Activity 8-Week 32

Changes in Practice. 

The Mind Lab Postgraduate Course in Digital & Collaborative Learning (Applied Practice) was an experience that I won't forget. There were many highs and lows for me, but in the end I feel I came out the other end better for it. I learned how to be more confident in my abilities as a teacher and that I am not the only one who is wondering about whether they are doing right by their students.  The first significant experience I had on the course was attempting the first assignment by myself and to add to the stress, I had to deal with videoing myself talking about using technology in the classroom, when I was having trouble myself with how to edit. 

This was way out of my comfort zone and it was great to take a leap into the unknown.   

Prior to the Mind Lab, I had never really thought about my practice in the classroom. I wasn't sure if I was teaching the right concepts for my Year 9-10 Maths classes and didn't realise whether I was catering to the needs of individuals or not, I didn't know there were words such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for what I already did in the class.   Doing the course has enabled me to grow my teaching practice while working with others, as I know now; this is known as "collaboration".  I have learned more about my colleagues, how they work, how I work with others and to know there are other teachers out there with the knowledge and know how. 

"When teachers engage collaboratively in the teaching as inquiry cycle they are continually checking whether what they are doing is achieving the learning they intended for students". Ministry of Education. (August, 2014)

I found that weeks 25-32 when I had to reflect in a blog was at first a little bit daunting as I don't really reflect in this way, usually it is writing on my plans and seeing where do I go to next? What didn't work and what did. This blogging thing was new to me in that I guess it got me to think about my teaching using the topics provided and link this to research. Critical reflection involves asking questions about assumptions and practices which I have taken for granted. In relation to the Practicing Teacher Criteria in e-learning  the four main criteria are what I feel I do within my classroom. 

• Criterion 4 : Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.
• Criterion 6 : Conceptualise, plan, and implement an appropriate learning programme.
• Criterion 7 : Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.
• Criterion 8 : Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn.

Obviously Mindlab has helped me develop criteria 7,  for the past 7 years I have taught solely and had to find my way through the dark, but it has encouraged me to look at myself as an educator and realise that I am doing right by my students and I now how a clearer picture of where I am heading to.  

My next goal is to develop my Te Reo Maori to help support the students that I teach, being that I am at a Kura Kaupapa. 

References:

Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Practising-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning
Ministry of Education. (August, 2014). Report of the professional learning and development advisory group. Retrieved from:

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Initiatives/PLDAdvisoryGroupReport.pdf

images:

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Activity 7-Week 31

My interdisciplinary connection map 

One of my current interdisciplinary connections involve working with teachers from other departments to create interdisciplinary learning experience for the students. I teach Science/Maths for Years 9-13 and work alongside all of the teachers within the school.

As mentioned in my previous blog, my school uses Te Aho Matua as the foundation for the teaching and learning that takes place. Currently this term we are following Te Ira Tangata, where the student develops physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing, an awareness of his or her individual uniqueness and knowledge and respect for him or herself and others. There are a list of criteria that students should have or be gaining knowledge in the following:

• The student is enthusiastic about learning in a nurturing environment based on traditional Māori values, beliefs and concepts. 

• The student values his or her identity, is self-confident and displays positive self-esteem.

• The student is physically, spiritually and emotionally confident.

• The student accepts and respects gender difference.

• The student is caring, considerate and cooperative.

• The student is focused on and accepts responsibility for learning. 

An example from Physical Education is working as a team, obviously playing sports with each other, English they are learning about the difference in gender in History; Woman's rights to vote, Science is the brain and how we have emotions and what makes us the way we are as individuals and Maths is working as a group and being able to communicate how we achieved out answers.
I found the video on Interdisciplinary Learning was exactly what we are doing as a school. In this video it talks about the core subjects all teaching the same theme, but using their own subject-specific language and skill set.  At our school the students see the connections between subjects clearly and this is evident in the video as well. 

