Jenni Hammonds
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What interests me (digital technology in education) . . .
may interest you.

Changes in my practice

30/10/2017

2 Comments

 
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MindLab blurred the divide between the short-term professional development for immediate application in the class, and postgraduate study focusing on theoretical material. The postgraduate nature of the course encouraged academic rigour yet the practical application probed us to experiment with a range of technologies and approaches with students. Having both elements definitely had its benefits. The theoretical knowledge was available to aid the understanding of why and how particular technologies and approaches benefited student learning. The blogging component of the course engaged us in critical reflection, and assignments pushed our thinking into ordered well-rounded understanding in our area of focus.

Two key changes in my practice, influenced by my research informed practice in MindLab, relate to the development of a mathematics programme using Khan Academy and secondly, reflection on my use of new technology with students. These changes reach in to many of the Practicing Teacher Criteria (PTC) in e-learning, but I have focused on several key criteria for each.

The first key change in my practice is the full conceptualisation of an authentic mathematics programme utilising online maths tutoring for skill development and the community for authentic context. Part of this idea was conceived 5 years ago when I was teaching full-time, but it was without the online component. As part of our MindLab research assessment, and in collaboration with my colleague Erin Yandle, we developed a reflective portfolio based around the viability of such a programme at intermediate level.  This process involved critical inquiry into the pedagogy of authentic learning in math, and required working through a number of issues around bringing in community professionals in an educational setting.

Although we were unable to implement the learning programme this year, Erin is running an abridged version with her team, and I have adapted the programme to my gifted on-line students. My online students are being asked to respond to a number of project briefs e.g. design a vegetable plot, set up athletics markings on a field etc, outline potential real-life problems and generate possible work-throughs, often involving mathematical elements. We have both responded to the needs of our particular students, and our teaching situations, and both scenarios will help develop the full programme in 2018.
  • Criteria 12: Use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in their professional practice.
  • Criteria 6: Conceptualise, plan, and implement an appropriate learning programme.
  • Criteria 9: Respond effectively to the diverse and cultural experiences and the varied strengths, interests, and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga.​

​The second key change in my practice is the realisation that technology needs to support the pedagogical approach of my teaching, not determine its focus. I knew this, and even promoted it to others I worked with, yet during my MindLab digital assessments, the focus unconsciously twisted to the undesirable. The project I had outlined to my students lost its true focus (the patterns of human settlement) and became a tedious exercise research content for slides on particular settlements to use with Aurasma, which as it turns out, could not be used in conjunction anyway. I feel that even though this ideas is one teachers know theoretically, we need to continually question our programme to ensure the end justifies the means - time is a valuable asset in the classroom!
  • Criteria 4: Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.

​Regarding future professional development, I am thoroughly enjoying working in education yet being outside of full-time teaching. Opportunities to develop authentic learning is a dream, whether it is in a more established environment such as the Green School in Bali, or in less structured settings such as part of a gifted programme. Either way I am sure what I have taken onboard during MindLab will be an important part of my journey.
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Interdisciplinary teaching

25/10/2017

5 Comments

 
“The world of professional practice is changing rapidly. The boundaries between disciplines are moving, new disciplines are being invented at an unprecedented rate and the boundaries between disciplines and becoming more porous. Today and in the future, the environments that practitioners are working in, or will be asked to create, will require people who are skilled in the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries.”
​MindLab (2017)
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Possible interdisciplinary connections

As a teacher at MindPlus, with a curriculum that is based on interdisciplinary thematic learning for gifted students, the direction of our learning can be in depth and occasionally sporadic in its direction. I often find myself lacking in content knowledge to support my gifted students as they seek a deep understanding of the context. I often rely on searching out sources of information - articles, websites, videos, books - to support my programme. As an organisation we endeavour to take students on at least two field trips each year relating to our conceptual part of the curriculum - this year our universal theme is patterns, and last term in particular the patterns of human settlement. A field trip to the District Council to speak with the mayor, through CBD public spaces, and a guided historical walking tracks provided information from community professionals around local human settlements and their significance.

