Activity 10 Summarising your Postgraduate learning journey and your planning for the futues

Reflect on your personal 32 week learning journey through the whole postgraduate programme

I cannot believe that we are coming to the end of this learning journey; the first couple of weeks I wondered what I had let myself in for.

The first sixteen weeks to me were the most valuable.  I enjoyed the collegiality of course members, the collaboration and co-operation, the provocations during discussions, the agreements and the disagreements, hearing the views of people with differing personal backgrounds, experiences, and from different stages in the seamless education system.

The second sixteen weeks, which were online, were the toughest, having to stay focused and remembering to do my online reading.  I missed the ability to discuss what I had read with others and get their views.

Overall, in this course I went through stages of elation, anger, frustration, and loneliness.

Reflect on the 12 practising teacher criteria in e-learning and reflect on three of them

Criteria 4:   Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.

The Mind Lab course has provided me with the opportunity to make a number of face to face connections and make a number of online connections with others through social media tools such as Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.  These connections have discussed ideas, given support, shared resources and given advice which has enabled me to grow professionally.

It has also provided me with readings and links to online videos that have enabled me to be self-directed in my learning and reflective in my practice, so I can decide what best practice is for those in my school community.

Criteria 5:  Show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning.

I have been an assistant principal for a number of years and thought I knew what was my leadership style was, but that was about to change. Mind Lab through LDC assignment 1 made me reflect on my current leadership style and question its effectiveness.  This was achieved through researching different leadership models and relate the key aspects to my practice; doing this enabled me to see that my present style was not as collaborative as I thought, and see if there were other models that were more collaborative.

Criteria 12:  Use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in their professional practice.

Mind Lab through LDC assignment 2 and R&C assignment 2 have made me analyse and critically evaluate my leadership practice, with professional literature to reflect on and enhance my practice.  I found out  a lot about myself as a leader through this process; I can articulate why I lead in the manner that I do, and show how using a transformational leader using a coaching style leads to effective learning for all in the learning community.

Plan and justify two main goals for your future developments

Criteria 4:  Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.

I am looking forward to our school moving towards a BYOC environment.  This will enable me to continue to develop and ingrain the collaborative and digital practices from the Mind Lab.  Through social media I hope to continue interacting with other course members.

Criteria 6:  Conceptualise, plan, and implement an appropriate learning programme

To ensure that our students become future focused learners, as teachers we need to critically analyse our current teaching pedagogy and use of new technologies.  By doing this we will ensure that we are able to move from passive to collaborative forms of learning and teaching.  Once we have made the move we need to be able to give sound professional reasons to our community for the change.

Ministry of Education (n.d.). Practising Teacher Criteria and e-learning / Professional learning / enabling e-Learning - enabling eLearning.  Retrieved 5 March 2016, from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Practising-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning

Osterman, K.F. & Kottkamp, R.B. (1993).  Reflective practice for educators: improving schooling though professional development.  Corwin Press Inc: California.  Retrieved from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf

Images

www.psychguides

Activity 9: Evaluation of cultural responsiveness in practice

Share your own views on your indigenous knowledge and culturally responsive pedagogy

Indigenous knowledge as described by Warren (1991, cited in Worldbank, para 2, n.d.) is ‘the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society’.  Flavier et al (1995, cited in Worldbank, para 3, n.d.) describe indigenous knowledge as ‘the information base for a society'.

Tauli-Corpuz (2012) outlines how indigenous knowledge is being lost, as scientists feel this knowledge does not have the rigour required for it to be taken seriously.  She suggests that scientist should take notice of indigenous people’s knowledge, as evidence shows that modern systems underpinned by science are not sustaining our ecological systems whereas indigenous systems were, and in some cases are, sustaining today's eco-systems.

In New Zealand our indigenous knowledge can be viewed as Tikanga Māori.  Tikanga is based on experience and learning that has been handed down through generations; it is also rooted in logic and common sense (University of Otago, n.d.).  It permeates through all aspects of life and sets how people act in all situations of daily life.

To ensure that indigenous knowledge is recognised within a school environment, schools need to use a culturally responsive pedagogy.  A culturally responsive pedagogy is defined as ‘a student-centred approach to teaching, in which the students' unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student achievement and a sense of well-being about the student's cultural place in the world' (Lynch, 2011).

