Activity Two - Reflection on learning and practice

Learning Styles are important to consider

I am a kinesthetic learner with elements of a visual learner and I have preferred the hands-on/practical sessions. 

http://appl003.lsu.edu/cas/learningjourney.nsf/CheckProgress?OpenForm#personality 

I have been more engaged in sessions that have been interactive, whether it is through doing, responding online or through discussions. The sessions I found the hardest and got the least knowledge from were reliant on an audio learning style such as the speakers and lecture type sessions. 

Being a learner has reminded me to consider the needs of my students and how they best learn. I found I was spending too much time on class discussions. Why, when I have found small or individual discussions and interactive sessions more engaging, should I expect my students to follow a different style? I needed to adapt my teaching so all learning styles were met, not just audio learners. A flipped classroom is an opportunity for this to happen.

Taking into consideration learning styles, I have been using tutorials and videos for children to learn and find out more. After viewing, students have to demonstrate they have understood or how their learning has changed. 
I have also tried to shorten the time I spend on whole class discussions and increased my use of visual aids. This is something I would still like to improve and Harmin and Toth (2006) suggest practical discussion techniques I would like to try which can also lend to kinesthetic learners, e.g. the use of board writers. 

Collaboration
In college I preferred to work by myself. Through Mindlab, I have enjoyed the collaboration and student interaction.  I have found that having someone to discuss ideas with has improved my thought process. It has also given me the opportunity to open my mind to other points of views.

Benefits of collaboration. 

Online Journal

Through research and my experience as a learner I could see the benefits of collaboration (illustrated above) and started to create more collaborative opportunities for my students. Incorporating the use of google apps was a successful start. 

By giving children the opportunity to have a discussion about their work and share ideas before writing has been a successful planning tool for my struggling writers. In all curriculum areas I have moved to include more collaborative tasks rather than individual book work. Examples are: knowledge quiz cards, paired writing activities, group research and the use of Padlet for discussions.

Learning to Reflect
One of the key elements of my practice that has changed, is my ability to reflect and develop a growth mindset. I have gained confidence with sharing difficulties and seeking improvements, whether it is through critical friend conversations or undertaking research. As a learner, I realised I like structure and like to have things set out in a logical way. The structure of the course and assignments have given me a purpose for my inquiry. Previously school reflections have been diary writings and there was no connection between entries. This course has given me a clear focus of what I want to achieve and a plan of how to proceed. So true reflections have happened because I needed to deviate from the plan as it wasn't progressing as expected and I had to think why it wasn't working.

skillsyouneed.com

The ability to reflect and have a clear plan or thought process, based on current research, is something I will take from this course and apply to future reflections. Having a better understanding has enabled me to support my students more effectively when they are completing their own reflections by using frameworks and reflective questions.

References

2011-2015, (2015). Reflective Practice | SkillsYouNeed. Skillsyouneed.com. Retrieved 26 September 2015, from http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/reflective-practice.html

Welcome - Activity One

Welcome to my blog. My name is Jenni and after managing class blogs and learning journeys, I am excited about the opportunity to create my own blog as part of the applied practice module at Mindlab.

Skiing in Japan

I am most happy when surrounded by snow.  This is how I relax when I am not in the classroom.

I have been a teacher for 12 years. I studied in Wales. Then I taught in Birmingham before moving to New Zealand 7 years ago. My biggest challenge was developing a classroom programme. My UK school had schemes or work and programmes where you could select what you wanted to teach based on learning needs.  The challenge, in NZ, was I had to build my planning myself. Being in a New Entrant class with only a couple of students was an advantage, along with support from the school and colleagues. I increased my knowledge of NZ curriculum, developing effective lessons for my students. I love the flexibility and being able to teach students based on their needs and interests. 

In the UK I was a team leader in a shared role and part of the ICT team. In my first NZ school I was given the opportunity to be on the ICT team. After a few years at that school I went in search of an ICT lead teacher position. It was challenging, teaching a senior year level after years of junior school teaching, being out of the classroom, dealing with extra responsibilities and learning how a new school works.  After a year I decided to move to a school closer to home. I now teach in Central Auckland at Meadowbank Primary School and it is a joy to be back in the classroom having sole responsibility.  This is my 3rd year at the school and I am teaching year 3. I am lucky to have a great class with an even split of boys and girls. 

My Class of 28 Year 3 Students

In my classroom you will see energetic, passionate students. I believe in creating an environment where children can love what they are learning and have ownership of it. I love using technology and the capabilities it has to engage children and extend their learning opportunities. 

Transcribed from video:
"The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 ... did not exist in 2004. We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist ... using technologies that haven't been invented ... in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet."

This video was shown to me a couple of years ago and, for me, the message is powerful and has impacted on my teaching. It is not just about teaching children, it is about giving them the skills to develop and learn so they are prepared for the future. This is evident in my classroom and when using technology. I encourage children to problem solve and discover for themselves rather than telling them what to do. It is creating an environment where children are supported and have the confidence to try.

In my career, I have grown as a teacher and I enjoy being able to get to know all my students and tailoring learning to suit them. Over the last few years I have been looking for some study to develop my love of ICT. I came across the Mindlab course in digital and collaborative learning. It sounded perfect. The course wasn't what I expected. However, it has challenged my teaching and thinking.

References

YouTube, Karl Fisch. (2015). Did You Know 3.0 (Officially updated for 2012) HD. Retrieved 26 September 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmwwrGV_aiE