I enjoy blogging. I enjoy sitting down and actually organising my chaotic random thoughts into some sort of order. What I have found though is that finding time to sit down and do this has not been at all easy. To help find the time and a bit of extra motivation, I have signed up for the #edublogs club.
Why bother blogging? Isn't teaching time consuming enough? I was fortunate enough to complete post-grad studies through The MindLab during 2016. As part of these studies we had to complete reflective blog posts on varied topics. What I discovered was that by actually writing (typing) down and sharing my thoughts with an audience, I had to really think deeply about what I was saying, I had to back up my thoughts and opinions with evidence.
I have come to the realisation that it is actually important to think critically about my teaching practice and pedagogy, reflecting and writing down my thoughts. There have been many articles, books and talks about why reflecting on ones practice is important, but I have found that I need to personally see results to truly believe in its effectiveness.
Teaching is more than a full-time job. Blogging, or actively reflecting, about your practice can take up extra time out of your precious 'non-contact' time. It is easy to put off reflecting and thinking critically, especially when your life gets busy. It is my aim to make more time this year to actively reflect on my teaching practice and pedagogy. I believe this is important, I am going to set aside time every time to reflect and blog. I will do this. And by setting this time aside I will become a better teacher for my students.
I have had the privilege over the past three years of having two Post-Graduate qualifications funded through the Ministry of Education, my school, Unitec, and the NEXT Generation scholarship. The study required from these two qualifications has impacted greatly on my teaching practice/pedagogy.
Key changes in my practice
The biggest change that has occurred within my teaching practice is the amount of reflection that I undertake. Prior to studying, I would reflect briefly, about what went well or what I would do differently to improve next time. Ostermand and Kottkamp (1993) describe reflective practice as being "a means by which practitioners can develop a great level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance" and that this "creates opportunities for professional growth and development" (p 2). I have found that as I become an increasingly reflective practitioner that I have become far more aware of how my actions affect the performance and outcomes of my students' achievement and well-being.
I have also found that through increasing my reflective practice, I am much more open to reading professional research and publications. Prior to study I had very little inclination to read educational articles/books as I couldn't see how they would relate to my teaching practice. I'm definitely eating my words now! It's amazing how reading one or two articles could make you question how you teach something, or spark an idea. The latest publication that I have read (other than articles for assignments) was Grant Lictman's book #EdJourney. This book was about how different schools around the United States are being innovative in their schools. It was a very engaging read, which I would recommend to any educator. I'd also recommend watching the keynote Grant Lichtman did at uLearn 2015 when you have a spare 3/4 of an hour.
The two criterion that I believe have been impacted the greatest by completing my study are Criterion 1 and Criterion 4.
The working relationships that I have with my students have grown. I have been fortunate to have a core group of students that have followed me through this learning process. They were Year 4 in 2014 when I began my first Post-Grad study and are now Year 6 this year as I complete this Post-Grad course. These students have been my 'guinea pigs' (I get eye-rolls now when I say that I've learnt something new that we're going to try!). They have seen GAFE and Chromebooks integrated into everyday activities. They are confident users of digital technology - even when they do not have access at home. These students are used by other teachers for help when needed. When I am away at workshops/courses I get emails from my students letting me know what's going on and asking for help.
Criteria 1 achievement:
less teacher talk, more student talk time (a continual struggle!)
using tools such as Google Forms and Padlet to gather student voice - this can be done anonymously if needed
commenting on Google Apps means instant feedback/feedforward, from teacher or students
using google Classroom to organise activities and tasks
students setting up their own blogs, an example of their learning to share with friends, parents and whanau around NZ and the world
parents/whanau using email to contact me, and vice versa, rather than letting questions and concerns slide
My PLD (Professional Learning and Development) is non-stop. I can continuously be up-skilling myself, and keeping up with the latest educational opinions through the use of digital tools. Twitter, Facebook, the VLN, Google+, and webinars enable me to connect with other like-minded educators, engaging in thought-provoking discussions and sharing ideas that have (or haven't worked).
Through connecting online this past holidays (Sept-Oct holiday break), I was able to follow the uLearn 2016 conference that was held in Rotorua. Attending in person was not an option this year, but I could follow the keynotes through the twitter hashtag #ulearn16 and #notatulearn, and have conversations with fellow educators from around New Zealand (and the globe).
