Week 32: Changes in Practice

Well here I am at the end of the journey.  As I reflect on the Mind Lab course I can honestly say that I have learnt so much that I have put into my practice already. I also have many more ideas that I will keep pulling out when the opportunity arises.  I began the course because I wanted to increase my knowledge of technology and how I could use this in both my delivery of professional learning for the teachers I work with and for teachers to use with children 5 and under and their families.  I have learnt so much more and been really heartened to see the amazing teachers, working with children of all ages, who are making a significant difference in the lives of these children everyday.  At a Learning Community Cluster meeting with teachers from all sectors I said my dream for children is that they are as enthusiastic about learning when they are fourteen as they are when they are four.  I think there may be a chance of achieving this if we can all inspire a couple of other teachers to grow the way we have over the past 32 weeks.

As a relative digital novice every session in the first part of the course introduced me to new apps that I then had the opportunity to use immediately.  Sometimes we ran out of time to get all the task completed but the learning was really the collaborative way we worked using the app to convey our thoughts and opinions.  I had previously completed a leadership course and provide professional learning in this area for teachers, however having to reflect on my leadership in terms of implementing a digital initiative provided me with an opportunity to step back and look at the big picture and take the time to think of other ways to do things. Although the assessments took up my precious weekends, and made me feel hoha from time to time, each one of them brought a greater depth of learning and practical ideas on how to implement this.  Online learning has been a new experience.  Being able to study in my own time has suited me especially as during this time my work has required that I am working away from home every second week.  I have never blogged before so this has been new and I realise that I reflect more critically in other forums than I do in a blog!  As the only early childhood teacher and provider of professional learning and development in the Christchurch group (not sure if there were any others across the country) meant that many of the assessments and much of the information gained in class I had to go beyond the obvious applications to find ways that it related to the early childhood sector.  I was able to look at both end of the education scale - how to apply to children under 5 years and how to apply to teaching teachers.  This stretched my thinking and deepened my learning.

Criteria 5: Fully registered teachers show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning.

Key indicators:

• Actively contribute to the professional learning community.
• Undertake areas of responsibility effectively.

It has been useful completing a course that is about applied practice as each assessment challenged me to implement, design or reflect on digital and collaborative innovations.  I tried at all times to focus on combining both digital and collaboration so that my learning was maximised.  Over the time of the course I have contributed to my professional learning community in the following ways;

• used augmented reality to enhance the delivery of professional development to teaching teams who are situated on the other side of the island
• developed resources that combine augmented reality and information on critically reflective practice to enhance the critical reflection of teaching teams
• combined augmented reality and information on  te Ao Māori to increase the place-based and bicultural understanding of teachers in a way that interests and inspires
• inspired teachers to develop their own augmented reality applications for use with children and parents in their kindergartens
• reflected on the role I took in implementing e-portfolios to 63 kindergartens and used information on this to inform how I then introduced e-portfolios to a further 21 teaching teams
• developed resources using video scribe to inform beginning teachers on the requirements of our performance appraisal system
• used video scribe to develop resources to teach teaching teams about the requirements and next steps to developing effective self-review
• shared appropriate apps with teachers interested in increasing their use of technology in the kindergarten
• trialed webinar software, put a case to my manager to purchase a license for this and introduced this software to four of my colleagues who also work in the area of professional learning and development
• used webinar software to work with teams at a distance on developing their annual plans and self review questions
• facilitated the use of robots in some kindergartens and supported a teacher to present this work at a professional learning conference
• sourced funding and teachers to take 4 children from two kindergartens to sessions at the Mind Lab.

Criteria 12 - Fully registered teachers use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in their professional practice.

Key indicators:

• Systematically and critically engage with evidence and professional literature to reflect on and refine practice.
• Respond professionally to feedback from members of their learning community.
• Critically examine their own beliefs, including cultural beliefs, and how they impact on their professional practice and the achievement of ākonga/learners.

Doing this course has meant that I have read extensively.  Each assessment required me to research how the topic area related to early childhood education or professional learning and development, and find appropriated research that supported this.  Ways that I have been involved in critical inquiry and problem-solving include;

• designing a way to provide collaborative learning to teaching teams I am unable to meet face-to-face more than once a term, implementing this, gathering information from teachers on how they found it, and then reflecting on how to improve this development
• revisiting what is currently regarded as wise practice in the provision of professional development and using this information to underpin future initiatives and use when contributing to team discussions
• used the Lean Canvas approach to identify a problem area and possible solutions that take into account the range of stakeholders involved
• investigated coding and robotics finding some research that is applicable to the early childhood sector and developing an inquiry that would lead to a future research project in this area
• sought research on te Ao Māori and the tikanga that needs to be considered when implementing digital technologies and how to use these to facilitate success for Māori children as Māori.

Planning to progress my learning

Now that this study is over I have time to implement more of the things that I have learnt.  I am organising to put together a series of webinars for beginning teachers and for teachers working in South Canterbury, Westland, Hokitika, Greymouth and Waimate as well as those in Christchurch and Central Otago.  

I am also sourcing funds to implement a research project on coding and robotics in early education with a focus on problem-solving and collaborative learning in free play/ integrated early childhood education.

References:

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