An avenue for taking this type of community interdisciplinary approach would be to connect students with professionals. Talent development, a second part to our curriculum, allows students to investigate/research/participate in a project based on their strengths and passion. Projects often last over multiple terms. As a teacher it can be difficult to have an in depth understanding of the array individual student projects - connecting students with professionals in their project area would not only ease the teacher’s workload, but give students an insight into a profession of interests and help gain a perspective from that discipline.
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The logistics of organising such connections is complex. The aligning overlap between the components of Mulligan & Kuban’s (2015) model for successful interdisciplinary - qualities/attitudes, common goals, and workplace conditions - would be a small slice when considering  a business/company and educational institution relationship. For an initial trial into a professional community/educational relationship, beginning with known professionals may be beneficial e.g. friends and family of the teacher, or of the students and their families. As the educator, a template and outline (similar to a business memorandum of understanding) for expected interaction with students would be a start. This could be developed with the professional, and possibly the student. Regular (twice termly) catch-ups and reflection on the process - with and without the student - would help the educator to adapt the process.
PictureSource: Mulligan & Kuban (2015)
From a pragmatic point of view, this could also benefit the trust and the programme as a whole. Exposure in the community could result in financial and skill support for an organisation that relies on volunteers for their operations.
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The benefits of such a collaboration are great, and the motivation and excitement from an educational perspective are high. Yet to make this work, as a teacher you can envisage the complex, time consuming and intensity of the process. The support of many of the other connections listed in the above network would be important. And ideally, carrying out the project as a postgraduate thesis working alongside a teacher with similar aspirations and goals would not only ease the time burden, but give the project an academic rigour a solo teacher simply cannot support when working full-time. ​

References:
MindLab (2017) Week 31 - PRACTICE - Professional Context - Crossing Boundaries. Accessed https://app.themindlab.com/course/release/2661-week-31-practice-professional-context-crossing-boundaries
Mulligan & Kuban (2015) A Conceptual Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Accessed http://acrlog.org/2015/05/14/a-conceptual-model-for-interdisciplinary-collaboration./

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Social media in teaching

25/10/2017

2 Comments

 
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Social media in teaching and professional development

My use of social media in teaching is fairly limited, but what little I have used spans my own professional development and the learning of my students. As a teacher I engage in multiple Facebook and Google+ communities, although my participation fluctuates.  As mentioned by Denzin & Lincoln (2005), learners are partially motivated by rewards provided by the community - if I am regular ‘rewarded’ or assisted through a particular community, I am motivated to return the favour by posting or replying to requests from others. The different communities to which I belong have different purposes. For example, the MindLab Facebook group provides support with resources, technicalities, affirmation and encouragement, as well as tailored readings. This group has met face-to-face, and is tight-knit. The NZ Teachers (Primary) Facebook page provides a wider variety of uses, and because of the number of members the speed and diversity of responses is impressive.
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It’s justified that much of what is promoted, even on my platforms, could be considered superficial in a pedagogical sense, but much of what we do as teachers can be. Quick access to resources can free up time for more reflective practice.  In terms of its pedagogical value, teaching professionals take from social-media what they can use, reflect on how it sits with their philosophical understanding, adapt it, discuss it, and essentially digest their interpretation into their practice. Teachers have ‘wider pedagogical goals’ and the plethora of resources, readings, and insight on social media can be tapped into to support specific inquiries (Melhuish, 2013). Social-media as another tool in the belt required by a profession affected by fundamental and often fast-paced change.
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Does it benefit student learning?

In terms of student learning, I have trialled a few platforms tailored for school use. An often forgotten social-media giant in the classroom is YouTube. My students and I are constantly gleaning understanding on a range of concepts from YouTube - more recently followed with discussions around validity and reliability of sources (just as we do for websites). Challenges around censoring exist, despite educational settings. With intermediate students who frequently use the site unsupervised at home, conversations around the 'social' and public nature of YouTube, trolling, and mature responses to coming across expletives are likely to benefit beyond the classroom.

There is also a range of class blogging platforms. Two that I've used are Class Dojo and Seesaw, which are similar in purpose, although there are tailored features for each. Currently Seesaw is a means of sharing learning with teachers and family with my face-to-face gifted class, as well as the online gifted students. Seesaw is branching out with ‘activities’ which students complete, a very ‘Lite’ version of Google Classroom but this new function doesn’t really provide the formatting tools to generate in depth responses from students.

