What a journey this has been. Without some extensions towards the end, I am not sure I would have made it through the craziness of Term 1. A lot of energy, time, and professional development has been put into the last 32 weeks. I can honestly say I have learnt a lot about myself as a teacher, a leader and have vastly improved my ICT skills. I won't miss the deadlines, and am looking forward to having more time to concentrate on my practice.Image source
Three Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC) in e-learning that I have met well:
CRITERIA 3 Demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa / New Zealand.
As this is also my personal appraisal goal, I feel that I am demonstrating commitment to the Maori culture and Maori learners in my classroom and the school community. In my initial DCL assignments, we raised the lack of Literacy engagement within both Maori and Pasifika students. Our findings showed that more students responded to collaborative and digital learning. I have adjusted my practice to allow for more of both. I have introduced, Padlet, Sunshine Online, Book Creator, Pic Collage, Steps2 Literacy, and other ICT based online apps as ways to read and respond to texts.
CRITERIA 4 Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.
Throughout the Mindlab journey, the two other Mindlabbers and I, have continued to bring back the tools we have learnt and shared them with our colleagues. I have attended weekly workshops run by our ICT specialist in order to cement my learning of the new apps on our classroom iPads. Our school does all of our planning and discussions on Google Drive, using Google Docs. We have weekly PLC meetings where we analyse and discuss professional readings. With our school now going digital, my professional development and learning will be ongoing through Ako Hiko, readying the middle school for this change in 2017. Our R&C assignments focused on how to get more digital devices in our school, this could be put in practice by Term 3.
CRITERIA 6 Conceptualise, plan, and implement an appropriate learning programme.
My planning has changed in 2016 considerably from what it was the year before. Everything in online through Google Drive and accessible by my colleagues. As the new syndicate leader for the Middle School, I have had to learn quickly on how to lead my team effectively, this includes the collaboration of the longterm planning of an appropriate Inquiry unit each term. I meet with my team weekly to review how the previous weeks practice has gone, we then determine what direction our Inquiry is taking (this is not always in the same direction in all classes) and discuss ways we can help our students meet our goals. Looking back at our LDC assignments which I started in 2015, the leadership theories have a new meaning to me now in 2016 with the syndicate leader role. Ideally I would like to describe myself as a Transformational Leader where I can help to create valuable and positive change in my students, with the end goal of them developing into leaders themselves.
GOAL 1:
Increase my ICT Knowledge and Professional Practice.
While I have acknowledged that my commitment to this area is something I do well, I feel like I have only scratched the surface. The students have an amazing ability to pick up ICT skills so quickly, that at times I feel like our roles are reversed. I need to remember that this is a digital world that I am adapting to, and they have been born into. In order for myself to feel like an informed and skilled teacher I need to continually learn myself. I need to take all of the ICT professional development that is offered. Most of the digital technology that we use, has been produced in the last two years (Green TV) so it is evolving continuously. I need to too.
GOAL 2:
Adopt a growth mindset
Teachers collaborate with their colleagues and instructional leaders, rather than shut their classroom doors and fly solo. They strive to strengthen their own practice, rather than blame others. They truly believe that all students can learn and succeed—and show it. (Mindset Works (2008-12)
I am embarking on the ILE journey toward the end of 2016. This involves changing my pedagogy. I need to learn how to co-teach, collaborate and let the reins go from being a single cell teacher. Whilst encouraging my students to adopt a growth mindset about their own learning, I too need to learn the skills of collaboration on a greater scale than before. This is my big goal for the year, co-plan, co-teach and collaborate. While I have adapted to the increasing digital change, it is ongoing. My pedagogy is about to change, I need to learn how to deliver the most effective collaborative practice alongside my fellow teacher. This will be the biggest challenge of all, teaching a reasonably old dog (me) some new tricks. Change is good.
References
Ministry of Education (nd). Practising Teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/...
Mindset Works Inc (2008) Motivate students to grow their minds Retrieved fromhttps://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/whatismindset.aspx
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