The Power of Team Meetings

Midway through the last term, we introduced our team whakatauki "He waka eke noa" and alongside this, regular team meetings. This was in an effort to strengthen and bring together our learners and have them recognise the value of their contributions, and the impact their decisions and choices around their learning have on their peers. We felt some of our students needed to hear this from their classmates in order for them to be confronted, reflect and make a conscious change.

I have been impressed by the seriousness with which our learners take these meetings, and the complete honesty expressed in their reflections. Learners are able to identify areas of our classroom culture that have a negative impact on their learning such as:

* people being disrespectful and not listening
* some people being silly with their friends instead of focusing on their learning
* noise levels (a significant issue for many)

I would like to acknowledge that we are a large team with a focus on collaborative teaching and learning, meaning we constantly have a variety of group or pair work on the go. Lower levels of communication are a necessity to ensure safe levels of noise, and although we have definitely made progress with this area, I think many students were taken by surprise at how much of an impact this had on the team as a whole.

They were also able to articulate their part in this, and what they were each going to do moving forward to improve our learning environment for everyone. I believe this ability can be directly attributed to the weekly goal setting each student completes and has done so since the beginning of the year.

Our meetings and team whakatauki are closely tied to our school DRIVER values, which are embedded in our team culture and the daily conversations we have with our learners.

This term we had our first meeting last Wednesday (Week one). This gave learners two days on which to reflect. The vibe was very positive, with students overall happy with the start the team had made to the term. They all identified and verbalised one goal they could contribute to keeping the culture positive and also what was already happening that was giving us this positive feeling. Comments included:

* we are excited about our learning as there are lots of cool things happening
     (DIY badges for inquiry; student-led workshops; coding; student-driven Maths learning and     workshops, SML)
* we are being more mindful of others with our noise level
* people are making better choices about who they sit beside in the meeting space and when learning
* people aren't being silly anymore

The team meetings have become a very powerful tool for everyone. The honest reflection and open communication, recognition of what they can each do to help make our team amazing and the genuine desire to do this is an incredible process to be a part of.  It has certainly improved empathy and recognition that others have needs that we need to value and be mindful of.

Changes In Practice

   

      

"If we wish to develop new and better methods of practice, we begin by examining the behaviour we want to improve."  (Osterman & Kottkamp, 1993)

Key Change #1

In all honesty, I have never been completely happy with my maths programme. I have always ability grouped learners as I felt this was the method that ensured I was catering to the needs of each student and I could also provide the required assessment data. 

I had never considered another method to be viable until I decided upon my Literary Review Assignment topic - How does mindset impact student self-efficacy in the classroom? I became particularly interested in the findings of Jo Boaler and Carol Dweck with regards to growth mindset and the impact this has on a student's perception of their abilities in Maths. Their views strongly resonated with me. While researching I could actually visualise students in my class that demonstrated traits of a fixed mindset in Maths.

I felt I had a new found awareness. The most significant realisation was that my ability grouped programme was fixed mindset. I found this difficult to reconcile as I had always held a strong belief that ability grouping children was the best method to cater for learning needs. My research hugely challenged my thinking and pedagogy, but the evidence was too compelling to ignore. 

Our 55 students are now engaged in a programme that is based on growth mindset principles. It is problem-solving based with students collaborating in a mixed ability setting. Mistakes are evidence of learning, with students being encouraged to "up challenge", risk take and share their new learning. 

Implications

I truly feel the student's anxiety levels have decreased and their enjoyment of Maths has increased. They are showing determination and resilience in solving problems, and are choosing more challenging activities as the fear of failure or making mistakes are gone. Ensuring curriculum coverage and assessment requirements are met is ongoing. We are currently integrating more numeracy and strand-based workshops and post-testing problem-solving strategies. The plan is constantly being reflected upon. 

PTC Criteria 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Key Change #2

I have always been interested in the benefits of digital technology. Keeping abreast of the latest apps, and the time required to search and critique these had become an issue. I found the digital component of this course to be extremely valuable, particularly the Leadership and the Digital and Collaborative Learning in Context assignments. I fully explored the Seesaw and Trello apps and implemented both successfully into my classroom programme following the plan I outlined in my assignments. It was beneficial to be able to extensively plan an implementation as I don't believe they would have been as successful or well executed without this opportunity.