One of the potential interdisciplinary connections from my map as my near future goal is working with the Community, especially the caregivers or parents of the students who attend this school. 

According to the Video Interdisciplinarity and Innovation Education, "not being an expert in all these fields is an advantage." For my teaching, I know I am not an expert at everything. I know I have skills and others have theirs. We live in a rural community and when I teach something new,  I don't teach something because I know it 100%, I teach it, because I know the students will have some enjoyment from it. I like to look for the practical side of the subject. So finding people in the community who have the skills or knowledge to help support the teaching and learning  within the class would be an advantage for me, especially the practical side of the subject. 

 “A Conceptual Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration” post talks about communication which is essential to collaboration. I feel that without communication you cannot work together as one, you cannot find common goals or find out who has particular strengths in particular areas. The question I want to ask, is how do I find out who in the community has the necessary skills and the confidence to be in front of a group of students?

References :

ACRLog. (2015). A Conceptual Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Retrieved from http://acrlog.org/2015/05/14/a-conceptual-model-for-interdisciplinary-collaboration

American Association of Colleges of Nursing.(2016). Interdisciplinary Education and Practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/interdisciplinary-education-and-practice

Berg-Weger, M., &. Schneider, F. D. (1998). Interdisciplinary collaboration in social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 34, 97-107. 

Hardré, P. L., Ling, C., Shehab, R. L., Nanny, M. A., Nollert, M. U., Refai, H., ... & Wollega, E. D. (2013). Teachers in an Interdisciplinary Learning Community Engaging, Integrating, and Strengthening K-12 Education. Journal of Teacher Education, 64(5), 409-425.

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

ThomasMcDonaghGroup. ( 2011, May 13). Interdisciplinarity and Innovation Education.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDdNzftkIpA

Activity 6-Week 30

Using social online networks in teaching and professional development 

Technology has moved from the good old chalk and blackboard to the use of white boards, to smart boards and projectors to computers. Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and as schools start to come to grips with the ever changing ways we do things within the classroom, we are always looking for new ideas to enhance the teaching and learning within our class. 

"In New Zealand and internationally there is widespread interest in the use of technologies to enhance learning in schools and the debate has extended to include the way educators also use technologies to support their own professional learning". Melhuish (2013). 

Some of the ways teachers are using technology is the use of social media, we know that the majority of our students have a social media account and access it everyday. Some of the reports I have written during my Mind-lab course have looked at the use of social media and whether it enhances teaching and learning. I haven't looked at whether it enhances professional development. However, since joining up on google + into the Mind-lab community, this has benefitted me, in that I can ask  or answer questions of people who are educators who understand and have knowledge of teaching. This type of social media has helped me with my professional development as previously I only had my colleagues to ask for feedback, now I have thousands of people who have the answers or have other ways to do the same thing.

For me social media was really used for personal use, and thats how I thought it was used for. Over the years I have been a teacher, I have started to use social media in my teaching, such as making a subject page and inviting the students to join. This page contains links to other sites which I use if they were absent and missed the lesson. The students can also ask questions and post comments on items as well. to help them with their work. The benefits are students are regularly updated on what is happening in the class and it is a forum to ask questions if they can't within the class. 

Upon reading the survey in Seaman et al, I do see that in my faculty, social media has a place, however, now that I am at a school where students do not have regular access to a computer or internet at home, then I am tending to not utilise social media in my teaching practice.           "Many faculty use social media sites for both personal and professional reasons, and a somewhat smaller proportion also believe that social media sites have a place within their courses. There is an interesting age pattern among the 41 percent of teaching faculty who report “monthly or more frequent” social media use in their classes". Seaman et al. (2013)

I think social media does have its benefits for teaching and professional development, it is just how we utilise this method of technology that will either make it great ,or make it fail. 

