Activity Five: Professional Connection Map

Activity Five: Professional Connection Map

Link to Image

Goals: 
Becoming fluent in the use of digital devices is an overarching goal for me personally this year. While creating my Professional Connections Map, and in fact completing the blogging assignments for the course, I have come to realise that my professional development and connectedness would be greatly enhanced if I continued to blog and comment and follow other educational professionals. So my first goal is to continue to blog and comment within the Ako Hiko Google+ Community, in particular, to build up connections with teachers that are in this cluster. My other goal is to attend Toolkit Workshops run by Ako Hiko and Manaiakalani twice a term, targeting new digital skills. This also allows me the opportunity to put faces to names and blogs I have interacted with online, and who are all new connections made in the last six months.

Interdisciplinary Environments
Moving into teaching a class that has 1:1 devices and an ILE environment later in the year lends itself to working in a more interdisciplinary environment. In Mathison and Freeman (1997) review on interdisciplinary approaches to curriculum delivery I was interested to read about the different layers, and how they look in a classroom setting, from those that involve relatively little risk to others that need huge systemic changes to curriculum delivery. My understanding from the article is that interdisciplinary teaching is when two or more disciplines are consciously brought together and taught simultaneously, keeping them distinct and in focus, but allowing for content to be co-ordinated and run along a connected theme.

 We have been talking about 21st Century skills frequently over the past nine months and it would seem the benefits from this style of delivery is that students gain skills that lie within this realm; the ability to adapt, to analyse and organise, and to interpret fast-paced multidimensional information. (Mathison & Freeman, 1997). When Inquiry learning brings together different disciplines and is cemented in real life themes or activities it provides more meaningful learning experiences and links students to the real world. They are not just learning abstract, arbitrary facts and strategies, but have a reason that is obvious to them for the learning they are doing. An example for me was students setting up small companies to fundraise for their school camp and then selling their products at a market day. There was some teacher direction and requirements and even direct teaching of content that would be needed, but students also needed to plan, collaborate and problem solve all manner of things to actually 'present' on the day. The experience was more hands on and required the students to make decisions, and then change direction if those decisions weren't right.
Other benefits to teaching this way, would be the sharing of strengths, ideas and subject matter with colleagues, the greater understanding of different disciplines and how they link together and the motivation of students who feel they have greater autonomy over their learning journey.

The challenges that arise I think are definitely around choosing themes or connections that promote the educational standards that are required and desired in students at the level I have. Also the ability to maintain the structure of learning and create balance between a general education and in-depth coverage of different disciplines. How do I decide what is important for students to know and do and what can be left out? As the teacher I would need to be flexible and explore ideas and ways of achieving goals that are different to what I may have done in the past, which I could find difficult to do.  Another challenge is answering to parents who are worried their children are not getting the basics and a traditional grounding like they did. Finally, knowing what level of ability to expect and how to evaluate if the task or activity has been successful also needs to be discussed and considered.

References:

Mathison, S. & Freeman, M. (1997). The Logic of Interdisciplinary Studies. Retrieved from
                https://app.themindlab.com/media/9266/view

Activity Four: Community of Practise

Activity Four: Community of Practise

"It is life itself that is the main learning event."   

                                                                                                 (Wenger-Trayner, 2015)

What is your specialist area of practice? How does your specialist area of practice relate to the broader professional context?

Cornwallis Beach 

While my job titles are Classroom Teacher, Syndicate Leader and school wide Sports Co-ordinator, I believe my specialist area of practise is the organiser, or motivator for others to organise, Education Outside the Classroom trips and events, as well as events within the school that are a collaboration between the different stakeholders in a school community. The quote above resonates deeply because I believe that life itself is the main learning event, and so often we plan ahead only to have those plans changed because of an idea or event that just happens and needs to take precedence if we want our students to have real life experiences and learning. My strength is in believing in creating extra-ordinary events, having the energy to run with new ideas and to motivate others to agree and run with them as well. In 2015 our entire school went on a school picnic to a local (30min drive) beach with an emphasis on the community coming too. Over 220 students swam, cleaned the beach, built sand sculptures and 'hung out' with their families. This is now an annual event on the school calendar. 

Victoria Park Auckland 

We also took the whole school to the Rugby World Cup celebratory parade in Victoria Park in Auckland after the All Blacks successfully defended the World Cup. 
For camp, I took my syndicate of Year 5 and 6 students to Mt Ruapehu for four days. Of the sixty students that attended only five had ever been to the snow or skied before. All the students learnt to ski or snowboard. 

