My Community of Practise- Activity 1

Communities of Practise

Wenger (2000) defines a "Community of Practice" as a place where people share and reflect on their collective learning. From participating in these Communities of Practise they define with each other what is competence. 

Jurasaite-Harbison and Rex (2010) highlighted that Communities of Practise occurs through informal learning via daily conversations, lesson reflections and other exchanges. Every day i have personal conversations with my collaborative teachers trying to make sense of the day before and how to make the most of the day ahead. I hover around the photocopier looking for resources I can adapt but I also speak to colleagues across teaching teams. I am looking for learning opportunities that may make a difference for the children in my class. I am not looking for a solution to a problem but rather another approach to what I am currently trying. Outside the school I am using the internet to follow blogs or I am using Google+ to connect with fellow teachers or people of interest. I now realise I have many communities of practise and they sometimes overlap. 

The Three Domains

The three domains that define a Community of practice (COP), on the Wenger-Trayner website are Domain, Community and Practice.  

Domain 

 I am interested in the use of Digital technology in Education, Mindfulness and Education resources which promote learning opportunities for varied learners. 

Community 

The staffroom is our community watering hole fellow teachers stand around the photocopier sharing resources, asking for advice or expertise. Fortunately we do not work in a vacuum we are constantly looking for help from experts in our local community or further afield. The Mind Lab course has helped widen my ICT expertise with the use of Digital and Collaborative Learning. I am able to share my experiences with colleagues which helps me reflect on my current practise.

Practice  

In my Community of Practise, I am constantly reflecting on what is happening in my classroom and the interactions throughout the day. From discussing what has happened through the day with first my Co-teachers and then if required my team leader or others I can get a different perspective. 

Having interactions with the MindLab Google+ community allows me to discuss themes and clarify any questions or understanding with educators from wider communities that may have different experiences with their community of learners. 

In my school setting;

I am an ICT leader and I am part of an ICT team. Within this community I work with a colleague to gently offer ideas for using ICT more effectively. 

After watching Etienne Wenger 'Walking the landscape of practise' I  associated my Community of Practise as an analogy of me as a Meerkat. This year I have been bombarded with Professional Development in which I have had to participate in Communities of Mindfulness, Growth Mindset, and Character Traits. I really felt like a Meerkat at the top of a hill watching out for threats. As an educator I feel guarded against the potential fads of Education. As I slowly find out more about each Community of Practice I slowly lower my guard. I am not completely sold on all of them but I am willing to participate and reflect on the learning experiences that my learners and I are having. 

References

Jurasaite-Harbison, E., & Rex, L. (2010). School Cultures as Contexts for Informal Teacher Learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(2), 267-277.

OPENiPhotojournalism. (2009, Sep 15). Etienne Wenger talks about 'walking the landscape of practice'.[video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=qjw0YoqpEq8&feature=youtu.be&list=PLb5Ty6fTaPkWE

Wenger, E.(2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems.Organization,7(2), 225-246

Take a leaf from Steven Adams

You have to admire Steven Adams when a NBA star with a day job worth millions takes time out in his off season to work with NZ kids and then helps coax a child back inside at a basketball camp. What a legend!

Anxiety is such a cruel thing, I see it in my students and my own daughter. He could have just ignored it and thought maybe next time but he slowly got the boy back into the camp.

Stuff link for Steven Adams and the Kid


On Monday I am going to share the whole news story with my class but there were two really key messages in the article

Asked for words of encouragement he would have for youngsters wanting to make it to the NBA, 

Adams replied:

"It's mainly just have fun with it, especially at this age. You don't want them to grow up too fast. As long as they enjoy the game they'll progress as they need to.

And one of his past mentors Kenny McFadden, one of the coaches at the camp, 

"He taught me that, so I tell the kids the exact same thing: eat your vegetables, do your homework, clean your room, and keep your nose clean."

And sometimes, when it's needed, he adds "don't be afraid to take part" 

Reference: Stuff article MARC HINTON August 26 2016

I love it when children are willing to give it 100% even though deep down they are feeling otherwise. We were skiing today and my daughter was nervous. It was her first time and in the second lesson another guide took over and said I think i can make a difference can I have her in my group. All afternoon my daughter kept trying. Her instructor was so patient and that was the key. She put bands around her skis then took them off after two goes. It would be easier to give up but my daughter persevered and each time she skis it should get easier.

The second news article I am going to share is 

NBA star Steven Adams on watching sister Valerie in Rio: 'It got emotional' 

MARC HINTON August 24 2016

Some of the children in my class may not have realised that Valerie Adams and Steven Adams are siblings. The great message in this article talks about all the hard work Valerie put in before the games. 

Steven Adams;

"I thought I worked hard, and a lot of people say I do as well. But just seeing her work is a whole other  level. It's just unbelievable. She's the most disciplined person in the world and just the hardest worker.

Valerie Adams, had to overcame five surgeries over the Olympic cycle just to compete in Rio that is amazing. 

What amazing inspirational athletes.

