Since I undertook this Mind Lab journey, I have become more interested in the concept of personalised learning. I have always been a fan of learner agency, offering students the opportunity to sit tests when they feel ready, giving them choices as to how learning or assessment tasks are presented, and providing revision or extension activities as required.
So the design for learning criteria in the teaching standards fits in well with that, and challenges me to look further forward into how I can make my courses truly personalised.
For too long education in New Zealand has followed a “one size fits most” approach and while there will always be commonalities in how we educate our young I feel the time is fast approaching where reforms can now be implemented in our systems for education and assessment. Understanding each learner’s individual strengths, interests, needs, identities and cultures will lead to the best educational outcomes for that learner.
I have no control over what the new government decides to implement as its education policies for the future and I can only hope that they take advice from key stakeholders with vision, bravery and wisdom.
But I do have control over what goes on in my classroom, so that is where I must start.
For a start, I should stop making assumptions about my students and ask them their thoughts on how the class is going. It is easy for a teacher to make generalisations about a class or a particular cohort such being a noisy group, a studious class, or that “they” like learning with games or songs for example. Of course a good teacher is always monitoring the behaviour and engagement levels of the class during various kinds of activities so these judgments are not without foundation, but it can be easy to overlook those well-behaved students who are not loving an activity, but will go along with it in good grace.
When I surveyed my Year 10 class at the end of last year in a course evaluation, 50% of the students surveyed said their favourite part of Japanese class was the songs we listen to and sometimes sing, and 50% said the songs were their least favourite part of the course. Similarly, some students stated they enjoyed online games such as Kahoot! But others said it was pointless playing as the same people always won.
The feedback I gained from the course evaluation was valuable in helping me to plan for this year, but I wished I had asked for this earlier in the year so that I could have acted on it with that group of students. Reflecting on my practice has now become a much more regular and normal part of what I do, and I am determined to continue to reflect and ask for feedback from my students and peers so that I can design more personalised learning experiences for my students.
During the literature review part of the Mind Lab programme I learned a lot about gamification and I put an inquiry plan in place to see how gamification affected engagement with my Year 10 students. I am now in the process of implementing some of the ideas I have gained and I look forward to seeing what effect this might have on my students.
I feel confident that even if my ideas don’t work I now have the knowledge, skills and confidence to try different approaches or do further research into what might work. I have a large network of people who I could ask for help or ideas. And best of all I have rediscovered a love of learning in myself which had become buried under the mountain of mundanity that is involved in everyday teaching.
Thanks, Mind Lab.
Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice (Activity 7)
At my current school we have students from over 50 different nationalities, as well as a high percentage of Maori and Pasifika students. This brings a richness to the school and the learning experiences of everyone that I had not previously experienced.
Some years ago at my school, it was noticed that student attendance (or lack of) was having a huge impact on educational outcomes. A policy was put in place where students with low attendance rates were unable to attend school functions such as the school ball, or represent the school in sports tournaments, production, Kapa Haka etc. The acceptable rate was set at 95% and for many students this was a huge motivator for them to turn up to school every day.
It had been noted that Maori students on the whole had a low attendance rate, and this policy was most definitely expected to impact on those students as several were rugby players, members of Waka Ama etc. But nowhere was it stated that this policy was targeting “priority learners” as for the school any student not attending regularly was a priority, regardless of ethnicity. By raising expectations for the whole of the student body, there was no deficit theorising but only positive messages to students that their achievement was important to us, and that to gain the results we knew they were capable of they first had to show up.
This approach was hugely successful and led to higher achievement rates for all, and particularly Maori students. Once we had students attending regularly we were able to focus on achievement, and setting goals to reach higher targets and to reach the “Mauri Ora” state (Potahu 2011) where students are motivated, engaged and committed to their studies.
Now we are in the position of having Maori student achievement similar to the rest of our cohort, and above the National averages for NCEA results at all Year levels. In my own classes the Maori students are often above the rest of the cohort.
