Using Social Online Networks in Teaching or Professional Development

 Mindlab - Week 30

I am fundamentally of a cautious and nature and like many teaching staff within the primary school in which I work, I have been reluctant to use social media as a teaching tool without evidence of its effectiveness and benefits. From this week’s readings I now understand that I am not alone in this thinking. (Dwyer et al, 2009). It has been interesting to therefore read the various blogs on this topic and discover a mixed range of views. Prior to the Mindlab course I would have questioned the efficacy of using social media within a primary school as a teaching tool.  I have to admit though that over the course of the last 30 weeks I been forced to question my hesitancy. Part of the reasoning behind taking part in the course was to force me out of my comfort zone and to leave the “dinosaur” age which my own children insist I belong to, behind. It has been a long and hard journey but a very worthwhile one.

Being able to share ideas and experience with colleagues has been invaluable.  I still however find the use of social media in teaching to be the biggest hurdle. I have issues and questions around security, privacy and ensuring the use of these sites in a responsible manner. This is where I think it is important to encourage students to display empathy for their peers providing supportive feedback and critique where necessary. I also have concerns regarding teaching students about authenticity. Just because it’s posted on the internet doesn’t mean the information is correct. I can see how these sites can be used to an advantage in gaining different perspectives. Perhaps this is the ideal medium for students who are more introverted, allowing for their voice to be heard in a less obvious way.

Overall, I still feel that the use of social media would be more beneficial in a secondary setting but I am happy to be convinced otherwise. I fully acknowledge that the world is vastly different from it was even 10 years ago and that our children are growing up using these media platforms as part of their normal everyday life activities. The biggest difference between my views now as opposed to 8 months ago is that now I am open to change. Having read some of the information shared by colleagues about their experiences with use of social media platforms within their classrooms has given me the confidence to consider trying some of the forums and apps suggested in my own teaching practice.

The use of social media platforms in professional development is something I do take active part in. I think there is a real benefit to these forums where we can share and collaborate, inform and question. I have been part of just such a forum for some time now and although it can be time consuming and distracting it is also a fantastic way to keep up to date with new innovations, share information and take advantage of the groups collective wisdom.

The challenges I face in using these forums continues to be lack of time and my self-consciousness. I still feel that I am more of a voyeur than contributor and this is what will be my future goal. To take a more active part in this and other forums. To be a more proactive participant. To use my “voice” and become an active member of our CoL (Community of Learning).

References

Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 05 May, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han...

Sharples, M., de Roock , R., Ferguson, R., Gaved, M., Herodotou, C., Koh, E., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Looi,C-K, McAndrew, P., Rienties, B., Weller, M., Wong, L. H. (2016). Innovating Pedagogy 2016: Open University Innovation Report 5. Milton Keynes: The Open University. Retrieved from http://proxima.iet.open.ac.uk/public/innovating_pedagogy_2016.pdf

Tvoparents. (2013, May 21). Using Social Media in the Classroom.. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZStaz8Rno

Legal and Ethical Contexts In My Digital Practice

Legal and Ethical Contexts in My Digital Practice

Mindlab Week 29

As part of my role within our primary school library I run a small but busy computer suite. Students use these computers to publish work and research information from the internet. The suite is used by all levels within the school and students may work independently or collaboratively. The problem I am faced with on a daily basis is a complacency towards plagiarism and copyright. So what is the difference between plagiarism and copyright? Plagiarism is literary theft, and occurs when a writer duplicates another writer’s ideas or language and then calls it their own whereas copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution. That work may be literary, artistic or musical. Although plagiarism is unethical it is not illegal. Breach of copyright, copying a specific sequence of words, however, is illegal. It should also be pointed out that the copyright holder is not necessarily the same person as the author. 

Teaching staff recognise the issues around plagiarism but I personally don't think enough is being done to address this issue within our school. I also feel that there is a complacency from some staff members towards copyright laws. We should assume, unless otherwise stated, that copyright applies to all works created, and this includes the internet, whether or not it has a copyright symbol or a copyright statement attached. As professionals, teachers are bound by a “Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards”. These responsibilities include teaching and continuously encouraging our students to be responsible digital citizens. A key aspect to teaching this behaviour is good modelling. We should all, teachers, support staff and whanau, be setting an example in regard to this issue.

I see my role within the library as supporting our students to become responsible digital citizens. The National Library of New Zealand considers these values as important when teaching our students to be responsible digital citizens.

• ·         Students need to act both responsibly and ethically,
• ·         Students need to be accountable for their actions
• ·         Students should be respectful of intellectual property and other legal protections.                          

      When I checked our school docs it stated that all staff were expected to follow the guidelines and provisions described on the Copyright in Schools website and to observe the conditions of any creative commons licences applied. From this I can see that the school has obviously considered these issues and the laws governing intellectual property and copyright but perhaps not all staff are aware of these policies. We all have a responsibility towards supporting our students with the ethical issues they will and are facing as members of the digital world. 

