Activity Eight: Changes in my Practice

When I first started this journey I didn’t know quite what to expect.  I knew what I wanted to achieve from my Mindlab journey, but I underestimated the true difficult of study and a profession that is hugely demanding on time.  In saying that what I have got out of this journey has enabled me to think more outside the square and explore different methodologies in leadership, teaching and learning and expand my knowledge and use of digital platforms and 21st century skills.

I had always used group work in my classes and encouraged my faculty to the same.  It was through my Mindlab studies that I began just how uncollaborative my cooperative learning.  It allowed me to explore strategies to build and develop collaborative learning further.  With every new strategy  I had to find a way to actually teach students how to be collaborative. This of course started with teaching my staff how to be collaborative.  This is a challenge as it involved a change in mindset that some were reluctant to undertake.  

Through mindlab I have learnt more about the online professional development available not only subject specific but also pedagogical development, which I have been able to share with my staff to help develop strategies and learning programmes that will benefit our students.  

I have learnt to explore digital technologies and platforms and to not be scared of them but rather to embrace and challenge my learning fully to create a new opportunities with the concept of learning and teaching in English.

Activity Seven: My interdisciplinary connection map

I have always felt that as an English teacher, if one removed the pure literature nature of the subject the flexibility and connections that could be created across the curriculum were wide reaching and exciting. Since becoming the head of faculty I have sort ways in which bring the cross-curricular to life.  Many people when I would talk to them about this concept would argue that it could be done on a small scale but only at junior level.  It was here I want to explore the avenue of project based learning but limit it to just junior levels but we could utilise project based learning with NCEA standards interweaved to create learning that is individualised, meaningful and connects to the student.  

I first delved into this area with a student who was interested in dance and films.  She wanted to choreograph a dance that had a powerful message and wanted to come out of her English class to do this. By sitting with the student and discussing her plan, we looked at creating a project that enabled her to achieve at least 31 credits at level 3.  There was 12 credits from Dance, 10 credits from Media Studies and 9 credits from English.  This allowed this particular student the opportunity to reengage with her learning through a film which explored domestic violence which incorporated dance. Though this is not traditional grouping of subjects it allowed the student to follow her passions and be successful in her learning journey.  This was truly exciting and I was passionate about seeing where else we could create these opportunities.  For 2017, I have approached Drama, Music, Sociology, Health, Science to establish how we could create projects that would allow for students to truly engage in their learning.  It is an area truly excited about exploring further.

At a Junior level, despite other faculties saying in theory they would like to explore cross curricular, I have struggled to find people to jump on board. As a experiment I created a unit in which there was an element from every aspect of the curriculum and faculties at the school.  The unit title Matariki looked at astronomy, classics, measurement, inquiry, legends, te reo, constructing the solar system in model size, including stars.  This was not as successful as it was at senior level, as the students mindset was not prepared for the different subject focuses just within their English classroom.  That is not to say it failed completely rather just just that there are deliberate teachings that need to occur around cross curricular learnings, this would be made easier of course with full across faculty participation.  And area I wish to explore further during 2017.