Lifelong Learning

Using Rolfe’s (2011) model of reflection, and Osterman and Kottkamp’s (2015) Cycle of Experiential Learning model, I will discuss the key change in my professional practice. As Osterman and Kottkamp record, reflective practice is a means by which practitioners can: develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance; develop an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development and; make the links between theory and practice or the ideas from formal research and from personal experience.   What? The change in my professional practice that I am going to discuss is related to professional learning, one of the standards for the teaching profession, “Our Code, Our Standards” MOE (2017).  For professional learning, the standard requires teachers use inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learne...

I am using Rolfe’s model of reflection to discuss Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness   What? So what is cultural responsiveness?   To answer this question it was helpful to me to revisit what culture is.  In the video “ Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy” culture is defined as the filters we apply as human beings to make sense out of the most ordinary things.  The video outlines the two different types of culture, namely, tangible and intangible.   Tangible is about crafts, music, technology and intangible is about   values, beliefs, feelings, opinions, perspectives and assumptions.  So being culturally responsive as a teacher is when we take students everyday lived cultural experiences and make the appropriate linkages between what they know and do and understand, and come up with examples, comparisons and contrasts.  As with good teaching practise it is about   understanding, caring, using stud...

“What’s certain is that the world is changing faster than at any time in human history”   Philip Stephens, FT, December 2012 I will be using Rolfe’s (2001) model of reflection to address the impact of trends influencing education in New Zealand. What? Digital learning is well recognised as a global trend. Hardly any country can be immune from the impact of digital ubiquity (KPMG International 2014). CORE Education NZ states “Digital technologies impact almost every aspect of our lives and are vitally important to our wellbeing, growth, present, and future. It also states that learners need opportunities to develop technical and social skills which allow them to be digitally successful and safe, in whatever contexts they choose for themselves, and that teachers and learners often develop digital fluency together.” Hence I have chosen Digital learning as my trend to discuss. I know there is the potential for some significant gains for myself a...

I am using Jay and Johnson's Reflective Model (2002) to consider my use of social online networks in teaching. Descriptive So how is social media being used in my teaching? Currently I am using three main types of social media; social curation with the use of pinterest, video through the use of youtube, and content / document by using slides and google drive. However I now intend to explore other types of social online networks I have become aware of through my Mindlab study. Comparative The Mindlab survey we completed on the use of social online networks, revealed that I was similar to the rest of group for two of the top four responses, namely videos and content/ document. The other top two responses from our group were social networks (facebook, google +) and blogs, neither of which I am currently using. This doesn't surprise me as blogging is an area that I am still to embrace, driven by my lack of knowledge, confidence and time to partic...

This week's readings on the influence of Law and Ethics in practice got me thinking about the sorts of ethical issues that may arise within my classroom as we move forward in the digital technology world.  As Ehrich et al.'s (2011) states the field of ethics has been the focus of increasing attention in teaching, and that this is not surprising given that teaching is a moral activity that is heavily values-laden.   I think there are a couple of reflective models that I will most likely refer to when faced with issues of ethics, law, regulations, and policy in practice.  One is Rolfe et al.’s   (2001) reflective model where three simple questions, “what”, “so what” and “now what”is applied.   The other is Ehrich’s model of ethical decision-making.  I like this as it has useful prompts to ensure you think about all the relevant issue of law, regulations, and policy, it guides your decision-making process and it also prompts you to consider the ...