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 21st
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
Kia ora Ngaio,
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for sharing your reflections. I too can understand the cross-over into our personal lives as we unconsciously (and consciously) apply more 21st century skills. Now that you say this, I can see how my personal life has benefited so much too. At times it has caused much frustration and conflict! Haha, but I have changed for the better. A life changing experience eh? Go well, and enjoy your next adventures Ngaio.
This is an awesome post! I too have seen how taking theoretical concepts, designing activities so that I can implement them in real life, observing how the "experiment" works out and reflecting aligns with the Experiential Learning Experience. I have enjoyed this Mindlab journey so much as it has opened my eyes to the range of things I can do in my classroom to help improve student achievement and given me a drive to rise to the challenge of doing so.
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