Want to see Steven Adams in action then check out this bullet pass here;

Mindfulness activities to reduce anxiety

After lunch each day this week we have been using mindfulness activities 

Yesterdays activity was;

Human Camera: A Mindfulness Activity to Engage the Senses

Have the children get into pairs. One child is the camera; the other is the photographer. 

The photographer walks behind her "camera," with hands on her camera's shoulders. She carefully guides her partner, who keeps his eyes closed. She will have the chance to make three photos. 

She can guide her camera to just the right spot, either lifting his head up or down, to get the right angle. When she's ready to take the picture, she gently squeezes her partner's shoulders. 

He can open his eyes momentarily, and his partner can "take the picture." Then he must close them again right away. 

After the third snapshot, have the partners switch.

From Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children (2011) by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community. Reprinted with permission of Parallax Press, Berkeley, California.www.parallax.org

Our literature Review at the Mind Lab looked at;
'How can developing a growth mindset and engaging in mindfulness techniques reduce maths anxiety in upper primary school students'.

My MindLab Colleague and I will soon create our own Applied Practise Inquiry Projects which will relate to this. But at the moment we are reflecting on the how to best incorporate Growth Mindset, Mindfulness and Character Education into our classrooms. I am really interested to see if the interventions will help with reducing maths anxiety.

At the moment in my collaborative classroom we are using mindfulness activities to refocus the students after lunch. We have a silent reading slot after morning tea which really settles the children. We are now noticing the change in the children after beginning our afternoon sessions.

Today we carried on with our Five senses Mindfulness Log created by Steph Rogers.

An alternative Five Senses Mindfulness Log found online.

Data collection and how to use it

Data for Self-Evaluation by Claire Easton got me thinking about how I collect data with my students electronically. Although her article is about surveys and collecting evidence it got me thinking about the assessment data I collate. 

I love to collect data in a folder on Google drive for the students in my class. I find it really useful for reports at the end of the year and for sharing with others.I take photos of their projects and it also means I never have to take their books home with me to refer to. 

Other teachers in my teaching team put all their data on one page I haven't quite made it to that yet. 

I think I like to do it my way because I have lots of detail and a comments column.  Also by doing it the same way each year I can compare the data across year groups using the same reporting process. 

When I survey the children I still get shocked faces when I ask them to be brutally honest about how they found a particular topic. Without their feedback I can't make changes to improve the topics they are learning. Also they have an opportunity to share ideas that I might not have considered. 

Pinterest has many flashy ideas for data collection but I tend to use my own modified docs (The link just shows data sheets for kids). Over the years I have refined my assessment docs to reflect what the learning intentions have been. I am moving away from doing assessments for the sake of it just because another class  at the same year level has done it.

From TKI;"No single source of assessment information can accurately summarise a student’s achievement or progress. A range of approaches is necessary in order to compile a comprehensive picture of the areas of progress, areas requiring attention, and what a student’s unique progress looks like".


Want to read more from TKI;

Gathering Evidence

and

Using evidence for learning

  

Submitting my Literature Review as a Video?

Sadly Stuff reported last week that the video cassette is officially dead. Just as I thought videos were on a come back I read the devastating news. I had recently bought a 180 minute tape to submit my literature review on.
The VCR is Officially Dead

What I had planned was to video my PDF on the RCA Video Recorder and transfer it to video.

I remember the first video I watched as a child was Gallipoli (1981) - IMDb. I remember being lost in the movie I was memorised by the action and having a movie to watch in the lounge rather than going to the cinema. It was on a player similar to this

It was played on a K9 TV which didn't have a remote.

My parents and siblings idea of a remote was the youngest in the family(me). I was required to get up and adjust the aerial, sound or channel. 

Over the years i have removed toys and food from inside VCRs as toddlers have been fascinated with putting things inside the flap. With the invention of DVD players my video player sat forlornly on top of the DVD player waiting patiently to be used.

On the top shelf in our library is roughly 11 video tapes. Some of the titles-The Dark Crystal, Star Wars, The Simpsons, Goonies, Labyrinth and Bob Marley Live.

Interestingly my wife bought this last week. It is a video to DVD converter. I think she has some cruel IT job for me to do. She actually wants me to transfer 60 year old footage of our historic house from a previous owner. I'm hoping the tape with Aunties 80th and Wedding doesn't have anything surprising on it.

Want to know more about VCRs

The Changes To Video Recorders And VCR Technology Over The Last 50 Years

The History of the VHS

VHS facts for kids

#litreview

Too much technology....

While studying this year at The Mind Lab I have been mindful of how often I am required to be using technology and connected to the internet.

My Research for Assignment 1 is around anxiety for children in mathematics and using growth mindset and mindfulness activities to reduce this.

Being online all the time or using technology like mobile phones can disconnect you from the immediate world. It is amazing how many people have their heads down looking at phones as the world goes by.

