Week 32 Activity 8: Changes in my practice

Well it has been fun to look back over some photos and notes from our first few weeks on the course which seem so long ago. I am relieved to be on my final assessment and pushing the submit button for the final time but I will also be a bit deflated without something new to ponder, try, talk about and learn each week.

I must admit I was most attracted to the ‘technology’ part of this post grad certificate but I think I gained a lot more in the areas of pedagogy, ethics, contemporary education theories, and developing my teaching craft.

I have three books full of notes and a blog for the first 16 weeks, then a blog for the last 8 weeks. I am looking forward to getting my evenings back but will miss the many hours of reading ‘peer reviewed articles’, reading amazing blogs of other Mindlabees,  watching videos, thinking, interacting and reflecting.

Two key changes in my research informed practice in relation to the Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC).

“Reflective practice is viewed as a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development.” Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993) p2

This year is the first time that I have been writing a blog frequently and I hope it is now a habit that I can continue. I think it is really helpful as a reflective tool especially when I am aware of ‘uncomfortable moments’ in my teaching or it helps me to make notes of what has helped or hindered the learning during my day.

Criterion 7: Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.

This year the Mindlab course allowed us to experience working in collaboration- for discussion, tasks, challenges and online.  As a result I have been incorporating more collaborative learning tasks in my teaching. I should not have been surpised at the difference in student engagement and enjoyment of working together in class. I am still learning how to give enough structure to get students started but not too much that they won’t devise strategies and approaches for themselves. These collaborative tasks have also led to more innovation and ideas that were way bigger than I could have thought of.

As a result of my research I discovered that mixed ability groups were very beneficial. Previously I would tend to group students by their level of ability in my subject. Students have been learning various roles in their groups and communicating in ways that are inclusive and encouraging. My challenge next year is to build this further so that students are happy to write comments and post feedback for their peers.

Criterion 11: Analyse and appropriately use assessment and information, which has been gathered formally and informally.

Amongst my readings this year I came across Hattie’s ‘Make learning visible’ and this has struck me as one of the biggest changes I can make in my classroom. Whether it is through Padlet notes, Kahoot quizzes, Seesaw posts, or peer sharing, I see that my encouragement of student voice and desiring to see their learning is motivating and provides that supportive learning environment.

Traditionally I used topic tests and assessments to gather information but this year I have used much broader ways of gathering that information to feed forward in my teacher inquiry cycle and adjust the learning.

Share your next dream regarding your future professional development.

 My goal is to always seek out new knowledge, approaches and understanding, and to put this into practice. I aim to remain a learner and I will continue to innovate with digital tools.

I aim to use the knowledge that I have gained, and will gain in the future to always offer the best opportunities that I am able to offer for the students I teach and staff through PD. I feel that I have a way to go to plan learning programs that enable my students to flourish in the 21^st century but that is what I will be focussing on next year.

After that I will be missing the reading and research too much and may look to go on and study for e my Masters. Thanks to the awesome team at Mindlab and wonderful peers for your encouragement and conversations.

References

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators.California.Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 7th May, 2015 fromhttp://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files.

Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/

Week 31 Activity 7: My interdisciplinary connection map

Week 31 Activity 7: My interdisciplinary connection map

 1. Identifying your current and potential interdisciplinary connections.

 2: Select one of the potential interdisciplinary connections from your map as your near future goal

One potential interdisciplinary connection that I would like to explore more involves English/ICT/Mathematics.

Our Junior students explore designing nets for 3D objects. It is cool to use stop-motion technology to show the flat card folding together into a 3D object as if by magic. Students would be challenged to develop a storyline and in collaborative groups create a short stop-motion video which uses one or more of the 3D folded objects.

For the planning all 3 teachers (English/ICT/Mathematics) would have to get together and decide the space and materials needed, the project criteria and time frame.

Benefits of interdisciplinary practice:

-Team work, portfolios and inquiry learning gives students more of a sense of personal growth

-Students are more involved in their learning. There are more innovation opportunities.

-Students see life through many perspectives. Real world knowledge is connected and multi-faceted.