Implications                                      

Thanks to Mindlab I am now very proactive in using Digital Technology. This term I have used Hopscotch to introduce my students to coding, am using Google Classroom as a form of regular communication and am in the process of exploring how Twitter can be incorporated thanks to exploring Social Media in the classroom context.

PTC Criteria 4, 5, 6  

             

What next?

"Research informed practice has helped guide teachers to change their practice through an awareness of wider sources than their own intuition and experience."

Continuing to have a research informed practice is high on my list of priorities. I have two books, by Carol Dweck and Jo Boaler, to read during the holidays. I feel my growth mindset journey is just beginning and I am looking forward to the continued positive impact this will have in my classroom. 

References

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

SkillsTeamHullUni. (2014, March 3). Reflective writing.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoI67VeE3ds

The Interdisciplinary Curriculum

"We need to prepare kids for their FUTURE, not our PAST." 

Daniel Pink (n.d)

"A knowledge view and curriculum approach that consciously applies methodology and language from more than one discipline to examine a central theme, issue, problem, topic, or experience."
Jacobs (1989) 

An interdisciplinary curriculum is a model that I think is already well established in the primary education system. Teachers want students to make real-life connections in their learning and inquiry-based pedagogy has been adopted by many schools to achieve this outcome. The by-product of this is the deliberate combining of curriculum areas. Mathison and Freeman (1997) support this and suggest in the majority of interdisciplinary models, development of inquiry skills are the main goal with the nature of the inquiry able to be varied and include inquiry into a social era, topic, theme or issue. 

The video clip "Interdisciplinarity and Innovation Education" also advocates this approach and discusses how it guides students in developing an awareness of the meaningful connections that exist among different subject areas. More importantly, it points out that real-life problems are "complex and multi-faceted rather than compartmentalised into neat subject matter packages. No single discipline can adequately describe and resolve challenging issues." 

Our community inquiry is based on real-life issues around sustainable practices both in our immediate environment, and globally.  It incorporates our school overarching inquiry theme of innovative and creative ideas may improve our future. Our learners have been investigating sustainable practices that we have within our school, and also what is happening globally to help improve our future. We have specific achievement objectives in Science, Social Science and English. 

My Interdisciplinary Connection Map

Potential Interdisciplinary Connections

The potential interdisciplinary connection I have chosen to further consider is "Other Primary Schools". The connection I would like to make is with another Enviro School. I think using Twitter would be an engaging and purposeful way of incorporating social media into the classroom as per my last blog. The students would then have access to other learners who are also having a real-world impact on sustainability. They would be able to share and discuss their issues and collaborate to find solutions. I envisage the learners being heavily involved in making the decisions based on the direction of their inquiries and the information they would like to gather from the new connection formed with other students.

The paper "The Logic of Interdisciplinary Studies" cites many benefits. Those which I see as particularly relevant to my students' connection are:

• a better overall understanding of global interdependencies (sustainability is a global issue)
• the development of multiple perspectives, points of view and values (communicating and explaining their own point of view and listening to others)
• an increased ability to think critically, creatively and synthesise knowledge (knowledge obtained from new connection needing to be synthesised with own prior knowledge)
• identify and assess information needed to reach solutions (research and discussions)
• increased motivation (new connection and use of social media) 

I believe the challenges would be minimal. The learners are already highly engaged in their inquiries, and the addition of a social media tool to communicate and learn from like-minded students can only increase their motivation. Challenges would mainly be related to the digital technology: having a reliable wifi connection when needed, transferring students Seesaw posting knowledge to a broader social media platform, and timetabling regular opportunities for students across the two schools to make their connections.

"Students and teachers will advance critical thinking, communication, creativity, pedagogy, and essential academia with the use of interdisciplinary techniques." Jones (2009)

References

Jones, C.(2009). Interdisciplinary approach - Advantages, disadvantages, and the future benefits of interdisciplinary studies. ESSAI7 (26), 76-81. Retrieved from http://dc.cod.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1121&context=essai

Mathison,S.. & Freeman, M.(1997). The logic of interdisciplinary studies. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, 1997. Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/cela/reports/mathisonlogic12004.pdf:

ThomasMcDonaghGroup. ( 2011, May 13). Interdisciplinarity and Innovation Education.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDdNzftkIpA

Using Social Online Networks in Teaching

Social Media in my Classroom   

"Social media can bring learning to life by summoning up different times, spaces, characters and possibilities." 