Criterion 4 achievements:
participating and contributing to twitter discussions - #edchatnz, #whatisschool, #ulearn16, #notatulearn16
contributing to educational discussions, helping other teachers on Facebook through the NZ Teachers (Primary) page
contributing to the Google + Mindlab 2016 March intake community
watching TedTalks, EdTalks, or similar educational clips on YouTube or Vimeo
utilising the portal for this course!
Dreams for the future...
I want to continue to use digital technology in a seamless way - not as an added extra, but as a normal part of classroom practice. I want my students to be able to create products, not just consume. I want my students to know how to interact positively online and know how to create a digital footprint that they can be proud of.
I want to keep using the Design Thinking process with my students. I want them to be able to solve real-life problems creatively and collaboratively. My dream is for my students to understand that there is not only one solution to a problem. That they don't have to settle for what they are told. I want them to feel empowered, ready to tackle life after 'school'.
Change has been the key idea that has sprung out for me during my study. We need to change our mindset. Our world is changing. As educators we need to change the way we further our PLD. And change is why we are in education - we are here to change lives.
As a primary school teacher at a small school (less than 130 students), it can be challenging to make interdisciplinary connections. To gain access to specialist services ie RTLBs, speech language therapists, health professionals etc, can be very challenging. Other than other teaching staff at school, my largest connections would be teachers from different settings that use Twitter to discuss different educational subjects.
Potential interdisciplinary connections will be with specialist services, RTLBs (Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour), and members of our newly formed Community of Learning (CoL). These potential connections rely on who my students will be in 2017 and how the CoL ends up working.
I believe that it is important for educators to understand how all areas of our education system works in order to give our students the best chance of reaching their potential. It's also important that teachers from different disciplines, or have different curriculum strengths, work together.
There are many benefits of working across disciplines. Mathison and Freeman (1997) state that
"Interdisciplinary, integrate, and integrative studies represent an opportunity
to: have more meaningful relations with students; teach cognitive skills
associated with 'real life'...; motivate students; increase student achievement;
promote positive attitudes towards subject matter; create more curricular
flexibility' diminish scheduling problems; and integrate new and rapidly
changing information with increased time efficiency" (pp 22-23)
By integrating curriculum areas/subjects, teachers are able to make better use of class time. Teacher will be able to remove the division between subjects and address content in more depth. Students are able to use the time to understand important ideas and concepts, and make connections between subjects. Teachers are also able to personalise instructions for students. There is the ability to produce multiple responses to the context, therefore allowing teachers to assess the understanding in a variety of ways. This also allows the teacher to build upon students' prior knowledge. Through integration, students also have the chance to master skills and concepts through authentic tasks that they likely to come across in their lives outside of school (Barton and Smith, 2000 p.54).
Below is a video of Grant Lichtman discussing the innovative learning integration being used at Hobsonville Point Secondary School in Auckland. This video shows how this secondary school is taking down the division of subjects at a high school level.
To ensure our students are prepared to leave the education system and join the workforce, we as educators need to make sure that they have all of the necessary skills to succeed.
References
Barton, K. C., & Smith, L. A. (2000). Themes or motifs? Aiming for coherence through interdisciplinary outlines. The Reading Teacher, 54(1), 54-63.1.
Mathison,S.. & Freeman, M.(1997). The logic of interdisciplinary studies. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, 1997. Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/cela/reports/mathisonlogic12004.pdf
Professional Learning Development (PLD) courses can cost the earth. Not only the cost of the course, but it can cost your school money in reliever costs or Teacher Only Days that need to be added to the school year. Educators and schools need to get smarter in how they look for PLD - especially when there is so much at their fingertips!
Virtually attending uLearn16 through Twitter
#ulearn16 and #notatulearn16 (5-7 October)
I've just spent a part of my day virtually attending #ulearn16. Unfortunately I could not attend in person, but through the power of Twitter I got to read attendees reactions and thoughts of the keynote speakers and some of the breakout sessions. As much as I'd rather be able to attend in person, the $828 registration + travel + accommodation was too much out of the budget for this year. Although I could never get the full content of the keynotes and breakout sessions, I can still participate in discussions and pose questions to those who are there. To me this is valuable PLD as I am constantly thinking critically about my own pedagogy and reflecting on my practice.
#edchatnz has been an invaluable source of PLD. The fortnightly discussions (Thursday 8:30pm NZT) are engaging and make you think deeply and critically about the topic. There are chats were I just read what others have to say, and other topics that I get really involved with. These chats are not ones where you walk away thinking, "I'm going to try that tomorrow with my class" - these are chats that will make you reflect and possibly change your way of thinking.