Although I enjoy the Mind Lab and being challenged by doing Post Graduate study I look forward to the end of year holidays where I plan to completely switch off from Google+, Twitter, Blogger, Gmail, and Messaging colleagues. Doing a Digital and Collaborative course online can bring problems of managing time, staying connected with your day job, time for family and most importantly time for yourself.

I had a quick look online at technology anxiety and I found these two articles relating to using technology.

A New Kind of Social Anxiety in the Classroom

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/the-socially-anxious-generation/384458/

and

'Technology increases anxiety; it also tackles it'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11554633/Technology-increases-anxiety-it-also-tackles-it.html

Online learning and technology definitely has its place-with moderation. A colleague said in her house we have a technology free Thursday The whole family switches off and plays board games. 

Pierce (2009) poses the question “Was it the use of technology that has created a heightened sense of anxiety about talking to someone face to face, or did it start with social anxiety that led to increased use of social media?” 

click here for the link to the research

My students are currently unable to use Gmail as they are under 13. There is talk that Google will soon allow the under13s access. I would love this to happen paired up with a system like Hapara where emails could be moderated if used in the school setting. Our school does not currently have a moderating system so unfortunately we can not use Gmail safely.
Kids Under 13 Could Soon Get Their Own Gmail, YouTube Accounts 

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236645

Interesting the Google Help Forum talks about underage users having accounts restricted due to being underage.

References

Pierce, T. (2009). Social anxiety and technology: Face-to-face communication versus technological communication among teens. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(6), 1367-1372.

Maths Anxiety-Literature Review

For our collaborative literature review Jenni and I are looking How can having a growth mindset alongside engaging in mindfulness techniques reduce maths anxiety in Year 7/8 female Students.

Mark H. Ashcraft defines math anxiety as "a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance" (2002, p. 1). 

We have narrowed down our literature review to Year 7 and 8 females and the intention is to identify what mindfulness activities help lowering anxiety which will benefit all learners. 

I have a year 4/5 class and the digital collaboration between maths learners is very limited. We have begun using Google Docs to collaborate and I hope to see more sharing of how the children problem solve in mathematics. I am a visual learner and I find it hard to process an explanation if it is only said to me. 

Each day in maths we do 20 facts on the board. During this time I ask the children to share their strategies for solving maths problems. As I am looking for 2 or more strategies to solve a problem it is a great opportunity for the children to discuss how they solved the question. At start of our 4 week block of learning I noticed the less able children wouldn't offer ideas but by the second week all children were giving it a go. I purposely get the children to give me the answers each day rather than me being the person at the front with all the knowledge. All of the children know they are expected to participate and I scaffold strategies for the less confident learners. When I/the children show the strategies on the board I/we share common mistakes and talk about different ways to work out an answer. 

Maths anxiety is apparent when we are about to do tests. I have changed the language I use with my leaners as the wording I was using created higher anxiety levels.

Although my intentions were to encourage the children to do well in their mid year aTTles i felt i actually made my learners more anxious. The first mistake was at news time I said today you are doing an important maths test. What i should have done was mentioned we were doing asTTle today just so they were prepared but then said the test is only a snapshot of what you can do at the moment. It is only one test and it will provide me with information on how you solve a set of particular maths questions. Do your best and remember we also use your maths profiles and snapshots to see how you are going in maths. 

Teacher statements I have heard in my time as an educator "You need to do your best as this affects your groupings for next year" and "hopefully you can do well like mid year samples. The worst comment I have heard from a teacher though was the mid year test was easy so your end of year marks wont necessarily be as high. This really stole the feeling of success that the child had in achieving a great asTTle score.

When we do maths testing I remind the children to try their best. They know that I am testing them on what we have been learning and I am looking for information to see what they know and what needs to be worked on later. 

This year I moved three girls that were working at a lower strategy level into my class. The three girls would be the only Y5 and 2x Y6s in with year 3s and 4s.It would be the second time they were in the same group and I could see that it would be perceived by them that they were not good at maths compared to their peers. By the end of the unit of work they had gone up two strategy levels and were now working at the same level of the children in the next level up.

 In my class i have different levels of work I always start with easier concepts and then make the work more challenging. I knew the girls would have a great chance to succeed because each of the lessons were carefully scaffolded. For my more able children i have harder examples of work to make sure interest levels are high and the children are motivated to keep working towards improving their maths levels. The success in my maths class came from children sharing how they problem solved the maths equations. When they talk aloud or write how they worked it out he children hear/see another way to solve a problem. It also clarifies any mistakes when the children are working out and it also identifies any missed steps.

Last term we had Mindful Yoga all of the children felt more relaxed after the session. Finding appropriate mindfulness apps/activities and digital resources that will relax students during mathematics and give them self efficacy will be our next step. 

Psychologist Albert Bandura has defined self-efficacy as one's belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. One's sense of self-efficacy can play a major role in how one approaches goals, tasks, and challenges.

#litreview

Reference

Ashcraft, M.H. (2002), "Math anxiety: Personal, educational, and cognitive consequences", Current Directions in Psychological Science 

Bandura, Albert (1977), Social Learning Theory, Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, p. 247,