Reflective Entry - Activity 8: Discussion of the changes in practice.

You know when…I first found out about this Mindlab course I thought Yeeeah! That’s me I want to go.  I want to learn new skills to help me be a better teacher! 

Then I realised the course was in Gisborne (concrete experience). I thought well if I really wanted to do this I’ve got to drive over an hour to get there and return late at night then go to work (another 35minute drive) the next day and repeat this till the course is finished (observation and analysis).  Then I thought well I’ll need to write a letter to the Principal with all the information of the course and see if this will be accepted and go from there (Abstract reconceptualization).  What I set out to do didn’t go as planned, as a matter of fact it turned out far better.

It turned out that the Mindlab course started at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou, right next door to the school I was teaching at in Ruatoria (Active experimentation).  A few staff members also joined with me and when we arrived, there were teachers from Maori Medium and Mainstream schools from all around the Tairawhiti area from Kawakawa to Tokomaru Bay.  I was excited, happy and thankful that I had joined as a Learner. 

This illustration of an experiential learning cycle from Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R. (1993), gives an indication of the experiences we go through as learners.  I experienced this cycle over the duration of the course, the learning curbs, and implementation practices in the classroom.  Overall, I have become more self-aware of my own practices and more reflective on my experiences in and outside of the classroom. 

Not only have I noticed my practice change in my personal life but also my public life.  I work more collaboratively with people at home, at work and within the community.  I research more, use 21^st Century skills more, look for solutions to problems more, want students, whanau and community voice more, facilitate more and much more.

For the most part I have learnt so much, that without a doubt I will continue learning as experiences come my way and as time goes by.  The following comparison model by Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R. (1993) shows contrasting approaches to Professional Development.  In brief, this illustration reflects the changes I have made to my practice going from a Traditional Model transforming to a Reflective Practice model of professional development.  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Team at Mindlab for helping me through my professional development transformation.  Especially, Tim Gander who took the time to do a round trip from Gisborne to Ruatoria to facilitate the first part of our course. Thank You for your help and support and Many Blessings to you all.  

   

Source:

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

Reflective Entry - Activity 7: My interdisciplinary connection map

You know when...you connect with people who have the knowledge that you don't have yet can help and support you, or someone you know get a break through - it's a wonderful experience to witness.

• Who may you have the interdisciplinary connection with? 

In the next few days I will be meeting with Mental Health professionals, Educational Psychologists and whanau with the student for the first time.  This wrap around service ensures that the student and equally important the whanau in need are helped and supported. It also allows the support services to meet and work collaboratively in the one place at the same time to support the whanau too.

• How might the joint planning, decision-making, and goal-setting take place? 

A collaborative action plan will be discussed over a few meetings and the what type of action, by whom and when strategies will be discussed and implemented.  Obtaining student and whanau voice will be at the top of the list for clarification, pre-data, post-data, feedback/feed forward alongside data and observation.  Strategies will be put in place to add, monitor, adjust, repeat and evaluate to help the needs of the student and whanau.  Setting smart goals and monitoring and evaluating these will also help gauge how this student and whanau are going over the next few weeks and months.

  

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.

Reflective Entry - Activity 6: Using social online networks in teaching and/or professional development

You know when…social network sites like Bebo and Myspace came out in early 2000, it was the biggest phenomenon of the time.  The students that I taught then couldn’t get enough of these sites - well more like they taught me what Bebo did and what a social network site was.  Since then I’ve come to realise that it is more about connecting with others and the sites are the platforms for which we can do so.  Despite the rise and fall of Bebo, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, connection with others in my opinion is the most significant link to the use of social online network sites.  

   

Elana Lioni (2013) says “it’s the number one necessary thing to be a 21^st century educator, is to be connected.”  For one thing, this will support existing social networks and at the same time help the people who are searching to connect, based upon their same interests and activities.  By the same token, people can connect based upon their shared language and cultural, religious and political viewpoints.  Furthermore, people can view, access, share and communicate new information via blogging, photos, videos, smartphone connectivity.  Melhuish, K. (2013), shares that “System components, such as groups and forum threads, can enable collaboration, connectivity, openness and information sharing, as well as providing platforms to generate new knowledge, co-ordinate resources and participation, and access diverse perspectives.”

