WEEK 32 – Key change in my professional practice

This week, I choose Rolfe et al.’s (2001) reflective model, which is based upon three simple questions: What? So what? Now what? This is about the key change in my professional practice.

What?

One key change in my practice this year is the transforming of my classroom from traditional to “digital” using Hapara and a range of digital tools. This change has changed my teaching practice and pedagogy forever. Within the first 16 weeks of the course, I was introduced to the use of ‘blended learning’ model and ‘gamification’ in the classroom and that is where I got the idea from. “Blended Learning,” that is, in which students are mostly learning in the classroom (face-to-face learning) and partially do online learning off-site. “Gamification” is simply about learning though games. I am a teacher in a 3:1 device classroom and our school have BYOD open policy in place due to the limited number of devices available for our students. My students, in particular, are encouraged to book and use the school’s ICT Room or the COWs (Computers On Wheels) for their online learning or do it from home.

So what?

I will be using the Cycle of Experiential Learning (Osterman and Kottkamp’s, 2015) to evaluate the change in my practice.

STAGE 1: Problem Identification

For me as a teacher, I have always want my students to be successful with their learning. And to be successful they should be engaged in their learning with a “can do” attitude and work collaboratively hard, but it was not the case. This year, some of them were not positive and enthused about their learning.

STAGE 2: Observation and Analysis

Through my on-going observation and 1:1 conferencing with my students, I have identified some of them were not enthused about their learning and continuously disengaged during the lesson. I have come to realisation that “blended learning’’ and “gamification’’ are the two possible solutions, so I gradually changed my traditional classroom to digital.

STAGE 3: Abstract re-conceptualisation

“At this point in the cycle, the reflective practitioner engages in an active search for new ideas and new strategies” (Osterman and Kottkamp, 2015, p.87). Through Mind Lab, I have learnt about a range of digital tools to be used in my blended learning and digital (flipped) classroom. During the course, I have been introduced to numerous of literature about the benefits of blended learning for my students and myself, as a teacher.

STAGE 4: Active experimentation

Wright (2010) who found that learning in e-learning environment (i.e. blended learning) provides collaborative learning opportunities that benefits the students in both intellectual and social growth. At the beginning of this implementation I have confronted many challenges: in terms of digital learning tools; innovative ideas; and time. Within this course, I have integrated digital learning tools into my “blended learning” and flipped my classroom digitally. This change has been a great motivation for my students to engage more with their learning. Students can interact, collaborate, and support each other. At home, my students are encouraged to virtually reinforcing what they have learned in class independently. And to see my students have grown academically and socially is a great feeling indeed.

Now what?

Prior to my journey with Mind Lab, I was ignorant of digital tools and the new educational technologies due to my fixed mindset on traditional classroom. Mind Lab have reminded me about the importance of having a growth mindset especially working and teaching the students in this digital era. During the course I have managed to change my classroom and well as my teaching philosophy to suit the needs of my students. I will continue to collaborate with my other two Mind Lab colleagues and engage still with the Mind Lab community to ensure that I am up to date with the digital learning tools in my practice. I am also considering the idea of keep learning The Mind Lab and do the Master of Contemporary Education to explore more new ideas and tools to become more and better digital fluent.

References

Bolstad, R. & MacDonald, J. (2016). An analysis of participant blogs supplemented by teacher interviews. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R. (1993). Reflective Practice for Educators. California. Corwin Press, Inc. Retrieved from hhttp://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf

Osterman, K. F., & Kottkamp, R. B. (2015). Reflective practice for educators: professional development to improve student learning. (2nd ed.) New York: Skyhorse Publishing.

Wright, N. (2010). e-Learning and implications for New Zealand schools: A literature review. Ministry of Education.

WEEK 31 – Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness

This week, I choose Rolfe et al.’s (2001) reflective model, which is based upon three simple questions: What? So what? Now what? This is about the indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice

What?

Indigenous knowledge is referred to the funds of knowledge and expertise that students and their families and whanaus are having which directly related to their lived experiences within their cultures (Gonzalez, Moll & Amanti, 2005). And, Gay (2010) defines culturally responsive pedagogy as teaching ‘to and through students’ personal and cultural strengths, their intellectual capabilities, and their prior accomplishments’ (p. 26) and as premised on ‘close interactions among ethnic identity, cultural background, and student achievement’ (p. 27).

In my own experience and understanding, ‘indigenous knowledge’ is the students’ personal and cultural knowledge and ‘cultural responsiveness’ is about the recognition and inclusiveness of every student culture in all aspects of learning and teaching. As a teacher, I am leaning more to cultural responsive pedagogy which gives me the opportunity to build a very strong foundation of relationship with my learners and their whanaus. And I am aware of it and trying to recognise and celebrate my students’ cultures in my practice always boosts up their confidence in knowing who they are which motivates them to do well. Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness should be prevailed in both areas, (1) school-wide activities and (2) learning activities.

So what?

I currently work at a multicultural mainstream school (in Papatoetoe) where Pakeha and Maori are the minorities in our school roll, whereas the Asians and Pasifika are the dominant groups. As a school, we are acknowledging our students’ cultures in so many ways, in terms of school-wide activities and learning activities. Besides printing all our cultural greetings on our school website, class newsletters and bulletins, we have our very own school karakia in Maori. Every year, our “International Day” is carefully organised to celebrate everyone’s culture and parents, families and whanaus are also invited. Our ACE (Academies, Clubs and Electives) program operates once a week has been set up to recognise and strengthen our students’ cultural interests, personal skills and knowledge. This program is made up of 25 different ACE groups focusing on different cultures, languages, dances, music, foods, arts, sports, life skills and careers-based skills. Some of our ACE groups’ tutors are our students’ parents and whanaus members. Isn’t it amazing to interact with our learners and work closely with their families? One of my roles is to teach Te Reo Maori within our syndicate and I use the concept of ‘tuakana teina’ quite often to empower the students to share their indigenous knowledge and support one another to achieve their personal and academic goals. Through these school-wide and learning activities, I have learnt to know and understand my students and their cultures better. Bishop in Edtalks (2012) suggests in the video that a teacher whose pedagogy is culturally responsive challenges the “deficit thinking” of student educability and has agentic thinking, believing that they have skills and knowledge that can help all their students to achieve.

Looking at Dr Ann Milne’s Action Continuum (2017), I am more in the green block through my experience and current practice. However, the aspects of education as a colonial tool and is very interesting.

Now what?

Most schools and educational institutions are ‘mainstream’ with multicultural settings and I personally believe that it is important for us teachers to have cultural inclusiveness in our practices. Our pedagogy should mirror cultural responsiveness in a way to utilise and recognise the indigenous funds of knowledge within our students and their whanaus. Culture is important and we as teachers should make extra effort to learn the culture of all our learners, so we can fully understand who they are and how they learn without bias. I always expect my students to respect others and their cultures and I should ‘role model’ that concept and keep in mind that there is always a room for improvement in my cultural responsive pedagogy.

References

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742.

CORE Education. (2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

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

Gay,G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2),106-116.

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Milne, B.A. (2013). Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. (Doctoral Thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://hdl. handle.net/10289/7868

Milne, A. (2017). Coloring in the white spaces: reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.