The Fast and The Curious

Early 2018, an innovative teacher, leading a PD session at my school, signed all our staff up to complete The Mind Lab Digital Passport. As I was fundamental to leading the digital changes within our school, this was the first digital PD (that I had not sourced) that generated new learning for me.  I was hooked. This, of course, led to the completion of the DCL where I have been challenged, forced to think, and have grown in new ways.  This has created immediate and sustained changes in my pedagogy and teaching practice, some of which, I will discuss in this reflective blog, supported by The Cycle of Experiential Learning from Osterman and Kottkamp (2015). When identifying the problem; finding what drives me to change my practice, I admit that I had become stagnant.  I was tired and just wanted to be 'fed' new ideas through my school's professional development program. In 2018 I saw a thought-provoking documentary, 'Most Likely To Succeed'.  It discussed the g...

I have used Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper's (2001)  simple, effective model of reflection to evaluate my inquiry.  The anticipated impact of this inquiry was that the use of Trello would improve the overall rate of completed submissions for a target group of 13 Māori and Pasifika students. Evidence showed that there was an improvement in the number of completed submissions for the target group. There was also  higher achievement level seen by students in the target group. However, it is unclear, from the evidence, if this is directly related to the use of Trello. There is a need to further investigate, through individual student interviews, the things that assisted in this higher achievement and how this relates to the use of Trello.  The improvement in student achievement was an anticipated impact of this inquiry.  I also expected to see improved whānau investment in the learning journey.  Evidence of this too was seen in the turn-out of whānau at...

The Ministry of Education says that well-planned data gathering can reveal new patterns of insight, and justify change. ( MoE, n.d) . Ultimately the goal of inquiry is to create change.  The data gathered so far has mainly been quantitative.  Specifics around gender, ethnicities that students identify with, homework and organisational patterns and tools used. There were very low survey response rates from parents; 4 out of 12 respondents.  Parents who did respond already had well-established relationships with me.  I think not having a relationship with all parents was a significant barrier to them participating. There were 9 student survey responses out of 12. Of the three students that did not respond, one had just arrived in NZ and spoke no English, and the other two were absent for most of the term. One student was suspended during the inquiry. One student attended school for 5 days of the 6-week inquiry duration. I completed 2 observation charts during class...

As people, we are shaped by learned behaviours and societal influences.  These become our ethics.  The core of our decision making and standards. Teachers in NZ are bound by the Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards; Our Code, Our Standards.  Principles, standards and legal obligations that guide our behaviour as teaching professionals.   My current teacher inquiry is to use Trello to improve work completion with Pasifika and Māori students.  One ethical issue highlighted through this inquiry was equal access to technology. Students at my school are expected to provide their own digital device.  Students from low-income families, who are not able to, are usually loaned one from school.  This was the case for 5 of the 12 students in my Māori-Pasifika focus group.  Significant damage to devices during previous terms meant one student was unable to get a school device, another two missed out as there were no more to loan.  ...

Reflective practice is an essential part of being a professional teacher.  Stepping back and looking at myself, without an emotional agenda.  It improves my practice. Being honest and asking, what could be better? It's ok to admit I've made mistakes as well as had successes.  Reflecting on my understanding of why things happened and what I will do to improve them.  Reflective practice is a habitual part of what I do. It can be uncomfortable or even threatening, but over time, it becomes a normal part of the routine and an excellent part of my personal and professional growth. It must be genuine and authentic so I don't waste my precious time.  "For busy professionals short on time, reflective practice is all too easily applied in bland, mechanical, unthinking ways". (Finlay, 2008) I particularly like the simplicity of Rolfe’s Model of Reflection (2001) and have used this to reflect on my current inquiry.  I explained some basic Trello fundamenta...

Becoming a culturally responsive teacher means having the ability to learn from and relate respectfully with people from all cultures. As teachers, we need to take into account the cultural knowledge, experiences and filters which students bring to their individual learning.  We need to challenge the “deficit thinking” of student educability and become agentic teachers whose pedagogy is culturally responsive. I concur with Bishop's concepts  (Edtalks, 2012) around agentic teachers being the key to making a difference for Māori students.  Agentic teachers share the power with students to control their own goals, actions and destiny, where students are producers as well as products of learning.  Teachers with agency create the difference in Maori student achievement in secondary schools. Teachers who understand and are able to weave together all the things that create a learning context where students are able to bring themselves to the learning conversations, as Māo...

Figure 1: Spiral of Inquiry (2014, April). A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the spiral of inquiry. Every three years I have to re-apply for a practising certificate and prove that I am fit to teach in a New Zealand classroom. One of the ways I do this is through 'teacher inquiry'.  Teacher inquiry is a requirement for teaching staff at my school, and there are many hoops to jump through, evidence to collect, boxes to tick, and time involved, but in spite of this, I feel that teacher inquiry is a valuable reflective process that helps to keep me at the top of my game. Teachers are expected to be professionals that live by the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the education system in NZ. As teachers, we are responsible for the success and well-being of our students, and we make a commitment to maintain high standards and to make ethical decisions.  The Education Act 1989 , the Education Act 1964 , and the Our Code, Our Standar...

"It is widely argued that current educational systems, structures and practices are not sufficient to address and support learning needs for all students in the 21st century. Changes are needed, but what kinds of change, and for what reasons?"   (Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012) In a report to the Ministry of Education, 6 themes were identified to develop a vision of what future-oriented education could look like for NZ students.  This inquiry will help with changing the script and rethinking learners' and teachers' roles in the classroom through the use of digital tools and collaboration, enabling students to partner with facilitators to create transformative engagement with their world.    'Our Code, Our Standards'  clearly outline that as a NZ teacher I must respect my trusted position and recognise the influence I have on learners.  Therefore, it is important for me to consider my audience and the messages I would...

What does success look like? Is it getting an NCEA Level 3 and a UE so mum and dad can say that their kids are a success and can go on to uni?  What about Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft), Steve Jobs (founder of Apple, NeXT Computer and Pixar, an instrumental force in shaping the landscape of modern culture), who both dropped out of uni but went on to be a massive success? Do you have to have success on such a grand scale? Is it because parents (and teachers) don’t understand the internet or the online world that our students have been born into… this is their world and we are still scared of them getting lost in it.  My own kids already know how to do more creative and incredible things on the internet, using video editing and app software that I feel embarrassed saying that I am the teacher!  Imagine how clued up they will be when they get to high school! Will teachers still be judging students on how well they can remember things they could easily lookup on the...