In contrast, “social network sites were also criticised for the lack of quality control, poorly thought through ideas, issues related to privacy, identity, message control and management of information overflow” (Greenhow, 2011 Social Network Sites Journal Article). This also becomes an issue in and out of school, which can cause conflicts in relationships in the social networks and communities we connect with too.  To help with the emergence of unsafe social online practices, the Ministry of Education put out a ‘digital technology; safe and responsible use in school’s guide’ to help students, educators and whanau to be cyber safe and to use digital etiquette responsibly.

In a word until you know when, “just because one is sharing information in a social network site does not mean that the comments one provides are theory-driven or particularly formative in ways that impact on practice,” (McLoughlin & Lee, 2010 Social Network Sites Journal Article).

Resources:

p36-44 in Chapter 3 of Melhuish, K. (2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 05 May, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/8482/thesis.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Managing-and-supporting-students/DigitalTechnologySafeAndResponsibleUseInSchs.pdf

Source:Office of Ed Tech. (2013, Sep 18). Connected Educators. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=216&v=K4Vd4JP_DB8

Journal Article

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

boyd d, Ellison N, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

2007 vol: 13 (1) pp: 210-230

Reflective Entry - Activity 5: Legal and ethical contexts in my digital practice

You know when…it comes to digital technology the benefits are massive.  On the other hand, the possible digital challenges, risks and issues for education facilities, staff and their learners across all spectrum's can be enormous and costly.   

The Digital Technology safe and responsible use in schools Guide, states that ‘these digital challenges are real and present a dilemma to schools seeking to use digital technology to enhance student learning.’   The Ministry of Education also mention and recommend the following:

Equally important is to ensure the online safety of all staff as well. 

In my opinion, the digital footprints of both student and teacher reflect not only upon ourselves, but upon our whanau, school and the communities we belong to.  Under those circumstances, as a teacher it is important to remember the professional ethics we signed up to when we entered the education field, as a safety net both online and offline… to help me not get out of line. 

By the same token the students and whanau require education in cyber safe practices as well.  School digital technology policies need to be reviewed and updated regularly because as soon as we learn to use a device, app or software another one is created.  

Students are savvy and sometimes more computer savvy then teachers. Having students input in creating new policies to help with the safe and responsible use of digital technology, can be a humongous benefit.  I hope this has been of some help until next time, you know when…

Resources:

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Managing-and-supporting-students/DigitalTechnologySafeAndResponsibleUseInSchs.pdf

Reflective Entry - Activity 4: Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice.

You know when…I heard Professor Russell Bishop say ‘We term it caring and learning relationships. It’s not just holding hands and singing nice songs to one another…’ I thought Yeeah! Tautoko! Just what I wanted to hear and say! In my opinion regardless of what ethnic cultural background you come from or indigenous peoples you are, having a caring attitude in my books is one of the most useful resources you can use.

In the same fashion, Bishop mentions that agentic teachers care for Maori students and they care about their learning. They care about the knowledge they have and acknowledge that they have knowledge. They also have high expectations of their students and can manage their classrooms well in the way they manage them.

Another key point he shares is that the agentic teacher cooperates and collaborates with Maori students. By the same token, allowing a space for Maori to be Maori and to share their viewpoint, knowing that they are being heard, have time to talk and participate and being included into discussions. Under those circumstances, we see an inclusive caring nature as a learner among learners.

Interacting by providing feedback and feed-forward with learners helps students to break through to the next level of learning regardless of their ethnic background. It also helps the teacher to adjust, edit, add or repeat the program they have in place for their students. They care about what is happening in the classroom by the same token it is relationship centered.

I am sure that if we used this model or even just one of Bishop’s indicators of an agentic teacher we may even see an agentic student. Wow, what a difference that would make toward the deficit theory and closing the gaps. Take care out there until you know when…

 Resources: Source:

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994 Cowie, B., Otrel-Cass, K., Glynn, T., & Kara, H., et al.(2011).

Culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment in primary science classrooms: Whakamana tamariki. Wellington: Teaching Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9268_cowie-summaryreport.pdf

Reflective Entry - Activity 3: Contemporary trends or issues in New Zealand or internationally.

You know when…you were at school did you have a computer? I didn’t. Computers were not really heard of till I had left school. The trend was to have a colour Television and If you had a colour Television in your house you were well off.

If you had electricity in your house you were considered fortunate. When you were on the phone so were two or three other people talking at the same time. It was a party line. You would pick up the phone and then ask the operator to put you through to the people you wanted to talk with.

I used a pencil and paper and I learnt how to type at school on a manual typewriter, and took typing as a subject. It was trendier though to be able to use the electric typewriter. I also sat typing for the school certificate exams at the end of the year, and all you would hear were the keys clicking onto the ribbon and black or red text would appear on the paper. Yet I was happy with coloured pencils and felt tip pens. Oh, how things have changed.

Thirty or so years later, the trend now is digital technology. There are computers in every school and nearly every class. There are laptops, ipads, ipods, iphones wherever there is connectivity, there’s a device. TV screens have gotten bigger and bigger and smarter and 3D and are like computers too.

Phones look like TV’s, videos and can type text messages. You can see people’s faces on the screen and you can talk to one person or several people at the same time. You can even talk to people on your watch.

 Digital communication is still the trend because it helps connect people locally, nationally and internationally across the world. It has made connectivity easier through devices like the computer and smartphones, although you could still use the home landline. It has also helped connect your classroom with other classrooms in the country and even to a virtual classroom from your own home. You can even study from the comforts of your own home.

What does the future hold in the next thirty years? I do not know I only hope I’m alive, healthy and well. In addition to my well-being I think about the well-being of the next generations. In August 2012, an ERO report evaluated students with high needs in primary and secondary schools. It highlighted what the leaders and teachers typically did to help these students. I hope we’re still caring for our students regardless of the next technology boom and that these inclusive practices are still around in the future.

 “As well as caring about these students, the leaders and teachers typically:
• advocated strongly for the needs of students
• focused on adapting school systems, programmes and resources to meet the needs of the students
• were innovative in how they responded to students‟ learning needs
• had experience in working with students with diverse needs
• resourced programmes through creative problem solving
• worked effectively as teams
• had good practices in communicating with external agencies, families and whānau
• used information about students‟ strengths, interests and needs to develop and review programmes for students
• supported students well to manage transitions within and beyond the school.”

Resources:
 Evaluation-at-a-Glance-Priority-Learners-in-New-Zealand-Schools-August-2012.pdf

Reflective Entry - Activity 2: Socioeconomic factors, school culture and professional environments

You know when… you’ve resided in an area for quite some time as a teacher and now you can quote the decile number of the surrounding schools.  I am currently an RTLB in cluster 21 from Potaka to Mohaka.  Majority of the schools I work in are decile 1 rural schools.  According to the education.govt.nz website, “decile 1 schools are the 10% of schools with the highest proportion of students from low socio-economic communities.”

They also mention that deciles are based on 5 socio-economic indicators for a community.  These indicators look at the following areas:

• Percentage of households with income in the lowest 20% nationally.
• Percentage of employed parents in the lowest skill level occupational groups.
• Household crowding.
• Percentage of parents with no educational qualifications.
• Percentage of parents receiving income support benefits.

However, regardless of the socio-economic gauges the schools I work in strive to do the best they can, with the best they have in the best possible way they know how and try to improve on them as well. They utilise a localised contextual curriculum that reflects the hapu, iwi, history, stories of people who have made significant contributions to society, of their maunga, awa, marae which are all pertinent to one’s identity and whakapapa.  This manifests through waiata, haka, sports, art, Maori performing arts, music, marae gatherings, local hui, in schools and more.

In my opinion there are pockets of gold in every school I’ve been to, despite the decile number, gender, race mix or religious association and I think that some of those wonderful nuggets, have been passed down through the generations from even before my time.  However, there are still the issues of isolation and having to travel to the closest city for sports tournaments, resources, other options of study, work and professional opportunities.