​As mentioned by many researchers, there is a risk of circulating superficial content as opposed to deeper learning. The challenge of maintaining the cognitive and intellectual rigour of the gifted program is aided through the integration of other platforms, such as Google Suite and Zoom (for video conference). The social-media aspect of our programme, although I do require responses to questions, critical feedback, and reflections via Seesaw, is more used as a tool for sharing learning beyond the individual. I am currently experiencing stigma around ‘social media’ as parents relate ‘posting’ to Facebook, and their experience of using Facebook personally (likely to be non-educational). Concerns have also been raised in regards to students reading the comments of others, in turn influencing their own responses. Melhuish (2013) describes this as an ‘echo-chamber’ effect - where assimilation is promoted. I can see this as a possibility, but a welcome one. Students with full explanations provide examples for those with less depth in responses, a positive influence rather than negative.
References:
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.

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

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What is culturally responsive pedagogy?

11/10/2017

1 Comment

 
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Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness

The term 'indigenous knowledge' is often referred to as the practices and understanding embedded in the cultural traditions of people from a particular region. It is commonly pitted against scientific knowledge or ‘modern’ knowledge (Ajibade, 2003). This juxtaposition seems to oversimplify and prove unnecessarily unhelpful.

Unpacking the term ‘indigenous knowledge’ helps to position the two not as competitors but as possible complementaries.  The former Director General of UNESCO, Frederico Mayor described traditional wisdom by stating, “The indigenous people of the world possess an immense knowledge of their environments, based on centuries of living close to nature. Living in and from the richness and variety of complex ecosystems, they have an understanding of the properties of plants and animals, the functioning of ecosystems and the techniques for using and managing them that is particular and often detailed” (UNESCO, 2010).

In the report, Enhancing Matauranga Māori and Global Indigenous Knowledge, Mead (2012) reflects on the continuing evolution of indigenous knowledge, “mātauranga Māori is not just traditional knowledge, nor a static and unchanging thing—it is dynamic and includes the uptake of scientific tools”. This more practical understanding follows how cultures have adapted over the centuries. But in recent decades globalisation has caused many nuances in culture to be subsumed. Homogenization of cultures keeps questions around maintaining traditions relevant.  The report raised questions relating in nature: “Is mātauranga Māori fundamentally part of a living culture in the sense that it is meant to continue to grow and adapt to the 21st century, or is it a taonga that should remain in the traditions and constructs of the past pre-European colonisation days?” Beyond that, “Is it appropriate to merge indigenous and western science-based knowledge?” 

In my experience, many Māori students are unaware of the plethora of traditional practices that formed Māori indigenous knowledge. I consider this a great loss both in terms of a preserved taonga that can be reflected on as historically important, and the possibilities lost for my students to combine traditional knowledge systems with scientific understanding in the future. The knowledge system my Māori students do operate within, however, still varies significantly to my own. As a Pakeha, the majority of my life I have operated inside of familiar knowledge systems, without having to “shift the paradigm through which [I] view the world in order to make sense of things” (Theory of Knowledge, n.d.).  It is the understanding that one belongs a particular culture, particularly if it is the dominant culture, where cultural responsiveness plays an important role.

Gays (2001, p.106) definition of cultural responsiveness, “using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching” resonates with me as it doesn’t place emphasis on the tangible or definitive aspects of a culture. Earl et al (2008) elaborates on this point by stating,  “cultural responsiveness is much more than introducing myths or metaphors into class. It means interacting with their families to truly understand their reality; it means understanding the socio-political history and how it impacts on classroom life” (p. 12).  I believe the reasoning behind ‘the achievement gap’ between Māori and Pakeha could be resolved through true cultural responsiveness. ​

Reflection on my practice

I’ve reflected on my practice using Te Toi Tupu’s (n.d.) Pasifika: Participation, Engagement, Achievement tool. I teach a nationally provided one-day pull-out gifted programme, MindPlus, which utilises the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education curriculum and resources. Although my class does not have any Māori students, there are students with cultural links outside of New Zealand European and there are Māori students in other MindPlus classes.