Reflecting on my use of social media in the classroom context, I think it is an area I am just beginning to fully explore. I teach a class of Y4-6 learners in a BYOD collaborative classroom where two-thirds of the children are new to this environment and are learning how to manage this connectivity. 

As a teacher in a BYOD environment, I have a responsibility to educate my students in Digital Citizenship. Accessing appropriate sites is a part of this, however thinking about their digital footprint, online conduct and their personal responsibilities to themselves and others are important concepts. 

I am using the Seesaw application as a scaffolded approach to support and guide students' choices when using social media sites. Students have been guided through using Seesaw by following the step by step implementation plan. This involves learners carefully considering what they are posting and providing descriptive captions detailing this. Thoughtful posting is the first step to the appropriate use of social media. 

As part of the Chapter Chat programme, we attempted to take advantage of the Twitter feed opportunity offered for a specific timeframe each week. Unfortunately, we often encountered unforeseen changes in whole school activities which meant we missed these live feeds, and in the end decided we couldn't reliably participate. In fact, our programme got so busy we also found it difficult to maintain the momentum of weekly reading and activities. 

Benefits of adding a Social Media component to existing practice and Potential Challenges

The setting I have chosen on Seesaw allows parents and teachers to like, love, question and comment on learners posts, providing the desired engagement and role modelling of appropriate online behaviours. The next step is to allow learners to be able to like and comment on each other's posts. Seesaw provides a safe and monitored environment for students to learn how to comment thoughtfully, and see how their comments have an impact on others and vice versa. Having this guided practice will hopefully result in positive benefits for future online interactions as their exposure to social media sites grows.

In her video file, Kath Cassidy (2013) discusses her use of Twitter and Blogs in the classroom. She identifies positive benefits from this interaction. Her students are learning empathy and have a different view of the world they wouldn't otherwise have had without their online connection. They will work in a world where communication with those who live in other countries will be the norm. Guided use of Twitter and Blogging in the classroom is showing them a safe and effective way to do this.

I can also see the benefits of re-introducing Twitter.  Empowering students to connect with others outside their immediate community is the logical progression and will enable them to put into practice the positive behaviours they have gained in the supportive Seesaw environment. Opportunities to link with other learners on a global scale would be both highly engaging and invaluable learning. 

Extending the Seesaw digital portfolio by exploring personal blogs would also be beneficial. Ongoing access to the current portfolios relies on the Seesaw teacher account remaining current, however, personal blogs would not have this limitation. Students can extend their blogging skills learnt through Seesaw with another real world social media platform.

As with all classroom online activity, it will be challenging monitoring appropriate participation. There will always be learners who will make poor choices despite having the knowledge to do otherwise. 

References

Sharples, M., de Roock , R., Ferguson, R., Gaved, M.,Herodotou, C., Koh, E., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Looi,C-K, McAndrew, P., Rienties, B., Weller, M., Wong, L. H. (2016). Innovating Pedagogy 2016: Open University Innovation Report 5. Milton Keynes: The Open University. Retrieved from http://proxima.iet.open.ac.uk/public/innovating_pedagogy_2016.pd

Tvoparents. (2013, May 21). Using Social Media in the Classroom.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZStaz8Rno

Legal and Ethical contexts in my digital practice

"Public school educators are held to high standards of behaviour because they are entrusted with the well-being of their students. The public expects that their behaviour exemplifies ethical and moral integrity. Teachers serve as role models who should recognise that their conduct, both on and off the job, can profoundly impact their professional image." (Connecticut's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program, 2012)

The virtually unlimited access to technology and the prolific use of this for social networking is defining this generation of learners. The ethical dilemma I would like to explore is the potential impact of my own personal social networking on my professional life.

"Social networking applications expose teachers' out-of-school identities and their networks to a greater degree of scrutiny by their students, colleagues and school communities." (Henderson, Auld and Johnson, 2014)

Our school has a Responsible Use Agreement for staff members. It states the importance of understanding that our professional and ethical obligations extend to our online behaviours and that these are as applicable as our daily interactions with students and whanau in and outside of school. It is also our individual responsibility when using ICT to ensure our actions are within the law. For further information, the document has links to Netsafe, Commonsense Media and The Teachers' Council Code of Ethics.