      I need to address this dilemma in a proactive way by ensuring that staff and students alike are aware of the laws governing copyright and intellectual property and encouraging students when researching and publishing work to acknowledge sources and avoid plagiarism. There is a need for more discussion around these issues with both staff and students and it needs to be more of a focus in my digital literacy classes. 

Education Council. (n.d). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/sites/default/files/Our%20Code%20Our%20Standards%20web%20booklet%20FINAL.pdf

Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers

http://creativecommons.org.nz/ccinschools/ (video clip on CC)

           Indigenous knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness                      Mindlab - Week 28

We all grow up with a set of assumptions, beliefs and values which are informed through our closest relationships, initially those of our Whanau, and then our wider communities. These cultural settings are what make us who we are, providing us with a sense of self and belonging. It seems to me that it is when our cultural identifiers are challenged and questioned, when we are expected to reinvent ourselves to fit in with the “norm” that problems arise. Unfortunately the lingering effects of British colonisation have helped to create an educational disparity within our New Zealand educational system. The achievement gap between our indigenous population, Maori, and Pakeha is a problem shared by other indigenous populations around the world. Listening to Russell Bishop discuss the “fiscal deficit” we have created within the educational context in this country was a wake up call for me.

 I have travelled extensively and lived abroad for a number of years and for me, looking at other countries where communities of indigenous populations and colonisers have blended always reinforced how much better we were in New Zealand, more united, more integrated, more aware. It wasn’t until I returned to New Zealand and began working within the education system that I realised how much more we need to do to address the disparity between Pakeha and Maori achievement. Yes we are better at some of the more tangible cultural identifiers. We run Kapahaka groups and hold Powhiris. In some cases we offer Te Reo Maori classes to those interested, but in many instances we aren’t really invested in trying to understand our students and create relationships in which we acknowledge the intangible part of a student’s culture, those of their values, beliefs, opinions, perceptions and assumptions. 

Perhaps this is an issue which is more problematic in the school in which I work. Although New Zealand is becoming a multi-cultural society with a diverse range of ethnicities and cultures, I thought it appeared to impact other areas of our country more than my sleepy, semi-rural community which is predominantly Anglo-Saxon, with less than 10% of the students coming from Maori or other ethnicities. On the surface very little seems to have changed here but when I had cause to dig a bit deeper, trying to encourage connections between our students and the wider world I discovered a large number of different cultural links. As part of book week we encouraged students and their Whanau to share a folk story, myth or legend with which they had a cultural connection. Students and Whanau were excited to share this part of their culture with the wider school community. This however was an example of a tangible aspect of their culture. In retrospect I did create a learning context where both students and whanau could bring their own knowledge to the classroom, but I feel I could have done more to provide learning opportunities which would acknowledge all my student’s experiences as real and legitimate.

I do believe that at my school we recognise that relationships with our students are important to educational performance. This is apparent in our school vision which is “to sustain and enrich a culture that promotes human dignity and continuous improvement based upon mutual respect and genuine partnerships among students, staff and the community”. We do try to develop caring, learning relationship with all our students and our Maori students are engaged in learning and are achieving educational success as Maori, with pride in their unique identity, language and culture. What we could do better is to be more aware of, and sensitive to all our students, whatever their ethnic and cultural groups. We need to be culturally responsive, allowing students to be proud of who and what they are and what they have to offer our class, school and the wider world.

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5)734–742.

Edtalks. (2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [Video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Potahu, T. W. (2011). Mauri - Rethinking Human Wellbeing. MAI Review, 3, 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/v...

Contemporary Trends:

Contemporary Trends:The changing landscape of our school libraries.

      Mindlab - Week 27

The world as we know it is a rapidly changing place and the ever evolving and complex technological environment of the 21^st century creates new challenges for schools and in particular our school libraries. We face a future where the landscape of our school libraries is vastly different from the traditional idea of a house of books. The school in which I work is an example of an evolving educational institution, with among other things, the development of learning environments that are more fluid spaces and this includes the library. Our role as educators is to provide our students, with skills and competencies necessary for a future which will be technologically driven and far from clear. The implications from apparent trends today are that those students with the ability to connect, create, collaborate and use technology will be successful in the future. In other words we no longer use technology just to access information but also to store it, to build and to create with it and to connect with our communities and the wider world.

 In view of these changes, libraries are being forced to evolve or as some see it “fade into irrelevancy” and librarians have been forced to redefine themselves. Within the information ecosystem which libraries are becoming, the focus is on the process of learning rather than the dissemination of information. Within the library service we need to aim for more than providing access to a collection of digital content and the more traditional sources of information. We need to support students and staff to develop digital literacy skills and capabilities. School libraries are already in a position where they can enable learners to connect with resources available through other libraries and organisations, as part of a wider knowledge network and these links will continue to grow and develop.