Curriculum, planning and resources
The MindPlus curriculum and resources are focused on the gifted learner. The curriculum aims to increase the breadth, depth, sophistication and complexity of learners’ knowledge and abilities in these areas and to increase the self-directedness of their learning. The holistic approach of the curriculum fits well with how Durie (2004) describes the outward and holistic way of Maori learning. There are resources available relating to the identification of Maori gifted learners, and a small selection of tailored Māori resources relating to being a gifted Maori learner, or what would be considered ‘gifted’ from a Maori perspective, and a handful of readings on Māori giftedness. As a new teacher to the programme, I tended to follow the year overview of the regional MindPlus lead teacher (who is from the United States) and hadn’t introduced or even considered cultural responsiveness in my class programme other than greetings. When teaching in a regular class I make a concerted effort not only around language and pronunciation, waiata and design, but also historical injustices and the importance of cultural difference. It wasn’t until my supervisor brought it up in conversation that I began to utilise a the few cultural resources on offer with MindPlus students. Like many of the resources available, most of the benefit is discussing with other teachers how they have used them with students, and the discussion that has come from it. On becoming more familiar with the MindPlus curriculum, I can now see how cultural aspects and responsiveness can be significantly more integrated into my programme. The overarching themes in our conceptual development (such as patterns, systems, change and discovery) lend themselves to many areas of Māoridom, tikanga, and other cultural perspectives, as do various units on personal development and identity.

References:
Ajibade, L.T., 2003: A methodology for the collection and evaluation of farmers’ indigenous environmental knowledge in developing countries. Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 2, 99-113.
Durie, M. (2004). Mauri Ora. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press
Earl, L. M. with Timperley, H., and Stewart, G. (2008). Learning from QTR&D Programme: Findings of the External Evaluation
Mead, H. M. (2012). Understanding Mātauranga Māori. In Haemata Ltd, T. Black, D. Bean, W. Collings, W. Nuku (Eds.), Conversations on Mātauranga Māori (pp. 9—14). Wellington: New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Te Toi Tupu. (n.d.). Pasifika: Participation, Engagement, Achievement tool. Retrieved from http://www.tetoitupu.org/pasifika-participation-engagement-achievement-tool
Theory of Knowledge (n.d.). Introduction to indigenous knowledge systems. Access date: 11 October 2017. Retrieved from  http://www.theoryofknowledge.net/areas-of-knowledge/indigenous-knowledge-systems/
UNESCO (2010) The wisdom of elders. Access date: 11 October 2017. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod11.html?panel=1#top 
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Educational trends

3/10/2017

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Schools in the footsteps of the future workplace

Political, economic and social global trends stretching into the 21st century are complex, harrowing, and noticeably underway. Population pressures, shifting economies, disruptions from technological advancement, populism and exclusion, the nature of conflict, and attention demanded by environmental issues all predict of significantly harder times to come (NIC, 2017). These trends are not only inextricably linked but they are converging at a pace never experienced in human history (Pearson, 2103).  ​

​These major global trends serve as umbrellas to a web of more focused trends, specific to contexts and/or societies. Although negating the connections and focusing on one does a disservice to the complexity of the trend, it allows some clarity and, it appears, a tad more hope.

The NMC/CoSN Horizon Report reported on the need for workforce trends to be reflected in schooling (2016). Workforce trends are influenced by many, if not most, of the aforementioned social, political and economic trends. In particular are the rise in technology and a shifting global economy. Automation and technological innovation are “poised to transform a widening array of work practices and the way people live and communicate” (NIC, 2017, p. 15). Global markets pit national economies against each other, but are at the mercy of migration.  Workforce trends themselves are not easy to predict, but throughout the literature, media and hype flexibility, socially intelligent, technologically savvy, and creative are all buzzwords for the future worker/creator. It makes you reflect how committed schools are to preparing their students to be part of a future workforce.  ​
The wave of modern learning environments is a start, but it’s a narrow aspect often bound to the physical realm. The schooling environment is far greater than new furniture, knocking out a wall and investing in one-to-one devices and a handful of robotics kits. As a whole, the existing environment promotes rigidity with bells, timetables, set learning hours, separation by subject, and age-based cohorts. ​

Sir Ken Robinson has promoted a change in the education paradigm for nearly a decade, one that reflects the needs of the 21st century, rather than accommodate those of the industrial age (2010). Also a decade ago, the New Zealand Curriculum promoted Key Competencies for students to develop capabilities to contribute as active members of their community, having the foresight to realise this extended far beyond ‘good grades’ (2007). But there has a been a push in our schools for just that, students making grades. Standardised testing hasn’t truly beached itself at New Zealand’s shores but initiatives such as national standards set the net.  Standardisation and conformity are what Robinson (2010) advocates against. He promotes creativity, divergent thinking, multiple possibilities. These seem to be more inline with future workforce buzzwords.

