You're my favourite class, too

My final Mindlab challenge: condense 32 weeks of learning and reflections in under 600 words.  Have I reached my Mindlab goals? A key motivation for enrolling in the programme was to develop my skills in collaborative and digital teaching. I have certainly achieved this, becoming a more research-based teacher in the process. I have reflected on developing 21st-century skills in my learners, planned and implemented a video-making task, critically reflected on my leadership style and incorporated different leadership tactics in a plan for my depart . I have read and reflected on a range of academic articles for literature review, which was used to develop a TAI cycle. Perhaps most beneficially, I have reflected on my learning throughout the course, utilising this blog. These reflections cover most of the PTC, particularly PTC 1 (establishing and maintaining professional relationships)  through feedback and interactions with other Mindlab students. This has pushed me outsi...

In 2015, a New Zealand teacher was censured by the Teacher's Council for participating in a Facebook exchange with a 15-year student (Daly, 2015). Like many others, my school has a Facebook presence which is followed by current and former students, parents and the community, as well as teachers. Teachers have, at times, used Facebook groups to share curriculum content and messages. I think these are useful tools. However, we are also a small school in a rural area. Many teachers know students outside of school, as neighbours, friends' children or as friends of our own children. Occasionally a teacher will become Facebook friends with a student, usually for these reasons or in response to a request from an ex-student.  Should teachers become friends with students on social media, particularly Facebook?  In this context, social media is not about breaking down classroom walls, but is about personal relationships.  My school does not have any policies specifica...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFdzz26g-EE This interesting and short video by DML research hub explores connected learning. Teachers in the video identify that there is no defined future, which leads to a need for students to be flexible, adaptive and creative. We need to ignite learning through sites of engagement, interest, and passion. The video identifies issues with fundamental questions that focus on outcomes -  what we want them to learn - and how the goals, content and everything else is defined by that. They argue that the core question should be what is the experience we want students to have, thereby focusing on engagement, and the needs of students.  Education is now 'whole village'. It is not just school that educates students. Learning is everywhere. Imagine concentric circles: connecting with interests, parents, communities, online. How do we bring people together to create greater 'connectedness'? I think that this is a key question: how ...

Of late I have been reflecting more on my learning and applying it to my practices via this blog. I set it up a couple of years ago but had been sporadic in adding entries to it. My motivation for having a blog was to try to encourage me to reflect of on my teaching practice more regularly. I guess in theory it was good but although it gave me an avenue to think about my teaching it didn't really encourage more writing. I also felt a bit uncomfortable putting my ideas out there to the big wide world, which is kind of the purpose of a blog! With the Mindlab course, though, I'm going out of my comfort zone in all kinds of ways, and sharing my ideas and thoughts publicly is one of them. I have been making regular updates after each session, focusing on the aspect of the class that I found interesting and can apply to myself, my students or my school. I have found this a useful avenue to make me think about and clarify the ideas from the course rather than forgetting about them a...