-Any disciplinary field is enriched and inspired by ideas and methods from other fields

-Learning can be hindered when it remains in silos

-With cooperative real world problem solving learners are developing as meaningful members of the community

-Students have greater opportunity to make decisions, think critically and creatively, and synthesize knowledge beyond the disciplines

-Learners gain a better overall grasp of global connections, along with the development of multiple perspectives

Challenges of interdisciplinary practice

 “The other potential problem is what Jacobs (1989) calls the 'potpourri problem' where courses become a sampling of a little bit of this and a little bit of that without an overall, coherent structure or scope. The general consensus is that the choice of a theme or activity should promote "progress towards significant educational goals, not merely because it cuts across subject-matter lines” Mathison and Freeman (1997)

- Teachers and students can be isolated from the core of their field and be focussed on the fringes.

-As a teacher of Mathematics I find it a vast and wonderful subject which doesn’t always need to be artificially incorporated into a ‘real life’ problem or combined in an inter-disciplinary event. Mathematics can be enjoyed for the power and elegance of doing Mathematics.

- With languages, grammar and spelling must be drilled and likewise in Mathematics, time needs to be spent practicing basic algebra and number skills without creating extra non-mathematical difficulties.

- There is a challenge to coordinate the classes, maintain student engagement, coordinate groups when students are absent or involved with co-curricular activities, be fair to students’ workload, cover the standards sufficiently and have tasks that meet the criteria for Achieve to Excellence.

Overall lessons take more time and collaboration to create but students and teachers advance in critical thinking, communication and creativity. There needs to be a balance between deep and shallow tasks. Students need to acquire basic skills as well as be able to dig deeper and apply the knowledge in authentic interdisciplinary problem solving.

References

Jones, C.(2009). Interdisciplinary approach - Advantages, disadvantages, and the future benefits of interdisciplinary studies. ESSAI7 (26), 76-81.

Los Angeles County Office of Edu (2014, Oct 24). Interdisciplinary Learning [video file].

Mathison,S.,& Freeman, M.(1997). The logic of interdisciplinary studies. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, 1997. 

Week 30 Activity 6: Using social online networks

Week 30: Using social online networks in teaching and professional development

Online social networks are “socially constructed spaces that allow members to create and collaborate in groups using semi-permanent comments” (Melhuish,2013, p26)

 People are able to develop an online persona or internet identity where they reveal varying amounts of personal information about themselves. In some cases a person can choose to be anonymous or use a pseudonym and in some cases be deceptive as to who they are.

Key features of social media that are beneficial for teaching and learning

Social media like Instagram and to a lesser extent Facebook are already used by students. They would naturally expect to communicate with one another via social media. Students can use it anywhere and anytime and geographical boundaries are overcome.

Social media is always being updated so real time information sharing can take place. Links to calendar events and invitations to events are commonplace.

It is fast, easy, and free. It is intuitive to use and immediate because it is top of mind for students and a natural way to connect with peers.

Potential challenges that teachers need to be aware of when integrating social networking platforms into teaching activities

My biggest hesitation in using a social networking platform in high school classes (Year 9-11) has been distraction. I think that the engaging content and social communication would be very challenging to compete with and students would be tempted to multitask.  I think there are similar platforms for posting content, which allow feedback and collaboration such as Edmodo and Seesaw. 

In a physical classroom the teacher is able to hear the discussions and conversations taking place but with social media it is difficult to always keep track of what is being communicated and ensure that it is a safe environment for all students. It is important that security settings are appropriate and cyber safety discussions have taken place.

Addressing the challenges

The TKI site provides some good resources on digital citizenship

 http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Digital-citizenship

The Pond also has a lot of resources
Another great site for lesson plans and videos is www.esafety.gov.au

Check out the following video:

Facebook has been blocked on our school internet server so I rely on students interacting on subject websites, Seesaw app for posting and commenting, and Google Classroom for commenting and giving feedback.

I would like to use Google Communities more with my students as I think it is an easy platform to post material and interact with others. It would work well at our school because all students have a Google log in.

Social Media and professional development

Personally I find a ‘NZ Maths teachers’ Facebook page very helpful for professional development. Mostly I like the immediacy of the notifications such as changes in the marking schedule for NCEA or links to conferences and resources. For actual changes to my practice and reflective conversations I would use face to face discussions with colleagues.

Diagram showing various activities in a professional social media group (Melhuish,2013) p63.