​One of the overarching themes the NMC/CoSN Horizon Report delivers, bolstering the idea of moulding schools in the shape of the future economy, is reimagining the environment. Leading companies are recognising the benefits of having comfortable, flexible workplaces that suit the purpose of the task. Flexible hours, working from home, collaborating or going solo, integration of technology for communication - these are all aspects that could be reflected in schools.  The wave of modern learning environments is a start, but it’s a narrow aspect often bound to the physical realm. The schooling environment is far greater than new furniture, knocking out a wall and investing in one-to-one devices and a handful of robotics kits. As a whole, the existing environment promotes rigidity with bells, timetables, set learning hours, separation by subject, and age-based cohorts. A focus on academic results pushes aside the emotional and social needs of students, as well as making problem-solving, divergent thinking, creativity and critical thinking second tier. These structures need to be questioned, both in terms of purpose and the types of learners produced. Technology will inevitably become more and more integral to education, but I believe the support, systems and structures around it will be equally as important.
References:
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

New Media Consortium.(2016, September, 12).NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K-12 Edition.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=55&v=wmiLrK-nF7k
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Pearson. (2013, April 26). Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history.[video file].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g

Robinson, K (2010) Changing education paradigms. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms 

Sturt, D. & Nordstrom, T. (2016) 3 Secrets of a best company to work for. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsturt/2016/03/04/3-secrets-of-a-best-company-to-work-for/2/#642807763874
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Student and staff culture

26/9/2017

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The intermediate school in which I worked is a well-resourced upper decile school, with 19% Māori. Deciles are calculated from the socio-economic status of the households in the area from which the school draws on.  A selection of households within the area are analysed in terms of the income, occupations of the adults, crowding in the home, education qualifications, and percentage of parents who have income support ERO, 2015). These figures are averaged across the contributing suburbs and form a school's decile rating. I worked at several public intermediates in the district and there is a significant difference in the resources available to staff and students and the number of high needs students. At the other end of the spectrum there is an intermediate with a struggling roll, listed as a decile 4 (which is inflated because more affluent families in the area send their children to the alternative), and many more behavioural issues - in part due to the socio-economic situation combined with lack of staff and resources to help. 

Although the decile rating is reasonably high in the more well-resourced intermediate, there tends to be several students within each class with high needs. High needs are not necessarily determined by socio-economic factors, although they do play a role. Despite the resources available, distribution has not been directed towards an effective way of helping these students, or their teachers, in their education. My thoughts on this are that the school is familiar with 'managing' average behaviour, and students with extreme behaviour aren't common enough for effective strategies to be put in place. On reflection, this seems to be the case with Māori students, or those with other ethnic backgrounds. The school has the odd 'cultural' event, a poster or two in classrooms, the odd multilingual greeting - but the culture of the school accommodates white, middle class, 'average' behaved students. 

What the school does do well, in part to their the large roll, is offering a wide range of opportunities in sport, culture and arts. From speaking with staff, this is what has previously defined the school culture. Involvement was strongly promoted among students, and even though the number of opportunities has continued, if not more, it seems that opportunities are now for those who know how to take advantage of them. To give examples, school radio, ski/snow trips, mountain bike training - new activities in the last few years - are niche activities for those a few students, many requiring existing skills. What has become less of a focus is helping those students unaware of how to participate or help those without learn skills.

In terms of the professional environment, the school has gone through a significant transition with a change of leadership. The former placed emphasis on structure, blanket participation in professional development (whether you needed it or not), reprimanding the whole staff (whether you did it or not) - where as the new principal allows teachers to follow their own paths without, the perhaps necessary, checks and balances to ensure quality teaching. Although a stance was made about keeping conversations professional, which was an issue under previous leadership, the avenue to air grievances or put forward suggestions has not been established. This can severely effects a staff's ability to maintain professionalism. 

Sources:
​Education Review Office (ERO)  http://www.ero.govt.nz/review-reports/highlands-intermediate-02-07-2015/
Decile system ​www.education.govt.nz/school/running-a-school/resourcing/operational-funding/school-decile-ratings/
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MindLab: Community of practice

21/9/2017

6 Comments

 
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Have you evolved into a community of practice?

