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...

Teachers want students engaged in their learning and who apply that learning in a real-world context. Isn't that the point - being able to use what is learned in class? Too often, though, what is taught in our classrooms remains firmly within the domain of that subject area and students fail to understand how it applies to their worlds. Last year three departments in my secondary school endeavoured to create a cross-curricular unit for Year 9 classes. The theory was fantastic - we would teach different aspects of the topic and students would present us with an assessment which we would mark individually using our respective curriculum criteria. In practice, it was pretty much an example of what not to do in cross-curricular teaching. Our lessons were out of sync, some teachers didn't follow the scheme, and some didn't do any presentations.  However, the experience did show me how it could be done and I saw that there could be benefits to doing it. We need to show st...

If there's one thing I'd love to make English, it's more hands-on. Imagine it, a classroom where students are busy and happy making things that enhance their understanding of reading and writing... Wait a minute... hands-on English? How? I've had students make resources for me before and create visual images as part of the curriculum, but how can I embrace the maker movement into a subject area often seen as abstract. The make movement puts students in the role of designers, constructing artifacts and applying technology in novel ways. It encompasses 'traditional' crafts like knitting, calligraphy and metal work, along with computer programming and hacking. It's about experimentation and risk taking. Social interaction is a key part of the process, including conversations and feedback from peers. In English, the obvious two ways we create are through writing and visual texts. There are certain rules that students are expected to follow with writing (you ...

For the past two and a half years my school has set aside time every Wednesday morning for Professional Learning Groups. These groups provide teachers with time to work on their inquiry cycle and have professional discussions with others about their classroom practice. I appreciate having the opportunity to develop my pedagogy in this way. As a teacher - as a human being -  the assumptions that I bring to my practice are influenced by a range of different things. The way I teach can be influenced by factors including my world view and the way I was taught (and didn't like being taught). But these influences aren't always going to be conducive to best practice. One of the things that I really like about the inquiry process is that after identifying an issue to address, there is an expectation that I will identify my own learning needs and that my next steps will be evidence based. Utilising the vast array of research that has been done on education is to me a logical thing to...