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Week 32 Reflective Practice - key changes in professional practice

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I took on the Mindlab course to pick up some new ideas around digital technology and how I can use them in the classroom to engage and foster the learning of my students. The course offered so much more than this and the information gained was far more than I expected. Although it was tough trying to manage my time due to my busy schedule, the journey has been worth it in terms of the reflective nature the course took in making you question your thinking in a range of different ways. What  Our code, our standards (Ministry of Education, 2017). With regard to the Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession Our Code Our Standards, I will focus this reflection on creating a learning focused culture in this reflective entry. I knew I had students in my year 6-8 class who were keen on digital technology and had a few ideas as to how to engage them. Throughout the Mindlab journey I have learnt about a range of tools that could be used in the cl...
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Week 31 - Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsibility

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The New Zealand Cultural Landscape is changing and becoming more and more multicultural. As teachers, to be culturally responsible, we need to accept this change and be culturally responsible in our practice. What As the world, including New Zealand, is impacted by globalisation, cultures intertwine and multiculturalism becomes common place. As (Savage et al., 2011) state, disparities exist where those with the dominant culture within a school experience privilege whilst simultaneously disadvantaging students whose cultures are different. But it doesn't have to be this way. Each and every child brings into school their own culture that have shaped and will continue to shape their experiences and learning. As teachers, we need to be culturally responsive and use the knowledge they bring as a rich source of learning that can benefit all.  Savage et al., (2011) go on to outline that teachers that are culturally responsive contextualise instruction in cultural forms, behaviours, a...
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Week 30 - The broader professional context of teaching with regard to trends.

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As we are becoming more interconnected through globalisation, international trends are playing more of a role in our lives they ever used to. With regard to the teaching profession, teachers not only need to be aware of global trends, but need to prepare their learners for their future in this ever changing world. What Jobs are changing. The days of moving into a career for life are long gone and as technology continues to advance, many jobs that were once done by humans have been replaced by technology and robots. As Daggett (2014) states, people are being replaced in by technology that can do jobs better and less expensively than humans. We have already seen technology and robots replace low skilled work in factories and driverless cars are being tested by corporate global giants including Google. As educators, we need to be aware of this global trend of technology replacing jobs and  prepare our students to be adaptable when entering the workforce. So what In order to be...
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Week 29 - Social online networks for professional development

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Personal Learning networks are a great way to engage with peers and add another aspect to your professional development. Descriptive If I'm honest, I don't really use social media for professional development in my teaching practice and I 'm not a big user of social media in general. Although I have subscribed to the primary teachers Facebook page, I tend to 'lurk' and cherry pick the threads that I find interesting and occasionally comment if I have something of value to add. However, the biggest benefit I find is when people share links to resources or other websites as this cuts down on time (as I don't have to reinvent the wheel) or sparks an idea that that is worthy of further investigation. Although I feel I could use social media and personal learning networks to a greater degree, I find my professional time to engage in this practice is limited. Comparative Teachers by the very nature of the job are isolated and   as  Whitaker, Zoul & Casas,...
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Ethics and legalities in digital practice

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Technology continues to open new ways for us to communicate and share information. Thoughts, photos, videos, ideas and more can be posted online both privately and publicly with a click of a button at anytime of the day or night. For many, this is a blessing, but for teachers, we have to be a little more cautious. With the advent of social media and the ease at which it is to communicate, boundaries can become a little blurred and grey areas emerge and our morality can become tested on what we post and who we communicate and share it with (Ehrich Kimber, Millwater & Cranston,  2011). Descriptive As a teacher, I am bound by the code of ethics and as such I'm in a trusted position in society, have influence on my learners and have to uphold high standards of ethical behaviour  (Education Council, 2017). Even though I have other roles in society, I am often judged by my profession and as such, I even have to be mindful of the teachers code of professional responsibility...
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Week 19 Inquiry topics and Communities of Practice.

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This blog is a reflection on communities of practice (CoP) and how they can help with a teacher inquiry. Descriptive: I have selected two topics for further reflection from this Mindlab journey as potential inquiry topics. I have an interest in 3D printing and growth mindset. Setting children up for the future to be critical thinkers and problem solvers will enable them to not only forge their own path, but also be valuable contributors to society. I'm interested how current technology and a growth mindset can be used to enhance the learning of young children though developing their curiosity and abilities to 'figure things out'. Wenger (2000) outlines a community of practice as 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. In order for the group to be a CoP the need to meet the following criteria: Joint Enterprise: We are all educators or have an interest who regularly interact through G...
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Week 18 Reflecting on the past to inform future teaching practice

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Since beginning my Mindlab journey, I've been intrigued with the available technology that has been bought to my attention and how these technologies can be used as tools to enhance the learning of my students.  Description I have used the technology I have available in my classroom in a different manner and explored new applications that are arising as result of the Mindlab course. This follows  the sub theme of the role  of current and emerging technologies  (Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012) . I have provided a range of digital options to students and giving them the autonomy to 'choose' how they reflect what they are learning has created a greater sense of student agency and also allowed students to follow their own interests. For example, students have been able to create digital movies or write documents on devices. They can choose to code in Scratch, Hopscotch and using the Sphero. Also they can integrate maths in 3D design and pri...
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