Activity 8: Ethical Dilemma

Social Media Dilemma

In order to explore my ethical dilemma, I will be using Rolfe's reflective model:

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What is the ethical dilemma?

The use of social media has become a part of everyday life. It is very easy for the lines between personal and professional to blur. Many teachers, particularly those that are young or new to the profession, have made the mistake of sharing personal information online. The sharing of personal information complicates the normal boundaries between teachers and students and teachers and colleagues. Online posts and communication can and almost certainly will reach beyond the intended audience and influence the perception of the teacher held by the students and community (Understanding the Code of Professional Responsibility for Educators). 

So what?

Whether we like it or not, as teachers, we are role models (Understanding the Code of Professional Responsibility for Educators). We are held to high standards of behaviour because we have responsibility for the well-being of students. Teachers should understand that their actions, both professionally and personally, can have a profound impact on their professional image. The code of ethics for certified teachers in NZ state that teachers must, "Advance the interests of the teaching profession through responsible, ethical practice." The negative impacts of an inappropriate post online have the potential to effect not only the teacher's credibility but also the public's trust in school and the profession. In the Guidelines on ethical use of social media, it is advised that educators share only what they're comfortable with the whole world seeing.

What next?

According to the code of ethics for certified teachers in NZ, teachers must speak out if the behaviour of a colleague is seriously in breach of the code. Therefore, it is clear that action would have to be taken. The NZ government's guide to the safe and responsible use of digital technologies in schools advise that it is important to focus more on the behaviour involved in an incident, and less on the digital technology. 

If faced with this dilemma, I would begin by approaching my colleague and discussing how her social media activity is inappropriate and that I would be informing the school's management about this breach of the code. I would check that the school had an existing policy on social media or bring it up for review at a staff meeting (Guidelines on ethical use of social media).

In the guide for Understanding the Code of Professional Responsibility for Educators, there are some suggestions for schools that are faced with this dilemma:

• Create PLD activities to explore the benefits and risks of social media for personal and professional use.
• Provide an orientation for all teachers to inform them about the code of ethics for certified teachers. 
• Specifically outline the process for reporting inappropriate behaviour by any adult

Activity 7: Social Media in Learning and Teaching and Professional Development

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According to Kathy Cassidy, a teacher in Canada who uses blogs and Twitter with her Grade 1 and 2 learners, digital is where they kids are at now. Asking them to come to school and power down would seem out of touch with what their real lives are like. When talking to my Year 6 learners about their connectivity, almost all communicate with each other and the world using social media. Whether it be through blogs, Facebook or chatting on games like Clash of Clans, it seems crazy that we are not utilising this aspect of our learner's lives and using it to extend learning opportunities outside of school hours. 

Using Social Media for Professional Development

Elana Leoni believes that being connected is the most impactful thing you can do as an educator. In fact it is the most important aspect of being a 21st century educator.

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Gone are the days when interacting with a digital device during a conference was considered rude or taboo. I use social media to enhance my professional development on a daily basis. Here are some examples:

Blogs and Twitter

This year I was unable to attend the Ulearn Conference in Auckland. However, I was able to follow #ulearn15 on Twitter and follow everything as it was happening, including links to the keynotes.

Link to Keynote

 While following #ulearn15, I saw this tweet: 

Which lead me to this awesome blog post by Marnel van der Spuy which outlines the conference day-by-day. It includes notes from all of the keynotes and the breakouts. Connecting with this post through social media made me feel like I didn't miss out on anything.

Google+ Communities

Being a part of the Mindlab community on Google+ has been invaluable during the second part of the course. The ability to interact with my colleagues, share assessment examples and ask and answer questions is a great example of how my own learners could be communicating about their learning in their own time. In particular I have found this community helpful in its hosting of the Q&A sessions regarding the assignments. 

Online Portfolio - RTC

My RTC portfolio is now accessible to anyone who wants to view it. Kathy Cassidy believes one of the values of using social media to share learning is that it is a digital record that is always there. I am now able to use videos, photos and other media as evidence of meeting the registered teacher criteria. 

Using Social Media for Teaching and Learning

There is not a week that goes by when I do not use some form of social media for teaching and learning. Richard Wells argues that the possibilities of social media are challenging the purpose and need for the classroom. Furthermore he believes that learners need to stretch beyond the four walls of the classroom in order to become connected to a world they could become key players in.

