Response to Finlay's Article

WHAT POINTS CAPTIVATE YOUR ATTENTION?
All teachers are expected to reflect on their practice as part of the Registered Teacher Criteria. According to Finlay (2008), reflective practices enable life long learning, allow teachers/students to gain new understandings and enable practitioners to learn through and from experiences.

The article claims that there is a need for people to be able to revise on and in practice. Schon (1983, cited in Finlay, 2008, p3-4) states that "professionals have to be able to do more than follow a set of procedures. They draw on both practical experiences and theory as they think on their feet and improvise. They act both intuitively and creatively." Practitioners need to be able to monitor, modify and refine their practice in response to the experiences and contexts they encounter.

But how professionals reflect has drawn criticism from some theorists. Zeicher and Liston (1996, cited in Finlay, 2008) identify 5 levels of reflection - rapid reflection, repair, review, research and retheorizing and reformulating. This captivated my attention as I would argue that all 5 of these levels are needed if a teacher is to truly inquire into their practice. Finlay and Gough (2003, cited in Finaly, 2008) refer to this process as existing on a continuum and argue that reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity are not interchangeable.

Reflective practices, when done well can be a powerful and empowering tool. However, this is often not the case when busy, over-worked professionals are expected to reflect at specific times. This can often lead to ineffective and inappropriate reflections, devaluing the purpose of the exercise. Quinn (1988/2000, cited in Finlay 2008, p11) argues that ineffective reflections "may actually devalue practitioners professional work instead of promoting it."

In busy school environments where teachers are required to reflect on aspects of their practice in order to meet specified regulations, the quality and effectiveness needs to be questioned. As is happening at our school, teachers are reflecting against prescribed benchmark questions. How deeply are teachers inquiring into their own practice? What shifts should we expect to see in the students results? With this prescribed set of reflective questions are we at risk of becoming complacent and accepting of unduly simple reflections?

The biggest barrier educators face to effectively inquiring into their own practice is time, a want for practitioners to engage in critical reflection and the careful development of the skills of critical analysis.

WHAT REFLECTIVE MODEL IS MOST SUITABLE?
Eby (2000, cited in Finlay, 2008) presents a model of reflection, self-awareness and critical thinking. This model resonates with me because it is underpinned by the key themes of self-awareness - knowing yourself as a teacher and your students as learners; links theory to practice and engages teachers in exploring alternative options for specific contexts.

As someone who has been teaching for the past 10 years both locally and internationally, I have a vast number of experiences that allow me cognitive ability to evaluate a situation through intuition and self-awareness. I also like how this model calls for any action implemented to be linked to theory, something I feel is critical when trialling new approaches in the classroom. However, within this context it also promotes the idea of generating and testing new ideas, which as McKee (2003) states can lead to innovation and improvement.

REFERENCES

Finlay, L. (2008). Reflecting on reflective practice. (Online) available
              at https://app.themindlab.com/media/6818/view

McKee, B. (2003). Why do we need research?. (Online) Available at http://eprints.rclis.org/6086/1/88_mcKee.pdf

Professional Connection Map

The presentation can be viewed through the Google Slide presentation below.

Reflecting on Learning and Practice

Since November 2014 I have been studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice through The Mindlab. The past seven months have been challenging, yet rewarding in what I have learnt about myself as a teacher, learner and leader.

MYSELF AS A TEACHER
Through this course i have realised that my style of teaching has often been too autocratic and that I need to allow greater student voice and choice in the classroom. As a result, I have created a student voice wall where the children can voice their opinions on topics covered, their overall enjoyment of school or simple offer suggestions of what they want to learn about. Student choice has also become more visible in my programme, particularly in topic. The children are given options of what they would like to study and the topics are guided by their driving questions. The children have greater ownership over when they complete tasks and the order in which they do them. I have noticed positive changes in the children's attitudes towards activities and a greater feeling of empowerment. Through this course I have become more aware of blended learning practices and use this as a way of engaging the students in the learning process. As the access to technology in the classroom as increased I am now able to plan learning experiences that provide a balance between face to face learning and online content.