References 

Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrived on 05 May, 2015 from https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/8482/thesis.pdf?sequence=3

Seaman, J., & Tinti-Kane, H. (2013). Social media for teaching and learning. Babson Survey Research Group. Retrieved from http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/social-media-for-teaching-and-learning-2013-report.pdf

Image: Seaman, J., & Tinti-Kane, H. (2013). Social media for teaching and learning. Babson Survey Research Group page 13. Retrieved from http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/social-media-for-teaching-and-learning-2013-report.pdf

Activity 5-Week 29

Legal and ethical contexts in my digital practice

"Education is changing. Digital technologies are everywhere and they are impacting what, where, how and why students learn, and who they learn from. Many schools are using digital technologies like the internet, laptops and tablets to quickly, easily and cost-effectively connect students with the huge range of digital services and resources. However, the many benefits of learning with digital technologies are accompanied by some challenges and potential risks for students and schools. These ‘digital challenges’ are real and present a dilemma to schools seeking to use digital technology to enhance student learning". NZ Education Council’s Code of Ethics.(2015).

An Ethical dilemma that I would like to identify is the use of social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat to name a few. When I was at school in the 90s, the internet had arrived as dial up and obviously social networks weren't even heard of, you caught up with old friends with a phone call or as you passed them on the street, we still took photos using camera film, and who knew the big cell phone sitting on the bench as "a fad" would soon be used as a mini computer. 
Technology is forever developing and the amount of people using social media is unbelievable. 
"Social media has greatly impacted the educational community – including teachers, administrators, students and their families.  A new generation is growing up with social networks as an integral part of life.  Personal information that was once considered private is increasingly being shared online.  The public sharing of information obscures the normal boundaries between teacher and student and teacher and colleagues.  Young teachers are especially vulnerable to the consequences of putting out personal information and pictures that may implicate them morally and professionally.  In the same way that email and texting communications between educators and students may result in the crossing of the bounds of appropriate relationships, educators must also understand the dangers of social network sites in contributing to this as well". Connecticut’s Teacher Education and Mentoring Program. (2012).

Being "friends" on social media is an ethical dilemma teachers may face. I constantly get asked by the younger teenage students if I am on Facebook, and most have searched for me and sent me friend requests.  Now I am not embarrassed by anything on my page, but I have issues with students knowing me on a more personal level, so I just tell them that I don't accept friend requests until later, the later being when they have graduated at Year 13. I also do not initiate friend requests from past students. 

Now if I was to answer every friend request or send them myself to every student I teach, the possible issues that this might raise could be that student-teacher boundaries may get blurred, the Code of Ethics must always be taken into consideration, as with our level of professionalism.  As teachers, to keep ourselves safe, we must always be aware and informed of the implications of social media as outlined in Professionalism and the Use of Social Media.
The students are my priority and I have the role of taking responsibility for my actions and being professional at all times. I want to have a student-teacher relationship that is respectful and does not step over "boundaries".
To prevent this, I set my Facebook account so that only friends can see posts and photos so that my life is private and separate from my school life. 

REFERENCES: 

Connecticut’s Teacher Education and Mentoring Program. (2012). Ethical and Professional Dilemmas for Educators: Facilitator’s Guide. Retrieved from http://www.ctteam.org/df/resources/Module5_Manual.pdf

Education Council. (n.d). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Managing-and-supporting-students/DigitalTechnologySafeAndResponsibleUseInSchs.pdf

Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers

Professionalism and the use of social media. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://www.education.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/current-students/facilities-and-resources/social-media-guidelines.html

Images: https://storyful.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Facebook-create.png

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Activity 4-Week 28

Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural responsiveness in my practice. 

"The major challenges facing education in New Zealand today are the continuing social, economic and political disparities within our nation, primarily between the descendants of the European colonisers (Pakeha) and the Indigenous Maori people". Bishop et al (2009).

