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:

http://evepodcasts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CHANGES.jpg
https://s-media-cache ak0.pinimg.com/736x/0d/eb/29/0deb29d186f9e27c68c1822d3334a994.jpg