Interestingly, a less successful initiative from the school involved “whanau meetings” where students who had identified as Maori on their enrolment forms were invited to bring their families to meet with various members of staff and other whanau in a fairly informal way. As a form teacher who was given these invitations to hand out to these students, I was able to witness their reactions. Most students seemed embarrassed to be singled out and just wanted to be treated like everyone else. While most of the experts seem to agree that making connections with whanau are important, it seems to me that we need to be careful of deficit theorising as noted by Bishop et al (2004).
I think that it is important to respect and value the culture, heritage and background of all students. I have found that treating young people with respect and expecting everyone to strive to achieve to their full potential is obvious and surely what all good teachers already do. Hattie (2017) found that teacher expectations were a crucial element in student achievement. Positive relationships between teachers and students as well as effective feedback also feature on this list. These are the many of the same factors mentioned by Bishop as being effective strategies.
As well as having many positive role models amongst the staff, we have had several student leaders of Maori and Pasifika descent, including our current Head Girl. Achieving success for Maori as Maori is natural and ingrained in our school, and I have every confidence it will remain that way.
References
Some years ago at my school, it was noticed that student attendance (or lack of) was having a huge impact on educational outcomes. A policy was put in place where students with low attendance rates were unable to attend school functions such as the school ball, or represent the school in sports tournaments, production, Kapa Haka etc. The acceptable rate was set at 95% and for many students this was a huge motivator for them to turn up to school every day.
It had been noted that Maori students on the whole had a low attendance rate, and this policy was most definitely expected to impact on those students as several were rugby players, members of Waka Ama etc. But nowhere was it stated that this policy was targeting “priority learners” as for the school any student not attending regularly was a priority, regardless of ethnicity. By raising expectations for the whole of the student body, there was no deficit theorising but only positive messages to students that their achievement was important to us, and that to gain the results we knew they were capable of they first had to show up.
This approach was hugely successful and led to higher achievement rates for all, and particularly Maori students. Once we had students attending regularly we were able to focus on achievement, and setting goals to reach higher targets and to reach the “Mauri Ora” state (Potahu 2011) where students are motivated, engaged and committed to their studies.
Now we are in the position of having Maori student achievement similar to the rest of our cohort, and above the National averages for NCEA results at all Year levels. In my own classes the Maori students are often above the rest of the cohort.
Interestingly, a less successful initiative from the school involved “whanau meetings” where students who had identified as Maori on their enrolment forms were invited to bring their families to meet with various members of staff and other whanau in a fairly informal way. As a form teacher who was given these invitations to hand out to these students, I was able to witness their reactions. Most students seemed embarrassed to be singled out and just wanted to be treated like everyone else. While most of the experts seem to agree that making connections with whanau are important, it seems to me that we need to be careful of deficit theorising as noted by Bishop et al (2004).
I think that it is important to respect and value the culture, heritage and background of all students. I have found that treating young people with respect and expecting everyone to strive to achieve to their full potential is obvious and surely what all good teachers already do. Hattie (2017) found that teacher expectations were a crucial element in student achievement. Positive relationships between teachers and students as well as effective feedback also feature on this list. These are the many of the same factors mentioned by Bishop as being effective strategies.
As well as having many positive role models amongst the staff, we have had several student leaders of Maori and Pasifika descent, including our current Head Girl. Achieving success for Maori as Maori is natural and ingrained in our school, and I have every confidence it will remain that way.
References
Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Tiakiwai, S., & Richardson, C. (2004). The experiences of year 9 and 10 Maori students in mainstream classrooms. Hamilton and Tauranga: Ministry of Education.
Hattie, J (2017) Updated list of factors influencing student achievement. The Australian Society for Evidence based teaching. Retrieved from http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/hatties-2017-updated-list/
Pohatu, T. W. (2011). Mauri - Rethinking human wellbeing. MAI Review, 3, 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/v...
Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Trends in Education (Activity 6)
Trends in fashion or music are a normal part of life and can define time periods in our life. However trends in education can have a huge impact on our children, leading to long-lasting changes in society.