There is evidence to say that Maori spend less time at school than that of their Pakeha counterparts, either because they have a poor attendance rate, have poor behaviour in class which prevents them from learning. They also tend to choose subjects that are more practical such as cooking, PE, Art or trades than academic subjects such as Maths, Science, Accounting to name a few. Due to Maori not having as good of an education than other cultures, they tend to be unemployed or if they do get employment then on average the jobs they do get, are minimum wage. According to research, " Māori student achievement levels are low, and they are overrepresented in lower track and in special education programs for behavioural issues. Māori are more likely than other students to leave school early with fewer formal qualifications and are less likely to enrol in university-level education (Bishop et al., 2009).

I work in a Kura Kaupapa Māori, which enrol students who identify as Maori and who can speak fluent Te Reo Maori. A Kura Kaupapa Māori is a Māori language immersion school, which is grounded in Māori customs and traditions. They cater to the needs and expectations of Māori for their children’s education. The foundation and driving force of this kura is a document called Te Aho Matua. This document contains all of  the principles by which Kura Kaupapa Māori identify themselves as a unified group, who are committed to a unique schooling system which they regard as being vital to the education of their children. Te Aho Matua provides policy guidelines for parents, teachers and Boards of Trustees in their respective roles and responsibilities (Education Review Office/Te Rūnanga Nui, 2008).

So the question; "How does the school ensure its vision, mission and core values reflect cultural responsiveness?" Because the foundation of our school is Te Aho Matua, this helps us cater to all the cultural needs of the students. 
The document has 6 topics: TE IRA TANGATA: this focuses on the nature of humankind, and more particularly on the nature of the child. 
TE REO: is about language policy and how Kura Kaupapa Māori can best advance the language learning of their children. 
NGÄ IWI: this focuses all those people with whom the student interact as they make sense of their world and find their rightful place within it. 
TE AO :this focuses on the world which surrounds children and which there are fundamental truths which affect their lives. 
AHUATANGA AKO: Taken altogether, the perception of children being central in an ever expanding world of experience which is accessed through the people with whom they associate and language, the implications for the curriculum become evident. 
TE TINO UARATANGA: focuses on what the outcome might be for children who graduate from Kura Kaupapa Māori. 

What I think our school needs improvement on is, "How do the school curriculum and resources reflect content from a variety of cultures and ethnic groups?" This is an important question, as I feel we are not exposing the students to anything else except Māori. We have Māori themed work and link lessons to being Māori, but when they leave us, the question is, are they culturally responsive?

References

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742.

Horomia, P, (2008). OFFICAL VERSION OF TE AHO MATUA O NGA KURA KAUPAPA MĀORI AND AN EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH. 

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Image: 
http://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/cover-Evaluation-indicators-in-Te-Aho-Matua-Kura-Kaupapa-Maori.JPG

Activity 3-Week 27

Contemporary Issues or Trends in New Zealand

One contemporary issue that is relevant to my position is the "child-centred approach to learning". This captivates my attention in that my school tries to do this all of the time. We talk about doing things that the students want in each subject and relate it to more practical aspects so that the students can be engaged, but because time is against us and the students need "x" amount of credits to gain their NCEA qualification, then we start to revert back to the norm. I find that we don't base the curriculum on the interests of the students because there is no time to cater the standards for everyones needs, especially when a student is interested in fencing and another fashion design, but we are learning maths. 

 The Education Review (2012) mentions students have simply been forgotten amongst the daily business of “delivering” education, including meeting the requirements of NCEA. 

A curriculum that does not take account of students‟ prior learning places them at even greater risk of failure and disengagement from school. 

The issue for me and how I teach is that if I had more knowledge of how to tailor the assessment standards to the needs of the students, then I would. I am not sure if I do modify one, then I wont be covering all of the aspects of what is expected. I am sure if I took the time to modify all of the ten standards that I teach and made approximately twelve different versions of each standard, then this would be great. The reality however is time and the lack of it, what I try to do is do little activities around the standard that have some relevance and hopefully the students have learned and enjoyed the topic. 

