Firstly, reflect on your personal 32 week learning journey through the whole postgraduate programme and provide a critical discussion of two key changes in your own research informed practice in relation to the Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC) in e-learning. Then share your next dream regarding your future professional development.
My first impression from Mindlab people was How friendly they are! And that was the staff and other students. Every time I left the building I was buoyed up. I was allowed to think. Allowed to share. Could listen to really interesting material. And challenge it. Nobody minded. Everyone contributed. Actually it reminded me of being back in Europe where I found in my 12 years there, people are totally unconcerned about how good or not good you are at various things. I love Aotearoa, but I've had to wear a lot of prejudice here and it saddens my Irish heart. So from a personal point of view Mindlab is mighty. It was so uplifting to be amongst other educators who cared (even if we were exhausted at the end of a day's work).
However much more has happened. Can I illustrate? But some big changes have happened in me in the last 30 odd weeks. MLE? Flipped? Robots, coding. Future scenarios. Lots of reflection on practice. And although the journey has been hectic bit by bit internal re-orientations have been taking place.Big important changes that I cannot fully articulate yet. It needs more time. And I met myself actioning some of these changes recently.
Our school is promoting kia eke Panuku as an integral part of curriculum. My students are all Asian. Instead of seeing what we should teach I decided to let our experiences unfurl. First a visit to our lovely whare. As I explained to the Matua - for the first time, just the experience and a little information. I wanted to let them feel the whare. So we did that. (I think our class could profitably revisit that event and share feelings.) And just letting the concept go, I found an idea surfaced - why not look at some moko? And perhaps learn about local iwi through that. And learn patterns and what's sacred and what's distinctive through that? So you can see PTC 3 - commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa - is a special part of my practice now. Where our waka might take us? I don't know. And I can trust the process now.
http://www.zealandtattoo.co.nz/tattoo-styles/maori-tattoos/
Not everything has to be standardised and tested. Not
everything has to be captured and regurgitated. And especially things Maori is
a good place to make space for deeper reflection. The goodest part though (!)
is how comfortably that sits with me. And so far with the students. They were
fascinated with the moko and patterns they saw on the website zealand:
http:// www.zealandtattoo.co.nz/
Before Mindlab I was technically fairly proficient. Now I
have become much more e-learned! The blogging process I found tangled at first
has become easy and convenient. And I'm annoyed we don't use one for our
staff.
So that feeling of reflection and awareness around learning
instead of it being just a mind journey, that is important learning for me. In
me. An awareness that we are all leaders at different times. That we can allow
for different paces - that's a helpful insight. And a knowledge that not only
will society, the world, education change rapidly and soon, but that it already
has. While we have been thinking about it. Witness: electric cars, Otago
University reducing its arts department, unemployment rising.
Mindlab has put me in touch with the implications
of globalization and technology on education - and with Singularity
University and such like. I am alert and ready to follow this through: Twice
last week I went out to talks. Christs College is putting on a series and I
want to catch in person, Yong Zhao whose work I especially like. I am now part
of the conversation on the future. I am de-isolated. I felt isolated in my interests and skills before. And no doubt I was pre-sensitized when the opportunity came to
be a robot driver in Boston from my classroom in New Zealand. My early bird
students also participated in that.
My Mindlab changes have made me happier and wider in my
school context. I'm more open to other people, now I see that that year 10
swearer in the playground is part of my akonga too. PTC 2. I feel more
connected to the world, more equipped to initiate and interpret change and
ready for the future.
My passion for improving the lot of English speakers
remains. I mentioned in passing my next stop will be making a chip to be linked
to cerebral processes. Well, I'm not sure about that. But a startling question
emerged for me from the Osterman & Kottkamp (1993) article.
I relate to
Schon's statement (1983) “Competent practitioners usually know more
than they can say. They exhibit a kind of knowing-in-practice, most of which is
tacit” but it was the question "What lead to a successful outcome?"
that gave me food for thought. I'm used to focusing inquiry on areas for improvement. It will be fruitful to focus on success as well.
I believe I will be a more successful digital and
collaborative leader in future, and I also have to learn to connect and spread
my wings wide to respond to requests from Teacher Trainers in Italy,
collaborators in Russia and magazines in the U.K.and U.S.A. I want to learn to
package myself better so I can give what I have got. And I would like to
investigate the new role of keyboards and their databases in language learning.
Plenty to do.
I want to thank Mindlab, the tutors and the organisers. The workload has been painful. The content priceless. Thanks! And thanks to my fellow students.
References
Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R. (1993). Reflective
Practice for Educators. California. Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 7th May,
2015 from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf
Schon, D.
(1983) The reflective Practitioner: How Professionals think in action. New
York:Basic Books
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