 Benefits of social media for professional development include:

·        sharing ideas and resources across multiple communities, connecting with peers

·        reflecting on one’s own practice in one’s own context

·        growth of professional identity and leadership

·        enhanced technical skills, digital literacy and connections

·        flexible co-constructive approach

·        traditional pd was determined by HOD or school leadership and constrained by budgets and other priorities

             Concerns when using social media for professional development

                     “It is crucial, however, to bear in mind that collaboration, connection and conversation                        online only provide pre-conditions for effective professional learning” (Melhuish,     2013, p5).

·        Online professional development requires a self-managing disposition, some technology skills, and a willingness to participate and contribute ie less lurking and more participating

·        A key ‘hook’ for many teachers in the studies was the exchange of resources which is helpful but not necessarily supportive of enhancing teacher practice

·        Just because one is sharing information on a social network site does not mean that the comments are theory-driven

·        “Learning, driven by the urgent ‘just in time’ desires of teachers does not have the same impact as sustained professional learning with clear outcomes, driven by evidence and inquiry. Informal learning may provide an enabler to impact on teacher practice, but it may not have long term influence on student achievement“ (Melhuish, 2013, p35).

  

We do not have a social media platform for professional development at our school but I think it would be very helpful for engaging staff and having conversations, links, and academic articles that are posted and we interact within our school environment. 

It would also mean we could spend less time in physical staff meetings. There are many teachers who are doing post-graduate study and it would be great to have a place for them to share ideas and trends that we could discuss and reflect on.

References

Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. 

Week 29 Activity 5: Ethics with Screenagers

 Legal and ethical contexts in my digital practice

Screenagers

In the last month Education Minister Hekia Parata announced that the Government was looking at students being able to do their schooling entirely online. The internet affords our students huge opportunities but we also have a responsibility to help our students become responsible digital citizens

In our school (BYOD) students have access to most of the internet but social media sites like Facebook have been blocked. I understand that this is primarily to stop it being a distraction to students while they are at school. Of course students with phones using 3G still access their Facebook account at school but most students have internet at home and access Facebook then.

My problem is a group of students I frequently find on the library computers when I am on duty and they are accessing Facebook through a proxy server (although quickly change screens if approached). I know these students don’t have phones and don’t have computers and wifi in their homes. So far I have let it slide, but I am uncomfortable with this situation and would like some resolution.

The reason I have not taken action is because it is lunchtime as opposed to being in class time, and mostly because the students don’t have the same access to the internet outside of school hours. Also I realise that Facebook is not pornography but a social media site.

The reason I do need to take action is because it is against school rules to access blocked sites on school computers and as a teacher I need to stand by those rules. If I am making exceptions, my relationship with students and other staff will be compromised. Other students will see it as unfairness that I am not following school rules. Also the students may be using Facebook in a way that is not responsible and either have negative consequences themselves or end up hurting others.

What could I do?

The codes that I need to consider as an educator would be the NZ Code of Ethics for Certified Teachers which states that

“The professional interactions of teachers are governed by four fundamental principles:

Autonomy to treat people with rights that are to be honoured and defended. Justice to share power and prevent the abuse of power. Responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others. Truth to be honest with others and self."

I could also consider the Connecticut Code of Professional Responsibility for Educators which states that “Teachers must respect and uphold the dignity and worth of students as individual human beings, and, therefore, deal justly and considerately with students”

Up to this point I have had a short conversation with the students reinforcing that they should be responsible digital citizens and not go on proxy servers.

I think first off I should have a conversation with the librarian as these students are frequently on the library computers. In future I would also tell the students that I am making a behaviour note to their Dean so that they know there is a consequence and hopefully deter them from this action. The school policy for continued defiance would be to remove their internet access but this would seriously hamper their classroom learning.

I could also ask myself “What would happen if everyone did this?” If this school rule is disregarded by students and teachers then other school rules would also be disregarded and school would no longer be an emotionally and physically safe and healthy learning environment for all students.

Inequity is probably the bigger issue so a more positive outcome would actually be to help these students have their own devices where they could access social media at home.  The problem would be that they still shouldn’t access Facebook in school time and probably can’t afford 3G on a device. It would be best for me to talk to their house Dean’s and discuss their family situations to see if there are ways we can help.

In this ethical situation general rules of conduct and consistency across the school are important principles, but also to consider solving deeper issues of inequity would be best practice.

References

Connecticut’s Teacher Education and Mentoring Program. (2012). Ethical and Professional Dilemmas for Educators: Facilitator’s Guide.

Education Council. (n.d). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certficated Teachers. 

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.