Studies both within New Zealand and other western countries have shown that having a school library staffed by a qualified professional librarian increases student achievement. However, sadly there are 178 New Zealand schools that don’t have a dedicated library, while 330 schools have less library space than they’re entitled to. School libraries are being forced to close in order to accommodate growing rolls within New Zealand and budgets are being cut to release funds for other resources. My question is, what is the point of providing students with the best and most up to date technologies if they are not also being provided with support in how to use these resources effectively and responsibly? As Nardo and O’Day state “It’s important that the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are served by technology”. We must not lose sight of our goals which are to create responsible, ethical, digital citizens. Citizens who have the ability to source quality information, critique and evaluate that information and to use it in meaningful ways. And of growing importance is the need for these citizens to use this information and technology ethically, to consider intellectual property and the power of their “voice”. This is where school libraries and more importantly the staff who support them, can make an impact on the educational quality of a school.

I consider myself fortunate in having a principle and a majority of colleagues who recognise the unique position of the library within our school and the role the librarian is able to play in the development of digitally literate and responsible future citizens. This hasn’t made me immune to cuts to both the budget and staffing levels, which remains a concern but it has made me take a good long hard look at the future of libraries within my school, the wider community and the New Zealand education system.

I Love Libraries. (2015). Student Success. Retrieved from http://www.ilovelibraries.org/school-libraries/school-libraries-and-student-success

National Library of New Zealand. (2010). School Libraries and learning. Retrieved from http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/school-libraries/effective-practice/school-libraries-and-learning-research               

TVNZ. (2017). Overcrowding forces 178 NZ schools to go without a library. Retrieved from https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/overcrowding-forces-178-nz-schools-go-without-library

Current Issues in Professional Context

Current Issues in Professional Context

(Mindlab  -  Week 26)

History

Our school is a semi-rural school which is situated 30 kilometres from the nearest city. It has a rich history, being the oldest school in continuous use in New Zealand. Next year we will celebrate our 175^th Anniversary. The “we” doesn’t just include the present and past students but extends to our whanau and wider community, many of whom were also students, or the parents and grandparents of students at the school. These strong ties within the community foster a nurturing supportive environment which is evident within the school and the village in which it sits.

Data

The school is a state-funded contributing primary school. We are currently rated decile 8. The roll sits at 270, of whom approximately 10% are Maori, 86% New Zealand European and the remainder a mixture of European, Pacific and Asian. Although our decile rating appears high I think it has been artificially generated by the influx of European families into the area over the last ten years.

Culture

According to Stoll, (2008), a school’s culture is shaped by its history, context and the people in it. Schools are continuously evolving and this is evident in our school by its considerable longevity. Our wider community although physically changed over the last 200 years continues to have strong links to the rural sector and logging industries and these are contributing factors to the culture which has developed within our school.

The school community is both static and dynamic. The shared vision of the staff is to sustain and enrich a culture that promotes human dignity and continuous improvement based upon mutual respect and genuine partnerships among students, staff and the community.  Within our school the staff are the central force in creating the stability of the school, whilst at the same time steering change. It is their shared vision which has steered the school through a recent period of change and upheaval with the introduction of MLE’s, (Modern Learning Environments) and a more student-led focus on learning and created a solid base on which we can continue to evolve.

There aren’t the extremes of socio-economic status (SES) within the school community although there are a few families at the lower end of the spectrum. The school and the wider community support these students and their whanau by ensuring they do not miss out on any activities offered within the school through financial support from the school and PTA and on a more practical level with helping to purchase uniforms, arranging transport and lending sports equipment when needed.

Professional Environment

The type of teaching culture prevalent within the school is a mixture of collaborative and contrived collegiality. I work collaboratively with teaching and support staff, providing support and facilitation in literacy and information literacy throughout the school where needed but working alone does mean that I have to work hard at maintaining collegial relationships with good lines of communication and opportunities for sharing information with fellow staff members. Feedback and observation has to be actively sought and encouraged. Judith Warren Little stresses the importance of review and critique which is a result of this type of collegiality. I recognise that I have some way to go in obtaining this ideal but some of the ways I could improve on this is by  ensuring staff are more aware of ways I can help facilitate their literacy programmes, perhaps by becoming more involved in the planning stages and by seeking more feedback.

APA. (2016). Education and Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education.aspx

 Little, J.W. (1990). The persistence of privacy: Autonomy and initiative in teachers’ professional relations, Teachers College Record, 91 (4), pp.509–36.

Stoll. (1998). School Culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9. Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Understanding-school-cultures/School-Culture

TEdEd (2013, Jun 21). Building a culture of success- Mark Wilson. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_8Bjz-OCD8