Activity 2 - What I have learnt about myself as a learner!

Create a blog post in which you reflect on the last 24 weeks of study. Provide a critical discussion of at least three things you have learned about yourself as a learner (metacognitive process) and three key changes in your own practice

 

Over the last 24 weeks I have learnt many things about myself as a learner. 

1.    I have really enjoyed researching and discovering  things, however I have to see a benefit and reason for me to do this.  I enjoyed the DCL component of the course, using some of the tools at Mind Lab such as the Makey Makey, 3D printing, discussions around Modern Learning Environments. I could see the application of  this in the classroom. With some of the later assignments I have not been able to see as clearly how the activities relate to me so I have been far less engaged.

2.    I feel that given the opportunity to work collaboratively on assignments was fantastic. I definitely think I prefer to work collaboratively rather than on my own. Having someone to discuss ideas with helps me consolidate my own thinking.  I feel it also takes the pressure off me as the responsibility is shared. Whilst I have enjoyed working collaboratively on many of the assignments, this also presented some challenges. Working with someone who takes a different approach to tasks, can be challenging. Slavin (1989) suggested that working collaboratively members should create both group and individual goals. Within our pair we allocated work individually, researched, then came back and discussed our findings together. I feel this shared the knowledge and perhaps allowed us to learn more, which reinforces the findings of Beckman (1990).

3.    I have enjoyed, and am still enjoying, implementing some of the ideas I have picked up from the course.  I have found that perhaps I may be a little impetuous in my implementation of ideas and that sometimes it may be a good idea to take a step back before implementing. I have also found that implementing new ideas and seeing how they develop is also exciting. My study has helped me develop a consistently reflective attitude.

Changes in my Practice.

1.    I have undertaken many changes in my practice.  Over the course of term 3 I implemented a Genius Hour time within the class. I was inspired to implement this by reading around the topic after discussions during our Mind Lab class workshops. Darling-Hammond & Butler (2008) highlighted how developing inquiring minds yields significant benefits. I was impressed by a number of the projects in the class, the developing independent learning of the students and the engagement during these projects. I am considering running another session, but perhaps not every term.

2.    I have also introduced changes in the classroom designed to develop the independent learning dispositions of the students. This has been a major change in my teaching and developed due to a number of factors. Again discussions at Mind Lab along with purchasing a number of devices for the classroom, allowing me to have 1 device for 2 students. This change has been interesting to implement, the increased engagement in the majority of students has been amazing. Parent feedback has been positive as they see students begin to take responsibility for their own learning, and being concerned about the accountability they have to have.

3.    A third area that has changed has been the collaborative side of my teaching. This is still developing but I feel as we move down the independent learning pathway we need to increase collaboration between classes. I have had requests from other schools to come and look at what we are doing, as well as teachers within other classes asking if students can come and take part in particular activities (Genius Hour) as they feel it would be a positive experience for these particular students and they are not in a position to implement the changes themselves at this time. 

References

Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008, October). Powerful Learning: Studies Show Deep Understanding Derives from Collaborative Methods. Retrieved 5 October 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/inquiry-project-learning-research

Beckman, M. (1990), Collaborative Learning: Preparation for the Workplace and Democracy? College Teaching, 38(4), pp. 128-133.

Slavin, R. E. (1989). Research on cooperative learning: An international perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 33(4), 231-243.