Changes in my Practice

Kia Ora Koutou

At the beginning of my learning journey I was excited to 'catch up' with the many other teachers fortunate to be in schools that have 'growth mindsets'. For the last few years I have been in schools that have not embraced preparing learners for today but have been locked into preparing students for the 1980's or even earlier! Dr Heidi Hayes Jacob's (an expert on curriculum and an educator of 40 years) opens her conversation on TED talk with a question that asks school leaders, 'What year are you preparing today's learners for?'

Had I not been involved with this learning journey I am on, I would not have even considered that this is what in fact many schools in New Zealand are currently doing when planning and delivering learning albeit within modern learning environments. Sometimes the push is not from leaders but parents.

21st Century Furniture

Digitally I am not native but I am certainly willing to immigrate towards being immersed in today's society and learn the language young people speak so fluently.  As an educator, I know what it is like to be a learner and the journey of transferring knowledge, experience and skills to be successful in the 21st century.  I read about how it is not the furniture that makes the classroom 21st century but what happens on the furniture (Ramsey, 2017).

Criteria 9: Respond effectively to the diverse and cultural experiences and the varied strengths, interests, and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga.

This learning journey has helped me develop confidence as a leader when sharing new learning with colleagues, parents and students. Many of my colleagues have embraced the change because I have been able to provide evidence through the readings, you tube clips, and the shifts made within my own teaching practice.

• Criteria 5: Show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning. Professional knowledge in practice

Supporting and being supported by colleagues to explore digital tools successfully has unexpectedly empowered the whole school staff to 'have a go' at new technological challenges. This in turn has enabled us (the staff) to develop 21st century skills (David Parsons) without realising it!

• collaboration
• knowledge construction
• self-regulation
• real-world problem-solving and innovation
• the use of ICT for learning
• skilled communication

Criteria 7: Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment

Interestingly, while learning to construct new learning we (the teachers) were embracing innovative learning which would (unbeknown to us) change our attitudes towards how we innovate our own individual teaching practice. Some colleagues began exploring using various digital devices and apps within their own teaching practice. The responses in the staff room were, 'Wow! I can't believe how engaged my students are', 'Wow! I don't have to motivate the students to reflect on their learning in the morning. They just use the app, and post their reflection', 'Wow! I can't believe how engaged our parents/whanau are in communicating through social media'.

Criteria 1: Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all ākonga.

• Criteria 2: Demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of ākonga.
• Criteria 3: Demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

The literacy review not only 'opened my colleagues eyes', but also mine when we discovered through evidence based research that Maori achievement could be raised through digital learning because digital learning 'fosters' the social interaction that Maori value (Raukawa, Gabolinscy & Dickson, 2017).

• Criteria 2: Demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of ākonga.
• Criteria 3: Demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa / New Zealand.
• Criteria 10: Work effectively within the bicultural context of Aotearoa NZ

Although the course I embarked on is coming to an end, my learning journey has not. I intend to continue on this life-long journey of learning and development of skills to continually prepare me (and my students/learners) for not only the future but also for now.  There is one other skill I would also teach that is not listed though, and that is the skill of discernment. To discern what is real, what is false or fake, what is safe and what is not, but that's the next reflective blog post.

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

References

Phil Ramsey (2017)  In the Moment. (Interlead's founding director)

David Parsons 21st century skills. Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Future-focused-learning/Teaching-for-21st-century-learners

Raukawa, C., Gabolinscy, R., Dickson, S. (2017) Literacy Review: What impact does digital learning have on Maori achievement.