Activity 1: My Community of Practice

Activity 1: My Community of Practice

• What is my practice? and what is my professional context?

My name is Eliot Hall. I teach a Year 5 and 6 all boys class at Maungawhau Primary School.  It has been an interesting challenge to start the year having all boys in the classroom. After completing my literature review and teaching as Inquiry Plan it was intriguing to see the impact of my practice on the boys engagement (for example completing BP Challenges where the students had to create a cannon using materials but without a design, having to problem solve and work together in a team). This showed me how I needed to change aspects of my practice to make it more interesting . I also attended a "Boys in School" course which helped me to refine my practice to include a "Black & White" approach as boys respond to this better, knowing what the rules are and what the consequences are. I am passionate about using technology in the classroom and finding ways to engage the boys in my classroom through the integration of ICT. I currently hold a management unit in e-Learning which also helps to inform my practice. 

• Who are my community of practice? 

I belong to a few communities of practice when it comes to technology and boys engagement. The Matuaranga (Senior School Year 5 - 6) Team, e-learning team and a professional learning community based around writing with colleagues across the school. These are my current communities of practice. As a part of the e-Learning community of practice, 2 other colleagues and I, share engaging and interesting new ways of using technology in the classroom. Our community of practice also shares this with the wider school community by running optional professional learning and Techy Breakies (where people share their integration of technology). All 3 of us have had the opportunity to attend a multitude of workshops/professional learning course where we have been able to gather resources and share them with our community. I am also a part of a professional learning community which has a focus on how to develop reflective learners through co-constructing success criteria and developing the quality of student conferencing (Peer and self assessment). The Matauranga Team is made up of 8 classroom teachers who are open to sharing new ideas and successful learning experiences that they have had with boys. 

What is the purpose and function of your practice? In what ways do you contribute to the community of your practice?

The purpose and function of my practice at the moment is to find engaging and motivation learning experiences to develop new knowledge in my boys in literacy. 64.8% of the boys in our school are reaching national standards in writing. But what is happening to the other 35.2%? Through establishing the professional learning community around peer and self assessment I am able to discuss with other like minded colleagues about the best techniques to engage boys and identify some successful learning experiences. I contribute to the professional learning community by bringing a range of fast, quick writing warm-ups which engage and take the pressure out writing formally. These quick warm ups allow students to have a bit of fun while writing. 

• What are the core values that underpin your profession? Evaluate your practice with regard to these values

Ministry of Education (2007, pg 10.) states in their values that "students will be encouraged to value 

• innovation, inquiry, and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively;"

This is one value that I strongly believe underpins the teaching profession. In my practice I provide opportunities for students to develop and understand their inquiry skills. By giving the students the opportunity to develop their own understandings of a selected topic it empowers them to learn. They want to learn about the things they are interested in. If I am able to create a learning environment which fosters innovation, inquiry and curiosity by challenging my students to think out side the box then I am preparing them to be a 21st Century Learner. Deci & Flaste (1996, pg 47.) discusses learning experiences where "... time seems to collapse and disappear, when intensity in the process takes over and the thrill is so great that one hates seeing it end and can’t wait to get back to it”. This is the sort of learning experiences that I want to create in my classroom, where students don't realise they are learning and are totally engaged.

Reference:

Deci, E., & Flaste, R. (1996). Why we do what we do. New York: Penguin Books

Ministry of Education (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Learning Media: Wellington