Week 27- Broader Professional Context

Week 27- Broader Professional Context 

In general, the context in which we teach has grown exponentially! The learning that goes on is no longer limited to the wall of our classroom thanks to the internet. The internet has allowed us to broaden where we get our information from, how fast we can access this information and who and where we share our understanding. We have social media which connects us to people around the globe, apps such as Skype with allow us to communicate face to face with people, and Google and other search engines which allow us constant and ultra fast connection to the answers we seek.

The Voice of the Active Learner - Education From a Digital Native's Perspective

Activity 3

Issue 1: Testing and National Standards 

According to the Education Review Office (2012), NZ needs to focus on these 3 areas; i) students-centered learning, ii) responsive and rich curriculum, and iii) assessment used for students’ learning. I find this really interesting, especially the focus on assessment. After watching Bryan Bruce's documentary on TV3, Inside NZ- World Class Education, it put a different spin on our education system by comparing it with that of other countries. Finland for example, doesn't assess until much later on in a students life, allowing young children time to play and learn through doing. They also have one of the most effective education systems in the world, therefore why are we not taking a leaf out of their book? Harris and Brown undertook a study on NZ teachers, looking at assessment and how teachers use assessment in their teaching. They discuss the need for "balancing the needs of the society, the school, and the pupil." I understand that society is important to any school and that the success of schools needs to be publicised in order to keep students coming in the years that follow, however I feel like sometimes the push for 'bums on seats' out weighs the push for students progress and achievement. If we focus on the students we currently have within out classes, then the progress and achievement will be better. Isn't that our priority? 

The Ministry of Education have brought in National Standards to put all students under one umbrella, to put a scale to their achievement and to make it 'easier' for teachers to know where their students are at. What effect does it have on the students? Telling students that they are still well below national standards even though they have made huge progress is heartbreaking! For a number of students in our schools, they will continue to 'fail' according to national standards for their entire schooling, tainting their experience and creating students who no longer want to try because they cannot see the point. However, making progress is never a failure, and therefore we should be focusing on and celebrating the progress that students are making, rather than reaching some point that has been created by a small group of adults.

Issue 2: Showing Evidence

The work load of teachers is massive and seems to be growing constantly. It feels like we are either preparing students for testing, testing, or reporting on students progress based on their testing. Yes we make OTJ's which take into consideration our observations and other formative evaluations, however since when do assessments help somebody to learn? The rest of the time it feels as though we are ensuring we have 'evidence' to prove that we are doing our job to the best of our ability. However, I find myself asking. . . "am I actually doing my job to the best of my ability when I am stressed and focused on getting the paper work done, making sure all the 'boxes are ticked'?" According to the Meriam Webster online dictionary, the definition of a teacher is "a person or thing that teaches something; especially a person whose job it is to teach students about certain subjects." The key word in this definition is 'teach'. How can we do the best job of teaching the students in our class if we have so many other administration obligations we need to complete? Coming up with rich, engaging and relevant activities for our students requires time, and if we lack the time then our kids are going to lack these experiences. How sad is that!

If I had the power to make a change, we would report once a year, around the end of term 2, allowing change to happen and ensures parents and caregivers have an idea of where how their child is doing, their next steps and how they can help to support their child's learning. We would test less and have focused learning discussions more, allowing us time to listen to the students and see how they can articulate their learning in a positive, low pressure manner. I feel this would give teachers a much better insight into our students and allow them to establish learning experiences that fit with their students, not necessarily their ability, but their learning style. 

References:

• Blackboard Inc. (2012, August 7). The Voice of the Active Learner - Education From a Digital Native's Perspective [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ5Vy9BgSeY 
• Bruce, B. (producer). (2016) World Class: Inside NZ Education: A Special Report [Television Documentary]. New Zealand
• Education Review Office. (2012). Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools. Retrieved 18 May 2016, from http://www.ero.govt.nz/About-Us/News-Media-Releases2/The-three-most-pressing-issues-for-N
• Harris, L.R. and G.T.L. Brown (2009) The complexity of teachers's conceptions of assessment: tensions between the needs of schools and students. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 16(3), pp 365-381
• Miriam-Webster Dictionary (1982) Definition of a Teacher. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teacher