Mt Ruapehu 

These events bring communities together, allow for many many people to be involved or participate in others being involved through fundraising, donations, discussions, organisation and prior learning of expectations. They allow for students to apply skills they are learning to real life situations: creating posters, developing fundraising ideas, being student leaders, acknowledging the efforts of others and applying new learning to assessment expectations. 
For me it is about facilitating interconnectedness and creating events that are remembered with pride by a community that might not have thought it possible. Events that can be stepping stones to other possibilities, created by other people. One of the issues that arose with the ski trip in particular, was that children from a low decile school, that needs to feed it's students breakfast, shouldn't be sending them on an expensive trip to a place that isn't relevant to their lives. This is a mind set that keeps children from striving for the 'top of the mountain', whatever that may be for them, and is a prejudice or classism that needs to challenged. All students should be given opportunities to 'test' themselves physically, mentally, socially and academically. 

What changes are occurring in the context of your profession? How do you think you or your community of practice should address them?

Image Source. http://akohiko.org/

In 2015 our principle signed our school into the Ako Hiko Cluster of schools; an outreach of the Manaiakalani Community in East Auckland. With this decision was the agreement to start up 1:1 digital classrooms in 2016. The pedagogy of Manaiakalani is Learn, Create, Share and puts the student at the centre of their own learning. There is an expectation that students will constantly reflect on how well they are doing in relation to the Learn Create Share pedagogy. And that they move toward visible and ubiquitous learning. All three classes in the senior syndicate are now digital with chromebooks the choice of device. Later in the year our three classes will be shifted into an ILE building that is in the process of being built. This is a huge change in the context of my profession and that of my syndicate. Planning and activities now need to be considered in this context. While the pedagogy is not knew to teaching or even our Inquiry based style of learning, the level at which students share in particular is different.  And again although our classes have worked together as a syndicate in the past the level of change and collaboration needed when in a shared space is at a new level. For this reason we have and think we should continue to work closely together, sharing and reflecting on how we are progressing on an almost daily basis. 

Class Site 

Over the holidays we created class websites together and had many discussions about how the year ahead might look. Class websites are the anchor place for all student learning. From these sites students create copies of documents and file them into their personal drives. They have personal emails and are linked to the outside world. We also set up classroom blogs to start sharing work on a weekly basis. Later the students will have personal blogs.   

                                     Room 9 Blog   

Our syndicate is visiting different schools together and attending workshops together to gain insight into how we will successfully transition in both areas of change. 

What are the challenges that you face in your practice? How would you or your community of practise address them?    

Within these changes are definite challenges. Creating a website and blog was a huge learning curve for me. They were new systems I needed to learn quickly and efficiently, and become comfortable navigating on a daily basis. Becoming more savvy in the digital realm is another challenge and very important if I am going to be able to keep ahead of, or at least up to, the students in my class. Being honest with the students is important in addressing this. Having a culture of 'lets learn together' will help build relationships and student agency. To us as a syndicate, it is important that the integrity of the student's learning is maintained and that the systems are robust enough to engage them, challenge them and continue to move them forward in all areas of the curriculum. The challenge is that these changes don't become an excuse for a slowing down of core learning. As a syndicate we are changing how work is planned, accessed, completed and shared. Our planning is done more collaboratively and work is shared continuously, so all three classes cover very similar ground and each class benefits from three teachers being 'on the job'. Students mostly access their work digitally, not in hard copy, but have continuous access to it, as it will stay on the class site and be saved into their own files. When work is set it will be completed in a range of ways. Although most may be accessed digitally, we are mixing up how they complete tasks. Some is digital, some in books, some with physical movement that may or may not be recorded. Finally sharing, students can share their work with each other, other schools in the cluster and with their parents.

Hapara Dashboard

Student work is also accessed by teachers through Hapara. This system connects all student activity and work to the teachers laptop. Marking is done online through commenting on work that is saved into files. Finally another challenge is that a move into digital learning doesn't take precedence over practical or physical skills. To address this we are ensuring our planning includes robust systems of Fitness, PE, EOTC, The Arts, Technology and Community Involvement. Our students will attend a local camp this year that will focus on outdoor skills. For this they will be involved in their own fundraising, creating companies. 

References: 

eLearning Infusion. (n.d.) Student Agency. Retrieved from http://nickrate.com/2013/06/04/student-agency/ 

Manaiakalani Education Trust. (n.d.) Learn, Create, Share. Retrieved from http://www.manaiakalani.org/our-

            story/learn-create-share

Wenger-Tayner.com. (2015) Introduction to Communities of Practise. Retrieved from http://wenger-

            trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/

Activity Three: Response to Findlay's (2008) article.

Activity Three: 

Response to Findlay's (2008) article.

"In order to cope, professionals have to be able to do more than follow set procedures. They draw on both practical experience and theory as they think on their feet and improvise. They act both intuitively and creatively." (Schon as cited in Finlay, 2008).


