Activity 4​: ​Your professional community

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

My Community of practice 

1. I work in a small Catholic School in Central Auckland. The Special Character sees a community which is actively involved in the growth of its community on a spiritual, academic and family level.

2. I am the Leader of Digital Learning in my school - which sees me regularly involved in PD ie: Facilitating digital learning in my school, attending PD sessions such as GEG - Google Educators Group, Ako Hiko toolkits, GAFE Summit, U Learn and other face to face networking opportunities for myself and my school.

3. I am part of the Google + online community - specifically The Mindlab, Ako Hiko, Manaiakalani and several other similar communities.

What are the current issues in my community? 

How would you or your community of practice address them?

One of the issues I have faced since starting in my new position at the start of 2016 is the range of ability in teaching of all things digital. With some staff able to use blended learning in their classes to enrich the learning where as others need help plugging in a data projector and need instruction at the most basic level.

Our community is addressing this issue by employing me as a lead teacher and someone who can assist in ALL things digital in addition to encouraging staff to participate in external professional development to improve their own ICT skillset.

What is your specialist area of practice?

How does your specialist area of practice relate to the broader professional practice?

My specialist area of practice is now Digital Teaching and Learning in addition to being a specialist Boys only teacher for 3 years. I now have a Year 7 & 8 Girls only class so will be a specialist in this also.

Being the lead teacher for digital and collaborative learning at my school enables me to share my own skillset and help my colleagues who lack confidence in this rapidly changing teaching and learning tool. This means that the learners are getting quality 21st century teaching and learning. Learning that relates to this century and prepares students for their futures. In a broader professional sense I see the teaching of a growth mindset as crucial for effective teaching and learning and have already started this PD for staff and am introducing students to the concept of a growth mindset initially using class dojo videos. Using digital tools to give teachers the confidence to teach using ICT tools and encouraging them to continue their pd is paramount to best practice in digital and collaborative teaching.

What changes are occurring in the context of your profession?

How do you think you or your community should address them?

The Minister of Education has announced changes to professional learning and development (PLD) for the teaching profession. These changes will take place over the next 3 years.

The changes will:

• frame investment in PLD within a focused number of national priorities
• grow leadership capability across the system
• mobilise quality assured internal and external expertise
• strengthen profession-led support for curriculum, teaching and learning

The key changes include:

• From 2017, professional development will largely focus on a small number of national priorities in the area of mathematics/pāngarau, science/pūtaiao, te reo matatini (pānui, tuhituhi, kōrero), /reading and writing and digital fluency. The first national priorities will be in place for the next 3-5 years.
• Access to professional development funding will be prioritised to Communities of Learning and schools/kura with a high number of students achieving below expected levels.
• In addition, some regions will be prioritised for professional development funding. The first regions are Northland and the Gisborne/East Coast district, which continue to have a persistent history of educational underachievement and poor employment outcomes for its young people.
• Prioritising support will strengthen those communities and over time build their internal capability in areas of curriculum, teaching and learning.
• We will build effective local, regional, and national networks of curriculum and subject specific expertise, such as subject associations and gifted networks.
• As collaborative practice and profession-led learning become key features of our system internal and external expertise will be mobilised more strategically to appropriately complement one another.
• We’re considering whether the responsibility for PLD should be transitioned to the newly formed Education Council, as the new professional leadership body for the teaching profession. This decision will be made by June 2017.
• Additionally, in response to concerns about progress and achievement in the curriculum hauora/health and physical education learning area, there will be a hauora/health and physical education (H&PE) pilot in 2016. Following this we will consider the framing of hauora/H&PE as a national PLD priority starting in 2017.
• Accountability for investment will be strengthened. Robust, independent evaluation of PLD’s impact on student achievement will be designed and implemented.
• Accredited PLD experts will build professional and evaluative capabilities within and across Communities of Learning and will support them to gather, analyse and use their data and evidence to identify what matters most to generate greater equity and excellence for their students.

The changes will be phased in over the next three year and by 2018, the key features should be in place.

Ref: Education.govt.nz

Professional Learning and Development is the provision of support for leaders and teachers to improve student achievement outcomes, particularly for priority learner groups, across a number of identified areas.

Expected outcomes

PLD is a major lever for raising and accelerating student achievement. To be effective, it must be well targeted, reach the areas of greatest need and recognise that strength in identity, language, and culture, together with strong literacy and numeracy skills, are the foundation for continuing learning and achievement for all students in the wider school curriculum. The Ministry of Education has identified five outcomes that underpin all PLD provision:

The New Zealand Curriculum

The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) is the key policy document for all English-medium schools. The vision, principles, values, and key competencies, along with the learning areas, are what informs and guides the school curriculum. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, schools, principals and teachers will be able to deliver an inclusive and empowering curriculum that, through attending to each of its core elements, achieves successful outcomes for all its students, particularly priority learner groups. 

