Mindlab by Unitec: My Postgraduate Learning Journey

07 March 2016 (APC Week 32 - Task 10)

Putting It All Together

It's important for all of us as professional educators to both understand and evaluate our own practise. Osterman & Kottkamp (1993) offer us a useful model that links in well with the practical aspects of developing a pedgogical approach.

Figure 1: Osterman & Kottcamp (1993) - Source Article

My experiences over the course of the past 32 weeks for my Mindlab studies has certainly provided me with a greater understanding of what Teaching As Inquiry looks and feels like 'in action'. I for one now firmly believe that the professional awareness that this approach generates within us can have a positive lasting impact on how I approach my own leading and learning roles in future.

Being able to reflect on my own practise whilst  experiencing new professional experiences has been both eye opening and horizon broadening. Meeting and collaborating with educators from around the country (and even overseas) as part of my studies has been a revelation that has extended my own view of the profession well beyond geographical boundaries and current points of view. 

In a New Zealand educational context, the Ministry of Education has set criteria for practising teacher in e-learning. For the reflective purposes of this blog entry, here's some evidence  from my studies to support a few of the criteria I have met well over the past 32 weeks...

When reviewing how I have used this "Professional knowledge in practice", Criteria 7 leaps to my attention: how I "Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment". Plenty of evidence of this is freely available on our class blog and learning hub website that I have collaborated on with my colleagues. Many of the posts on this blog also demonstrate how I have been sharing what I have learned with my wider community of practise, too.

Looking at the criteria around "Professional relationships and professional values", two immediately spring to my attention as having been well met over the course of my studies, and within my teaching practise for many years now.

"Criteria 3: Demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa / New Zealand." Apart from this being a strong underpinning element in several of my internally submitted essays for my recent studies, my recent blog entry on cultural inclusiveness effectively summarises my own understanding and drive to include this as part of my pedagogical and ethical approach to my leading and learning.

As a useful segue, "Criteria 4: Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice" also leads me to the final part of this blog entry...

Where to Next?

I've long questioned the established ways of doing things, and my being open to new ways of leading and learning have been a definite asset for this course of study. It seems to me as if the opportunities are only as limited by our own individual and collective vision(s) when it comes how we might move forward from here...

My 'Big Question' for RCIP two months ago - the question now, for me is, do I limit my understanding of a Community of Learning to a geographically bounded area, as a simplistic case study that can be replicated elsewhere - or begin to consider myself a part of a global community of learning...

The academic research and case studies I've viewed fill me with a quiet optomism as to where it all may lead; and the cautionary tales and as yet under-researched areas should likely encourage each of us to look beyond traditional methodologies. There's definitely an opportunity there for me to consider studying at Masters level in future, or to at the very least encourage others to pursue this avenue.

I myself am left with a keen interest in exploring newer, more inclusive pedagogical approaches that will likely make the most of our increasingly global contexts. It's not just about hoping that innovation occurs in a timely manner and going with the proverbial flow anymore:

I firmly and passionately believe that it's vitally important for all of us as whanau  and educators alike to consider how we can  actively partcipate in changing the paradigms that we lead and learn within, as we begin to deliberately coach and mentor our students and colleagues in this new age of digital and collaborative learning...! 
 

References Cited

Osborne, M. J. (2016, 1st February). My RCIP Reflective Portfolio. [Blog Entry] Retrieved from http://postgradteacher.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/mindlab-by-unitec-my-rcip-project-plan.html on 28th March 2016. 
Osborne, M.J. (2016, 29th February). Cultural Responsiveness within a NZ Context. [Blog Entry] Retrieved from http://postgradteacher.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/mindlab-by-unitec-evaluating-my-own.html on 28th March 2016
Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993) Reflective Practice for Educators. California. Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf on 28th March 2016.

Ministry of Education (NZ). Practising Teacher Criteria and e-learning. Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Practising-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning on 28th March 2016