I definitely learn through practical and creative means. Reflecting on how I learn has led me to understand that reading pages and pages of black on white text, I find stressful and heavy. And although I enjoy reading I associate it more with 'enjoyment' (a relaxing pass time or destress activity), than professional learning. Staying focussed when reading professional texts is difficult, especially if I need to continually decode meaning in the vocabulary that is used. For me research would be watching, talking, experimenting, creating, sharing, evaluating and reflecting. Reading large volumes of text and bouncing between them to then discuss and evaluate is agitating and nerve-wracking. This insight has solidified itself during this course. It has directed me to looking at the practises I have in the classroom and what I am expecting of students. What differentiations do I cater for?

Findlay's article (2008) talks about Schon's (1983) two types of reflection; reflection in action and reflection on action. I am definitely an 'in-action' reflector and learner. I am an ideas person and I like those ideas to relate to what is happening at the time so that learning is meaningful and gratifying. I know my ideas come when I am 'on the job' 'on my feet' and often 'on the run'. Not when I am reading theoretical texts or sitting down afterwards writing out reflections which rarely happens because of the intense work load I already have. Having said that, actually, much discussion and reflective practise occurs when I am in my weekly planning meeting with my Syndicate. We are a very cohesive team and plan the coming week on a Friday afternoon. During these sessions how the multitude of lessons, tasks, activities, inspirations or learnings that filled the past week went, are discussed and picked apart and shared in a very informal but effective reflective process. This is the style in which I most learn to honestly look at what I have done and where I need to change; through reflective conversations and mutual collaboration. The change needed could be direction, style of teaching, content knowledge or personal beliefs, that with reminiscing, have been challenged. More often than not these thoughts and reflections are not written down, but rather considered verbally with my colleagues or internalised while considering the next steps to be taken in the classroom or school. The comments I do write onto plans are usually specific to happenings and student needs. As well as these meetings all staff are involved in a reflection session at the end of each term on the long term plans just completed, as a way of informing the coming terms plans.

While I don't regularly use a reflective model, I see the process I talked about above being reflected in Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Model 

Image Source: http://www.regional.org.au/au/apen/2006/refereed/2/2839_brumbys.htm 

Experience has always been an important part of learning for me and immersing myself leads to greater understanding, and a greater ability to review and analyse it afterwards. From here I know I often step out and look at the wider perspective or bigger picture or relationships that are affected by the event. This in turn leads to new ideas, new perspectives and initiating changes.
This is a simple but effective model that resonates with me.

While I find Johns most recent presentation (the 15th) list of questions, daunting to go through and prefer to work from a model that includes symbols and images I do find his statement below resonates with how I feel I reflect on my own practise.  Johns (2006) says reflection is about being “mindful of self” – whether during or after experience. It is a “developmental process of paying attention to and learning through everyday experiences, with the goal of realizing a vision of practice as a lived reality.”  I believe being self aware and critically evaluating during a process or lesson, so that learning is organic and can shift and change on the spot if the analysis at the time means it needs to shift or change, is important. Practise then becomes a relevant entity, just as a treaty reflected on becomes a living document that a person can go back to and align themselves with.

So I disagree with Ekebergh (2006) who draws on phenomenological philosophy to argue that it is not possible to distance oneself from the lived situation to reflect in the moment. To achieve real self-reflection, she asserts, one needs to step out of the situation and reflect retrospectively (van Manen, 1990 as cited in Findlay 2008). What is real self-reflection? Is my reflecting on the spot, that leads to immediate or retrospective change, not real?

References.
Finlay, L. (2009) Reflecting on reflective practice. PBPL. Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/files/opencetl/file/ecms/web-content/Finlay-%282008%29-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf 

Activity Two: Reflecting on Learning and Practise

Activity Two: Reflecting on Learning and Practise

Challenge is always a good thing I think. I'm heading to the Paris Marathon to compete, in just six weeks time, so I'm up for a challenge. They really do make us learn, grow and reflect, whether we realise it or not. Completing the different requirements within the Mindlab Applied Practise Course has proven extremely challenging many times, and looking back I feel I could have done better, but know I have gained many new insights and skills, and have a better awareness and understanding of the future my students are heading into. 

The challenge was mostly because of time restraints: working full time with a classroom, having multiple leadership roles within the school, setting personal challenges, maintaining friendships and a family life, squeezing in personal interests. It made me understand the value of taking a sabbatical to study; time to really read and research topics both set and of interest, to formulate personal responses, complete assignments, reflect on previous actions and think of actioning new learnings. I have realised that I like to get involved with one or two things and stick with them until they are finished, sufficiently learnt and done well. I can multi task, and my job insists that I can and do, but I prefer to get really involved in one or two activities or topics at a time and see them through. Time restraints are frustrating. So learning to switch from one order of thinking to another and then another, has been part of my development in succeeding in getting assignments complete and managing my other responsibilities. 

