Learning, Teaching & Technology

In this session Derek Wenmoth describes the work that he and others are doing at an ICT Professional Development research hub in New Zealand called c.o.r.e.. He and his colleagues are asking some of the questions we often ask in our district including, “How do we use technology in all its forms to impact on teaching and learning? ” and, “How can we insure that what we are doing with technology has educational value & what is educational value? Is it making a difference?” Wenmoth says that in order to answer these questions we need systematic ways to build self-reflection and mentoring so that we will have critical thought and data as we review these questions. Toward that goal c.o.r.e has developed an Educational Positioning System. In the broader context of a professional development series this tool allows teachers to create features on the landscape of a map that represent different areas including: teaching disposition, ICT practices, infrastructural impediments that sometimes limit what they can do, curriculum coverage, and then the learning outcomes. Each teacher then has a visual for reference and discussion about what professional development s/he might pursue. This is in a context of technology stages that go from ADDITION to INCORPORATION to INTEGRATION to ASSIMILATION. Moving through these stages requires classroom and attitudinal changes well-described in the session. The terminology that Wenmoth offers in this session and the availability of the EPS for teachers gives me an expansion of my own Professional Learning Network as a teacher educator who offers courses, conferences and topics for faculty meetings.

One more set of learning tools Wenmoth offers us is a series of questions that could be used for conversations and/or as a basis for self-reflection and critical thinking with teachers (Note: Wenmoth used the pronoun “you” and I changed it to “I” to be more personal for the responder):

1. What are the mirrors that I hold to my professional practice?
2. Who are the mentors I relate to on a regular basis?
3. What professional reading do I do?
4. What communities of practice to I belong to…online or face-to-face?
5. Do I have a blog where I record my ideas, thoughts & reflections?
6. What RSS feeds do I subscribe to to keep abreast of current thinking?
7. When did I last observe someone else’s classroom to observe and give feedback?
8. When did I last present in a workshop, to a staff meeting, or a conference?

Think about this list and act on the one most appropriate…”

The one that I would like to focus on is the first one, possibly combined with a couple of others. In order to examine the mirrors that I hold to my practice I would like to write more in my blog as a regular self-reflection. I would like to use more frequent survey tools so I am asking students and teachers what is working and what could be upgraded about my teaching practices. I would like to have my online community be more interactive as I read much more than I comment or contribute. Paying attention to this one item on Derek’s list could effect significant change in my practice.