Week 19: Contribution of Teacher Inquiry Topics to my Communities of Practice

(Based on Jay and Johnson’s Reflective Model, 2002)

With so many topics for inquiry are whirling through my mind… here are two relevant possibilities:

1.    To explore the online Digital Readiness Programme to empower educators to best facilitate the learning of 21^st Century skills among students

2.    To explore a range of digital learning tools to enhance student engagement and move deeper into the SAMR Model

The New Digital Technologies Curriculum is here!  It is omnipotent to focus on ways to prepare our students to be skilled innovators in this current Information Age.

My Community of Practice (CoP) is my staff at HJHS but more specifically my Technology Department Team. My CoP also includes my Mind Lab group who now interact predominantly online. Both CoPs share a mutual desire to improve our digital technology practice and leadership skills, my local Mind Lab have joined the course with the aim to pursue this as a goal. Coming together and collaborating in our shared interest is an example of Joint Enterprise (Domain).

In both my CoPs, we have formed bonds of trust by working through activities and challenges together and discussing our experiences along the way, this is an example of Mutual Engagement (Community) and we share knowledge and tools and critically reflect on our successes and failures in order to expand our learning and move forward. In both CoPs, we collaboratively create resources and provide a supportive and distributive network for each other, this is an example of Shared Repertoire (Practice).

To design learning for the 21^st century, the CoPs agree that educators must “…be active and engaged knowledge-builders, adopting and using the very skills they are seeking to instil in their students: collaboration, knowledge-building, self-regulation and assessment (or learning to learn) and use of technology for learning.” (ITL Research, 2018).

We also align with the notion that moving through the SAMR Model enriches student learning “… profound learning occurs when students create, share, interact and explain. AR not only changes the environment around children, it also allows kids to construct their own exciting learning worlds as small as the atom or as big as the cosmos.” (Nesloney, 2013).

Each of my inquiry topics resonate with my CoPs. Through our discussions, it has become clear that we ascertain that the world has evolved from what schooling in the Industrial Age was preparing our students for. The future of education and our own teacher practice has to evolve too, if it is to serve the needs of today’s learners and tomorrow’s society.

Our CoP’s Strengths:

We are all prepared to learn together over time. Each CoP nurtures the personal energies and relationships of its members. We are bound by shared location (or online meeting places), ideas, values, vision and goals. There is an environment of excitement, relevance and value that has attracted and engaged all members… we are all interested in pursuing such inquiries to grow our own practice and in turn, the minds of our learners.

Our CoP’s Weaknesses:

We are busy teachers with many commitments; do we have enough time to access and interact? My staff at HJHS has a packed calendar of school events and existing PD activities, which will affect available meeting times. Integrating the New Digital Technology Curriculum and exploring digital tools within learning with our students will be an evolving process that will require time to garner feedback and rich reflection. Will members participate equally? Participation will be on a variety of levels depending on member’s interest and strengths along the inquiry journey, each has an identity that will bring unique perspectives and challenges to the table.

Either inquiry topic or a hybrid of both will be in line with our CoPs goals. I feel a great start to building on our current understanding and skill levels, would be embarking on “Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko together to be ready to facilitate digital learning as “…to develop a Māui mindset, artful curiosity must be fostered.” Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko. (2018)