Richards stop motion exploration. 

Karen's Slideshow on an explorer. 

Early on I recognised that the important Key Competency I needed to develop was Managing Self. Attending the Monday night sessions over the first 16 weeks I really enjoyed. They kept me on track and ensured I looked at the course work and readings on a regular basis. I often included the teachings into my classroom and enjoyed the hands-on nature of it. A key change in my own practise was to develop digital and collaborative ways students could respond to texts in Reading, Writing and Inquiry. We used and created movies and clips, created stop motion movies, padlet discussions, voice overs, kahoots, blendspaces and more. The following 8 weeks, working independently, have been more of a challenge to maintain a steady connection with the requirements. 

Working alongside a colleague who had just completed Mindlab, I noticed his confidence in developing mini workshops for other staff as well as his enthusiasm to discuss new ideas and collaborate within the syndicate to action some of them. Many of these pedagogies were voicing ideas that I had always taught by, but not labelled or reflected on, and so my interest was caught. When two other teachers that I worked closely with and admired agreed to undertake the course, I felt it would be invaluable to myself and the school if there was a 'team' involved. At the time I was aware I was 'loading my plate' with even more responsibilities, but felt it would be personally advantageous to the direction I would be taking my class in 2016; 1:1 devices and digital learning. I knew that I needed to develop my own competency in Language, Symbols and Text in the area of digital devices and this was the main reason I decided to go ahead with the course. The pressure to work out systems and ideas with minimal instruction, a Mindlab trait, has pushed me to really concentrate on what I am doing and to try and remember the multiple platforms, apps, websites and systems that are available. Over the time I have gained many new skills and become more 'savvy' when using a variety of digital devices. I know I look at problem solving myself (and not relying on others to show me) far more than I did. This also changed the way I gave instructions to my students both in the classroom and for tasks set at home. There was less scaffolding and more collaborative opportunities to problem solve. They were given a freer reign to explore, discuss and create together  in many areas of the curriculum.

Activity One: Who am I

Activity One: Who am I

Welcome to my first blog. This blog has been created as a requirement of the Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Practise Course at Mindlab Unitec in Auckland New Zealand, that I am currently enrolled in.
My name is Shiralee Sands and I am a child of the sixties and seventies. I think this defines us to a certain extent, it certainly influences us. I have two step daughters in their thirties and two sons in their twenties, who are very important to me. Personally, I have a love of the outdoors, sports, art and travelling. I live alone in an apartment in the middle of Auckland City; my backyard is Albert Park, my playground the waterfront. Teaching has been my profession and passion for the last 12 years. Previous to this I worked in the photographic industry, sold paintings and welcomed overseas students into our home. 

My current teaching position is Syndicate Leader at Waikowhai Primary School in the Mt Roskill area of Auckland City, with a Year 5 and 6 class. During 2016 it will be amalgamated with two other classes of the same level in a new ILE environment and building, that is being developed, as the school roll is growing. This is an exciting new phase that coincides with our school joining the Ako Hiko Community (a group of schools in the Roskill area). Ako Hiko is one of five outreach clusters of the Manaiakalani Community in East Auckland.

Image Source: https://goo.gl/9YGxxS

Part of the philosophy or pedagogy of Manaiakalani is that all students, at an age determined by the community, have a device connected to the net, with learning as its focus and visible learning a core element of the retooling. (Burt, R. 2015).  The Ako Hiko Cluster use Chromebooks, and so in Week One of 2016 our classes began the journey of 1:1 devices. 




For the students it was a very exciting time with full engagement from all 25 of them. For me embracing these changes has been rewarding, exciting and terrifying as well, as my learning is only steps ahead of theirs. However, pushing personal boundaries has always been a driving force in my life and learning to become at home in a digital world is one of my current 'activities'.

As a child I would mentally 'tick off' what I had done, where I had been, what I had been involved in, and what I had learnt. As a young person I always thought people should give everything a go and that there was always a solution to a problem so if you had learnt enough skills or tried many things you could fix it yourself. When I started teaching my pedagogy was heavily influenced by my experiences in life, and somewhat influenced by what I had learnt in my one year Post Graduate Degree in Primary Teaching after a degree in Visual Arts. I loved to observe and experience things; places, sports, adventures, people, opportunities, creativities, situations. I believed in students developing independence in learning, in believing they are valuable citizens in the world they live in and can effect change even at a young age, in having a social conscience and participating in their world, in learning through experiences both physical, creative and collective, in being challenged to more than is expected of them. 
These are all still strong ideals of mine, and they have been added to, reflected upon, changed and rejected over the last twelve years. 

References.
Burt, R. (2015). Retooling School. Retrieved from http://www.manaiakalani.org/our-
              story/retooling-school