J9 Mindlab Reflections 2017

Interdisciplinary Connections Andrews (1990) defines interdisciplinary collaboration as occurring "when different professionals, possessing unique knowledge, skills, organizational perspectives, and personal attributes, engage in coordinated problem solving for a common purpose" (cited in Berg-Weger &. Schneider, 1998). Marilyn Stember (1991) outlines three arguments for an interdisciplinary approach that resonate with me: Intellectual - any learning area is enriched by other areas; Practical - connections are strengthened when they have a real world context; Pedagogical - separating subjects hinders learning. As a primary and intermediate school teacher, I work with the other teachers in my syndicate to teach across most subject areas, integrating them wherever possible to create thematic contexts that my students can apply to real life.  Therefore, my interdisciplinary connections, as discussed here, will focus on the professionals who I work wi...

Professional learning development (PLD) via social networks has been one of the most inspiring things I have engaged in as a teacher.  Connected to the Virtual Learning Network (VLN), Twitter, Google Plus communities and a NZ Primary teachers Facebook page, I rely on the wealth of knowledge, varying opinions and sharing of resources from other passionate educators. When I began teaching, 20 years ago, we viewed a professional development booklet each year, to identify courses we would like to attend - several courses, every year.   Advisors were also available to come into school to support us with identified areas for development.  At some point, both the professional development booklet and the advisors disappeared. In some schools I worked in, there were forward-thinking teachers to inspire and challenge my practice; but not so much in others. A few years ago, with three children under the age of four, I spent a year at home with my kids.  Unsure of ...

Identifying an ethical dilemma A recurring ethical dilemma in the last two intermediate schools I have taught in is that of negative online interactions between students or groups of students, usually occurring off-site and out of school hours; significantly impacting students’ emotions, interactions and learning at school. Distressed parents and students often look to the school to try to ‘solve’ the problem, directing their angst at the school (as students involved typically all attend the same intermediate school). The issue is further complicated by the fact that is is usually not a straightforward ‘bullies vs victim’ scenario, as there are often multiple perspectives to the given scenario.  Often the ‘victim’ has played a significant part in negative online interactions; but has found that they are unable to cope emotionally with an escalation of the issue.  Students and families are often distressed, students tend to feel victimised despite their own role in t...

“Caring for students as culturally located individuals within a framework of positive student–teacher relationships is considered beneficial for all students, but particularly so for Māori" (Bishop et al., 2003; Hall & Kidman, 2004). ERO cites ‘ Educationally Powerful Connections ’ - agency, ubiquity and connectedness - as being critical to achievement of all NZ students.  I would argue that this concept also links strongly to being culturally responsive in the classroom, with strong and positive relationships with students and whānau being key to the concept of connectedness.   My own practice Connectedness: Having taught in primary, intermediate and secondary school environments, I find that at primary and intermediate it is easier to get to know your students and their whānau well. Building positive relationships with students in a secondary school environment, where it is usual to teach several different classes in the course of each day, provides more challe...

A contemporary trend relevant to my practice: Rapid technological advancements are changing the working landscape, both in New Zealand and globally. "Rapid technological advancements will increase the pace of change and create new opportunities but will aggravate divisions between winners and losers."  ( Global trends: The Paradox of Progress , US National Intelligence Council, 2017, p6) This trend captivates my attention as I see an enormous disparity between the digital skills our students will require, and opportunities for them to learn these through our education system.  I also observe on a day-to-day basis the increased level of engagement my Year 8 students have when using a digital platform; yet I struggle to provide quality digital learning opportunities for my students given the resources currently at my disposal.  As the teacher leading ICT in my school, I am also acutely aware of the vastly different levels of ICT ability of the teachers in my school. ...

Current issues in my professional context: socioeconomic factors, school culture and professional environments. Socio-economic factors of the school community The school I currently work in is an Intermediate school, with a role of 670 students.  The most obvious indicator of socio-economic factors is its decile rating, which is 7.    The Education Review website states that "Deciles are a measure of the socio-economic position of a school's student community relative to other schools throughout the country."   However, ERO warns against making assumptions based on the decile rating of a school. "A school's decile does not indicate the overall socio-economic mix of the school or reflect the quality of education the school provides." Our school differs from other similar sized Intermediate schools with a similar decile rating due to the large, semi-rural zone encompassing our school.  There are seven primary schools that feed into our Intermedia...

My Practice Within the Community     " Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly." ( Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner, 2015) Given this definition, I am able to reflect that I have a number of communities of practice relevant to myself as a teacher and learner:  my syndicate team,  my staff  members of our large staff who share my interest in all things digital and in evolving pedagogy,  my teaching social networks, teachers who I have worked with at other schools and still have open lines of communication with for sharing ideas and solving problems,  my Mindlab group, who continue to meet up online and in person to discuss our learning and help each other with assignment questions.   Wegner (2000) discusses the term 'brokering', where a person acts as a broker between communities.  As I have worked in a number...