The Same, But Different. An Old Dog Learning New Tricks.

Sometimes to lead, you need to know how to follow.

I've had the privilege of working in seven schools. All of those schools have delivered quality, child centered learning programmes where students have made significant progress. All teachers and teacher aides have worked hard for the kids in front of them, made sacrifices, spent their own money and worked over and above what is expected.

One thing that strikes me is that despite teaching the same curriculum, every school has delivered it in a different way, using different tools, programmes and strategies. As teachers, we get on the treadmill and go full speed for the rest of the year. Our comfort is that we are ingrained in the systems and programmes utilised at our school. Over time, this becomes a professional habit. "I know what I know. I know it works, so lets go."

The trick comes when you start at a new school, or someone new brings new ideas to yours. The default system is to revert to what you know and knowingly, or subconsciously resist change because 'I've got a lot of other things to do.'

This is something I've experienced recently. I had been appointed as team leader and charged with implementing change in digital teaching approaches, Having come from a school which is highly structured and where the teaching programmes in each class are very similar due to PD and school expectations, I was enthusiastic and passionate about how I could contribute to an already successful learning environment.

I drove through what I had been asked to do. I only knew what I knew so went with that. The team I work with were equally as enthusiastic and willing to learn and try something new. I encouraged them to experiment, and ask questions if they needed help. Some did. Others modified the tools to suit their learning programmes or approach to teaching.
The key point I kept raising was to ask questions if you're not sure. There was one problem with that approach.

I wasn't doing the same thing.

Having jumped on the treadmill and cranked it up to full speed to try to be a 'good leader', I hadn't taken the time to ask about how the programmes utilised at the new school should be implemented effectively. A couple of things I'd never seen before so I taught them in my classroom they way I assumed they should be done. I hadn't asked and I hadn't taken the time to stop and reflect on whether I was delivering them in the best way.

In hindsight, I overloaded myself with my perceived expectations of what changes I thought I should be making, how I should be 'growing my team members' and ticking boxes. What I should have done after implementing change #1 was stop and really soak in how things run in the school. 
The positive aspect of reflecting on that, is that I can simply make the change now. I'm not above starting from scratch and having to ask basic questions to understand something I haven't done before. After 22 years in the classroom, I've learned a lot about teaching. I've learned even more about learning. Everybody starts at the beginning.

I'm lucky. I'm surrounded by  high quality, creative teaching professionals who I can learn as much from as they can learn from me. So, I'll be observing and asking the emergent level questions.

If I'm not prepared to be bad at something new, I'll never be good at it.

Bring it on.

Avoiding Digital Groundhog Day

The majority of students in our class are able to complete their follow up learning tasks independently. Some of them are capable of deep critical thinking and are utilising these skills in their discussion of what they are learning. Others have become comfortable in their understanding of learning expectations. As an example, in writing, some students are meeting their specific learning goals while slipping or stagnating in areas they were strong in.
Students may be becoming blase in their work standards because they feel they may be repetitious and boring. They perceive the tasks to be easy, despite not completing them fully and meeting success criteria.

It could be time for me to spark things up. Include Blooms Taxonomy to extend critical thinking for those comfortable with DeBono's Thinking Hats. Perhaps I could include more offline follow up tasks. Things that include drawing, writing, recording or performing their responses to learning.  I have probably fallen into the trap of placing 'Learn, Create, Share' into the total digital category, thus making digital activities the 'be all and end all' of follow up learning. It is important for me to step back, reflect upon the interests and abilities of the students under my care, and investigate a variety of media based learning tasks to stimulate learning. 

Moving Towards Digital Thinking.

• How often are you including opportunities for students to create to learn?
• Where and how could you include increased opportunities to create to learn?
• Focusing your inquiry - identify possible teaching and learning opportunities aimed at achieving the outcomes you have prioritised for your inquiry.

Reflecting on recent Manaiakalani Professional Development, I was challenged to look at my own learning needs in relation to meeting my students learning needs. It sounds fantastic to use technichal jargon and have grandiose expectations for my students, but if I don't have the knowledge to, not necessarily 'teach' the technological aspects of their next steps in creating to learn, but at least have the knowledge about the tools work, then I am simply 'swinging and hoping' to progress my students along the path of becoming self managing, 21st century learners.

By analysing the learning activities I provide for my students, I realised their learning reflected my own stage of development, pictured below.

I would currently place myself as straddling between the Augmentation and Modification stages of this chart.

Following professional discussion with colleagues, I am of the opinion that learning activities occupy not just one stage on the ladder, but a range of stages. This is encouraging the students to think, react, analyse and create within the scope of the learning activities provided. It provides a safety net for students who are developing confidence by providing a base they are familiar with and progressing from that point.

This reading follow up activity is an example.

The discussion was liberating for me. I accepted that many of my students are able to grasp the nuances of digital learning tools faster than me. I understand that a large part of my role is to find the tools, understand the basics of how they work and how we can apply them to create-to-learn, introduce them to the students, then extend our learning in a collaborative learning environment. As this video about my teacher goal explains.

This has been the most beneficial Manaiakalani Professional Development session for me. The opportunity to discuss, experiment and create was creatly appreciated and will have positive impact on my classroom teaching!