Activity 10: Your Postgraduate Learning Journey and your plan for the future

"We've come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good. I have to celebrate you baby, I have to praise you like I should." Fat Boy Slim

It's been a challenging, rewarding, and at times overwhelming experience... but the last 32 weeks of study have changed me as a teacher. I feel empowered to make change, expect change, and to become change.

My Reflection on the 32 weeks...

I have been aware for some time that digital tools alone, without support of pedagogical development was not going to be the solution to making learning relevant and valuable for my students. Learning needs to be (Criteria 4, Criteria 5, Criteria 12):

• Relevant to the lives of students - content, context, and value
• Responsive to student's needs and culture
• Active learning, as opposed to lots of 'time on the mat' and passive learning

Taking the above points into consideration, I knew what I wanted my students to experience in their year with me. I have observed that my classroom has become a place where (Criteria 6, Criteria 7, Criteria 8, ):

• A LOT MORE questions are asked (Our class now has a reputation for being curious!)
• New methods of learning - to develop 21st century learning skills and values (Criteria 6)
• Agency is visible with the use of digital and collaborative technology and tools (Criteria 11)
• Active learning and autonomy of learning is become more evident (This has been the hardest behaviour to 'un-teach' through the year, Criteria 11)
• Collaboration and creativity are skills valued in our room

My Goals:

Trying new concepts, evaluating, and setting goals has become a big part of how learning takes place in my classroom. Throughout the year I have made gains, stumbled on dealing with organisational culture and parent perspectives.

My first goals in the deployment of digital and collaborative skills within my classroom is to Establish better community goals for learning of students in my classroom. What do parents deem important for their children's education and how closely are these concepts related to my practice and pedagogy? Do these two need to match up from the start of the year? Is there room for education of our community into what is important for learning in the 21st Century?

I plan to use digital and collaborative tools, as well as informal gatherings to create a classroom community where learning is going to benefit students (not just for high school) but for life. Using a group project (like a Jiwi Machine) and the design thinking process I would like to help make connections between school and home better.

Breaking away from the constraints and assumptions of 'organisational culture' is going to be a big goal. How can I expect different results when I keen on doing the same thing? Critical analysis of teaching methods and pedagogy is going to be crucial in continuing to develop the use of digital and collaborative tools in my classroom, and within our school.

As a leader of e-Learning (JUST LEARNING!) within our school, it will be my challenge to see if some of the constraints and mindsets within our school can be changed. Possibly through critical analysis of pedagogy and student voice within our school. Voice will be collected through survey - as planned in my RC assignments.

And so I would like to end this assignment, as I started the first, with an image that inspired me to let go and to move forward. Sometimes that is the only way.

Thank you all - especially my understanding family! :)