A culturally responsive pedagogy ensures there are equitable learning outcomes to guarantee academic success and respect for students.  In a culturally responsive classroom, positive relationships are built on ‘non deficit thinking’; Bishop & Berryman (2009) call this ‘agentic thinking’ (p29).  In this environment student’s self-esteem is boosted and they are motivated to learn as the school and home are culturally comparable.  They work collaboratively and co-operatively together, are able to elaborate their ideas by bringing their experiences and knowledge to the task and where they receive feedback and feedforward.

How does your school address cultural responsiveness in practice?

At our school we have made addressing cultural responsiveness one of our strategic goals; we are into our second year of the goal.  To enable us to achieve our goals we have developed an education plan, ‘Māori enjoying success as Māori: Māori learners achieving academic success while maintaining and enhancing their identity, language and culture’ (Paraparaumu Beach School, 2015).

Our strategic goal is ‘for all Māori students to realise their potential and achieve to the best of their ability, while creating a strong sense of self’ (Paraparaumu Beach School, 2015).  We wrote micro goals that we as a school community are working towards, using 'Tātaiako and Kotahitanga –effective teacher profile' as our guides. These are:

•     build and sustain strong and effective school/whanau, school/akonga and school/iwi links to raise akonga achievement.
•    māori akonga will achieve academic success through culturally appropriate and responsive contexts for learning
•    māori akonga will have their identity, language and culture maintained, enhanced and reflected in their learning environment

Examples of what we have done well in regards to our goals:

•    engaging with the community                                                                                             - informal, e.g. school picnic, school hangi,                                                    - formal, e.g. reporting evenings, whānau group, local marae visit
•    planning and implementing programmes of learning which accelerate the progress of Māori learners by using strategies that engage them and caters for their needs

Examples of what we can improve on in regards to our goals:

• actively using local Māori contexts to support Māori learners learning
• facilitating the participation of whānau and local iwi with knowledge of local tikanga, history and language to come and support classroom teaching and learning programmes

Bevan-Brown, J., Berryman, M., Hickey, H., Macfarlane, S., Smiler, K., & Walker, T. (2015). Working with Māori children with special education needs: he mahi whakahirahira. Wellington: NZCER Press

Bishop, R., & Berryman, M. (2009). The Te Kotahitanga effective teaching profile. SET: Research Information for Teachers, 2, 27–34.  Retrieved from http://www.nzcer.org.nz/system/files/set2009_2_027.pdf

Lynch, M. (2011).  What is culturally responsive pedagogy? Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/culturally-responsive-pedagogy_b_1147364.html

Paraparaumu Beach School, (2015). Māori education plan.  Retrieved from pbs.school.nz

Tauli-Corpuz. V. (1 October, 2012).  Climate change mitigation with local communities and indigenous peoples. [Video]

University of Otago (n.d.). Māori at Otago.  Retrieved from http://maori.otago.ac.nz/reo-tikanga-treaty/tikanga/societal-lore

Images:

marykim@aol.com

Activity 8 Legal contexts and digital identities

Identify an ethical dilemma in your own practice linked to digital or online access or activity.

How would you address the potential issue if it occurred in your own practice?

As teachers, we are guided in our practice by our code of ethics.  The overarching principle of the code of ethics is ‘teachers certificated to practice in New Zealand are committed to the attainment of the highest standards of professional service in the promotion of learning by those they teach, mindful of the learner's ability, cultural background, ‘gender, age or stage of development….’  

Although the code of ethics is governed by four fundamental principles, the one I am drawn to is ‘responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others’ (Education Council, nd).

When looking deeper at this document I was drawn in by section one, titled 'Commitment to Learners'.  In this section it outlines how important it is that, as teachers, we nurture learners to ‘think and act with developing independence’ (Teachers Council, nd), and to ‘promote the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing of learners’ (Teachers Council, nd).

These points lend themselves to a perennial dilemma for schools; how to keep your students safe when they have digital online access.  As we are aware, the face of education is changing and students have access to digital devices everywhere, anywhere and at any time.

The rate new technologies are being adopted is accelerating, and these changes mean that the concept of internet safety has changed in a short time.  Internet safety has moved from protecting people and organisations to giving people the skills, knowledge and confidence to be cybersafe.  Cybersafety policies have moved from listing forbidden behaviours to outlining a person’s responsibility and accountability.

To address this dilemma, it is important that we develop a cybersafe learning environment by having robust policies in place to address cyberbullying.

 One problem we face when trying to address cyberbullying is that students often don't tell adults they are being cyberbullied for two reasons. Firstly, they are concerned about the reaction of their peers when they find out they have spoken to an adult.  Secondly, they may be concerned that their family may overreact and make the situation worse.

