COMMUNITIES, WHEREFORE ART THOU COMMUNITIES? (Week19)

Whatever form our participation takes, most of us are familiar with the experience of belonging to a community of practice” (Wenger et al. 2002, p. 5).

Wenger, McDermott & Snyder (2002) state that the purpose of a Community of Practice (CoP) is to create, expand and exchange knowledge to develop individual capabilities. Cohesiveness is maintained through passion, commitment, shared interests, goals and knowledge.

A community of practice is also based on joint enterprise, shared repertoire and mutual engagement.

                                

Figure 1. Wenger's Dimensions of practice as the property of a community (Wenger, 1998)

In education, we are driven by knowledge, interaction and goals, and there is the need for more efficient and effective outcomes. Two issues apparent in my professional practice were strengthening ‘communication’ between my learners and home, and ‘collaboration’ between staff members using digital ICT tools.

Blogging – A communication tool

I encountered blogging in my first year of teaching. I found through blogging I had some very stimulating conversations with like-minded people and there was a lot of support around teaching.

I discovered that bloggers are influencers and receivers of influences. My learners relished the learning opportunities blogging offered and they could communicate their ideas and learning to parents, whānau and the wider community in a variety of ways through speaking, visual or even multimodal communication. Just as we are all blogging now.

Utecht (2007) summed it up perfectly:

When we blog, whether in or out of school, communication encourages debate in many venues. It can happen at a staff meeting, in the classroom, or even over dinner. Once you start to blog and that information/thought/conversation becomes public, it begins to take on a life of its own, moving in multiple directions, thus creating a ripple effect of continual learning” (p.33).

Staff Notebook – A collaborative tool

 Our Nuhaka School motto is - ‘Kotahitanga – Strive together’. According to van Laar, van Deursen, van Dijk & de Haan, (2017) collaboration is about the skills to use ICT to develop a social network in a team to exchange information, negotiate agreements, and make decisions with mutual respect for each other towards achieving a common goal or vision. Staff Notebook is the vehicle for collaboration between work colleagues but the focus I have for Staff Notebook is more towards our professional practice. 

Figure 2. Components of a social theory of learning (Wenger)

Through both tools – Blogging and Staff Notebook, according to Wegner’s model we are learning through doing and using the tools, we are part of these communities of practice, our identities are portrayed through our beliefs and views we hold dear to, and we learn from the experiences and responses/feedback from others. Further inquiry on these topics and leading using these tools allowed me to take a leadership role in sharing my knowledge with colleagues and supporting them too.

I think all communities of practice are meaningful depending on the situation, goals and the intended outcomes. Some of my meaningful community practices at this time are of course Wairoa Mind Lab, teaching at Nuhaka School and my own classroom of learners. I think we are all looking for ways to improve our own learning and teaching through continuous interaction within these communities.

Being part of communities of practice is much better than being isolated and dealing with challenges by yourself. Just prepare yourself to be questioned, challenged and in some cases criticised by others within a community. It’s through these interactions that our beliefs or views might change due to the influence of others, or we remain ‘stubborn’ and steer clear of change.

Is change necessary in order for survival in education? What are your thoughts?

 

References

Benjamin Franklin Quote [Image]. Retrieved 15 December 2017, from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/d1/83/3cd183678da41bf3e6403efdbf79c37e.jpg

Components of a social theory of learning [Image]. Retrieved 15 December 2017, from http://silenceandvoice.com/2009/08/05/interview-questions-based-on-wengers-cop-framework/

Dimensions of practice as the property of a community [Image]. Retrieved 16 December 2017, from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/41557795_fig1_Figure-1-Dimensions-of-practice-as-the-property-of-a-community-Wenger-1998-p73

Utecht, J. (2007). Blogs aren’t the enemy: How Blogs enhance learning. Technology & Learning, 27, 32-34.

van Laar, E., van Deursen, A., van Dijk, J., & de Haan, J. (2017). The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers In Human Behavior, 72, 577-588.

Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

TIMES ARE CHANGING (Week 18)

Times are Changing

What might the world look like in 10 years? Who knows? We can only guess, make assumptions about the challenges that may arise, and think about what learning will be relevant in the future. However, I find it hard picturing what future-oriented learning and teaching in the future may look like. How can we base our ideologies on the future in order to provide change? The world is ever changing. However, does that imply that those learners who were educated in the 90’s, their learning is of no relevance now? Alternatively, is that part of the ongoing inquiry cycle in education, trying to improve education systems, catering for the needs of today’s learners?

Future-oriented learning and teaching. What does this mean exactly? I think what stands out for me is equipping learners with the skills they need for the 21^st Century, more importantly nurturing the diverse needs, culture, religions and beliefs of learners.

It has been argued that students need, among other things, opportunities to build their sense of identity, become self-reliant, critical and creative thinkers, and be able to use initiative, be team players and be able to engage in ongoing learning throughout their lives. (Ministry of Education, 2012). Throughout our Mind Lab journey we were provided with a range of digital tools, apps and learning programmes. I introduced them to my learners in class to encourage them to be innovative, to collaborate, to create, to think, and to problem solve. These are all qualities/attributes mentioned in our school vision for our Nuhaka School citizens (learners). The use of laptops and digital devices in my classroom has been very beneficial as my learners can access information at the click of a button. Personal information management (PIM) is relevant to today’s children, as they too search the Internet to gather useful information for various tasks. For that information to be used in a meaningful way, children should be able to organize and reproduce it with effective tools to suit their needs (Yeo & Lee, 2013). My learners loved the shared digital tools, didn’t take their curious minds long to figure out how to work some of the them.  

Figure 1. A Diverse Society

Educated for diversity, education in diversity

There is that whole notion and need to equip learners for the 21^st century as diversity in education is a recurring issue throughout the education system. I don’t think we are always able to cater to all the diverse needs of learners nevertheless, we do our best trying.

A second idea that commonly comes up in discussions of equity/diversity and 21st century learning is that 21st century citizens need to be educated for diversity—in both the people sense and the knowledge/ideas sense. Our world as we know it requires people to engage—and be able to work—with people from cultural, religious and/or linguistic backgrounds or worldviews that are very different from their own (Ministry of Education, 2012, p.3). When I attended my local rural school back in the 90’s there were only Maori and European tamariki at school. Indifferently secondary school and then tertiary was bit of a culture shock. There were many people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.  I feel it is important that our learners are educated about others culture, and to be mindful of others beliefs, religions and views. Only through a multicultural education I feel children will be able to reach their full potential.

All education activities take place within a cultural context. There are four concepts, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, ako and mahi tahi, which have the power to transform the learning environment for students (Bishop, O'Sullivan, & Berryman, 2010). These four concepts reflect diversity and encourage diversity.

What would it be like in the future? No one knows what the future has install for us. Nevertheless, we can only prepare, and reshape the way we think and reflect, in order to move forward into the future.

What type of learners do we want to help shape for better futures – for us all?

Figure 2. Future Education

References

A Diverse Society [Image]. Retrieved 14 December 2017, from  https://sites.google.com/site/strategiesforell/cover-page

Bishop, R., O'Sullivan, D, & Berryman, M. (2010). Scaling up education reform: The politics of disparity. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Education Research.

Future Education [Image]. Retrieved 14 December 2017, from https://www.slideshare.net/mbrownz/higher-education-for-the-future-infusing-digital-learning-in-institutional-culture

Ministry of Education. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306

Yeo, H., & Lee, Y. (2013). Exploring new potentials of blogs for learning: Can children use blogs for     personal information management (PIM)?. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 45(5), 916-925.

REFLECTION AS A TOOL NOT A MIRROR (Week 17)

“Mā te hē ka tika”

“By making mistakes we learn to get things right”

When I think of the term ‘reflection’ and reflecting on my own practice, observation, interpretation, expectation and frustration springs to mind.