 Here are some examples of how I am currently using social media with my learners:

• I publish all of the videos that my learners create on My Youtube Channel
• The 100 Word Challenge - a website where a prompt for writing is set each week and children from all over world use the prompt to write 100 words. The stories are then posted onto the website and comments are left from all contributors
• Blogging and Quadblogging - not only posting their own work but commenting on others work
• Kahoot to create and share quizzes, discussions and surveys

Challenges of Social Networking in Teaching Activities

• The sharing of personal information
• Age restrictions on social networking sites - This article by Diana Graber for the Huffington Post blog outlines why social media age restrictions matter
• Distractions - Toshalis and Nakkula believe that today's constant digital distractions can disrupt productivity and deeper cognition in learning

Activity 6: Contemporary Trends

LearnerAgency and Maker Culture from Savelina Lepou on Vimeo.

Implications: Learner Agency

I have been working on addressing learner agency in order to shift the learners within my learning community from being passive, receptive learners to agentic learners in Mathematics. I have been using techniques such as Math Talk Moves and problem solving frameworks. These phrases and frameworks have helped my learners to self-regulate their thinking and actions when approaching mathematical problems. According to Toshalis and Nakula, it is necessary to teach students self-regulation skills in order to help them monitor their learning and change strategies as needed.

One thing I need to consider is how to include more student voice in my teaching, allowing my learners to make decisions about their learning. Bathhurst suggests using student surveys as a way of gathering student voice (p.16). In a case study of 19 school by the Education Review Magazine, there are many examples of schools gathering and using student voice effectively. Rhode Street School invite their students to staff professional development and learning sessions to input their ideas and suggestions. At Clevedon School they have identified the need to not only gather student voice but to also use it to inform practice.

Implications: Maker Culture

The shift from giving children answers to memorise to giving them problems to solve is a lot harder than it sounds. Now that learners have the capability to use technology to meet their needs, it is imperative that they are given opportunities to do so. Design thinking and processes need to be central to planning (Core Education).

While the thought of implementing the maker culture into the classroom programme seems daunting, I believe that it is something that you just have to try.  Core Education has some tips for starting out:

• Grab a little electronics starter kit and see what your kids can do with it.
• Talk to your principal about getting a 3D printer.
• Download something like Sketchup so kids can start playing around.

Richard Wells believes that Design Thinking is a great tool for students to think about and tackle problems at a deeper level. He has created this infographic as a guide to Design Thinking that can be used in the classroom. It splits the task into 5 stages.

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References for video:

Wenmoth, D. (2014, February 14). Ten Trends 2014: Agency [Video]. Retrieved from http://edtalks.org/video/ten-trends-2014-agency

Osborne, M. (2014). Maker Culture [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/maker-culture

Barr, K. (2015). Developing maker culture [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2015/maker-culture

Activity Five

Professional Connection Map

According to Wiley people are putting things together that have never been put together before. He refers to this concept as 'idea matchmaking.'  Collaboration is a theme that I have followed throughout my MindLab journey. I am aware that I have connections with a variety of groups, however during the creation of this map I have realised that I have a lot of professional connections. This exercise has also highlighted those connections which have a lot more potential that I need to utilise. 

The most obvious and immediate connections that I identified were those that I have within my school - The Accelerant Team and My Syndicate.  While most of the teachers I work with use an integrated curriculum (Mathison and Freeman) there is a lot of potential for more integration of our skills as a team that is under-utilised. Drake (1991) refers to this as teachers becoming 'connection experts' (cited in Mathison and Freeman, p. 22). 

My Learners are hugely important. They drive the decisions I make about what I am going to teach and constantly inspire me with their ideas and enthusiasm. One area that I could take advantage of would be to keep the connections with my learners once they move on to another classroom or school. They could come in and share their skills with my current learners. 

My husband dances for the New Zealand Dance Company and does work for Pacific Dance New Zealand. As a result, I have many connections within the Dance Company.

In 2010, I completed a TESSOL Diploma. Consequently I have connections within the TESSOL Community. Teaching immigrant learners has always been a passion of mine and my connections with this community are very important. It is always nice to meet fellow 'DipTessolers.' I feel like we are on the same wavelength when it comes to working with English Language Learners.