Communities of practice are 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.
Etienne Wegner

The guru of such things, Etienne Wegner, has a few clues as to whether you are, or whether your group is simply just a community.  Mr Wegner gives a big thumbs up to being a part of a community of practice as it has a multitude of benefits such as sharing and solving problems, coordinating activities, and good old academic debate. I've experienced two of those three in our little MindLab Facebook community, but I've also experienced all three generally as member of Facebook. So what distinguishes a community from one of practice? In the eyes of Mr Wegner three characteristics are crucial (paraphrased):

1. Domain: Valued collective competence in a particular area
2. Community: Interaction from people involved
3. Practice: Community members who practice in their area of competence

1. Domain: Valued collective competence in a particular area
This is where I believe my general Facebook community falls short. Not simply because I disagree with many of the idiotic responses I get to my political posts, but because personal Facebook pages are not bound by a particular area of interest.  Our MindLab Facebook page, however, is related to a particular area - the MindLab course. Even at its thinnest thread - organising to have a wine - drinks are intertwined with celebrations of MindLab achievements, discussion of frustrations, or the occasional dread further assignments. There is also a healthy dose of academic debate after a wine. What about other activities suggested by Wegner? The following also get a tick from our MindLab community: requests for info, sharing resources, seeking answers, growing in confidence that you're on the right track, documenting evidence, discussing developments, and identifying gaps in understanding. 

2. Community: Interaction from people involved

These all happen on a weekly basis and are greatly appreciated by all involved - the more you put in, the more you get out of it. Which leads to to the second characteristic - community. As part of a previous assignment I looked at the numbers involved in our MindLab Facebook group. Although not everyone who attended the face-to-face sessions are actively involved, the majority are and we're regularly active. Well done us! 

3. Practice: Community members who practice in their area of competence
In terms of practicing our area of competence, we all are working towards (read practicing) gaining our MindLab qualification, but more than that we are all practicing educators. The essence of being a part of the MindLab is the betterment of education through more informed practitioners. 

A sense of belonging
The most significant impact of being a part of this community of practice is the sense of camaraderie. If you're frustrated, you express it, and within hours you know someone else is feeling your pain.  Need a resource and you can't navigate the bloody website - someone will post it for you, champion. Missed out on the webinar, a much appreciated girly-swat will give you the low down. Or maybe you're on a Tinder date in Alaska and can't access the extension page - boom, three others have applied on your behalf (thanks team).


As the creator of the page I do feel a little like a mother with a child, but just as it would likely be the case, I have occasionally abandoned it for more exciting things. Luckily, we have all adopted it like our own and its grown into a little being of its own.  Bless.

For more on communities of practice read from the guru himself:  Etienne Wegner: Introduction to Communities of Practice
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Evolutionary rather than revolutionary!

7/4/2017

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As part of the leadership component of this week's MindLab learning, we were asked to reflect on the article 'Conditions for Classroom Technology Innovations'. Although the article was published in 2002, it still holds some relevant teachings. It's main thesis was what are the critical considerations for integrating technological innovations into the reality of schools?

The three domains Zhao et. al looked into were the innovator (or the teacher), the innovation (what technology is being introduced), and the context (what structures are around to support). It was understood that integrating a 'foreign and possibly disruptive' innovation into a teacher's familiar environment is a messy process - but certain conditions make for a smoother process.
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The Innovator
First, the innovator. To be in an ideal position the teacher needs to be not only proficient in the technology they are introducing, but also possess an awareness of the conditions needed for the introduction of that IT. An example relevant for today's classroom would be wanting to use Google Docs on the class ipads but knowing that the app must be installed first, students need to have Google accounts, and that ipads must be charged. 
Another consideration for the innovator is being a highly reflective teacher, and having an awareness of their pedagogical beliefs. For example, Google Docs can help facilitate collaborative writing, but collaboration itself is not a new phenomenon in the classroom. A teacher who introduces this technology to her students is better placed if she facilitates working together before Google Docs is introduced. 

Finally, for the innovator is the ability to find help in their school if needed. Zhao et. al call this being a 'socially savvy' teacher. Often a small issue can be resolved by asking another staff member rather than waiting on an 'IT professional' to make their weekly visit to the school.
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The Innovation
The success of the technology being introduced relies on two conditions - the distance from the status quo and the dependence on other factors. The distance from the status quo considers both the values of the teacher, the pedagogical practice, and the existing technology. Aurasma is going to be more successful if the students are already familiar with ipads - this is an example of less distance between existing and new technology.