I picture the quiet time I have to myself where I replay events of my day teaching, conversations had with my students, what worked and what could be improved next time. "Awareness of one's own intuitive thinking usually grows out of practice in articulating it to others" (Donald Schon, 1983). I recall the conversations had with my colleagues about how things are going in class, at school and with life in general. These both account for some of my reflection time.

 “Let us not forget that the model is a tool, not a mirror.” (Gordon, 1984, p. 243). Too often, I think there is that constant pressure of trying to get things right in my own practice. I am the first to identify the negatives. However, not everything goes as planned and these so-called failures become learning opportunities for me. I think how we as educators interpret what we observe in our surroundings depends on the expectations. I often have unmet expectations and do get frustrated because of it. I now can see that it is vital I make my observations a priority not my expectations, and to deal with what is right in front of me.

The way we respond to our learners needs depends on the need of the individual and the situation. The Teaching as Inquiry Cycle (Ministry of Education, 2009) is a generic inquiry tool for all educators. Although the embedding of the New Zealand Teaching as Inquiry cycle (TAI) would be different in every school. I use it here at Nuhaka School but solely to focus on my own individual teacher’s inquiry. At the end of each term, we consider each component of the TAI and reflect accordingly.

Figure 1. Teaching as Inquiry Cycle

The Spiral of Inquiry is a continuous cycle of reflecting for the learner. Reflection is a part of who we are embedded in our thinking, actions and behaviour.

Figure 2. Spiral of Inquiry

 The structure of Gibbs Reflective Cycle allows learners to not only reflect on their learning but their emotions as well. Considering how a learner feels during their learning is of importance.

Figure 3. Gibbs Reflective Cycle

Larrivee (2000) summarises nicely that “Critical reflection is not only a way of approaching teaching – it is a way of life. The more I explore, the more I will discover. The more I question, I can access a whole world of possibilities. I want my learners to empower themselves to be reflective of their own practice. We grow together and learn together, and build on the next steps. It is important that reflective practice be cultivated and fostered to become effective. It can then be a “powerful tool to examine and transform practice” (Finlay, 2008, p.10). Teacher inquiry and reflective practice are intertwined. These two tools go hand in hand, and one cannot function without the other. As a mother, educator, teacher, and learner, I give children time – time to think, to wonder, to explore, and to try. I jump-start their learning by asking questions to provoke them to think about the big ideas and to challenge them in their thinking and understanding of a topic. Reflecting is an integral part of the learning process. Now when I reflect on this blog I think of ‘reflection’ as possibilities, exploration, and opportunities.

I leave you with a Dr. Seuss quote “Think and wonder, wonder and think.” In the world we live in time is precious. Sometimes all we need is that little breather, to sit there, and ponder our big thoughts. There is a lot of research, literature, videos and resources of reflecting on practice. However, it is important that we hold fast to our own beliefs, and our own thoughts.

So what do you wonder about, and what do you think? 

References

Finlay, L. (2009). Reflecting on reflective practice. PBPL. Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/files/opencetl/file…

Gibb’s Reflective Cycle [Image]. Retrieved 03 December 2017, from https://www.businessballs.com/self-awareness/reflective-practice-1824/

Gordon, D.R. (1984) Research application - identifying the use and misuse of formal models in nursing practice, From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing (ed. P. Benner), Addison-Wesley, Menlo Park.Larrivee, B. (2000).Transforming teaching practice: becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(3), 293-307.

Ministry of Education. (2009). Teaching as Inquiry. Retrieved from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Case-studies/Teachers-as-learners-Inquiry/Teaching-as-inquiry

Schon, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.

Spiral of Learning [Image]. Retrieved 03 December 2017, from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2015/06/building-collaborative-teaching-as-inquiry-teams-using-spirals-of-inquiry.html

Teaching as Inquiry [Image]. Retrieved 21November 2017, from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/var/tki-nzc/storage/images/media/images/tu-images/teaching-as-inquiry2/3711-5-eng-NZ/Teaching-as-Inquiry_preview.jpg?popUp=true&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=904&width=944