Final Reflection

I will be so pleased when this course is over, I will be pleased to have my work / home life balance back in order as I am sick of reading and research, however what I would like to do, is put what I have learnt over the past 32 weeks into practice. I’m looking forward to spending time with my colleagues, discussing ideas, sharing what I’ve have learnt and the research behind these new pedagogies. As a team I’d like to brainstorm new ideas, new ways to integrate more cross curricular links, I’d like to reduce assessment and spend more time on student centred learning.

There is a lot that could be modified within our school, however, change takes time, and although we have a supportive senior leadership team, the obstacles are many. The only way I can see myself moving forward is to keep pushing for change. And I know it cannot be school wide, so what I can do is work within my department, with the hope that others will come on board eventually.

Having spent the past 32 weeks researching and learning I have discovered that there is a lot of information out there, and my ability to source through social media sites such as Google+, Twitter and Facebook, have become part of my daily routine.

As a Leader within our school I see my role as supporting and encouraging my colleagues. Having spent the past year researching and contributing on social media platforms such as Google+ and Twitter. I have become privy to some of the most up-to-date information across NZ and around the world, following the right associations, curriculum groups and organisations has meant our students have been able to part-take in activities that would have normally been unattainable due to our location and time. OMGTech was an event held a Kamo Intermediate School where we had a group of volunteers (students) assist with the day and Find Your Billion by SinglarityU NZ an Auckland event that we traveled to during the school holidays with 10 senior students.

New initiatives and ideas within our curriculum area are shared with staff through Pinterest, things such as cool project ideas, new technologies, equipment and materials are all shared on a daily basis. Group and shared boards have been established and we can also use Pinterest as a means to share ideas and communicate with our students any time anywhere.

I have also recently introduced a WGHS Staff Collaboration closed group on Facebook, this was intended to be a platform for sharing useful links, news ideas and resources. I have tried to post and share something every day, usually things I have seen on Twitter, as I know that very few of our staff are Twitter users. I also intend to share student work so that staff across the school can see what our students are creating, participating in and producing around the school. A culture of collaboration will not only benefit me and my staff, but it will be beneficial to all staff and our learners. Michael Fullan says “that the research has been clear and consistent for 30 years – collaborative cultures result in better learning for students”.

Although I have found this course somewhat frustrating as I do not believe the course title is a true reflection of the actual content and what I initially thought I was signing up for. I do however, believe I have been exposed to new pedagogies to enhance my teaching and learning in the future. As a creative person, I have struggled with the academic nature of this course, I am not a confident writer and would not have continued with this course without the support of my amazing colleagues Martin White and Ashleigh Rule.

References

Fullan, M. (unpublished May 2011). Learning is the Work. Retrieved from: http://www.michaelfullan.ca/media/13435850710.html

 

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge.

New Zelaland Education Council. (2016). Practising Teacher Criteria. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/practising-teacher-criteria