Activity 8: Changes in my practice

Activity 8: Changes in my practice

This has been a very enlightening journey. The first 16 weeks was excellent especially because we got the chance to tinker with new and exciting technologies each week. The next 16 weeks was intense but it was good to solidify and focus on a few aspects of the course and have the opportunity to develop further understanding into a topic that was directly related to you. This course has given me fresh, innovative ideas of how to bring technology into the classroom to engage and motivate the students. 

I keep referring back to this quote by Deci & Flaste (1996, pg. 47) “...when time seems to collapse and disappear, when intensity in the process takes over and the thrill is so great that one hates seeing it end and can’t wait to get back to it”. With the knowledge that I have gained on this course I have been able to achieve this. The students in my classroom have thoroughly enjoyed the learning experiences and the adaptations that I have made to the my classroom program due to this course. I flipped my classroom and turned it into one big game where the students earn experience to level up characters on the wall, I have introduced programs such as scratch and we are currently in the process of ordering Makey Makey's for the school, I have use QR codes to display writing and much more. Exciting changes have happened and through the use of digital collaboration, I have students who previously don't want to write almost begging me to continue working on stories that they are working on. This has been the most exciting aspect of the course for me. The level of engagement.

Practicing teaching criteria in e-Learning

The changes in my researched informed practice have encompassed "Criteria 6: conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme" and "Criteria 7: promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive environment" (Ministry of Education, n.d.). Through-out the duration of the course I have had the opportunity to develop and implement a problem-based approach to teaching and learning approach. Instead of providing the students with an answer I challenge them to figure it out for themselves. I have turned my Inquiry programme (which traditionally was a teacher-led inquiry process) to a student-led approach. I introduce the main idea to the children and the students pose questions that they want answered and within the time frame they do the research and answer their own questions. This has challenged the students in my classroom to come up with authentic questions and develop collaborative learning conversations with other members of the classroom who might be interested in what they are doing. By doing this I have seen a large increase in motivation and engagement, especially with having an all boys classroom. This has been a challenging process. However, the rewards/results that I have witnessed have been outstanding.

My next dream

I am constantly reflecting on how I implement an exciting and appropriate learning programme in my classroom. So my next dream in professional development is to find new and innovative ways to engage the students in my classroom through technology. Technology is such a key aspect of society today and I want to be able to tap into every resource I can to engage and motivate my boys classroom.

References

Deci, E., & Flaste, R. (1996). Why we do what we do. New York: Penguin Books

Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Registered-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning

Activity 7: My interdisciplinary connection map

Activity 7: My interdisciplinary connection map

In my classroom every Friday my students have a day where they are able to learn about what they want to learn about. This is taken from Google's 20% time. I call this Adventure Learning. The students pick what they want to learn about and complete a research/project-based project. I have taken the same approach to our Inquiry topic this term. Our overarching them or idea is War and Conflict. I let the students choose what they wanted to learn about which had to be linked. I had students researching and discussing tactics, codes, spies and how weaponry over time has changed.  By giving students the choice they are developing a wide variety of skills that make them a 21st Century Learner. These skills include 

• Critical Thinking
• Creativity 
• Collaboration 
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solving
• Self-regulation 
• Self-management

From completing the Adventure learning process I have witnessed a high level of students engagement and motivation. Even to the point where students are sending me emails on the weekend with things that they want me to print out on a 3D Printer. Adventure Learning has strong links to Reading, Writing, Maths, Inquiry and Technology. This is my interdisciplinary connections map.  

Two potential connections that I could work on is connecting ICT with Writing and ICT with Reading. These are two areas which there is some connection but not enough. In Writing my students use chromebooks to collaboratively work on pieces of writing. When students get the opportunity to work with their pairs on completing tasks they are engage and motivated.  When students have to use the chromebooks just to publish they are not. I need to find a way so that the students have a mixture. I have seen high quality writing from students who have traditionally not been the best writers because they don't have to worry about getting the surface features correct. They write and the computer fixes this for them. I need to work on developing this connection between ICT and Writing. 

The same goes for Reading. Students are more engaged when they have to complete tasks on the chromebooks. It is important to remember that students in the 21st Century have been brought up with internet. The students use this as a tool when they get home and are highly engaged when on the chromebooks. The challenge for me is to find engaging tasks that the students can do during Reading that develop the essential skills of what it means to be a good reader. 

The advantages of having an interdisciplinary connections

According to Lacoe Edu (2014) an interdisciplinary approach gives an authentic, real-world outlook on learning. It provides students with the opportunities to unwrap and discover new knowledge.  Students have an overarching theme or topic which they have to examine through the a multitude of disciplines. They develop core 21st Century Learning skills and look at complex, real-life experiences. They have use no single discipline to solve one problem and they unpack each topic or theme through the lenses of multiple disciplines. This increases engagement. David Wiley in TEDx Talks (2001) states that "passion is critical". By giving the students a choice of theme or topic and the opportunity to develop their understanding through a range of disciplines, as an educator or facilitator, you are able to generate the passion for learning.

References

Lacoe Edu (2014) Interdisciplinary Learning. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA564RIlhME

TEDx Talks (2001). TEDxBYU - David Wiley - An Interdisciplinary Path to Innovation. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytjMDongp4

Activity 6: Social Media in Professional Development

Activity 6: Social Media in Professional Development 

Key Features of Social Media

Tom Whitby the founder of #edchat stated in Office of Ed Tech - Connected Educators (2013) that "technology has taken us to a level where we can collaborate beyond our wildest imaginations". One of the key features of being connected is having the opportunity to connect not only with the students in your classroom but educators and experts all around the world. It no longer takes hours to get feedback on a question. By posting a questions online you can have a response within in minutes. Using open forums or social media platforms such as twitter has enabled educators to be connected and learn new things from a range of different experts, not only in their school, but in their country or even on the other side of the world. This is a powerful tool. The ability to have instant access to discover what other educators are doing and see the amazing things they are doing.

Teachers, educators and students are no longer isolated within the confines of their school or professional learning communities. They have ability to begin learning conversations in a matter of minutes. Whether it be early in the morning or late at night, there is no limit. 

There are many key features of social media that are beneficial for teaching and learning. By having access and being able to connect any time and anywhere gives educators the ability to continue to learn, to be a 21st Century Learner themselves. If an educator is connected to social media they have an unlimited bank of resources at the press of a button.

Using social media to enhance professional learning

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook have opened up the world to educators for professional development. When I attended uLearn in 2014, there was a chance to follow the uLearn Twitter page. This gave everyone the ability to not only access the workshops they were attending but see what everyone else was up to and learn from them even if they hadn't attended the workshop. It was a great way to learn new things and find resources.  For me, I use both Twitter, Facebook and Google + for my own professional development. I follow and am a part of groups on Facebook which give me the ability to post questions, receive feedback and see what other teachers are up to. 

Establishing a Google + community within my school would be one way to enhance professional learning. This Google + community would be a place for my colleagues and I to post interesting and engaging learning experiences that were successful. By doing this, we begin our journey to becoming connected. Emails are outdated, a Google + community would allow my colleagues to have instant access to a professional learning community that they me not have used in the past. 

It is so important in this century to be connected, to collaborate with other teachers around the world. Social media has made the world accessible and we are no longer isolated. It is key for teachers to use social media as a tool for learning but it is also important to prepare students for being online and making them aware of what is out there.

References:

Office of Ed Tech (2013) Connected Educators. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Vd4JP_DB8