MYSELF AS A LEARNER
I have learnt that I am a team player. I enjoy collaborating with others and feel that the work I am able to produce is of a higher standard. This approach enables me to learn from others, whilst supporting them. Working in a collaborative environment has also encouraged me to invest greater time and effort into the work I deliver, as others are relying on me. Through the positive collaborative experiences I have engaged in I have started to implement this style of learning into my classroom practice. The children are encouraged to work with others and tasks set provide guidelines of what this would look like. The children have a framework to self-assess themselves against and are able to identify their next steps to ensure all members of the group are included, valued and held accountable for the work they produce.

MYSELF AS A LEADER
At the beginning of the course I identified myself a 'Laissez Faire' leader. As someone who was new to a leadership role I did not want to come across as too authoritarian and therefore allowed a lot of freedom for the members of my team. This had both positive and negative outcomes. The members of my team commented in my appraisal that they enjoyed the level of autonomy I provided but felt at times there was a lack of expectation and this led to some confusion. As a result, I have made changes to the way I lead my team this year. I have become more transformational in my approach, moving from a more managerial style to that of an empowering leader. As a team we have highlighted a clear vision of what we hope to achieve throughout the year and our meetings are driven by student data analysis. From this we set clear expectations for ourselves and support each other to create a clear framework for achieving them.

Welcoming Post

WHO I AM and WHAT I TEACH
I have been teaching for 10 years after graduating from Otago University in 2004 with Bachelor of Teaching. I spent my first 2 years teaching Year 4/5 in a small urban school in central Auckland. On completion of my full registration I moved to London for 2 years where I taught in a number of inner city schools as a supply teacher. This was an invaluable experience that shaped my current teaching style. After returning to New Zealand in 2010 I accepted a position at an Auckland Primary School, teaching Year 2. During the past 5 years I have been offered a number of opportunities to extend my career, becoming an ICT lead teacher as well as a Team Leader. I currently lead the Year 1 team, am responsible for ICT on the Junior side of the school and lead the schools Te Reo Māori programme.

TEACHING APPROACH/STYLE
I currently teach in a single cell classroom. The class is well equipped with a range of devices, including iPads, iPods, desktop computers and an interactive Smartbaord. As a result my teaching approach is strongly influenced by blended learning practices. These devices are incorporated into all curriculum areas with a focus on providing children with meaningful and purposeful tasks that develop the children's abilities to apply their advancing skills to create content. I believe that the Key Competencies play an integral part in the education of children today. The access that children have to information is almost limitless however the fundamental principles that underpin communication, participation and relationships have not changed. Therefore it is essential that we equip children with the skills needed to effectively interact and collaborate within this fast paced and ever changing world.

CURRENT EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
I am very interested in exploring how the curriculum can be taught through a less structured, more play based style. A lot of current educational research suggests the Finnish education system effectively caters to the needs of children transitioning to school. In Finnish schools play is valued in the early years and children are not forced to start formal learning until they are ready.

Current questions - how does a model like this fit with the current governments focus on National Standards?

Professional Community

STAKEHOLDERS

Our School community

Our school is a large urban Auckland primary school (New Entrants to Year 6) with a culturally diverse mix of students. It consists of 750+ students and more than 65 staff members. It has 2 campuses, Junior and Senior. The sites are separated by a native gully, stream and amphitheatre which are utilised in Science and Environmental Studies.

The school’s mission statement is “to think, to learn, to achieve and to consider others” and has a strong emphasis on academic achievement and preparing students for the future. The school is committed to empowering teachers to deliver a stimulating, inspiring and well-rounded education that encompasses all areas of the New Zealand curriculum as well as establishing strong partnerships with parents.

This year a major school focus has been to develop Whanaungatanga, building relationships with whanau and family to support student learning. The staff of the school have been undergoing a school development inquiry to establish positive relationships with the children and their whanau. The desired outcome is for teachers to know their students on a more personal level, to understand what engages them as a learner and how to support their learning style best. By nurturing the interests and strengths of the learner it is hoped the National Standards achievement rate for boys in literacy will be lifted.

Teachers: The junior campus (Year 0-2) consists of 15 teachers who have different skill levels in ICT. Classroom sizes range from 20 - 24 students per teacher. Each year level has the support of a teacher aide for approximately 30 minutes per day. An extremely experienced teacher runs extra support classes three mornings a week (booster groups) for Year 2 children currently not meeting or not tracking to meet National Standards in Reading and Maths and will soon begin classes for those at risk of not meeting the Writing National Standard. Specialist teachers are also available for Mandarin, Music, Reading Recovery with support in Sports.