The Teachers' Educational Council has a website which provides guidelines for the use of social media. We need to consider:

• our digital footprint and the fact that we may be judged by people we don't know based on how we portray ourselves online. 
• how we want to be presented and how we may appear to others through our online use. 
• we are viewed as role models by wider society and to think carefully how we represent ourselves when using social media.

An informal conversation with a parent in my community brought to my attention the need for online caution when I discovered that not only were parents viewing my Facebook page, but some were doing this with their children, who were students in my Y5/6 class. 

Possible issues and concerns

• Online posts are reaching beyond the intended adult audience/friends on Facebook with people who are not "friends" and students are able to search the platform and view my page. 
• Material posted may not be appropriate for parents or students to see.

Potential violation of my school guidelines

• My online activity could be perceived as role modelling inappropriate behaviour and in violation of the guidelines of our school's Responsible Use Agreement.

Potential Negative Consequences

• Posts could be shared amongst parents and students with a resulting negative impact on how students and parents see my, and potentially the school's professionalism.
• If I was inclined to post inappropriate material I could jeopardise my teaching position.

Proactive Measures

• Have appropriate privacy settings to limit accessibility.
• Be mindful of posting only material that respects guidelines outlined in the school's Responsible use Agreement.
• Have a professional and a personal /private online identity.

The Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers states that we must have a commitment to the profession. "teachers shall exert every effort to maintain and raise professional standards, to promote a climate that encourages the exercise of professional judgement." 
In this age of digital accessibility and social networking applications, we are far more in the public eye than ever before. Social media has blurred the line between private and professional. We need to be vigilant and considered to ensure our digital footprint upholds the professional standards expected of our positions.   

References

Connecticut’s Teacher Education and Mentoring Program.(2012) Ethical and Professional Dilemmas for Educator: Facilitator’s Guide. Retrieved from http://www.ctteam.org/df/resources/Module5_Manual.pdf

Educational Council New Zealand. Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers. Retrieved from
https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/about-code-of-ethics

Henderson, M., Auld, G., & Johnson, N. F. (2014). Ethics of Teaching with Social Media. Paper presented at the Australian Computers in Education Conference 2014, Adelaide, SA. Retrieved from http://acec2014.acce.edu.au/sites/2014/files/attachments/HendersonAuldJohnson_EthicalDilemmas_ACEC_2014_0.pdf

WM Staff Acceptable Use Agreement - Cybersafety (2015)

Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness in my Practice

In Teaching Tolerance (2010) culture is defined as a human beings world views, beliefs and values - the filters that help us to make sense of the world.

When considering our cultural responsibility Bishop (2012) refers to Article Three of the Treaty of Waitangi - that Maori were guaranteed the opportunity to benefit from being citizens of the new society. He believes, without a doubt, that they have not been able to do so. He examines the achievement gap between Maori and non-Maori comparing it to a fiscal deficit (large scale debt) which has accumulated over a period of time. New Zealand society has a large scale debt to those who have not been able to achieve in our education system to the level they should have been able to. He cites the deficit or "non-agentic" theory - there is something wrong with the Maori people themselves - as being somewhat responsible for this. 

I am of the opinion that this theory is generational and historical, that the deficit was created in the past and we are now tasked with closing the achievement gap. Bishop believes "agendic" teachers are the key to making a difference for Maori students. Teachers who possess agency are able to:

• create a learning context where Maori can bring themselves to the learning conversation and draw upon their own funds of knowledge.
• promote interactions with Maori, feedback/feedforward and co-construct learning.
• use a range of teaching strategies effectively.
• have high-performance expectation of Maori.
• are learners among learners.
• create relationship centred education (caring for people, caring that they learn and are able to learn through positive relationships).

Teaching Tolerance (2010) also prioritises making appropriate linkages to what students know, do and understand by making connections through "lived cultural experiences", or building on prior cultural knowledge. 

At the heart of culturally responsive pedagogies in New Zealand sits the Ministry of Education document "Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017". This document sets out a framework for what is needed to ensure Maori students are enjoying and achieving educational success as Maori.