The professional environment has a pool that changes as new information comes to the fore and grows as people continue to learn.  People contribute and engage in different ways with their knowledge and in different environments.  Each school has their strengths and weaknesses and for me it’s about sharing both, and collaborating with other schools through agile leadership which is ‘inclusive, democratic who exhibit a greater openness to ideas and innovations. With a passion for learning, a focus on developing people, and a strong ability to define and communicate a desired vision, they possess all of the tools necessary to successfully inspire others and become an agent for change within any organisation…’

In addition to agile leadership I also support Stoll’s (1998) article in which Stoll and Fink (cited in Stoll, 1998) identified 10 influencing cultural norms of school improvement.

‘Norms of Improving Schools

1. Shared goals—“we know where we’re going”

2. Responsibility for success—“we must succeed”

3. Collegiality—“we’re working on this together”

4. Continuous improvement—“we can get better”

5. Lifelong learning—“learning is for everyone”

6. Risk taking—“we learn by trying something new”

7. Support—“there’s always someone there to help”

8. Mutual respect—“everyone has something to offer”

9. Openness—“we can discuss our differences”

10. Celebration and humour—“we feel good about ourselves” Stoll and Fink (1996).

The norms are interconnected and feed off each other. They do not just represent a snapshot of an effective school. They focus on fundamental issues of how people relate to and value each other.’  I think this is a model that can be referred to as often as needed, to prompt conversation, guidance, direction and improvement.

References: 

Education.govt.nz, (2016) School Deciles. Retrieved from http://www.education.govt.nz/school/running-a-school/resourcing/operational-funding/school-decile-ratings

Stoll. (1998). School Culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9.Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved fromhttp://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Understanding-school-cultures/School-Culture

 file:///C:/Users/ngaio/Downloads/stoll_article_set3_2000%20(1).pdf

Reflective Entry - Activity 1: My Community of Practice

You know when...you start a new role at a new school and there is just so much to learn like the names of the staff, the names of the students, the support staff’s names, the admin staff’s names, where the kitchen is, where the wharepaku are, where do I get the stationery from? How do I book things? What time do we start? What time do we finish? Where do we park? Where is the staffroom? What are the bell times? Where's the meeting place in case of an emergency drill? On top of all of that you are still learning what it is you must do first. 

Well that is where I am now in my teaching career after being over a decade in the classroom. I am two weeks into my new role as a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) in Cluster 21 from Mohaka to Potaka.  I am thoroughly enjoying my community of practice as a newbie and learning all over again – learning never ceases by the way it is forever.  Just in case you want to know more about the RTLB service and how to access it you can find more information from the tki website. 

Community - My community I consider to be in is the national RTLB service which works collaboratively with schools and educators to find solutions to support the needs of students in Years 1-10 with learning and/or behaviour difficulties.

Layers in the RTLB community - There are 40 RTLB clusters nationally, from the Far North to Southland. Each cluster has a lead school, lead school principal and a cluster manager. Each cluster also has a team of RTLB, specialist itinerant teachers.

Practice – RTLB work in a cluster or team. The work of the team, and workload of RTLB, is managed by the cluster manager. RTLB support students with learning and behaviour difficulties in the cluster who meet the set criteria. They do this through:

·         networking

·         school policy developmentworking with kaiako to meet needs in the classroom

·         initiatives such as peer reading

·         individual needs, for example Individual Education Plans (IEP).

When working in kura or secondary school settings, RTLB meet the learning and behaviour needs of students through negotiation with a range of people. These may include:

·         the class kaiako

·         Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCO)

·         parents

·         whanau

What are the issues that we face – According to a senior RTLB colleague, she has found that communication and time can be a difficulty when not all supportive networks of the child or the whanau and/or the wrap around services are unable to come together at the one time to action or discuss how to support the child further.  As for me, there is just so much to read, action and remember that my thoughts and reflections are filled up with mainly learning my new role now which I’m sure will change overtime.  So take care out there until my next blog you know when...

Knox, B. (2009, December 4).Cultivating Communities of Practice: Making Them Grow.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhMPRZnRFkk

Wenger, E.(2000).Communities of practice and social learning systems.Organization,7(2), 225-246.

http://rtlb.tki.org.nz/The-RTLB-service/The-RTLB-service