The National Intelligence Council states that “Individual empowerment will accelerate owing to poverty reduction, growth of the global middle class, greater educational attainment, widespread use of new communications and manufacturing technologies, and health-care advances” (NIC, 2012, p.ii)

That means that if we give students more opportunity to learn about what they are interested in, then this will give them the more ownership and students would be more engaged in the lessons. It would also mean that we empower individuals who have an understanding of when they participate or not, then this impacts both themselves, and the people and environments that they are interacting with.

I think as teachers we need to manipulate and take the time to develop achievement standards that are tailored to the students needs and interests. The education system, and our classrooms, need to prepare learners for all of the possibilities for their future, as we move forward in the 21st century. The question is how do we do this?

References

Education Review Office. (2012). Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools. Retrieved 18 May 2016, from http://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Evaluation-at-a-Glance-Priority-Learners-in-New-Zealand-Schools-August-2012.pdf

National Intelligence Council. (2012). Global trends: Alternative Worlds. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://globaltrends2030.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/global-trends-2030-november2012.pdf

Image:
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Activity 2-Week 26

Socio-economic Factors, School culture and professional environment.  

What is School Climate? It is very important and is unique to every school. It is the way it "feels" when you walk in through the gate, do you feel welcomed? does it feel happy? Is it safe? It's about relationships you have with the students, co-workers and family. It is also about the teaching and learning within the school.

A sustainable, positive school climate is about having values and expectations that support people's feelings; so that they feel socially, emotionally and physically safe. At our school our values are Aroha-love and respect for ourselves and others, Toa ki te Takaro-Playing nicely, Tangatanga te Reo-Speaking Maori, Ngakau Mahaki-Having a good heart and being humble, Hinengaro Koi-Using our mind -and Puku mahi-working hard. 

and doing your best. The schools Climate is focused on having people that are engaged and respected, where students, families and educators work together to develop, live and contribute to a shared school vision. It is when each person contributes to the operations of the school and the care of the physical environment.

Freiburg (2005) States "School climate is much like the air we breathe— it tends to go unnoticed until something is seriously wrong". The school I work at, has a welcoming whanau/student culture as that is our main focus and what we regard as the most important framework for keeping a school together. 

Stoll (1998) states that "Culture is the “glue” that holds everyone together, and can be seen as a positive development force".

What is School Culture? It is what encompasses all the attitudes, expected behaviours and values that impact how the school operates.
Schein (1985) considers the basic essence of an organisation’s culture to be, “the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously, and that define in a basic ‘taken-for-granted’ fashion an organisation’s view of itself and its environment”.

Te Kotahitanga and Te Aho Matua are two examples of how our School uses a framework to respond to cultural awareness. Our School is a Kura Kaupapa and these two documents are what set our school apart from others. We have 100% Maori students who attend from all over the district from as far as Waihau Bay to Ruatoria on the East Coast of New Zealand. We have a roll of 147 students which range from the ages of 2-18 years. 

According to Stoll (1998) "A school's culture is shaped by its history, context and the people in it. The school's age can impact on cultural change" 

Our school has a lot of history. It was originally a mainstream school until it was closed by the Ministry back in 2001, I went to this school, my Dad and grandmother as well.  So, as a teacher now I see how the culture of the school has changed in that time, a lot different to what I remember it was, as I was seeing it through the eyes of a student. 

The professional environment of the school is welcoming, busy and positive. There is evidence of collegiality and a wide-spread sense of shared moral support and collective duty to upholding our culture for the benefit of ourselves, students and their achievement. 

Our school has a unique culture where the real essence of each person’s individual contribution is heard, seen and felt.

References

Stoll, L. (1998) School Cuture.  School of improvement Network's bulletin, No. 9, Autumn.

 

What is school culture and climate? [video file].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-_NvhlcusQ



Freiberg, H. Jerome. School Climate : Measuring, Improving and Sustaining Healthy Learning Environments. London, US: Routledge, 2005. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 2 February 2017.



Image:

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