My Practice Focus - Learning Activities/Communication

Activities and lessons that support diverse cultural backgrounds and languages, and meaningful instruction that links to the students' prior experience/backgrounds:

• Developing and communicating cultural identity through learning about, creating and sharing mihis. I have introduced mihis into our school-wide Celebrations of Learning. This has created a sense of belonging, pride and achievement for those involved.
• Wero o te Wiki is an initiative where students film short video clips demonstrating the Maori phrase of the week. This is a positive way of bringing language into the classroom context.  
• Teaching growth mindset to develop student self-efficacy. The Maori Education Strategy – “Kahikitia Accelerating Success 2013-2017” recognises and supports the growth mindset theory in raising achievement for its students. It speaks specifically about developing mindset characteristics by prioritising the need to support Maori students’ to believe in themselves and their potential. (Ministry of Education, 2013 p. 38) 
• Problem Based Maths programme draws on learners' prior experiences and encourages learner agency through collaboration, mixed ability grouping and differentiated approach.

Where to next:

In reflecting on my practice I have identified the following for further development:

• Introduce whakatauki (proverbs) and karakia as part of our daily programme and have learners involved in choosing whakatauki.
• Recognise opportunities to provide more learning contexts where learners can bring themselves to the learning conversation and draw upon their own funds of knowledge.
• I am intrigued by the term 'lived cultural experiences' and would like to learn more about this.

References

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Ministry of Education. (2013). Kahikitia Accelerating Success 2013 – 2017. Retrieved from https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Strategies-and- policies/Ka-Hikitia/KaHikitiaAcceleratingSuccessEnglish.pdf 

Teaching Tolerance.( 2010, Jun 17).Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTVjJuRaZ8

 

 

Trend influencing education in New Zealand or internationally

Climate Change and Sustainability

Reading the facts presented in "Global Trends Paradox of Progress" (2017) was a sobering experience. This led me to consider how to engage our learners in the issues of climate change and sustainability, and how we can educate them to actively care about the impact of this on their planet.

My school is becoming a Silver Enviro School. With this distinction comes an increased commitment from the wider school to foster a higher degree of sustainable habits. As one example, we have introduced a four bin rubbish system in each community. Students are educated to use grey for paper; orange for mixed recycling; red for general rubbish and another for fruit and vegetable scraps for our worm farm and my pig!

Analysing the Trend

"Our natural world is at risk. Projected average temperature increases of just a few degrees would lead to water shortages for billions of people, reduce agricultural yields, and increase malnutrition related deaths by millions and lead to the extinction of a large part of the animal species." (OECD, 2016). 

A report by the National Intelligence Council (2017) identified the following issues:

1. According to the UN, half of the world's population will face water shortages by 2035. Rising populations are leading to increased consumption and expanding agricultural production which will exceed current water supplies.
2. Over time, ice melt in Antarctica and the Arctic will accelerate the rise in sea levels.
3. Over a third of the world's soil, which produces 95% of the food supply, is losing its productivity. This is predicted to increase as the world's population grows. It is already taking place at a rate 40 times faster than the formation of new soil. 
4. Climate change will intensify the loss and degradation of habitats, pollution, overexploitation and invasive foreign species. This will harm forests, fisheries, wetlands, with ocean ecosystems facing critical risks from acidifying and warming waters. Climate change will cause more extreme weather events resulting in crop failures, wildfires, power failures and infrastructure breakdown.
5. By 2035, air pollution is forecast to be the main cause of environmentally related deaths internationally. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 80% of people who live in cities are already being exposed to air pollution in excess of safe limits. Just over fifty percent of the global population currently reside in cities, this is predicted to rise to two-thirds by 2050.

Climate change will become fundamental in how we view our world. Over time the impact of global warming will disrupt societies and alter how and where people live as sea levels rise, precipitation patterns change, air pollution becomes a critical health issue and our natural resources become more depleted. 

Classroom Implications

The question is asked in OECD (2016) report "How well do young people develop an awareness of the connections between their daily decisions and possible long-term consequences, not just for themselves as individuals but for society as a whole." 

It is our responsibility to educate our learners about our impact on our planet, to encourage them to think beyond themselves, and to develop programmes that demonstrate the positive difference their actions can make. 

The nationwide adoption of a programme such as Enviro School's to educate and encourage an active role in sustainable practices would increase student awareness, as would scientific inquiries into the effects of climate change through investigating innovative practices, for example, in sustainability planting native species to support biodiversity and reducing greenhouse emissions through renewable energies. Continuing to encourage collaborative practices amongst our future leaders as co-operation on a global scale is required to ensure a significant impact is realised on these issues.

References

OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en

National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdf