'Social media can be an effective tool for engaging with learners and communicating with parents, whānau and communities. Teachers who model good social media use will grow learners who apply positive, respectful values in their interactions on social media platforms.'
As teachers we use social media in our personal lives as will as within a school context. We need to watch what we put on and what we share with our students.
Explain the dilemma and discuss either: an actual situation that you have knowledge of, and how it was resolved.
I work in a school that is fully digital. We have rules and expectations in place for our students when using the internet. The students also sign an internet agreement and know the consequences for breaking the rules.
At school I have a year 5/6 girls only class. A while a go I had a parent come to me to inform me that another child had been sending mean messages through animal jam, which is an online game. This is not a program that we have approved during school time and this incident occurred out of school hours. I informed the parent that I would go over how we behave on the internet and what had happened was not appropriate. All had been good for sometime. then a couple of weeks ago at night an email popped up from one of my students saying 'mean'. I opened the email to find a google doc which had screen shots of emails that had been sent to this child. As we have the haarapa teacher dashboard I could open this up and see if the child had been doing this. I opened her emails and saw the sent emails. I contacted the child's parents to arrange a meeting the following day. At this meeting I first talked to them about what had happened and showed them the emails. We also looked at the child's history and could see she had been on the emails during this time. The parents did confirm she was on her computer at this time but thought she was on minecraft. When we asked the child about it she said she had not sent any emails to another child and would not send anything so mean to another child. We showed her the emails that were sent from her email and her history. She still said it was not her. As a consequence at school she had a reflection and also had to write an apology letter to the other child. At home her parents have stopped her from using her computer at home and it has to stay at school. If students do this during school time or are on sites that we have not approved we take their computers off them for a certain length of time. We did not this time as this incident had happened out of school hours. I also contacted the other child's parents to inform them of what we had happened and what we had done.
In class we once again went over our school internet guidelines and discussed about keeping safe on the internet.
Even though these incidents happened out side of school hours they still happened using a school account. I feel we dealt with the incident well
Class notes
Ethics are learned behaviours shaped by a range of societal influences such as school, work, community, family, church, the arts, culture and sports. Our individual interpretation of ethics helps shape our ideas about justice, morality and virtue.
Ethics are not a single topic you can study in isolation but are a foundation upon which you live and practice. Everything you do, every decision you make, has ethics at its core, driving or motivating your actions and decisions.
Indigenous knowledge & Cultural responsiveness My views on indigenous knowledge and cultural responsive pedagogy.
Being culturally responsive is acknowledging others cultures , religions and beliefs. Culturally Responsive Teaching is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings,1994).
According to Ladson-Billings, G. (1994), some characteristics of culturally responsive teaching are:
Definition of culturally responsive according to wikipeida; Culturally relevant or responsive teaching is a pedagogy grounded in teachers' displaying cultural competence: skill at teaching in a cross-cultural or multicultural setting. They enable each student to relate course content to his or her cultural context.
School vision, mission, and core values
Within the school I work, this year we employed a teacher to develop a maori curriculum for our school. One of the purposes of this was to develop 'Te Reo Maori across the school as well as our Maori students and Whanu feeling part of our school community. By developing and acknowledging our maori students though their own cultural we are hoping to lift their achievement. Through this development we are acknowledge the diversity of our communities cultural background and unique position. As a school we want to know who our Māori learners are in the wider context of school and home, in order to develop holistic, authentic and inclusive learning goals for all our learners. We are working towards building stronger relationships with our Maori community. We have been developing programs to support Te Reo and our maori students. A focus this year is also developing the language across our staff to become confident uses of Te Reo Maori. According to Ka Hikitia.
'When the vision is realised, all Māori
students will:
have their identity, language and
culture valued and included in teaching and learning in ways
that support them to engage and
achieve success
know their potential and feel supported to set goals and take
action to enjoy success
have experienced teaching and learning that is relevant, engaging,
rewarding and positive
have gained the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need to
achieve success in Te Reo Māori,
New Zealand and the wider world'
As a school we are working together to build our own understanding and knowledge around our Maori learners and looking at how we can support them t=in meaning ways to achieve their own goals.
This year we have change d our class names and they have been given a Maori name. We were also shared what each of the names meant. These were also shared with the students.
“Kawenga” describes the embedded practices, knowledge and skills from one’s learning journey which they take with them in preparation of greater things.
“Tutuki” describes the completion of something, accomplishment of something and the achievements made or milestones reached.
Area to work on:
As a school we have come a long way this year in developing Cultural responsiveness within our school, but we still have a long one to go. One of the areas I believe that still needs development would be school wide activities. Even though we do have a few such as school wide assembly each week and once a term house meetings. We also have a school wide cross country. Some classes work together (buddy classes) and this is a good way to build relationships between teachers and different students as well as student & student relationships. This year the school has reset up a parents group and they have just organised a puanga celebrations for the school community.
We have only started this journey this year. Our charter reflects the vision and ideas the school has. At times things can be difficult to implement due to changes of staff and after reflection of what is working and what needs improving.
References:
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing Co.
Class notes
Culture is not merely a question of ethnicity, but also beliefs, spirituality, age, gender, and sexual orientation.(Shaw, White & Deed, 2013, p. 6-7). As we operate in the society, we interpret the world and interact with others through our cultural lens. More often that it should be, we make the assumptions towards those who we consider are different from our own cultural background.
Aotearoa New Zealand Today
Today Aotearoa New Zealand is often viewed as a Pasifikanation, and is increasingly culturally diverse. Those of European origin only make up 67 percent of the population. Maori comprise 14.6 percent with the remainder being made up largely of Pasifika nations (6.9 percent), Asians (9.2 percent) and various others (1.7 percent) (Findsen, 2012). The fact that this is now a multicultural society places Māori, as Tāngata Whenua (people of the land) as possibly in an even more marginalised position.
Although it was hard fought, and not fully recognised until the 1970s, Aotearoa New Zealand is now a bicultural nation within which resides a multicultural society.
Culturally responsive teaching practice
Culture is not exclusive to race and/or ethnicity. It also refers the unique features of a community; its demographic makeup, including location, age, gender, language/s spoken, local history, industry and economics.
Week 26 Community of Practice and Situated Learning
1: What is the organisational culture (collective values/principals) that underpins your practice?
As I pondered about this question, it made me reflect on the values and principals not only that I have but also the school in which I work. I created this word cloud to show the values and principals of the community I work in as well as my own.
These documents are from our school charter that underpin our organisational culture values and principles.
As a organisation, we look at these reflect, and re evaluate that these are what we believe in as a staff. As a school we are focused on students well being and developing them as learners as well as supporting their emotional needs.
As a school we work with our school community, recognising and valuing the different cultures within our organisation. We have a parent community group which also helps in the organisation of our school and building connections within our school community.
As a school we value our students and their learning. We show this through not only our class environments but also the school environment through the activities that students can do at break times. Our school grounds also reflect as a school what we value. As a school this is also recognising the different cultures and needs of our students. As Naim Kapucu (2012) stated, 'Forming communities of practice provides participants with an environment that combines knowledge and practice and the opportunity to learn through relationships with their peers and practitioners in the community.'
How would you contribute to fostering a positive professional environment on your community of practice?
I contribute to fostering a positive professional environment through the relationships that I develop with the students I work with, their families and the staff I work with. Through my role within the school, not only as a classroom teacher but also as SENCO & Co leading e-learning, I have to develop a professional practice. As SENCO I have to work with other agencies for the well being of our students, as well as for parents. Through this role I support teachers with students and am also developing my own knowledge in this area. Through E-learning I help to develop staff knowledge and understanding of the integration of digital technologies within our school to support students learning. I also develop students learning. 'Learning is a social process taking place within the context
of our daily actions and experiences' (Smith 2003, 2009).
As a staff we work together for the students that we teach. We share ideas and work along side each other. I believe that the school I work, in fosters a positive professional environment for all.
Naim Kapucu (2012). Classrooms as Communities of Practice:
Designing and Facilitating Learning
in a Networked Environment (2016).Naspaa.org. Retrieved 24 June 2016, from http://www.naspaa.org/jpaemessenger/Article/VOL18-3/11_Kapucu.pdf
4: What changes are occurring in the context of your profession? How would you community of practice address them?
From our data we noticed that a high percentage of our Maori students were not achieving where they should be. This year our school has employed a teacher to develop a Maori curriculum as well as the language across the school and community. The purpose of this is to acknowledge our Maori students and their culture in the aim to improve their achievement as well as other others learners. According to 'Ka Hikiti the importance of identity,
language and culture – teachers knowing where their
students come from, and building on what students
bring with them; and on productive partnerships
among teachers, Māori learners, whānau and iwi.
Our staff all have different backgrounds and are all at different stages of using Te Reo. Therefore, each week as part of our meeting time we learn a new phrase etc. this we can take back to our classrooms. We have also developed groups within each class that work once a week with the specialised teacher to develop their knowledge of the maori language and culture. Within my class these students have become the leaders of the language and share their learning with the wider class. Ka Hikiti document states, 'Evidence shows high-quality teaching is the most important
influence the education system can have on high-quality outcomes
for students with diverse learning needs'.
Since the introduction of this staff are becoming more confident with the use of the language in our classrooms and the students are using the language more within the class, playground and greeting staff.
With the continuing of this we are hoping to see a growth of our students progress in particular that of our Maori students.
Each competency describes related behaviours for
teachers at different stages of their teaching career,
and what the results could look like for learners and
their whānau.
Class notes:
We are to explore different aspects of our community of practice and how these impact on us. These aspects include shared assumptions, values, beliefs or, in other words, the organisational culture within which you operate socially and professionally.
Stoll and Fink (cited in Stoll, 1998) identified 10 influencing cultural norms of school improvement including:
“1. Shared goals - “we know where we’re going”
2. Responsibility for success - “we must succeed”
3. Collegiality - “we’re working on this together”
4. Continuous improvement - “we can get better”
5. Lifelong learning - “learning is for everyone”
6. Risk taking - “we learn by trying something new”
7. Support - “there’s always someone there to help”
8. Mutual respect - “everyone has something to offer”
9. Openness - “we can discuss our differences”
10. Celebration and humour - “we feel good about ourselves”” (p.10)
As stoll (19980 defines school culture as three dimensions, the relationships among its members; the organisational structure including the physical environment and the management system; and the learning nature.
As Schein (1985, p.6) stated 'the basic essence of an organisation’s culture to be:
the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously, and that define in a basic ‘taken for granted’ fashion an organisation’s view of itself and its environment'
In primary schools, care and control influence their culture (Hargreaves et al., 1996), such that when students leave primary school there is a feeling that they have left a family (Ruddock, 1996)
Create a blog post where you identify and evaluate two contemporary issues or trends that are influencing or shaping NZ or international education, which you find most relevant to your practice.
Equitable Access
Technology has become cheaper and more accessible to people over the last few years. The number of connected technologies we use each day continues to multiply. It has changed the way in which we interact and learn from others not only within our school community but also the wider world. Even through technology can help with students learning the use of it within the classroom does not make the difference. The use of technology needs to be 'partnered with good pedagogy, well designed teaching and learning environments as and equitable access' (Cored Education ten trends 1026). To ensure equitable we need to be giving students the 'opportunity to learn from teachers who understand how to use technology to both enhance learning and create quality learning experiences for students with special needs'. Equitable Access . (2016).Iste.org.
Even though more students have access to digital technology outside of the 4 walls of the classroom, there are still many students who can not afford the technology. Therefore, as educators we need to be mindful of the expectations we set on students to continue with their learning at home. We need to know the learners within our classrooms and the access they have to digital technologies. 'Having access to the device both at home and at school has the potential to create a seamless and ubiquitous learning environment and provide teachers with options to reimagine how their teaching and learning might look' Cored Education ten trends 2016. An example of this is flipped learning where teachers create videos / lessons that students can watch at home then classroom time is used for discussion time about the topic.
Not all schools have the equipment and or teacher knowledge to effectively incorporate digital technologies into the school. This can therefore become a disservices to students in-particular those students whom may change schools.Many schools can difficulties keeping up the the pace in which technologies change and the cost that this brings to the school. Also, students who don't have access to digital technologies within school can be disadvantaged in the future as they are not having opportunities to develop all 21st century learning skills. According to the Core education ten trend 2016, technologies really support learning through not only providing opportunities to collaborate and co-construct knowledge on a global level but by affording access to current and most-up-to-date resources as we need them. Technology offers the potential to improve education for disadvantaged students, regardless of at-home availability Equitable Access . (2016)
Within the school I work we have a strong digital presence where students use technologies to support and extend their own learning. They have the opportunities to work collaboratively with others within the school but also globally and internationally. The schools that our students feed into upon leaving us have limited use of digital technologies or are on the journey of developing this ares. As a school we have offered other teachers within our community to come to PD sessions and learn about the integration of digital technologies. We have done this to share their knowledge and for them to support their own students. the in which schools are transforming their learning environments and they way in which they run their programs is also changing.
An example of this is project based learning. Project based learning (When project-based learning is infused with technology, it may look and feel like a 21st-century idea, but it's built on a venerable foundation.) Schools which have an inadequate infrastructure and not the technologies can not support students in this form of learning.
Project based learning needs to be authentic and relevant to students, Include practical activities and group work to engage students,
Global Connectedness
Today we are able to connect with others more easily through the use of technologies. This can be through face to face interaction such as skype and google hangouts or sharing our thoughts through other social media such as facebook, twitter or blog post.
Global Connectedness is a way in which we can communicate to share ideas, knowledge and experience with others in a wider audience.
Within education students have the opportunities where they can learn from others. They are able to study different countries by visiting the place through the use of google maps, then ask people about their country.
Global Connectedness can be viewed as being able to :
Within the New Zealand curriculum it states one of its value;'for young people who will be confident connected, actively involved and lifelong learners'. It further says
connected
able to relate well to others
Effective users of communication tools
Connected to the land an denvironment
Members of communities
International citizens
Therefore our curriculum documents supports the notion of globally connecting. From
core education 8 trends it says 'The NZ Curriculum has anticipated this trend in its vision for connected learners who can support the well-being of New Zealand, can relate to others, participate and contribute to the world around them.
There are mnay ways in which schools/ classess can make global / national connections. There is mystery skypes,New Zealand read aloud,quadblogging,100WC there are different projects for postcard projects. These are also some projects in which I have participated in. The students enjoy the learning opportunities these projects can bring as well as being able to share their learning with a wider audience. Many teachers have set up their own projects a and found schools to participate in them. By globally connecting students have the opportunities to share their learning with a wider audience.
For these projects to be successful students need to know their role and the expectations of the project. There is no point participating in projects like these if you do not have the time.
To be able to connect globally schools need to have a good internet connection as well as suitable devices. Teachers also need to support and encouragement to participate in projects like these.
When connecting globally, teachers need to develop digital citizenship with their students and how to keep themselves safe on the net.
For us as educators, if we are to be better together than we are apart, our first challenge is to embrace connectedness as a disposition of our modern profession. Secondly, we need to help our learners embrace the opportunities of connectedness in ways that understand that global does not mean equal. Our learners need to be critical thinkers, open to community action, globally-oriented and culturally-located. Thriving globally, grown locally.
One of the trends that both publications point out is the empowerment of individuals and the game-changing role of technologies in every aspect of society.
In education, it is reflected by the ubiquitous presence of digital technologies integrated in the learning and teaching space
International context:
Over the last decade, technology has moved so swiftly that teachers are increasingly connected across a variety of platforms and in a variety of settings.
21st century learners are digital device and platform users. Their learning goes beyond passive receipt of knowledge towards actively seeking knowledge and their learning extends beyond the classroom walls to the digital learning environment.
It is within this interconnected world that your context of practice needs to be able to respond to changes in technology and new educational paradigms.
The New Zealand education context
New Zealand is among the high quality education performers globally, but also faces critical issues that need to be addressed. A report by the Education Review Office (2012) indicated that New Zealand’s education system needs to pay more attention to three key aspects including i) students-centred learning, ii) responsive and rich curriculum, and iii) assessment used for students’ learning.
The success of priority learners "in education is essential to the Government‟s goal of building a productive
and competitive economy...[and helping them develop] the skills needed to reach their full
potential and contribute to the economy and society”.
According to this report ERO wants schools to 'develop systems, processes and
connections that put students at the heart of learning and teaching.' they are also encouraging schools to implement a responsive curriculum. ERO has also stated that 'improvements need to be made in the ways schools engage in
assessment and evaluation processes so that these are dynamic and responsive to information
about students. If these 3 issues are addressed this could make a difference to priority learners. These 3 issues 'relate to how well schools are focussing on providing education that addresses the needs of students'.
As educators we need to know about our learners as individuals who have interests, strengths, and capabilities, and who have different cultural backgrounds and knowledge and that they can contribute so richly to the curriculum.
Successful schools tend to have a focus on nurturing students interests, strengths and focusing
on their learning leaning needs.
School that tended to have inclusive practices showed these qualities:
advocated strongly for the needs of students
focused on adapting school systems, programmes and resources to meet the needs of the students
were innovative in how they responded to students’ learning needs
had experience in working with students with diverse needs
resourced programmes through creative problem solving
worked effectively as teams
had good practices in communicating with external agencies, families and whānau
used information about students’ strengths, interests and needs to develop and review programmes for students
supported students well to manage transitions within and beyond the school.
