Year level: Years 9-13
Cluster type: Single School Cluster
Context: Large Decile 9 Girls Secondary School
Research model used:Teaching as Inquiry
The intention of using a Teaching as Inquiry cycle to inform an 'E-Learning Action Plan', was to provide staff across the curriculum areas with a tool and a process to guide their integration of e-learning tools and strategies (ICTPD National Goal 3) in way that was directly related to student outcomes. It was hoped that this process would both support the teacher in their planning, provide a plan that would signal the areas that they needed ICT PD support in, and also provide a level of accountablilty as 'E-learning Action Plans' were published and shared. The main aim and purpose of this process was to keep the focus primarily on the student and their learning and not the ICT tool and/or strategy.
Learning Areas were expected to undertake a year-long Teaching as Inquiry project to support ICT PD PLGs. This would allow Learning Areas to contextualise the ICT PD to meet the needs of their specific learning area. All ICT PD would still be guided by the national and school goals and LADS and e-mentors will work closely with the Director of e-learning to assure a focus on how we can improve student engagement through the integration of ICT strategies to enhance:
a) Student centred learning
b) Strong learning relationships between teachers, students and caregivers
Since any teaching strategy works differently in different contexts for different students, effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students.
Inquiry into the teaching–learning relationship can be visualised as a cyclical process that goes on moment by moment (as teaching takes place), day by day, and over the longer term. (NZCp.35)
Impact on students/teachers/whanau:
The impact on students is hard to measure within a one year cycle. Several professional learning groups gathered feedback from students through evaluation forms and discussion. Students were particularly positive in regards to having access to resources and activities online and anecdotal evidence would suggest that there is an increased expectation that teachers will "put that on Moodle" or provide online means of students completing tasks. Student responses have been recorded in some of the Learning Area E-learning Action plans/PLG reports that can be accessed through the links below.
The impact on teachers has been noticeable and feedback gathered at different points of the year would suggest that teachers have increased their understanding and appreciation of the possible advantages of integrating e-learning into their teaching practice.
Links to actual reflection/classroom practice:
Much of what we have achieved this year has been viewed as successful, therefore we will continue with the process of using a 'Teaching as inquiry to inform an e-learning action plan', and will also continue with the support structure of a dedicated e-mentor in each Learning Area.
However, in 2012 we would like the ICT PD contract to focus more directly on the relationship between the Key Competencies (Thinking), Effective Pedagogy (Differentiation and Collaboration) and e-learning.
Three key areas of focus for 2012:
Moodle and Google Apps introduced in all Year 9 Subjects
All Year 9 courses will offer at least one specific opportunity for the students to engage with Moodle and Google in the first term. The Director of e-learning will work with e-mentors and LADs to develop resources and strategies for doing this.
MyPortfolio will be introduced in two ways:
The overarching ICTPD structure will remain the same:
The focus will change:
2011 – Student Outcomes informed the ‘e-learning action plan’
2012 – Key Competencies (thinking) and Effective Pedagogy (collaboration, differentiation) will inform the ‘e-learning action plan’
Changes to PD delivery:
Change to Director of e-Learning, e-Mentors and Tech Angels:
Suggested timeline for 2012
Term One
Weeks 1-5 PD focus on Key Competencies and Effective Pedagogy not IT (TOD with Pam Hook in Week 5)
Weeks 6-10 PLGs formed and ‘E-learning Action Plans’ developed
Term Two
ICTPD Workshops and/or PLG time
Mid-year feedback (milestone) gathered at end of Term 2
Term Three
ICTPD Workshops and/or PLG time
Term Four
Sharing and final feedback (milestone)
Next year will be about consolidating the work we have done this year. We will continue to use the teaching as inquiry cycle to inform an e-learning action plan. There will a focus on key competencies, with a particular focus on how thinking skills can be developed, using collaborative practices and differentiation, and how this can be supported through the integration of ICT in and beyond the classroom.
ICT PD 2012 – Using Teaching as Inquiry to support an e-learning action plan
(Greater focus on specific aspects of Key Competencies)
Focussing Inquiry |
What aspect of ‘thinking’ do I want to focus on? Which class/group of students do I want focus on? Thinking might include:
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Teaching and Learning Inquiry |
What strategies (evidence-based) are most likely to help my students learn this? What are the collaborative and diffierentiation strategies that will best support thinking?
What are the specific ICT tools (or combination of ICT tools) and/or strategies that will best support the aspect of effective pedagogy I am focusing on:
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Teaching and learning |
Teaching and Learning takes place - ICT Strategies are implemented into the classroom i.e Moodle course pages are used in and beyond the classroom to support differentiation and/or collaboration and learning activities that support specific aspects of thinking and developing key competencies.
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Learning Inquiry |
What happened as a result of the teaching, and what are the implications for future teaching? i.e Have you increased/improved your pedagogy and developed strategies that support collaboration and differentiation through the use of specific ICT tools and strategies? Have you raised levels of thinking? How? Why? Why not? |