.  It is communication.

Reference:

University of Kent. (2011). How to find out your style of leadership. Retrieved from://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/leadership.htm

Akers, M & Porter, G. (2016). What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)? Retrieved from:https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-emotional-int...

Assessment One - Done!

Please don't take my heading as something I am boasting about...

But for any of you who have asked for an extension for this assessment, make sure when you upload your assessment you also submit it!

You may already know that, but there's always that one.  Luckily for me, when I turned up to class today, the first thing Ben asked me was "have you submitted your assessment?"  I responded yes but then for some reason asked him, "Why? Can you see my assessment?"  He said he hadn't seen it but he hadn't been on to check.  So I asked him to check just in case.  Ben went to check and came back with his laptop to show me my assessment had not been submitted yet.  With that, I wanted to cry and thought, what am I going to do?  I had submitted my assessment before I left home to attend class.  Obviously I had done something wrong.  I couldn't leave class and rush home, I wouldn't make it on time with traffic being? So do I just accept that my assessment would be late and lose marks for handing it in late... my mind was running 100 miles an hour, but thank you to Ben who quickly e-mailed the team to leave the portal open for me to submit my assessment when I get home after class.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I actually struggled with our assessment...and it kind of made me think, am I really up for this?  So many questions were going through my mind during the time of putting my assessment together.  I don't know if I am over thinking things which cause me to question everything, or I have been out of study for a long time and coming back is not as easy.  Actually it was bit like the 'Backwards Brain Bicycle' video where the questions ask; Is it possible to learn, un-learn then re-learn?  Though I'm not sure what I have un-learned to re-learn.

Well, assessment has been submitted, nothing more I can do until I get the results back.  Don't get me wrong, I am loving the new learning and the challenges of the learning.

Thanks PETONE crew, you guys have been very welcoming and I have enjoyed the two weeks of learning with you all.

Key Competencies in Leadership and 21st Century Skills

Week 2

Key Competencies in Leadership and 21st Century Skills

Quite a bit of reading this week as well as a video.

I don't think I was born to 'skim' read, for I must of read some paragraphs 5-6 times over.  Some of the reading might as well have been written in a different language because that's how it felt after 3 hours.

However, I did manage to get to 'table 3' and at first it was confusing to look at the 6 principles as a noun or a verb, but with discussion during the workshop, somethings became a little more clearer.

The 'purple' print is where I believe my school is at.  I also think that there could be a lot more purple depending on where you view it from. I didn't feel it was right to make the print purple when I couldn't agree entirely with the written statement, but I do agree with it.  The silver-linning in having so much 'red' print, the journey ahead looks exciting to work towards.

Where is your school at?  Where does it need to go next?
	Knowledge as a noun	Knowledge as a verb
High Expectations	We expect all learners to achieve in our school. We expect each family to take responsibility for the engagement, effort and success of students.	We believe all learners can achieve personal excellence regardless of individual circumstances. We aim to make education relevant and flexible in order to foster engagement and to address the diverse needs of all learners.
Treaty of Waitangi	It is important that students understand the Treaty of Waitangi. We have treaty workshops in years X and y in Social Studies.	Biculturalism is one of our greatest assets in a knowledge economy. A bicultural component is included in all aspects of the curriculum. The Treaty principles of partnership, protection and participation underpin all school decisions and activities. Staff are equipped and willing to uphold a bicultural dimension in all school activities.
Cultural Diversity	We make sure we treat every child the same. We have special programmes to support eSOL students to integrate and to learn our language. We celebrate diversity in dance, music, food and costumes in cultural days.	We aim to know and connect to our students and their communities and to do our best to address their diverse needs and to invite them to be themselves at the school. Linguistic and cultural pluralism are actively encouraged and supported amongst students and staff.
Inclusion	Our curriculum is inclusive, as we do not discriminate against anyone. We create a safe space for our students where we promote and reward harmony, order and the right behaviour.	We see all our students as diverse. We aim to create an environment where difference is viewed as an asset and learners are equipped to engage with different ways of knowing, being and seeing the world. deficit theorising is actively challenged amongst teachers, students and in the school curriculum.
Community Engagement	Whanau and communities are informed about the curriculum and what happens in the school.	Wha ̄nau and communities, as well as staff and students are actively involved in the ongoing decision making process about the school curriculum.
Documentation	(Who decides? In whose name? For whose benefit? Through what process?)	(Who decides? In whose name? For whose benefit? Through what process?)

21st Century Skills

What relevance is the Key Competencies to the 21st Century skills of learning?

These are the 21st Century Skills that ITL (Innovative Teaching and Learning) Research (2012) decided were important.

• Collaboration
• Knowledge construction
• Self-regulation
• Real-world problems / innovations
• ICT for learning
• Skilled Communication

Key Competencies of the NZ curriculum. "More complex than skills, the competencies draw also on knowledge, attitudes, and values in ways that lead to action" (TKI, 2017):

• Thinking
• Using language, symbols & texts
• Managing self
• Relating to others
• Participating and contributing

I guess as a classroom teacher, I want all my learners to be life long learners with skills that they need to be successful in the world.  Where the 21st century is changing so too should our teaching and learning skills to match and prepare every individual.

Some of the 21st century skills and key competencies match, such as skilled communication and relating to others, real-world problems, relating to others and managing self.  All the skills and key competencies are what build creative minds and independent innovators.  In my opinion there is room for both to be taught. However, with the fast changes of technology in our societies and world, we have to be teaching our learners the skills they will need to be an active member of their society.

A quote from the video 'What 60 schools can tell us about teaching 21st century skills' by John Dewey (this information may be incorrect)

'...if we teach today what we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow...'

Whakatauki:

Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei
Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain

Reference:

ITL Research. (2012). 21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics. Retrieved from https://education.microsoft.com/GetTrained/ITL-Research

TKI. (2017). The New Zealand Curriculum: Capabilities for living and lifelong learning. Retrieved from  http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum#collapsible7

Freeth, W. (2013).Towards Reconceptualising Leadership: The Implications of the Revised New Zealand Curriculum for School Leaders. TLRI.