Priority learners

The New Zealand schooling system, in both English and Māori medium settings, delivers an excellent education system for most students. However, some learner groups are over-represented in our achievement tail. Māori students, Pasifika students, students with special education needs, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds and children in care need to be better supported to reach their potential. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, school goals and targets will identify achievement targets that will contribute to achieving national goals and targets. Principals and teachers will recognise the importance of a learner’s identity, language, and culture in access, engagement, and success in schooling. School and classroom curriculum design will be responsive to diverse learner strengths and needs and demonstrate shifts in achievement and outcomes for priority learners. 

Quality teaching

Quality teaching is identified as a key influence on high quality outcomes for diverse students. The evidence reveals that up to 59% of variance in student performance is attributable to differences between teachers and classes, while almost 21%, but generally less, is attributable to school-level variables. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, school principals and teachers will use evidence of ‘what works’ to inform their improvement actions. They will recognise the importance of teaching as inquiry and the use of data to subsequently inform and guide teaching practice to achieve desired learning outcomes for all learners. 

Leadership

The School Leadership and Student Outcomes Best Evidence Synthesis (2009) highlights the importance of pedagogical leadership, well-informed goal setting and evaluative capability. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, schools principals and teachers will recognise and demonstrate the role of effective leadership in identifying, facilitating, monitoring, and evaluating key levers for sustained pedagogical and system shifts that result in improved student outcomes.

Learning with digital technologies

The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) is about preparing confident, capable, lifelong learners for living and working in the 21st century. The system must support learners to effectively use and develop knowledge, skills, and understandings using a range of digital technologies. This includes digital citizenship and self-regulated learning. As a result of participating in all PLD provision, school principals and teachers will understand the importance of digital opportunities across the curriculum for all learners, and that teaching and learning design needs to optimise the outcomes afforded by modern learning environments and approaches.

Target for support (strengths and needs)

This support is for school leaders and teachers who are involved in whole school e-learning capability review and development in all of the following:

·        English medium primary

·        English medium secondary

·        Kura kaupapa Māori

·        Kura ā-iwi

·        Māori medium settings

·        Specific year groups or other groups in the above.

Expected outcomes

The expected outcomes of the PLD are:

·        improved student outcomes through the appropriate use of digital technologies to support learning and digital citizenship

·        parents, family, whānau engaging with students' learning

·        school leaders leading the integration of digital learning capability

·        teachers using digital technologies appropriately in their practice to develop effective learning environments for all students

·        professional learning networks connecting and supporting school leaders, teachers, and PLD suppliers to integrate and share digital learning capability opportunities, leading to the achievement of the outcomes of The New Zealand Curriculum /Te Mārautanga o Aotearoa.

Delivery design (who, how long, interactions)

Programme length depends on an individual school's strengths and needs analysis, but normally requires a minimum commitment of one year.

The needs of the kura/school are determined from a review of e-learning capability using the e-Learning Planning Framework or Te Rangitukutuku (Māori medium e-learning planning framework); and analysis of student outcome data, teacher/leader practices, and school charter goals.

A blended approach to PLD is adopted to enable connected and networked ways of working. This approach builds long-term, sustainable professional learning communities that are supported by environments, tools, and resources accessed through the Enabling e-Learning portal. The programme incorporates coaching, mentoring, and support for potential leaders of e-learning.

How will the support contribute to classroom practice (tier1) and school capability?

This support seeks to meet a wide range of diverse needs. Schools/kura will have individual e-learning PLD programmes that are informed by the learning and engagement needs of students. Programmes may focus on:

·        teaching and learning (pedagogy)

·        leadership and management

·        community partnerships

·        ways that new technologies can best support learning and achievement opportunities.

Participants will learn to address student needs through the use of digital technologies and e-learning environments such as digital tools, resources, collaborative environments, and communities. Participants will acknowledge themselves as learners, taking responsibility for their own professional learning and use of technologies through the use of appropriate frameworks, teacher inquiry, and professional networks.

How will the support contribute to building educationally powerful relationships with parents, whānau/family, hapu, iwi, and community?

Learning with digital technologies PLD:

·        supports schools to review processes for routine engagement with whānau/iwi and the wider community about the impact of technologies on learning, cybersafety, and digital citizenship

·        supports schools to review the way technologies are made available for the school community, focusing on their effectiveness and impact on learning

·        supports schools to use digital technologies in a reciprocal and sustainable way to engage with whānau/iwi and the wider community.

Methods of delivery and time commitment

A flexible and tailored PLD programme is co-constructed with the school following a strengths and needs analysis. The programme:

·        will focus on a blended approach to PLD consisting of an appropriate combination of face-to-face, online, synchronous, and asynchronous engagement

·        is inclusive of learning communities

·        will create and foster opportunities for collaboration within and between schools

·        promotes the use of technologies to make connections (locally, nationally, internationally).

How is support monitored and measured in terms of outcomes?

Change in depth and intensity of provision is dependent on progress, and progress is reviewed regularly and linked to student engagement, wellbeing, understanding of learning, and achievement.

What needs to be sustained?

Sustained teaching as inquiry within an ongoing school-wide e-learning capability self-review is required to achieve improvements in teacher knowledge, skills, and capability in the use of digital technologies and pedagogy to improve student learning.

Ref: TKI Professional Learning and Development &  Digital Technologies