One of the ten trends for 2018 as identified by Core Education is STEM, programmes targeting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The intention behind this initiative is for those four areas to be taught in an integrated way with the skills taught leading to real life problem-solving and innovation. However, in many schools STEM is taken as being the promotion of those four areas, to the expense of all else.
After reading the article by the US National Intelligence Council (2017) “Global trends: The Paradox of Progress”, I felt quite depressed and slightly anxious about the future of our planet. I felt a sense of doom and disaster being laid out in front of us, and I am concerned about our collective ability to cope with what seems likely to happen.
I think there is a danger in embracing trends just for the sake of change without ensuring the bigger picture is taken into account. Scientists have identified areas of concern affecting our planet which will necessitate huge changes in the behaviour of many people. But if the next generation are not educated in the humanities they won’t have the skills required to negotiate these changes.
The OECD (2016) article on Trends Shaping Education emphasised the importance of globalisation now and for the future, and stated that education needs to provide the skills to cope with the changing economic and social climate as well as environmental issues now arising. I am concerned that initiatives like STEM will steam ahead while the Arts, Humanities and Languages are left behind in the dust. To create global citizens it is vital that our children are educated in a variety of disciplines to enable them to understand the future consequences of their actions.
“Innovation is built on the successes and failures of the past, and of the potential impact on society into the future — thus requiring knowledge of history and development of citizenship.” Core Education (2018) Ten Trends.
As a teacher of Languages, creating Global Citizens is a crucial aspect of my programme. Understanding why others feel and act the way they do and being willing and able to communicate with people is an important first step. As school and government policies and priorities continue to promote science over humanities subjects we risk producing citizens with a narrow world view.
The US National Intelligence Council (2017) article warns of the likelihood of increased conflict within and between societies, with more accessible technology creating more destructive weapons on a greater scale than ever before. If the focus of our young people’s education is on how they can build bigger and better technology rather than why they should, the consequences could be catastrophic.
I hope that current and future leaders in Education within New Zealand and overseas will fully consider the implications of these and any other trends they promote. No one wants to be eaten alive by their own creation.
References
OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en
CORE Education (2018) Ten Trends https://www.core-ed.org/research-and-innovation/ten-trends/2018
National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdf
Image: University of Utah, Humanities Department
One of the ten trends for 2018 as identified by Core Education is STEM, programmes targeting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The intention behind this initiative is for those four areas to be taught in an integrated way with the skills taught leading to real life problem-solving and innovation. However, in many schools STEM is taken as being the promotion of those four areas, to the expense of all else.
After reading the article by the US National Intelligence Council (2017) “Global trends: The Paradox of Progress”, I felt quite depressed and slightly anxious about the future of our planet. I felt a sense of doom and disaster being laid out in front of us, and I am concerned about our collective ability to cope with what seems likely to happen.
I think there is a danger in embracing trends just for the sake of change without ensuring the bigger picture is taken into account. Scientists have identified areas of concern affecting our planet which will necessitate huge changes in the behaviour of many people. But if the next generation are not educated in the humanities they won’t have the skills required to negotiate these changes.
The OECD (2016) article on Trends Shaping Education emphasised the importance of globalisation now and for the future, and stated that education needs to provide the skills to cope with the changing economic and social climate as well as environmental issues now arising. I am concerned that initiatives like STEM will steam ahead while the Arts, Humanities and Languages are left behind in the dust. To create global citizens it is vital that our children are educated in a variety of disciplines to enable them to understand the future consequences of their actions.
“Innovation is built on the successes and failures of the past, and of the potential impact on society into the future — thus requiring knowledge of history and development of citizenship.” Core Education (2018) Ten Trends.
As a teacher of Languages, creating Global Citizens is a crucial aspect of my programme. Understanding why others feel and act the way they do and being willing and able to communicate with people is an important first step. As school and government policies and priorities continue to promote science over humanities subjects we risk producing citizens with a narrow world view.
