W18/ Reflecting on Changes in Future
Orientated Teaching Practice
Create a reflective entry to critically reflect upon how you have positively
changed your practice during your postgraduate journey.
changed your practice during your postgraduate journey.
After reading Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective
(Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012) I was interested in reflecting more
closely on Personalising Learning mainly because the last 17 weeks of Mindlab has had me thinking
critically on how our children can best benefit from the transition from the idea that knowledge is
content or stuff to the emerging idea that knowledge does stuff (Bolstad, 2012) and how this paradigm
shift in education can benefit our tamariki in an authentic and meaningful way.
(Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012) I was interested in reflecting more
closely on Personalising Learning mainly because the last 17 weeks of Mindlab has had me thinking
critically on how our children can best benefit from the transition from the idea that knowledge is
content or stuff to the emerging idea that knowledge does stuff (Bolstad, 2012) and how this paradigm
shift in education can benefit our tamariki in an authentic and meaningful way.
I’m not going to lie - transitioning into an environment where I was a ‘facilitator’ was at times a
challenge but I grew in confidence as I trusted the process of Inquiry and its supporting principles.
By implementing frameworks such as Kanban, Scrum and Swarm (within the context of Genius Hour
a self directed Inquiry into anything they chose) I observed my tamariki growing in confidence which
in turn gave me more confidence in the knowledge that I was on the right path. In retrospect, I could
have taken a more systematic approach to implementing these frameworks with more time spent on
active discussions on how using the framework would be beneficial to their learning journey.
More discussions on the ‘how and why’ and less on the ‘what and when’.
challenge but I grew in confidence as I trusted the process of Inquiry and its supporting principles.
By implementing frameworks such as Kanban, Scrum and Swarm (within the context of Genius Hour
a self directed Inquiry into anything they chose) I observed my tamariki growing in confidence which
in turn gave me more confidence in the knowledge that I was on the right path. In retrospect, I could
have taken a more systematic approach to implementing these frameworks with more time spent on
active discussions on how using the framework would be beneficial to their learning journey.
More discussions on the ‘how and why’ and less on the ‘what and when’.
When I reflect on the changes and improvements in my teaching practice, and implementing these
frameworks, I observed in the children that knowledge is best constructed when the learner has made
their own choices and taken action to determine the course of their learning (Lindgren & McDaniel, 2012).
My observations were the children were increasingly more proactive and decisive in their choices and
I noticed a shift to organic collaborative opportunities that were child directed. They were responsive
and engaged as their questions become less passive and more active which indicated a high level
of cognitive engagement confirming I was on the right track.
frameworks, I observed in the children that knowledge is best constructed when the learner has made
their own choices and taken action to determine the course of their learning (Lindgren & McDaniel, 2012).
My observations were the children were increasingly more proactive and decisive in their choices and
I noticed a shift to organic collaborative opportunities that were child directed. They were responsive
and engaged as their questions become less passive and more active which indicated a high level
of cognitive engagement confirming I was on the right track.
Over the last 16 weeks of Mindlab I became aware of different leadership styles.
Agile Leadership struck a chord with me to be able to inspire and empower my tamariki
to figure out how to achieve their goals and personalise their learning and gain student
agency so they could feel in control of their learning, the pace of their learning and the
outcome of their learning as it would allow the students to evaluate as they went through
the process and change the framework accordingly (Breakspear, n.d.). The benefit of this
was the impact of the learning was in the process rather than the end result and that
the children
themselves adapted and were pliable to doing things differently as they worked through the
problems as they arose.
Agile Leadership struck a chord with me to be able to inspire and empower my tamariki
to figure out how to achieve their goals and personalise their learning and gain student
agency so they could feel in control of their learning, the pace of their learning and the
outcome of their learning as it would allow the students to evaluate as they went through
the process and change the framework accordingly (Breakspear, n.d.). The benefit of this
was the impact of the learning was in the process rather than the end result and that
the children
themselves adapted and were pliable to doing things differently as they worked through the
problems as they arose.
Upon reflection I realise that I needed to give more feedback throughout the process not just
at the end. I felt that if I gave too much feedback I’d be over regulating the process and
taking away their student agency, interfering with the pace of their learning and manipulating
their learning. I realise now that some feedback during the process is necessary to help keep
some structure in their learning. Regular feedback and workshops would be beneficial and
supportive to achieving their learning goals.
at the end. I felt that if I gave too much feedback I’d be over regulating the process and
taking away their student agency, interfering with the pace of their learning and manipulating
their learning. I realise now that some feedback during the process is necessary to help keep
some structure in their learning. Regular feedback and workshops would be beneficial and
supportive to achieving their learning goals.
I will continue to use Agile leadership in my teaching and employ frameworks such as
Kanban and Scrum as tools to assist my students to self regulate and self manage themselves
during their personalised learning (Genius Hour) and explore more ways to express this.
I will continue to seek and give feedback and feedforward and monitor their cognitive
engagement
through the increased level of question asking by my students.
Kanban and Scrum as tools to assist my students to self regulate and self manage themselves
during their personalised learning (Genius Hour) and explore more ways to express this.
I will continue to seek and give feedback and feedforward and monitor their cognitive
engagement
through the increased level of question asking by my students.
Word count 602
References
Breakspear, S. (n.d.). Embracing Agile Leadership for Learning - how leaders canncreate
impact despite growing complexity. Retrieved from,
http://simonbreakspear.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/AEL-
Article-Embracing-Agile-Leadership.pdf
impact despite growing complexity. Retrieved from,
http://simonbreakspear.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/AEL-
Article-Embracing-Agile-Leadership.pdf
Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012).
Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective.
Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from
https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective.
Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from
https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
Lindgren, R., & McDaniel, R. (2012). Transforming Online Learning through Narrative
and Student Agency. Educational Technology & Society, 15(4), 344–355.
and Student Agency. Educational Technology & Society, 15(4), 344–355.
Through your reflection you have picked up on lots of interesting points, particularly that our discussions in class need to be more focused on the why and how rather than what and when. It sounds so simple yet as teachers, it is actually quite difficult for us to put into practice sometimes! It's really relevant to note that we are changing our practice to get the children to do more with their knowledge rather than just acquiring it. I agree that using the Agile Leadership framework can help us achieve that and tailor their learning to become more personal.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your honest reflection Bridget. I agree that the importance is in the process of the learning rather than the outcome. Feedback and feedforward are such vital aspects of the learning journey, but I can also agree that it is hard to get that 'happy medium' and to ensure that the students still have agency over their own learning. I agree that discussions need to be based more on the how and they why, rather than the what and the when. Allowing the students to focus more on and engage with the process of their learning and their learning can become more personalised.
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