Facebook is another way to connect with other educators from around the world. I belong to a few different national and international teaching pages. What I have found through using Twitter and Facebook is that Facebook discussions generally are very practical, classroom/resource based discussions, whereas on Twitter there is a lot more questioning of thinking/pedagogy and reflective discussions. Both have there place. Meulhuish (2013) states that "just because one is sharing information in a social
network site does not mean that the comments one provides are theory driven
or particularly formative in ways that impact on practice" (p 38). This is true when resources or information is the only thing being shared. In my opinion, the educational twitter chats are where you are more likely to find PLD.
@paerata8
It has been a focus of mine in 2016 to get my students more connected. We have our own Twitter account (@paerata8) and each day one or two students tweet about something that they have done that day. We have also joined the Chapter Chat NZ discussions that occur each Friday at 10am. We read a number of chapters of a novel, complete a task - which is shared online - and answer a series of questions about the chapters. A large focus for my class has been to reply to and comment on other students' work. The joy and excitement of having someone comment on their task is immense, it gives their learning a sense of purpose.
Participating in a Chapter Chat NZ
twitter chat
I have the belief that it is important for educators to display positive digital behaviours for our students to see. Our students are being exposed to social media at a young age, it is important for them to create a positive digital footprint. I have been lucky enough to hear Kevin Honeycutt speak a few times. He promotes helping students to creative a positive online presence, and that educators need to allow their learners to explore new technologies in a safe environment.
To teachers that have yet to take the plunge and join conversations online, I sincerely urge you to get connected. It takes a little while to find your feet, but believe me, you won't regret it.
Online communities that I have found beneficial as an educator:
Twitter: #edchatnz, #ulearn16, #gafesummit, #edchat, #digitaledchat
Facebook: NZteachers(primary), Encouraging Teachers, Genius Hour/20% Time, MakerEdNZ
Websites: MindShift, edutopia, Edtalks, TED talks, VLN
References Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 05 October, 2016 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han.
In the last week of term 3, I had asked my class for quiet for further instructions by saying "Fingers on lips". This came from a TV programme I once watched, and I have a quiet chuckle to myself when my class follows the instruction (so far it has always worked). After I had given the instructions, one of my Year 6 boys came up to me and said it looked like the class was picking their noses. We both had a laugh, until I said, "If I asked you to do that, you probably would" to which he replied quietly, "Yeah, we probably would." Although it was a joke, it made us both stop and think...
Hall (2001) states that "teaching in school has long been considered a moral activity" and that teachers have the ability to influence young people (p 1). This brings up an interesting question - whose morals are teachers following? Every family, culture, nation has their own moral code that they follow, so in the day-to-day running of a classroom which morals do teachers follow?
In New Zealand, the Education Council has set up a Code of Ethics for all certificated teachers to follow. There are four fundamental principles that govern professional interactions of teachers:
Autonomy
Justice
Responsible care
Truth
Also, the Code of Ethics states four ways to apply these principles:
Commitment to learners
Commitment to parents/guardians and family/whanau
Commitment to society
Commitment to the profession
These guiding principles are there for teachers to use to remind themselves of what there commitments are. They can be used to help those who find themselves in an ethical dilemma, as the code states how the obligations can be fulfilled.
Ethical dilemmas are, by definition, full of conflicting thoughts and ideas. As an educator we are faced with a multitude of ethical dilemmas. We are in loco parentisto a large group of children. We have the responsibility not only to educate them in the content of the curriculum, but to educate them socially as well. This in itself becomes an ethical dilemma - should teachers be responsible for responsible for students social skills?
An ethical dilemma that most schools and educators are currently facing is how to educate students within an online world. Which sites are most appropriate? Should students be on YouTube? Should students be using social media?
It is important that teachers take in consideration parents/guardians opinions, but also the commitment to the learners in your class/school. This is a huge responsibility.
He aha te mea nui o te ao He tangata, he tangata, he tangata (Maori proverb)
A few years ago I travelled to see Uluru. It was breath-taking. What really interested me though was the short tour I was able to go on with a local Aboriginal guide. He spoke of the cultural significance of Uluru, told us the local legends of the area, and then he spoke about how he was working to put together a curriculum for schools to teach students about their local Aboriginal culture. That really knocked me for six - it was 2013 and there was no curriculum for learning about Aboriginal culture?
