The Mind Lab Course - Changes in Practice

The Mind Lab Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning) – quite a mouthful; and at various times over the past 32 weeks I found myself wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew! Having successfully reached the end of the course I feel a sense of exhilaration and know that the journey has brought about changes in my practice that make every moment well worth the effort.

Looking at the Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC) in e-learning, I feel that there are two criterion with which the course has helped to make the greatest gains.

Image sourced from https://www.slideshare.net/digiadvisors/registered-teacher-criteria-and-elearning

In the first 16 weeks, the learning activities and collegial discussions on the SAMR model and the 21^st century learning activity rubrics provided me with the frameworks to review my teaching practice. The SAMR model was not a new concept to me – I had come across it at least twice before in ICT professional development courses. Unfortunately, as Osterman and Kottkamp’s (1993) research suggests, the transmission style delivery in which the information was delivered meant that the course had very little direct impact on my teaching practice.

Image sourced from http://ajjuliani.com/samr-missing-a-level/

Ier thought into how to use resources more effectively. Prior to the course, many of my choices around ICT fell into the lower stages of the SAMR model (AR). The critical reflection in which I have been forced to engage in over the past 32 weeks has led me to strive to achieve higher levels of the SAMR model and the 21st century learning activity rubrics. They are an ingrained part of my practice and I frequently refer to them when planning. The 21st century rubrics have been especially useful in helping me to plan effective teaching and learning activities around the key competencies, an aspect of my practice that I now recognise was lacking prior to the course. 

 Leadership through teacher inquiry is the second element of the course that has had the greatest impact on my professional practice. Reflective practice and inquiry have always been something that I have sought to do well. Up until the completion of the literature review and teacher inquiry assignments, this was the area of my practice I felt would be least affected. 

The introduction of the spiral of inquiry revolutionised my approach to teacher inquiry and reflection. The framework encouraged me to invest more time in the initial stages of the process rather than jumping to conclusions and making changes based on very little information or research. The spiral of inquiry has become a mainstay of my professional practice. It has helped me to shift from looking for quick fixes, to reading peer-reviewed research and evaluating the potential reception of new tools, pedagogies, and systems of communication within our specific school setting and culture. Understanding the process of change management has also allowed me to slow down the speed at which I have previously sought (and often failed) to introduce new ideas.  

Image sourced from https://stevemouldey.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/starting-collaborative-inquiries/

Where to Next?

The next stage of my journey will involve a period of consolidating everything that I have learned on my personal and professional learning journey over the past 32 weeks. I sincerely hope to continue to build professional networks and engage in thoughtful discussion with colleagues near and far through the Google+ community and via our cohort Facebook group. Eventually I would like to complete the journey by undertaking the Masters in Applied Practice course, however for the time being I am looking forward to spending more time with my family. 

References

ITL. (n.d.). 21st Century Learning Activity Rubrics. Retrieved 22nd July, 2017 from http://fcl.eun.org/documents/10180/14691/5.3x+-+21cld+learning+activity+rubrics+2012.pdf/e240da11-07c2-4633-a86e-06c12f00d8ad?version=1.0

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators.California.Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 7th May, 2015 from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf

The 8-Step Process for Leading Change. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from https://www.kotterinternational.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/

Using the SAMR model. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Teacher-inquiry/SAMR-model

The spiral of inquiry / Evidence-based leadership / Pedagogy and assessment / Home - Educational Leaders. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Pedagogy-and-assessment/Evidence-based-leadership/The-spiral-of-inquiry