The US National Intelligence Council (2017) article warns of the likelihood of increased conflict within and between societies, with more accessible technology creating more destructive weapons on a greater scale than ever before. If the focus of our young people’s education is on how they can build bigger and better technology rather than why they should, the consequences could be catastrophic.
I hope that current and future leaders in Education within New Zealand and overseas will fully consider the implications of these and any other trends they promote. No one wants to be eaten alive by their own creation.
References
OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en
CORE Education (2018) Ten Trends https://www.core-ed.org/research-and-innovation/ten-trends/2018
National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdf
Image: University of Utah, Humanities Department
Saturday, 10 March 2018
Using social online networks in teaching or professional development (Activity 5)
I’m not a fan of social media. I hate Facebook, I don’t tweet and I have never instagrammed. I don’t want to see daily pictures of someone’s pets, no matter how matter how cute, and I don’t need to see pictures of what they had for breakfast. Even if it looks mouth-wateringly amazing. Especially if it looks mouth-wateringly amazing.
But to me professional networks are quite different to social media in their purpose and use.
For many years I have been a member of a Japanese teachers email group which communicates regularly whenever someone is need of advice, ideas or resources. This has been and continues to be a useful forum for Japanese teachers, especially as many of us are geographically isolated and most schools only have one teacher of Japanese.
In 2016 I started using a messaging app called “Line” to communicate with my students in preparation for our trip to Japan. This app allows group or individual chats, and we use real names so everyone knows who is saying what. Before we even got to Japan students were using the app to message each other and me about fundraising activities, what to pack for the trip etc. We found this so useful that on our return we created a group for our whole class which students used to communicate with each other throughout the year and while revising for their exams.
Other types of electronic communication have also been useful in my teaching. Yesterday my Year 9 class created this padlet to practice saying what they like in Japanese. Everyone contributed their ideas in a safe and non-threatening way.
https://padlet.com/barberj2/v4cgcp5a2kod
All of these appeal to me as I prefer to know who I am communicating with. Apps or websites such as Pinterest or Twitter have a multitude of materials and can be really useful to search for new ideas and find out what people are doing in other countries but without a personal connection they don’t hold my interest, and I find these quickly become time-wasting and distracting, although I know other teachers who find them invaluable.
During the uLearn conference last year I became aware of various types of social networking being used by teachers. Several primary teachers use applications such as Seesaw for communicating with parents and showcasing student work. Mention was also made of class and student blogs being used effectively.
The Innovative Pedagogy report from Open University (Sharples et al, 2016) gives some fascinating examples of how social media is being used to enhance teaching and learning. The idea of tweeting in Middle English is something I have never heard of but sounds like a wonderful way to engage modern day students with language, ideas and concepts from long ago.
Melhuish (2013) cautions that social networking by teachers is not particularly beneficial unless it can be measured by data and informed by inquiry questions and evidence. I would disagree with this as in my personal experience, many teachers have found the informal learning driven by their immediate needs to be extremely useful as they are quickly able to gain insights and advice from experienced colleagues in a range of contexts.
Use of social media by teachers to connect with each other can be very beneficial but care should be taken when engaging with students over the internet. Blurring of lines between personal and professional connections can easily occur. The code of professional standards for the teaching profession (Education Council, 2018) makes it clear that teachers are to demonstrate a high standard of professional behaviour and integrity, and to engage in ethical and professional relationships with learners that respect professional boundaries. It is important that teachers consider this before instigating online interactions with students or parents.
References
Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 05 May, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/8482/thesis.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y
Sharples, M., de Roock , R., Ferguson, R., Gaved, M., Herodotou, C., Koh, E., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Looi,C-K, McAndrew, P., Rienties, B., Weller, M., Wong, L. H. (2016). Innovating Pedagogy 2016: Open University Innovation Report 5. Milton Keynes: The Open University. Retrieved from http://proxima.iet.open.ac.uk/public/innovating_pedagogy_2016.pdf
Our Code, Our Standards (2018) Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession, Education Council Aotearoa New Zealand retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/sites/default/files/Our%20Code%20Our%20Standards%20web%20booklet%20FINAL.pdf
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