The Online Communities that I have connections with seem to be continually growing and changing. As Wiley point out in this TEDx talk, teachers don't build on their knowledge and ideas in a linear fashion, they go in all different directions. Through these online communities I have been able to follow my interests and have access to free resources and PLD. If I have questions, I can get input from people all over the globe on site such as twitter and The Virtual Learning Network. The same can be said for the learners that I work with. They are now able to connect with online communities in ways that I never imagined when I was in primary school. 

One way that I could enhance the potential of my connections with online communities is to improve my connectedness with these communities.

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According to Lucier's Seven Degrees of Connectedness, I am an Insider (stage 3). However, by the end of this year, I would like to progress to Stage 5: Collaborator. Well's research into why teachers do not engage online professionally, concludes that in order for teachers to give their input to online communities they must be very clear about their own teaching identity. Wells suggests joining communities such as edchat. 

Therefore, my goal is to get involved in the next #edchatnz by; retweeting what I think is worthwhile, asking questions, and sharing my thoughts and ideas. There are excellent suggestions for getting started on #edchatnz here.

Activity Four - Community of Practice

The term, 'communities of practice' is a completely new one to me. While reading Wenger-Trayner's introduction, a lightbulb went on in my head. 

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According to Wenger-Trayner,  "Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly" (p.1).

It thought back to all the communities of practice that I have been involved in over the years. In particular, one that stands out is the community I was part of as a beginning teacher. We were a community of both experienced and inexperienced teachers. The majority of us shared similar beliefs and values about teaching and learning. We had robust discussions and I like to think we all learned from each other. It was these first years as part of this community that made me the teacher I am today. 

I now realise that it is this type of community that I have searched for since leaving this school 3 years ago and perhaps why starting a new school can be challenging.

Who are the stakeholders of my professional community? In what ways do they influence my practice?

My new role this year as an accelerant teacher in a new school was initially very isolating. It is my first year out of the classroom and for the first time in 10 years, I felt as though I did not belong to a community of practice. One common factor that unites teachers is the collective camaraderie that comes with surviving the ins and outs of the classroom. I no longer have that in common with many of my colleagues. Initially I felt like I had lost my identity. Luckily I am not the only accelerant teacher. 

Community 1: Accelerant Teachers

This is a small group of the teachers and management who work with learners who need extra support to reach National Standard. We also take groups of GAT learners. 

Influence of Community One

This group has a good balance of old timers and newcomers (Lave). We are always having informal discussions about the learners we are trying to teach and how we can move these learners forward. We have formal meeting times where we discuss problems of practice and collectively offer solutions to these problems. This community has a huge influence on my practice. I have learnt a lot from each member. We have been very successful in accelerating our learners' progress this year and I believe this is due to how we have worked together collectively. 

Community 2: Fellow Mind Labbers

This is a group of fellow teachers who are taking part in the MindLab Certificate from both primary and secondary sectors. While this started off as a network (Wenger-Trayner) through the Google+ community, a small group of us have begun to meet and help each other with our assessments.

Influence of Community Two
The influence of this community has been invaluable particularly as the course moved to an online platform. We interchange between master and apprentice (Lave) as those of us who know more about digital technologies help those who don't. Those in the community with more teaching experience offer valuable input and advice. 

Activity 3: Response to Finlay's Article

Response to Finlay's Article

I have to admit to being a bit of a cynic when it comes to reflecting. Perhaps it is the memories I have of staying up late trying to complete Smyth's model of reflection during my years of training to become a teacher. Maybe it is the way that these routine reflections are now creeping into the teaching profession as a way of meeting the Registered Teacher Criteria. Or perhaps it is my experience of failed reflection activities with the learners in my classroom. It is interesting to note that Finlay highlights many inadequacies with these scenarios of reflection which may explain why they have not been positive.

Critical Reflection

I believe all good teachers should and do reflect on their practice. I am constantly thinking about what I am doing while I teach and spend a good deal of my time on the drive to and from school reflecting on what has happened (which probably explains why my nails are so short). However, this article has made me consider whether this thinking leads to critical reflection? Or whether I am just thinking about what has occurred? My thoughts definitely stem from doubt, hesitation or perplexity as identified by Dewey (p.3), but I am unsure as to whether these reflections force me to evolve or as Larivee (p.2) puts it, "stay trapped in unexamined judgement."

