Activity 8: Key change in my professional practice

Over the years I have had students achieve below their expected age level who I believe to be both responsive and intelligent. For some time I have felt that traditional
teaching was not working for those children. Although students were busy and working hard, they were not progressing as well as I thought they should or more importantly
had the ability to. This not only lowered their self-esteem, it also caused parents anxiety, which in turn put unnecessary pressure on their children. As the teacher,
I was left frustrated by the limitations and “fixed mindset” the traditional classroom offered in an attempt to progress these students.

There was a gap in my practice that I desperately wanted to fill (Osterman & Kottkam, 2015). My personal belief is that all students have strengths, values
and prior knowledge that if given the freedom to explore would give them the opportunity to feel success at school, and confidence to take the necessary learning
risks to set them up to be true lifelong learners (Ministry of Education, 2001).

Previously, I have attempted to individualise my students’ programmes, trying to connect with their personal interests, talents and cultures, but our explorations
seemed mere tokens as we were limited by timetabling of reading writing and maths. I also felt I lacked the skill and know how to make it happen. I did not know where to
go for the information I was looking for or even what I was looking for. All I had was data (student voice, parent voice, teacher voice, samples of student work, and test
results) that showed students lack engagement and ownership in their personal learning journey.

I saw my enrolment into Mind Lab as an opportunity to redesign my learning programme, into a programme based on curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, assessment
information and understanding of each learner’s strengths, interests, needs, identities, languages and cultures (Ministry of Education, 2017). I saw it as an opportunity to
revolutionise education in my classroom and teaching team through the use of digital technologies and collaboration of student and teacher.

Throughout the Mind Lab courses, I have come to a complex understanding of personalising learning through project-based learning, growth mindset, 21st-century
environments and learning skills. Digital native students, which is a new and evolving culture, need to be recognised and catered to in the modern classroom (Prenski 2001).
It is this knowledge of emerging research and theories that gave me the confidence to implement the necessary change in my classroom. I feel I am better prepared to
defend the changes I am making and justify them to the more traditionally minded educator and parent.

This year I have begun to implement students regulating their own timetables as well as personalising their learning through project-based activities rather than wholly
teacher directed activities. I have learnt that change can happen, however it takes time and effort. I have learnt to be more flexible and adaptable as students input
into their personal programmes. I have learnt what it truly means to take calculated risks, based on research, assumptions and reflections. I have come to a fuller understand
ing that as the teacher I do not need to know everything or even pretend to, I just need to be part of the planning to help students work out and continue on their personal
learning journeys. I need to be there to guide, plan, teach, question, answer, create, share, and explore.

I recognise that my journey has just begun; I will continue to explore student self-regulated programmes through project-based activities. As a year 5 & 6 teacher,
I am interested in linking the whole primary school student-learning journey (year 0 – 8). I love the idea of exploring play-based learning in preparation of the next stage and
what classroom environments and programs look like for each level. I am passionate about the idea of these programmes revolutionising the education system of
Aoetearoa.

REFERENCES

Ministry of Education (2017). Our code, our standards. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/our-code-our-standards

Ministry of Education (2001). The New Zealand Curriculum. Retrieved from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum

Prensky. M., 2001. Digital Natives, Digital immigrants., On the Horizon MCB University Press, Vol. 9. No 5.

 

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators. California. Corwin Press, Inc.
Retrieved from http://www.itslifejimbutn otasweknowit.org.uk/files

Activity 7: Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice

As I have pondered on this topic I have found it both interesting and difficult. I find it interesting that whenever indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness policies, vision, mission, and core values are discussed within the New Zealand education system it is limited to the Maori ethnic group. I find this difficult because whenever I listen or read comments around cultural responsiveness religious culture is never considered, yet this is the culture of myself and my children. I often do not comment just in case I offend or am interpreted as being culturally insensitive to ethnic cultures (such as Maori, Pacific Islander). I believe ethnic cultures are important; however religious and other cultures are just as important for many students that sit in my classroom.

My understanding of indigenous knowledge is the knowledge that is unique to a culture or society, that is passed to the next generation (Gaye 2002). For myself to have a culturally responsive pedagogy means having the ability to respect and learn from people from my own culture as well as from those of other cultures. In my case I need to be given the opportunity to learn from people from the same religion as myself as well as from other religions, ethnic groups and other cultures. This is also true for my students if they are to be culturally responsive. It is important to note that cultural responsiveness and indigenous knowledge isn’t restricted to New Zealand schools and it is also possible to teach all students to be culturally responsive without that idea devolving into simply meaning what a child's or teacher’s response is to the Maori culture.

Once again I am asked to comment and assess my practice against frameworks I find offensive and not holistically culturally responsive, only responsive to Maori.

I believe the New Zealand government and educational authorities have limited their definition of having culturally responsive pedagogy to teachers only being aware of the needs of Maori and the embedding of Mātauranga Māori in their classroom. Being culturally responsive would require teachers and educational leaders to recognise all students have their own culture as well as share a culture that comes from all being residents of New Zealand and engaging in the communities in which they reside. Looking at the cultural needs of all students would mean the school environment would foster a pedagogy that looks to the individual needs of each student within their own culture and works to create an environment of learning and personal success that bridges the gap between social life, home, and school. MANAAKITANGA: creating a welcoming, caring and creative learning environment that treats everyone with respect and dignity.

The above Action Continuum assumes Cultural recognition is only for those whose heritage is Maori. It is important to recognise the needs of Maori, and for the culture of Maori to be taught in all New Zealand schools because it is interwoven into the identity of our country and the identity of all New Zealanders, however, it is also important to bridge the cultural recognition gap of all students which would empower them as learners and help them to thrive.

Underachievement is not limited to Maori students. The idea that “white methodology” teaches in a way that is only fully understandable and beneficial to “white students” is warped and erroneous. This means schools need to create learning environments that accept and include the cultures of all students as valid and necessary for their self-worth and bridging the educational gaps that come from a lack of recognition. It is not so much that “challeng[ing] white definitions and structures” needs to happen as it is discarding traditional methods which are generally based around assessing how well a child can read, write, and do maths at a certain age. As an educator, I  need to explore how fostering cultural recognition and assessing to identified individual cultural values and norms can progress the individual learning of each student. When we start to validate and assess based on what is culturally important to each individual I believe you will not only see Maori achievement rise, but that of all students.

REFERENCES

CORE Education.(2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools.[video file].

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

Gay,G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2),106-116.