Partnerships between teachers, students and schools is also important in the achievement of students learning. it is important to build students’ sense of themselves as competent and capable learners.
Students also need the opportunity to:
understand their achievement in relation to the expected level and what they can do to make improvements
set goals with their teacher
make use of exemplars to support their learning
talk confidently about their progress in relation to particular curriculum areas, learning goals and next steps
keep informed about their progress in achieving goals such as through tracking sheets and teacher feedback
take an active role in reporting their achievement and progress to their parents.
“ . . . the idea of the future being different from the present is so repugnant to our conventional modes of thought and that we, most of us, offer a great resistance to acting
on it in practice.”
John Maynard Keynes, 1937
Changing Education Paradigms
Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history
Equitable access | CORE Education. (2016). Core-ed.org. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2016/equitable-access
Equitable Access
Equitable Access . (2016). Iste.org. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from http://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions/equitable-access
Project Based Learning Focused with Māori Second Chance Learners | Ako Aotearoa
Project Based Learning Focused with Māori Second Chance Learners | Ako Aotearoa. (2016). Akoaotearoa.ac.nz. Retrieved 11 June 2016, from https://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/ako-hub/ako-aotearoa-central-hub/resources/pages/project-based-learning-focused-numeracy-and-literacy-skills-maori-second-chance
Etienne Wenger first coined the concept of “communities of practice”, which are defined as “groups of people who share a concern or a passion or about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interaction on an ongoing basis” (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder, 2002, p.4).
Modes of learning
According to Wenegr communities of practice 'belonging to social learning systems can take various forms at various levels between local interactions and global participation'.
My practice lies within the primary school section. I teach a year 5/6 girls only class. I have lead e-learning for the past 7years a in 2 different schools. I have also been a team leader, lead maths. This year my role within the school I work is SENCO as well as co lead E-learning. I have a passion for E-learning have have lead workshops for other teachers as well as PD sessions for other other schools within the community.
Not only is my community of practice within the school I work, it is also national. I am a member of the primary teacher facebook page, follow and interact on Twitter, A member of mind lab, member of different Google plus communities, belong to different groups on VLN, as well as part of the connected Wanganui teachers. Within these organisations I interact within different ways. Through Twitter, Google plus and facebook, I follow different people/ groups and at times post and participate in different discussions. As a member of the 'connected Wangnaui teachers' I have helped in running PD sessions with and for other teachers within our school community.
What is the purpose and function of your practice? In what ways do you contribute to the community of your practice?
The purpose and function of my practice is as a teacher. As a teacher I aim to teach my students the skills and knowledge they need to be successful for an unknown future. I aim to equip the students I teach with the 21st century skills of critically thinkers, creative, be collaborative, innovative, be problem solvers, communicators.
Within my community I am also a leader. Therefore, I support and help other teachers that I work with in e-learning as well as extending my students in this area. I also collaborate with outside agencies to gain support for our students with different learning, behavioural and social needs.
As a learner myself, I have been completing my mind lab studies. This is not only to further my own knowledge, but also to continue to support my colleagues as well as the students that I teach. As part of this community, I participate in conversations with others completing this either face-face or through Google+ community.
The other communities that I belonging to are mainly online and therefore join in discussions as well as sharing my own knowledge and experiences. Through these online communities I am not only questioning and reflecting on my own learning and teaching, but also extending my own knowledge.
What are the core values that underpin your profession? Evaluate your practice with regard to these values.
What is your specialist area of practice? How does your specialist area of practice relate to the broader professional context?
What are key theories that underpin your practice? Evaluate your practice with regard to these theories.
Reflecting on practice:
From Class notes:
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). Critical reflection looks at individual concerns within a wider perspective, “connecting individual identity and social context” (Fook & Askeland, cited in Finlay, 2008).
Your reflective journal may also become a space where you can start to gather thoughts, sketches, mind maps, diagrams you have created and collected and readings to inform particular interests you may have.
A reflective journal is an important evaluative learning tool for you as a learner and as a professional. Sharing aspects of your journal and working collaboratively in shared e-reflective journal spaces is part of the reflective process. The feedback you give and receive can be critical for further investigation, reflection, and change.
Defining your practice Before you can fully extend your practice you will first need to be able to define it. You can start your reflective journal by introducing yourself, articulating who you are and what is your professional community of practice. In order to be able to do this effectively you should consider the following aspects of your role:
