PRACTICE - Professional Online Social Networks

I am an avid user of social media in my personal life, being the social butterfly that I am, and it was only natural for me to also use it in my professional life. It helps that our Principal is also very connected and sees the importance and value of social networking as an educator. 

I was inspired after watching the video "Connected Educators" as it articulated exactly what our Principal has been trying to push over the last few years in particular with regards to participating online to further our professional knowledge and connections. 

As a Digital Team we have begun the journey with our staff toward becoming 21st century Educators so have shared some theory and practice ideas (baby steps). I am feeling, after doing the readings and watching the videos, that getting them connected online and participating more often could be a further step towards being a 21st century practitioner. In saying that, we already have some opportunities to connect digitally already.

As a staff we have taken part in a Webinar series for professional development and all have professional Portfolio's. We have a professional development Edmodo group where we post resources and videos and have discussions. Unfortunately this is not well used unless directed by the Principal. I'm not exactly sure why this is but my guess is the 'time' factor is the number one reason due to the already demanding workload of teachers. Also the lack of knowledge of how to use Edmodo could be a factor. Our school uses Twitter and Facebook pages to communitcate with the community and are currently trialing Seesaw to share students learning.

For my own practice I have used a variety of Social Media such as Edchat, VLN, Twitter, Google+ and Blogging to connect with other professionals nationally and internationally. I have foud I've used these more since starting Mind Lab firstly as a necessity for assignments, then more as I built connections with others. 

In my classroom we have a class Blog and my students all have blogs to share their work. We have a Twitter account for our pet budgie that the children can tweet on his behalf. They are learning to be succinct when writing. 

We have used Edmodo a lot since doing the NZReadAloud last year. The children enjoyed being able to safely and easily connect and collaborate with other stdents and teachers. From here we set up groups with an Ex teacher who was travelling and volunteering in Vietnam. Some of her students also used this portal to write to us. After the Wellington Earthquake we used Skype to talk to my nephew's class in Wellington, and from there set up a group to keep in contact and share learning. At present we are using it within our school te set up our own book chat group and also to connect with our sister school in Beach Haven NY.

The reasons I use social media in my practice for affirmation of my practice, for advice and mentorship when I have an issue that I'm having difficulty solving. I also use it to engage in learning through my studies but also as a life long learner for my own inquiries.

As 21st century learners, I believe that students need to be taught the skills necessary for them to be prepared for their futures. Like it or not, we live in an increasingly digital age and rather than turning a blind eye we must embrace it and harness the new learning opportunities it offers.

In my classroom the initial benefit of adding a social media component to the classroom programme is for my students to realise that their world does not have to be confined to our four walls or even our community. They have access to other students, teachers and experts anywhere in the world. Their connections and collaboration with these people and the motivation and engagement that it creates is another huge benefit. Teaching children to be aware of what they post on social media is a huge part of having these apps in use which is a benefit but can also be a challenge.

Ensuring that the students are using Social Media in a positive and appropriate way is an issue that has arisen. Hapara allows us to monitor Google apps but we have to physically monitor the children using Social media. We do this through checking the posts on the blogs and Edmodo and also vetting twitter posts before they go out. The majority of our students stick to the rules of engagement that we have set and those who don't are caught very quickly by teachers or other students.

Social Media, when used apporopriately, can be a most engaging and rewarding learning experience. The feedback possibilities and sharing of ideas creates exciting new learning communities. 

References

Joosten, T.( 2013. October 22). Pearson: Social Media for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/tjoosten/social-media-for-teaching-and-learning-27456257?ref=http://professorjoosten.blogspot.co.nz/2013/10/pearson-social-media-for-teaching-and.html

Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 05 May, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han...

Influence of Law and Ethics

An ethical dilemma that I have faced in my own practice, that is linked to digital or online access or activity was when we found that some of our children were misusing our email system and sending nasty messages to each other.

Our students are given Google Accounts at year 3. Parents sign a permission slip in accordance with Google requirements and as a part of school policy, to allow their children to have access to these accounts. Children sign user agreements that outline the expectations of how they will interact with others online and how they are expected to conduct themselves. We refer to our expectations often during each day in the classroom and have also provided cyber safety lessons and resources. There are no excuses for our children to be misbehaving online.

Unfortunately 2 of my children have chosen to do so. One of the children came to me and showed me some emails she had received from another. To be fair they weren’t horribly bad but still not an appropriate use of technology. Also bordering on possibly becoming cyber bullying.

My ethical dilemma was 2 fold. Do I tell the parents? Was it bad enough? Also do I cut access for those students.

In discussion with colleagues I decided to suspend their accounts and leave parents out at this point. When the children arrived and asked why they could no longer access their accounts I spoke to them about what they had done and why. I asked them to come up with alternative ways that they could have dealt with their issue. They concluded that just talking to each other either on their own or with a mediator would have been more effective and caused less drama. When I mentioned the fact that it was almost cyberbullying the students were mortified and sorry. I gave them access to their accounts again only to receive an email from one of the parents asking why their child’s account had been suspended as they were confused.

This brought up another dilemma for me. How is it that they were able to email each other nasty things? Was anyone else doing it too? How often had I actually checked their accounts. When might I have time to do so????

We use Hapara for exactly this reason, so that we can track what our students are doing online. The students know that we can see what they are doing so I have never had an issue before. My colleague and I did go through the rest of the classes docs and found a few children who were doing off task things but no more emails...Thanks Goodness!!!

A potential ethical dilemma in practice for me is around my social media use. I enjoy Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat as I use it to keep in touch with different groups of friends and family.

I am becoming more aware of things that I post as I have recently had friend requests from children and parents in my class. This is sometimes a concern as I need to vet what I post more carefully knowing that they are now looking at my page. If I have a night out or an event that I want to post pics of I now have to post more selectively. I’ve toyed with blocking specific people so that they can’t see but have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to block everyone. Being careful and is a more sensible and mature solution. For my own safety and for my professional safety as I am aware that employers can and will look at social media.

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS

Cultural responsiveness...what is it? Although we ‘talk about it’ a lot I’m not actually sure that all our staff knows. Gay (2001, p.106) described cultural responsiveness as “using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching”. This struck a chord with me as I think many teachers believe that being culturally responsive is having a few signs up around the place and saying some names correctly. Maybe throwing in a few words here and there? But it is far deeper than this.

Professor Russell Bishop explains 6 characteristics that a highly effective culturally responsive teacher would display.

1. Teachers must genuinely care for maori students as maori. Children are very sensitive to the ‘vibe’ that they get from teachers and will persevere and take more risks if they trust that you are looking out for their best interests and have a genuine interest and investment in them as individuals, their culture as well as their learning. Caring for students as culturally located individuals within a framework of positive student–teacher relationships is considered beneficial for all students, but particularly so for Maori (Bishop et al., 2003; Hall & Kidman, 2004)
2. Letting children now that you have high expectations of them is another important trait. Maori children are too often at the wrong end of the achievement gap and they tend to have very poor expectations and views of themselves as learners.
3. Teachers must be prepared for maori to be maori by creating learning context where they become the experts and bring their own knowledge to the classroom.
4. Teachers must manage the classroom so they can provide academic feedback, feedforward and negotiated co-construction of learning.
5. Use of a range of strategies effectively is also necessary in a culturally responsive classroom.
6. Evidence based teaching where students know where they are going in their learning (next steps) and what they need to do to get there (success criteria).

At my school I feel our school vision and mission are culturally responsive through the inclusion of Treaty principles in our school charter and policies. Also our 3 bold steps making Students, Community and Staff our focus when planning anything, align with culturally responsive practices.

We have a KMST (Kaupapa Maori Support Teacher) who has a unit and assists with all things Maori. She has had a basic discussion with staff about what cultural responsiveness is, each staff member has filled out a where do I think I’m at with my practice form and an evidence form based around the 5 indicators. From here our KMST has produced a personalised school cultural responsiveness indicator form. She has also provided staff with ample resources for inquiry topics and basic everyday Maori language. The KMST is responsible for our MLA (Maori Language Assistant) and liases with her about timetable and topics to be taught.

Our school values and the way that we assess if our staffs culturally responsiveness need to be worked on. I don’t feel our values are explicit enough and I would like to see them changed so that they are more easily understood by the children and are based around behaviours such as resilience and risk taking. Currently our KMST is using Tataiako for planning and assessment of school wide practices. She has been introducing it to the rest of staff this year so we are on this journey already.

Personally I feel that my own practice is very culturally responsive. In our ILE we make the most of my students strengths and encourage them to share their cultures as much as possible. Our biggest success has been the way that our students from other cultures will now adapt our Te Reo sessions and learnings into their own language. For example we have been learning our Pepeha and Mihi and students have come to school having translated and learnt these in French, Samoan, Bulgarian and Burmese. We were so proud of their initiative and pride that they showed in their culture that we had them say their mihi at assembly. Our children are also encouraged to teach the class about their culture and language and now will offer to do so.

We are currently trialing Seesaw as a way of making stronger home/school links and will encourage our children to use their own languages when they see fit. The children have access to a variety of technologies to assist with their work and presenting their learning in various forms. There is lots of choice and student agency involved.

Having time to reflect on what being culturally responsive means to me and discussing this with colleagues has lead me to realise that it is very difficult to 'teach' someone to 'be' culturally responsive. It is a part of who you are as a teacher. An inate way of being.

 Te Toi Tupu. (n.d.). Pasifika: Participation, Engagement, Achievement tool. Retrieved from http://www.tetoitupu.org/pasifika-participation-engagement-achievement-tool

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

PRACTICE- The Broader Professional Context

There are many trends impacting on our education system and they are linked in different ways to various extents. As professionals we must look not only at local and national trends but at global trends to be able to keep up with our ever changing world. With the digital age in full flight and new technologies enabling communication and collaboration with anyone, anywhere, anytime, we are no longer limited by our local environment. The world is our oyster. 

Because we are now able to connect and network so easily on a global scale, we must allow our children to develop the 21st century skills necessary to do this appropriately and effectively. According to the Education Minister Hekia Parata (2012);

We need an education system that equips all our young people with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful in a world that is increasingly complex, fluid and uncertain.

What is the best way that schools can foster an innovative environment where these 21st Century skills are able to be developed? This is the question that has been at the forefront of my teaching practice over the past few years partially due to my role as the Digital Leader at my school but mostly through my interest and studies around how to use technology and space effectively to enhance the classroom programme.

ILE is the current trend when it comes to space innovation and teacher collaboration. Redesigning the learning spaces so that they are more flexible, interactive and encouraging of active learning are important aspects of an ILE space. There is a school of thought that the ‘space’ is not an important factor in being able to effectively implement 21st century practices but the pedagogy of the teacher. I agree with this to a certain extent but from my own experience, having a purpose-built or thoughtfully decorated and arranged space does in fact enhance mood and the type of activity that is encouraged or expected in that space. It can set up the atmosphere and environment for the innovative practices to occur more smoothly and successfully.

Collaboration between teachers in an ILE is key to successful delivery of a 21st century style curriculum. The ‘style’ of teaching does not have to be the same but teacher’s pedagogy must align so that children are given many opportunities to use 21st century skills in a variety of situations and platforms. Much more can be achieved and potentially gained when engaged in meaningful collaboration.

It takes a village to raise a child. Many people collaborating contribute to the successful educational outcomes and experiences of each learner. New kinds of partnerships and relationships with the community should be developed as teachers encourage learners work with real challenges in a range of real world contexts. In fact the roles of learners and teachers change as they work together to apply knowledge from a range of curriculum areas to generate new solutions to complex problems. Rethinking the role of teachers from the front of the room expert to the  constructor of learning environments that help students gain 21st century skills through inquiry and exploration.

Current and emerging technologies play an important enabling role in creating new learning opportunities and ways of learning. These technologies increase learners’ motivation, engagement and achievement and foster innovative ways of working collaboratively. We live in a knowledge era. Individuals need to connect knowledge in new and different ways to solve future problems. Students as creators, should be encouraged to create content rather than be a  passive consumer of content. They should be empowered to become the experts. By fostering the 21st Century skills of Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity and Communication children can learn how their ideas impact the world around them.

We need teachers to engage students in bold new curricula that prepare them for critical thinking and persuasive argument, that prepares them for the proficiency to set and meet challenges most of which are very ill-structured. Hattie (2003)

References

Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning & teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Hattie, J. (2003). New Zealand education snapshot: With specific reference to the Yrs 1-13 years. Knowledge Wave Trust.

OECD (2016), Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en

Activity 2: Current issues in my professional context

Our school’s decile rating of 4 helps to identify the Socioeconomic status of our community. We have a mix of families from very low income, struggling families to families who are comfortable. Unfortunately many of our families struggle to assist their children at home. According to APA. (2016),

Families from low-SES communities are less likely to have the financial resources or time availability to provide children with academic support.

This rings true with our school. However our community is very close knit and will support each other where and as they can. We have families who have lived in our area since it was first created as a suburb. There is a strong sense of community and support.

As a school we support our families in many ways from learning needs to social and emotional. We provide food for breakfast and lunches through Kids Can and local people who donate food. We discuss issues and problem solve as a staff regularly so I don’t feel that my practice is affected more than other decile 10 schools that I have worked in.

The professional environment that I work in is firstly, an ILE with a co-teacher. This has had a positive impact on my practice as my co-teacher is an experienced ILE teacher. She is extremely organised and I have had to ‘up my game’ in many areas, particularly paperwork. Collaboration has improved my communication skills and I’m looking more in depth and more often at my students data and progress.

We are included in a vertical syndicate which is very confusing at the moment as I am still unsure exactly who is in it and what the purpose of having us vertical is? We have also had many changes in staff over the last few years so the dynamics of the group as a whole has been unsettled. I feel like we are still in a trial and error mode when it comes to how our school is organised and run which is causing confusion and uncertainty.

Our school culture at present is a difficult one to describe without feeling apprehensive about saying the wrong thing. However, I shall attempt to do so in the most professional manner I can. Our culture is much like Stoll's (1998) Hothouse model where we experience high levels of control and feel constantly monitored and scrutinised. This in turn fosters the feelings of claustrophobia and constant pressure. Unfortunately, I don't feel that it is a very healthy culture at present which is a major issue for me.

Schein 1985 argues the possibility that the “only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture”.

This is something that needs to be addressed urgently but HOW? I am not senior management so how do I affect that change without drama? Morgan (1997), cited by Stoll (1998), suggested 2 questions that leaders and managers should ask themselves:

• “What impact am I having on the social construction of reality in my organisation?”
• “What can I do to have a different and more positive impact?”  

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These are 2 questions I would love to see answered...but how to pose them is the dilemma.

Stoll’s ‘Norms of Improving Schools’ was mildly distressing for me to read as my school is missing the mark on more than half of these factors.

• Shared goals - Our systems are very clumsy and confusing. An attempt has been made to set up a shared vision but it is not really clear, partly due to changes in staff.
• Responsibility for success - I have only put this here because of the stress that we are put under for this! We are often spoken to in a negative way about how negative the data is. I am demotivated and annoyed when I should be the opposite. My conclusion is that it’s all in the delivery of the message.
• Support - There is always someone there which I am grateful for. Unfortunately sometimes the support we feel we need is not always what we get, because we are not listened to or we are labelled as moaners or stirrers so don’t say anything.
• Openness - This is not something we can do with ease with all of our SLT. Words are often twisted to suit and it’s often not worth the trouble it causes.

On the positive side, our management encourages Risk Taking, Lifelong Learning and Continuous Improvement through PD and freedom to trial new techniques and programmes. We are a fairly Collegial staff and there is an understanding that we are all valuable in some way and have something to offer. Our social events have been known to be celebratory to the extreme but this has declined over the years. I’m putting this one down to staff turnover but also possibly low staff moral where no-one can be bothered anymore. It’s just the usuals. One thing that is clear to staff and students alike is our Behaviour expectations and consequences via the behaviour book. This is something that has been consistent through my time at my school.

My conclusion is that for our culture to change it needs to come from the top. There needs to be an acknowledgement that there is an issue before it can begin being resolved. There needs to be open and honest discussions using ‘I’ statements to avoid attack. More importantly there must be someone brave enough to start the wheels in motion...someone from the outside perhaps, or someone who can be bothered.

References

APA. (2016). Education and Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education.aspx

Stoll. (1998). School Culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9. Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Understanding-school-cultures/School-Culture

MY COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

According to Wenger-Trayner 2015, communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor. In doing these readings I have realised just how many communities of practice I belong to. Some of which I hadn't really thought of as Communities of practice before this. However the Comunity of Practice that I will write about is the one that takes up most of my life, my school.

Within my school I am involved in many Comminuties of Practice. My school as a whole and being a part of the staff is obviously the overarching Community of Practice. We are all working together towards the same goal...to give our children the best chance at creating successful futures for themselves. We meet at least once a week as a full staff for professional development opportunities, discussions about students needs and for administrative purposes. Some of these meetings could be streamlined or completely done away with in my opinion. 

I am part of a vertical syndicate where we share ideas, data and discuss how we can improve our practice to cater for our chidlrens needs. We meet once a fortnight to discuss data or to participate in Learning Talks with a view to improving practice. 

I am the leader of our Digital improvement team, charged with faciltating PD and the implementation of digital technologies across the school. We meet to discuss needs of staff and students then plan each terms best course of action. 

Our ILE is the Community of Practice where I focus most of my energies. It is a small Community of Practice involving myself and my co-teacher. I would say that she takes more of a lead role as she has been a team leader in an ILE before and this is my first official ILE. We meet at any and every opportunity to discuss the childrens needs both academically and socially. Because of other meetings we have to grab morning tea's, lunchtimes or after school on non-meeting days. We are constantly talking during the day also. 

We spend a lot of time after hours online communicating also via email and our shared planning docs. I find this is easiest for me as I have time to reflect but it is also a more relaxed situation. I feel that we complement and learn alot from each other. 

I have learnt to be more organised and to try to prioritize better as I have found that being in an ILE, you are so much more acocuntable not only tot he chidlren but to your co-teacher. I have a difficult time seeing how that I have helped my co-teacher as she is so knowledgeable with all things curriculum and is well up to date with best practice. I often joke that I've brought her to the dark side a little by getting her to be a bit more relaxed, hopefully not been too much of a bad influence. 

References

Introduction to communities of practice | Wenger-Trayner. (2017). Wenger-trayner.com. Retrieved 12 June 2017, from http://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/

Week 27

CONTEMPORARY TRENDS

What is a “trend”?

According to Visser and Gagnon (2005), the term “trend” refers to the statistically observable change or general orientation of a general movement (Visser & Gagnon, 2005; Karataş et al, 2016). And these changes would have impacts within the field or wider environment (Wilson, 2012).

What is happening in a global context?

One of the trends that both US National Intelligence Council’s (2017) “Global trends: The paradox of progress” and KMPG International’s (2014) “Future State 2030” point out is technology advancement is accelerating and affecting every aspect of society. In education, it is reflected by the ubiquitous presence of digital technologies integrated into the learning and teaching space.

Why do you need to know about this?In the era of globalisation, your professional context is no longer confined within the boundaries of a local community. Over the last decade, technology has moved so swiftly that teachers are increasingly connected across a variety of platforms and in a variety of settings.

21st century learners are digital device and platform users. Their learning goes beyond passive receipt of knowledge towards actively seeking knowledge and their learning extends beyond the classroom walls to the digital learning environment. These changes in learning behaviour are a global phenomenon and not confined to a specific country or region. It is within this interconnected world that your context of practice needs to be able to respond to changes in technology and new educational paradigms.Understanding global contemporary trends will help you see the bigger picture your practice is situated within and the trajectory your practice should be heading toward.

THIS WEEK’S ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

Activity 3: Trend influencing education in New Zealand or internationally

Create a blog post where you first analyse one trend that is influencing or shaping NZ or international education that you find most relevant to your practice.Then, critique and evaluate practice in the context of different audiences (local, national and/or international) and their perspectives.

Following these 3 steps may help:

Step 1: Identify one trend that is most relevant to your practice:

Read one or more of the following resources:

• Page 6-28 of US National Intelligence Council’s (2017) “Global trends: The Paradox of Progress”
• Page 14-21 of OECD’s Trends Shaping Education 2016

Or other resources in the related media and/ or from your own search

Use these following questions to guide your thoughts:

• What trend  captivates your attention? Why?
• What is the relevancy the trend have to your practice?

Step 2: Analyse the trend:

Once you have identified the trend you aim to investigate more, locate the relevant part in the aforementioned materials that discuss more depth about the trend. Or search for other supporting resources.

Use these following questions to guide your thoughts:

• What the statistical data or resource tell about the identified trend?
• How do or would the identified trend influence the education system?
• Or come up with your own questions.

Step 3: Critique and evaluate practice in the context of different audiences (local, national and/or international) and their perspectives.

Understanding the impact of the trend on the education, you now should examine how your local community OR NZ education system OR other international education systems respond to the trend. Use these following questions to guide your thoughts:

• What responsibility do NZ or other international education systems have in teaching students about the potential changes and challenges the trend would bring?
• How might the curriculum in NZ or other international education systems be delivered to equip the students with adequate competencies to cope with or adapt to the trend?
• Or come up with your own questions.

* Please note that all of the above questions serve as a guide to your reflection. When writing your reflective journal, you don’t have to answer each and every one question.

References

Karataş, S., et al. (2016). A Trend Analysis of Mobile Learning. In D. Parsons (Eds.), Mobile and Blended Learning Innovations for Improved Learning Outcomes (pp. 248-276). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

KPMG International. (2014). Future State 2030: the global megatrends shaping governments. KPMG International Cooperative: USA. Retrieved from https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2014/02/future-state-2030-v3.pdf

National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdf

Visser, L., & Gagnon, K. (2005). Defining “Trends” and “Issues” in Distance Education. Conversation with Donald Paul Ely Y. Visser, L. Visser, M. Simonson & R. Amirault (Eds. de la serie), Trends and Issues in Distance Education. International Perspectives, pp.83-89.

Wilson, B. (2012). Trends and issues facing distance education. In L. Visser, Y. Visser M., R. Amirault & M. Simonson (2nd Ed.) Trends and Issues in Distance Education. International Perspectives (pp.39-54). North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Week 26

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL CULTURE AND PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

What are socioeconomic status of the community, school culture and professional environments?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the socioeconomic status of a family is “a combination of education, income and occupation” (APA, 2016). The socioeconomic status of a community reflects the collective background of the families residing there.

Stoll (1998) defines school culture along three dimensions, the relationship among its members; the organisational structure including the physical environment and management system; and the learning nature. Some internal and external factors that shape a school's culture include the school's history, the students' socio-economic background, external contexts such as national educational policies, and societal changes (Stoll, 1998).

The OECD (2015) measures the school environment based on instruction time, student-teacher ratio, teachers’ salaries and teachers’ working time.

To better understand the concepts,

• Read this American Association of Psychology (2016)’s Education and Socioeconomic Status which has definition of socioeconomic status and a brief discussion of its effects on education.
• Read page 9-10 of Stoll’s (1998) article in which Stoll and Fink (cited in Stoll, 1998) explained the factors influencing school culture.
• Complete the "School Culture and Climate" EDpuzzle below in which the importance of fostering a positive culture in the school is explained.

Why do you need to know about this?

Stoll (1998) places the importance of understanding school culture as the starting point for leading change towards school improvement. The organisational culture is an invisible powerful force that influences the members’ behaviour. Hongboontri and Keawkhong (2014) show that the school culture impacts on teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices, but this relationship is also reciprocal. Your relationship with your teaching community builds a sense of belonging. For example, the reason social networking is so successful is because it enables people to feel a sense of connectedness and belonging.

Stoll (1998) points out that the socioeconomic background of a school’s students influences its culture. The varied needs, expectations and even pressure from the community towards schools is thought to be linked to the socioeconomic level of the community. In addition to school culture, professional environments are considered a factor that impact on the professional practice. Kraft and Papay (2014) suggest that professional environments are related to improvement by individual teachers.

THIS WEEK’S ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

Activity 2: Current issues in my professional context

Create a blog post where you critically analyse issues of socioeconomic factors, school culture and professional environments in relation to your practice.

Following these steps may help:

Step 1: Identify the socioeconomic status of the community, organisational culture and professional environments.

Use the following questions to guide your thoughts:

• Is there any statistical data that indicates the socioeconomic status of your school’s community? What does it tell you about the characteristics of the community?
• What is the culture that the school is striving for? How is it manifested?
• How would you describe the professional environment in your school?

Step 2: Analyse the issues around the socioeconomic status of the community, the school culture and professional environments. 

Use these following questions to guide your thoughts:

• What issues arose from the socio-economic status of your school’s community? How is it similar or different from those of similar socio-economic status? How have the issues been addressed?
• What issues arose from the professional environments in your school? How these issues impact on your practice? How have the issues been addressed?
• What role does your school’s culture play in addressing the discussed issues?

Refer to page 10 of Stoll’s (1998) article in which Stoll and Fink (cited in Stoll, 1998) identified 10 influencing cultural norms of school improvement. Does your school culture embed the mentioned norms? If not, what is missing and how may you and your school foster a positive school culture.

Read page 6-14 of this Principal's sabbatical report by Gargiulo (2014) on The Engagement and Academic Success of Students from Lower Socio-economic Status to have some idea of the strategies the school have actioned to address the school issues.

Does your school have similar approach? What would work and not work? Why?

* Please note that all of the above questions serve as a guide to your reflection. When writing your reflective journal, you don’t have to answer each and every question.

References

APA. (2016). Education and Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education.aspx

Gargiulo, S. (2014). Principal sabbatical report. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Professional-information/Principals-sabbatical-reports/Report-archives-for-2007-2014/Secondary-award-recipients-2014/Gargiulo-Salvatore

Hongboontri, C., & Keawkhong, N. (2014). School Culture: Teachers' Beliefs, Behaviors, and Instructional Practices. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(5), 66-88. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2332&context=ajte

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