Students: There are approximately 280 students in year 0-2. The school consists of a mixed ethnicity with a majority of students being New Zealand European. Other current ethnicities are Pasifika, Māori, Chinese, Indian, and other European. All classes are of mixed ability and teachers try to differentiate based on levels. Based on the current ERO report, students feel a great sense of ownership and belonging towards the school.

Parents: The school is a Decile 10 school on the outer edge of Remuera. The majority of parents are from a higher socio economic background and many work full time. Parents are supportive and there is regular communication between teachers and parents, including face to face contact and emails. Community feedback from parents and caregivers indicates that they encourage the integration of devices to support learning but are opposed to a 1-1 BYOD programme. A number of parents have expressed their concerns about learning and technology, highlighting the need for further community engagement on how technology in schools is used.

BOT: The Board of Trustees consists of 6 parents, the principal and a staff representative. The BOT govern the school, making all curriculum, expenditure and strategic planning decisions on behalf of the parent and staff community.

CURRENT ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY

The current issues facing the major stakeholders at school revolve around the increase in technology available. This has an impact on teachers, students and the parent community.

Since the beginning of Term 2 the number of devices available to students within all classes has increased, with a minimum of 1 device per 3 children. This has both positive and negative impacts.
Students now have greater access to a range of technology and are provided with greater choice in how they access and present information. The children have embraced the new devices available to them and show greater engagement in all curriculum areas. Senior students who are working on Chrome Books show greater levels of collaboration. "I prefer to work with others online as we can create things faster and what we present looks like it is better quality than if I had done it with pencil and paper" (Ruby, Year 4).
Teacher response to the increase in technology has been mixed. Some have embraced the new devices, whilst others would prefer not to have any technology in their class. Those who have integrated the various devices into their programmes have commented on how quickly the children have picked up new skills and that the devices provide greater choice for the children's learning. They have also noticed an increase in engagement and focus when the children are working independently. For those teachers at the other end of the spectrum, the roll out of new technology has led to a feeling of increased pressure. These teachers require further training and up-skilling into how they can effectively plan for and integrate the technology into their programmes to ensure the tasks the children are working on are meaningful, purposeful and are cognitively engaging, as the school has an expectation that children will not only use technology to consume data but to create. The ICT lead teachers have been working alongside these teachers during class times to support the development of their programmes and have been running before school and after school workshops.
Parents have expressed concerns about the increase in technology in classrooms.They are very anti any BYOD scheme and do not want to see the school introduce a 1-1 scheme. Parents are concerned about the amount of screen time the children are exposed to and worry that the children's communication skills and ability to relate to others will decrease if they are continually in front of a screen. They are also worried about a potential increase in cyber bullying. These concerns highlight the need for parent workshops and information evenings.

SPECIALIST AREA
I am the ICT lead teacher for the Junior School. Whilst I have never considered myself to be an expert in the area of ICT, I am someone who is willing to try new things and experiment with new technologies. As a result, I am someone others feel they can approach as I am seen as someone who is learning alongside them.

Within this role I try to lead by example. I plan for and implement a blended learning environment and aspire to create tasks that are cognitively engaging and encompass the various levels of the SAMR model. I share these initiatives through team meetings, my class blog and display different ideas on an ICT wall that I established in the Junior School staffroom.

CHALLENGES
The present challenges I face in my role as an ICT lead teacher are:
- Engaging reluctant adopters to use the devices that are available to their students.
- Going beyond the Substitution and Augmentation levels of the SAMR model.
- Providing an engaging platform for children to share their learning.
- Creating connections and relationships with other schools locally, nationally and internationally.
- Educating the schools parent community.

CHANGES TO PROFESSION
The schools ICT strategic plan states that Modern Learning Environments will be trialled in the junior school in 2016. As a school that presently operates only single cell classrooms, this presents a challenge for teachers, student and the parent community. It requires a shift in pedagogy and learning style and is dependent on teachers being able to work in a collaborative environment. For this change to be effective the school will need to invest in professional development around the research behind the shift in teaching and learning style, educates teachers on agile teaching and learning practices and highlights the collaborative nature of MLE's. The year levels and teachers chosen for this trail will need careful consideration. The teachers will need to feel equally valued and be open to adopting and reflecting on new pedagogical approaches.