Dependence refers to the teacher relying on others outside of her authority to make the technology work, or technology beyond her control. Often there is only one Google Admin in the school, if they are busy but a teacher needs to reset a password, they are dependent and this can cause an issue. 
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The Context
The two infrastructures that Zhoa et. al refer to are human and technological. The former include helpful IT support staff, and more generally, an environment where support and encouragement around new technologies is present. 

Having strong technological infrastructure would include having up-to-date programs, functioning equipment, access to quality apps, and fast reliable WIFI.
Of all of these domains, Zhao et. al considers the innovator the most important and I agree. I have found myself as an innovator - of which many innovations were successful - because of my IT proficiency and drive to support my existing pedagogy. However, I have also been very aware when my dependence on others, and lack of human and technological infrastructure has made an introduction so frustrating that I've changed approach. Something that I need to remember, and which I believe is an important lesson for IT leaders in schools, is Zhao's statement that IT integration needs to be a 'evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach' - steps not leaps!
Reference:
Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., Sheldon, S., & Byers, J. L. (2002). Conditions for Classroom Technology Innovations.
Teachers College Record,104(3), 482-515. doi:10.1111/1467-9620.00170
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Rubrics for ICT in the classroom

7/4/2017

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Two models used for the assessing the quality of activities involving digital technology are SAMR (Substitute, Augment, Modify, and Redefine) and TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge). Below are the explanations of each model. They both look at the overlap of technology and how we integrate (the pedagogy) of our programmes. 
Below is a simple self-explanatory comparison of the two models.
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Brief look at SAMR and TPACK in the classroom

I'd like to try and introduce Aurasma into our MindPlus programme (gifted education). Our overarching theme for the conceptual development section is patterns, of which animal patterns will be the focus for the term. This is the first task that comes to mind...

Proposed task: ask each group of students to investigate a particular category of patterns (strength, order, beauty, survivability). Ask them to create a short presentation (video, slide etc) about what constitutes that category, what animal patterns fall into the category, how those animals utilise their patterns. 

Following this, students print out a range of animal patterns in their chosen category and create auras for each. First the category appears,then it goes into more depth about the animal and its particular pattern. Each group carries out this task.

The teacher then displays the animal patterns around the room. Students use the Aurasma app to then try and guess the animal and category of pattern before they Aurasma the images.

SAMR: I would consider this task to be a mix of modification and redefinition of a paper based task in a similar vein. Paper presentations with flaps that you lift up after you've guessed would get the same information across, but rule out video presentations. 

​TPACK:  When using the TPACK model to assess, I would find it difficult to distinguish between a complex pedagogical task, with high technology use, and deep content knowledge and something at the lighter end of the scale. I would consider this activity as achieving TPACK but not on a particularly deep level.
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Virtually augmenting our reality!

6/4/2017

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This week in MindLab, one of the areas we investigated was virtual and augmented reality apps. I had heard of both, but only really played around with one app, Aurasma, rather than be a creator of an augmented reality. In case you're a little unsure of the difference I'll paste in the definition, and go over a few of the apps.

Aurasma

The augmented reality apps we tried out in class were Aurasma, Quiver, Anatomy 4D and Elements 4D. With Aurasma, once you've downloaded the app onto your phone, you follow or subscribed to creator of an aura you would like to view (in the video below the creators would be the newspaper company, Kellogs etc), then hold your phone camera over an image and witness an alternative image or video appear!


​Google Cardboard

During class we accessed virtual reality simulators through the use of Google Cardboard's virtual reality goggles. They came as a flat pack and were fairly easy to assemble using a few bits of velcro, two magnets, and a rubber band. Your phone slips inside and is held secure by the velcro as you utilise the apps that create a three-dimensional image.
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The app I played with using Google goggles was Google Cardboard -  a super low-cost alternative to virtual reality headsets. The video below gives a basic explanation of how it works.


Using Google Cardboard and Aurasma at MindPlus

We were asked to consider ways that we may be able to use Virtual or Augmented Reality in our classroom or school? What would it add? How would it change the learning? In terms of my current class, 16 students showing many signs of giftedness, there are a few ways I can think where both Aurasma and Google cardboard goggles could be introduced. The best way to analyse which activities would be most effective is to use either the SAMR or TPACK models. I'll save this for my next post!
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