Therefore, we will need to make sure that all students know how to be a responsible online digital citizen, how to be safe online and manage issues when they arise (Social Media for Kids, 2014).  The values and key competencies students need so they can be digital citizens draws from those described in the New Zealand curriculum document.

We also need to inform students that cyberbullying is a covert form of bullying because it works in secret.  The person who is cyberbullying them is doing it to harm them in some way, and trying to undermine their social standing with their peers.

From here we need to identify with students what cyberbullying can be, but not restricted to, for:

•  writing mean things about a person
•  spreading rumours about a person
•  ignoring a person online
• ostracising a person online
• inviting others to social events online
• developing a secret code/language and using this to talk to others online

(Australian Government, n.d., NetSafe, n.d.).

Once students have identified what cyberbullying is, it then becomes very important to teach them about how to stay safe online. This can be achieved through a mix of formal teaching programmes, teachable moments and modelling the correct behaviours.

Finally, students need to sign a digitrust agreement, outlining their responsibilities as a digital citizen and what the consequences will be when they contravene the agreement.  Parents also need to sign the agreement to show they understand what we are trying to achieve as a school, and to support us if an issue arises which involves their child.

Australian Government (n.d.). Cybersafety for teachers.  Retrieved from https://esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/esafety-issues/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-information-for-teachers

Education Council. (n.d.). The Education Council code of ethics for certificated teachers.  Retrieved from http://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-ethics-certificated-teachers-0

Netsafe (n.d.).  The netsafe kit for schools.  Retrieved from https://www.netsafe.org.nz/the-netsafe-kit-for-schools/

Social Media for Kids, (2014, Aug 15). Social media for kids®.  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2rOekhi20E

 Images

https://esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/esafety-issues/cyberbullying

http://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-ethics-certificated-teachers-0

Activity 7 Social Media in teaching and professional development

Just like technology, social media is progressing at an accelerated rate.  As this image shows, there is now a plethora of social media sites available.

What are some of the key features of social media that you have identified as being beneficial for teaching and learning?

The advantage of using social media in teaching and learning is that it is a tool to allow us is to prepare learners for successful 21st century living.  As outlined in the vision of the New Zealand Curriculum (2007, p8) ‘… every young New Zealander is a confident, connected, lifelong learner …’

 Also, most of our students are already using digital tools at home, so why should we ask them to power off when they come to school (Tvoparents, 2013)?  Social media allows the student to connect, collaborate, communicate and create naturally.

Finally, social media allows a sense of immediacy, that participation and feedback gives.  When students put work up and family comment on it, it strengthens family relationships and connectedness in the social media context, and allows learning to have a purpose (Wenmoth. nd).

What are potential challenges that teachers need to be aware of when integrating social networking platforms into teaching activities?

There are many potential challenges, the first being the issue of equity.  Before a school becomes a BYOD school, there needs to be discussion around how many devices the school will purchase to cover the situation of parents who are unable to afford devices, or for other reasons refuse to purchase one for their child.

The second issue has to do with online safety.  As Social Media for Kids® (2014) mentioned children need to learn how to keep themselves safe and maintain anonymity.  Also, they need to know what to do when confronted with self, community or school cyber bullying.

The final issue is another school issue, and that is the misuse and abuse of any portable devices.  We have a ‘kawa of care’ agreement that outlines to both parents and students what the outcomes will be if they are found breaking any points in agreement.

What social media platform do you feel best supports engagement with your professional development? Why?

For my professional development I use twitter, VLN, The Mindlab google+ community andFacebook.  I use these particular platforms as they are easily accessed and have New Zealand content.  There are groups and people I follow on twitter, as I find many of the tweets cause me to reflect and question my practice as both a leader and a teacher.

The VLN is a place to go to for professional development when I am unable to physically attend courses and workshops.  Once again, the groups I belong to have likeminded people and the discussions are valuable.

How would you use social media to enhance your professional development?

The using of social media is gaining importance in the education sphere; an example of this is an Education Council website devoted to educating teachers about social media.  On this website they say, ‘as a member of the profession you should seek and respond to opportunities to share knowledge and discuss concerns.’

To enhance my professional development I would use twitter.  I can connect with those involved in education to build up my personal learning network.  I can get links to articles, resources and other material about any aspect of education.  I can collaborate, ask questions, seek advice and reply to others' tweets. I can collaborate with people in New Zealand and in other places around the world.