Reflection-in-action/Reflection-on-action

Shon's (p.3) identification of reflection-in-action (thinking while doing) and reflection-on-action (after-the-event thinking) rang true with my own beliefs about reflection. All teachers, regularly reflect on what they are doing while they are doing it. This is perhaps what separates experienced from novice teachers. Those with experience think on their feet and have the ability to react in a calm and confident manner in all types of situations. I think that teachers using this form of reflection-in-action should be acknowledged more often. I don't agree that we must always produce long written forms of reflection to prove that we are doing it. Quinn (p.17) agrees that reflective tasks can be very time-consuming and unrealistic in work contexts and busy practitioners would benefit from developing their reflection-in-action.

Which Model? When, where and how? 

With a new found appreciation for reflection, I feel somewhat panicked about the need to find a reflection model that I prefer.  However, this article has highlighted that there is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to reflection. Different models suit different purposes and can be applied selectively. Therefore I need to do further reading to explore the different models available and to select those that are not only suitable for myself but also my learners.
I think that some of the ideas provided by Finlay (2008) for developing reflective practices with my own learners are great. Here are some ideas that I would like to try:

• Provide opportunities for my learners to hear the experiences of other learners and how reflection has helped them
• Present a variety of models (once my learners are engaged and positive about reflection)
• Practice both dialogic and private reflection
• Link reflection skills up with the critical analysis needed when doing research/inquiry.

Activity Two: Reflection on learning and practice

1. Choice is CHOICE

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For all of the assignments (bar one) we have been given the freedom to carry out our assessments in a variety of ways. I have thoroughly enjoyed having the creative license to meet the criteria using platforms other than essays. I do not like essay writing (who does?), but I do like making movies. 

This freedom of choice has provided me with the chance to try out new apps such as ThingLink to share my learning. It has also given me the opportunity to further my movie making skills through the use of stop-go animation and green screens. While at times it took a bit longer to complete my assignments, I was very engaged in what I was doing and I believe I learnt more as a result. Most of the assignments I submitted were movies. I can easily share my learning with my colleagues and upload the movies onto my RTC site.

Change in practice: As a result, I am making changes to the way that I assess my learners. I have tried to think of more creative ways that they can present their learning. I have provided them with a few options like iMovie and Prezi and I am adding to these every week. 

This means that I have to be very explicit about the learning outcomes and achievement objectives that need to be met. One way I have tried to do this is by creating rubrics similar to those provided for us by Mind Lab, but I have simplified them. 

Here is an example of a movie made by a group at the end of their inquiry into road safety and the school's pedestrian crossing:

2. I need to improve my COLLABORATIVE skills

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From the get go, the learners in the Mind Lab course were expected to collaborate with each other to complete tasks. To be completely honest, most of the time, I would've preferred to carry out these activities independently without all the negotiation or lack there of (cue awkward silences). I decided that collaboration using digital tools would become a focus of mine for the duration of the Mind Lab course and I've learnt that the benefits of collaboration far outweigh flying solo. This is a work in progress. 

Change in practice: My approach to collaboration has completely changed. I have come to the realisation that collaboration is challenging, therefore it must be a challenging for my learners also. I can recall numerous times when I have expected groups to collaborate on tasks just by giving them a task to complete "as a group." Learners need to be equipped with the tools that will help them in future collaborative projects and they will not develop these skills if they are just assigned collaborative projects and expected to figure out how to complete them (Lowry, Curtis & Lowry, 2004).

3. Paperless learning is tricky

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I never would have predicted that following course content online would be as challenging as it has been. I am used to working with a pen and paper. I am used to being given textbooks to read and a book of readings.

Change in practice: It is very important not to make assumptions my learners capabilities with digital devices. While many of them (like myself) spend a lot of their time on a device of some sort, they do not necessarily understand how to use these for learning. This is the case for my Year 6 learners who have had 5 years of traditional literacy classroom experiences. I need to consider how to prepare and support my learners when using digital tools for learning.