Not long after that trip, I met with my aunt who was visiting my parents. I was wearing a t-shirt with
the colours written in Maori (as seen on the right). When she asked me what it meant, I told her it was "the colour song" which she replied, "What song?"
This made me wonder if our curriculum was effective - were we really giving the Maori culture and language a fair go in our classrooms and in our society?
I teach at a small school that has predominantly Maori and Pasifika learners ( 57% and 36% respectively). It has been a focus of our school to make sure we are including our student's cultures and language into our everyday programmes, and to create relationships with our students, parents and whanau.
In his video, Russell Bishop spoke about the teachers who can make a difference for Maori learners. He spoke of teachers who have agency - teachers who understand themselves and are able to incorporate all of the necessary things to create a learning context where Maori students can bring themselves and their knowledge to the conversation, and reject deficit thinking/theorising. Russell Bishop also spoke about how these teachers are not enough by themselves, they need support from their schools and the government, they need professional development to be able to carry on their work. This is the type of teacher that I strive to be.
This year our school has begun working on the PB4L contract. Through this work, we have had to closely look at and discuss our school values, goals, and vision. What I believe has worked well so far on this project, is the inclusion of the students' thoughts and opinions. The students are becoming more involved in the process and what is happening around the school.
One way that we have found that makes students feel a sense of belonging is our House groups. We have four 'houses' that are made up from our student and teacher population. We foster a sense of whanaungatanga with these houses. Students are encouraged to participate for their house. Families are kept together in the same house, and older students are encouraged to look after the younger students in a familiar way. Over the past few years we have found that students have become more willing to help others, particularly those younger than them, in the playground - which I believe stems from the fostering of whanaungatanga. This system appears to be working well for us, however it is under constant review to see if it can be any more effective.
Another way we foster whanaungatanga is through collaborative learning. In the senior school this year we have started Robotics groups. Each group consists of students from Years 5 to 8. The interaction between the students is interesting to observe. When the groups began the older students tended to take over, however as time has past you can see most groups working effectively together with age not being a barrier.
It is my belief that all teachers have a responsibility to include culturally responsive pedagogy into their everyday teaching practice. Our students have an amazing amount of knowledge to share with us and each other. It is important that they have the chance to share that knowledge and have it valued.
I read a quote in the Education Review Office (2014) report that made me mad.
"New Zealand prides itself on its child-centred approach to learning, yet ERO's national evaluations would suggest that practice is not matching rhetoric." (p13)
At first I was furious! How dare they say that. But after time to think, and read a bit more, I understood what they meant - data (National Standards/NCEA) is becoming more important to some schools than the students and what they need to learn. How can this be changed? What can we, as classroom teachers or school leaders, do?
MacGyver: The Maker Movement personified
The Maker Movement is an innovative approach to learning, with roots in the learning theories of constructivism and constructionism. Globally, educators are turning to this approach to learning in order to incorporate all areas of the curriculum and 21st century skills/key competencies. The Maker Movement "values human passion, capability, and the ability to make things happen and solve problems anywhere, anytime" (Martinez and Stager, 2014 p13). The student, or maker, is the centre of this approach. The Maker construct their knowledge as they create artifacts that have real-world value. This knowledge construction is done in both formal or informal settings, with adults and children working together. Classrooms that "celebrate the process of design and making...produce students who start to believe they can solve any problem" (Martinez & Stager, 2014 p13). This brings the student back to the centre of the learning focus.
Through my own experience of using a Maker approach with my Year 5 and 6 students, I have seen my students become more collaborative, more able to solve their own problems. Students who did not previously choose to work together (unless made to) are now having discussions about how to use equipment and what they think could work better. Students are talking to each other more, asking each other for help rather than expecting me (the teacher) to just give them the answer. Now when I say that I don't know something I'm always told "Well have you tried looking it up yet Miss?" My students are beginning to come to the realisation that they
can make their own knowledge, they don't need to rely on me to give them what they need to know - but they know that I'm there to back them up and help them if they get stuck.
Educators have the responsibility to help our students navigate the changes in how the education system works for them. Our students have the challenge of not knowing exactly what jobs/occupations will be available to them when they leave the education system in 10-15 years. I believe that by embracing the Maker Movement in our schools, our students will be more prepared for the unknown - they will be problem solvers, they will be able to collaborate effectively with others, they will be able to manage themselves appropriately for the situation. By embracing the Maker Movement the future will be less uncertain than it would be otherwise, our students will be prepared for the unexpected. Our students will be like MacGyver.
