Change in My Professional Practice

Week 32 Key change in my professional practice

It is quite a nice way to finish the last entry in this collection of reflective blogs looking at a key change in my professional practice.

I somewhat stumbled upon The Mindlab over a year ago, when my very enthusiastic colleague managed to convince me that doing this paper would be the best thing for me. Please note the statement “this paper” I did not realise at the time that the course was actually made up of four papers!

I twigged to the fact, approximately the day before the course actually started that I had signed up and agreed to undertake a year’s work in a postgraduate certificate.

I am actually very thankful that I did sign up and work through it because what I have learnt over the 32 weeks has far out weighted that nauseous sinking feeling that kicked in the night before.

Step 1 (What): Identify one key change in your professional practice 

The key change to my practice and has underpinned all that I have done is that of Professional Learning which Our Code – Our standard states as 

“Use inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners.”

I think, in a nutshell, this reflects what The Mindlab is all about.

Step 2 (Now what): Evaluate the identified change, I used the Cycle of Experiential Learning by Osterman and Kottkamp (2015, p.70)

Stage 1: Problem identification

I had been working closely with another colleague around a collaborative teaching and learning model that we had developed. We saw the potential in collaborative teaching and learning as well as the potential in well planned and structured innovative learning environments. We both also wanted to integrate digital technology in a way that was meaningful and easy for the classroom teacher

Stage 2: Observation and analysis

The wonderful thing about the work we did through our study was that it was classroom based and developed around the needs of our students.

As we learnt something new and could see the benefits for our students we would trial the learning with our students. Not the whole lot but just small groups of students, we were able to gather data from these students as to the impact t was having on their learning and the impact it was having on our teaching.

As our students became more and more engaged in what we were doing, they were taking on more of the learning themselves and their enthusiasm fired up the others who wanted to be doing what these students were doing. 

We shared with or students what we were doing and after each face to face session they would ask what we had done and what could they do. Natural collaboration between the teachers and the students was happening and the role of the expert constantly changed.

Stage 3: Abstract re conceptualization

The resource by ITL Research. (2012) 21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics has been incredibly useful and it has been great using this document to support in class learning and teaching.

I was very hesitant initially at the start of this course to take any risks especially around the use of video, but with the support of my 10 year old son, who helped us film, edit and produce our first assignment, I became much more confident to continue with this form of presentation and have actually implement it into my classroom teaching and learning.

Stage 4: Active experimentation

Taking other ideas from our work through Mindlab and developing them in the classroom has been incredible. Having to have to complete assignments and homework activities, ensured that we moved from the abstract into actuality.

I was very lucky to have another teacher working through this with me as we have formed a very collaborative teaching relationship and because we collaboratively taught two classes together we ensured that we took some risks, stepped out of our comfort zones and trialled ideas, which we then reflected on and adapted if needed.

Active experimentation has been a key aspect of what I have done and Mindlab encouraged this to occur almost weekly – sometimes things worked and other times they didn’t.

Step 3 (What next) Share your next plan(s) regarding your future professional development or your future practice.

I realised through the Mindlab experience, importance of teachers being able to access professional development that had an immediate connection to the classroom and to the students.

Too many times professional development has been about listening to others talk about how amazing they are and that there was very little in the way of mistakes, failings or errors.

We didn’t get that on this course, we were working with teachers who all believed in bettering what they did for their students, no one tried to come across as more expert than anyone else and this was conducive to a learning environment based on support and reflective feedback.

I was very fortunate to have my very enthusiastic colleague to work with. With his support we have discovered so much, which is supported by sound research and pedagogy.

Here we are on "Faces of Change" http://facesofchange.themindlab.com/#/grid

We did have the next two years mapped out to continue with our work of setting up and developing an innovative learning environment that is enhanced by digital technology, but like all things change is not uncommon nor unexpected and my partner in crime has taken a year’s study leave to pursue further academic study around Te Reo.

I was unsure as to what to do next when the teacher used to replaced him showed a strong desire to continue with me on the journey – so upwards and onwards.

References

ITL Research. (2012). 21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics. Retrieved from https://education.microsoft.com/GetTrained/ITL-Research

Ministry of Education (nd). Our code, our standards. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/our-code-our-standards

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators.California.Corwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 7th May, 2015 from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files.