The coogle above shows the
professional connections I have made in my teaching career. According to Mathison and
Freeman (1997p.12), ‘an interdisciplinary
approach always consciously combines two or more disciplines It has clear
objectives that include both critical-thinking skills and in-depth
content’. 'Students and teachers'
concerns and ideas, transcend the disciplines in search for coherence and
meaning, and is built through daily negotiations and interactions’ (p 13). This statement reflects my relationships with
my professional connections and how at times I am teacher, and at others, student.
Choose two
professional connections you have in your map.
Evaluate their impact on your practice and professional community.
NAPP
PLG Group:
The impact that this group has had on my practice is
large. This group helped me to develop
knowledge, insights, and a self-confidence in my strengths as a leader. They helped me to overcome my preconceived
ideas on leadership by challenging my ideas, presenting ideas from a variety of
perspectives.
Within this large group four of us set up a ‘study
group’ where we would meet to discuss the readings and the assignments we were
required to do. We still meet as a group
where we discuss issues that come up in both professional and personal
life. As we have created an environment
of trust, these people are in the true sense ‘critical friends’.
The impact the large NAPP group had on the
professional community was that I was more aware of the skills of a 21st
century leader and reflected on how I was leading. This in turn changed my professional
practice, as it made me change some of my understandings and behaviours. This change in my behaviour did not go
forward in a straight line, as David Wiley (2001, April 6) spoke about; it was
a ‘remix’ and ‘mashup’ of the skills I already had.
The impact of our smaller group has been one of being
confident to raise concerns and ask questions knowing that I will be given
professional guidance, and when discussing issues they sometimes agree with the
solutions I come up with, but at other times they come up with more
constructive ideas
MindLab Group:
This is the second professional connection I feel has
had a great impact on my teaching practice.
The impact this group has had is that they have turned my teaching and
learning pedagogy upside down. It has
made me aware how many educators are still using an industrial model in a time
of rapid change, when students face uncertainty on what will confront them in
the near future.
My connections with this group on a weekly basis meant
we were able to discuss new ideas and provocations. As there were teachers from different
educational environments we were able to collaborate, make connections and have
insights, so that we were able to integrate our perspectives into a unified
framework. This provided us with an
insight on how to apply our new knowledge, so our teaching was effective in
providing the tools to become 21st learners in our learning
community.
The impact this group has had on my practice is that
they have made me think more deeply about, and critically reflect on, my
practice and thinking. Their combined
knowledge and enthusiasm for eLearning and pedagogical knowledge on 21st
century teaching and learning has made me realise that, in small pockets of
schools around Wellington, there are students who will be able to confidently
take their place in the connected societies of the 21st century.
Deneme, S. and
Ada, S. (2012). On applying the interdisciplinary approach in primary schools. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences Volume 46,
2012Retrieved from
http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877042812013468/1-s2.0-S1877042812013468-main.pdf
Goldsmith,
A.H., Hamilton, D., Hornsby, K. & Wells, D. (nd). Why
teach with an interdisciplinary approach?
Retrieved from http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/interdisciplinary/why.html
Mtison, S. & Freeman,M., (1997)., The logic
of interdisciplinary studies. Retrieved
from http://www.albany.edu/cela/reports/mathisonlogic12004.pdf
Images:
Blogs.ibo.org
http://library.gwu.edu/
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