Education Council. (n.d.). Teachers and social media.  Retrieved from http://teachersandsocialmedia.co.nz/

Ministry of Education (20017).  The New Zealand curriculum. Retrieved from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum

Seaman, J. (2013). Social media for teaching and learning. Pearson Learning: Boston. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com/assets/downloads/reports/social-media-for-teaching-and-learning-2013-report.pdf#view=FitH,0

Social Media for Kids, (2014, Aug 15). Social media for kids®.  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2rOekhi20E

Tevoparents, (2013, May21). Using social media in the classroom.  [Video file].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZStaz8Rno

Wenmoth, D. (n.d.) Benefits of social media. [Video file].  Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49216518

Images

www.slideshare.net

http://teachersandsocialmedia.co.nz/

www.edudemic.com

Activity 6 Contempoarary issues or trends in New Zealand or internationally

After watching the videos, ‘Global trends: the world is changing faster than any other times in human history’ (Pearson, 2013) and ‘Future State 2030 - Global Megatrend’

(KMPG, 2014) the trends that stood out to me that are influencing education at this point in time are, Asian growth and rapidly changing technologies.

Issue 1: Asian Growth

These images (KMPG, 2013) show that Asia is one of the fastest growing regions and will impact on the face of society globally in the 21st century.  Asia will be important to New Zealand economically, politically, and socially, therefore it is important that students in New Zealand have opportunities to learn about Asia to ensure they are equipped to be successful in this changing environment.

 

‘By 2021, almost 15 per cent of New Zealanders will identify with an Asian ethnic group’ (TKI, n.d.).  Also, Asian culture is now an integral part of our culture, for example the food we eat and the festivals we celebrate.

From Asian Knowledge (TKI, n.d.) are some facts in regards to Asian population in New Zealand:

•  By 2021, Asian children will make up 17% of all New Zealand children. 
• One in five people in Auckland now identify with one or more Asian ethnic groups.
• Our population is becoming more multilingual.
• There are more than 32 Asian communities living in New Zealand.

To ensure students have the required 21^st century knowledge and skills so they can become active and positive members of this changing community, our school needs to develop Asian awareness through our teaching and learning programmes.  This can be achieved through the key competencies and in the following learning areas; sciences, learning languages, and the arts where Asian contexts and content can be integrated into a range of topics.

Issue 2: Rapidly Changing Technology

This image shows that the rate new technologies are being adopted is accelerating.  Writers of ‘Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds’, consider the impact of new technologies as a ‘game changer’ (pp ii).

Further to this image the following two show the impact that digital technologies are having on our global communities.

The impact of technology is expanding on an increasing number of fronts in this decade, no more so than in the access to the internet, the number of technological devices and the access to these that households have.  

This image illustrates this (Singh n.d.).

As teachers we are aware that digital technologies play an increasing role in shaping 21^st century teaching and learning, and that the educational success a student achieves is linked with their engagement.  Digital technologies can engage students, their whānau and communities in learning.

The issue for our school is that with technology changing rapidly there is constant pressure to keep up with trends, and as our school’s operating grant is limited we cannot change our software or hardware regularly nor provide enough devices for a class, let alone one for every student.

One solution to this is becoming a BYOD school, but even this solution has issues.  Firstly, equity; we will still have to provide a device for those children whose parents cannot or will not provide one.

Secondly, the wide range of device types and brands used by the students.  Our school network needs to be able to cope with, and support, all these devices as well as the existing school-owned equipment.  Also some devices do not have the minimum hardware and software specifications required to run the applications we use, not to mention the android/ios debate

Finally, other costs, for example the updating of desktop computers, power bills, security and storage.

KMPG. (2014, May 22)  ‘Future State 2030 - Global Megatrend’.  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im5SwtapHl8

Ministry of Education, (nd). Asia Knowledge. Retrieved from http://asia-knowledge.tki.org.nz/

National Intelligence Council, (2013).  Global trends 2030: Alternative worlds.  Retrieved from https://info.publicintelligence.net/GlobalTrends2030.pdf

Pearson. (2013, April 6)  ‘Global trends: the world is changing faster than any other times in human history’ [Video file].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g

Singh, S. (nd). The new mega trends.  Retrieved from http://www.gilcommunity.com/docs/new-mega-trends-sarwant-singh-frost-sullivan/

Stevenson, C. (2014). BOYD in the 21^st century [Prezzie slides]. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/hxlvcjbelbea/byod-in-the-21st-century/

Wenmoth, D. (2014). BYOD in schools: Which device.  Retrieved from http://www.vln.school.nz/blog/view/821978/which-device

Images

Cd schools

KMPG

Pearson

Singh, S