Week 31 Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Responsiveness

Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Responsiveness (Reflective Blog using Rolfe's Reflective Model)

What:

 It is sometimes easy to be drawn into believing that our values and beliefs are held by all in our community, to view our environment from a dominant cultural viewpoint, especially when the current policies and documents are written from that base. Once one begins to seek to 'fill in the white spaces', we begin to understand the large amount of 'cultural baggage that lies within. In education, we are just beginning to inquire into Indigenous Knowledge, i.e. the belief that indigenous people, have a 'kete' already filled with knowledge and protocol to engage with this knowledge, based on their experiences and traditions. We are beginning to consider the worldview of Maori, and indeed other Pacific cultures, who are part of this journey from 'Hawaiki'. To understand how our learners view learning and the best ways to include their voice in this learning, we must delve into the 'voice' of our communities and the people and stories within. We must engage in the practices and traditions that form the base of that knowledge to understand more, about the key to unlocking that potential. This act of cultural responsiveness places us, in the 'seat' of the learner, repositioning our role, and trying to hone in on the essence of the 'mauri'. We bring our cultural knowledge into this role, and offer our interpretations, and links to our collective world views with the goal of finding a common ground, whereupon we may begin to work together to create new, responsive learning.

So What?

Using the 'Action Continuum-eliminating white spaces' related to our School Values, Mission and Vision, I would place our school at the end of this continuum. We have worked hard with our community to have 'culturally centred, structures and practices that are embedded.' Our school whakatauki, 'Whakapono Kia Koe' was gifted by the local kaumatua, and the inherent values which use 'WHAKAPONO' as the acronym, have 'whakawhanaungatanga' at the helm. We have consulted with the cultures at our school, and have sought feedback from the community in the form of 'hui' or 'fono', observing the protocol of these meetings, to provide a culturally responsive way of critiquing practice. Our Rumaki Classes, (and bilingual classes), and teachers play a pivotal role, that is at the fore of everything we do, to enhance the indigenous viewpoints at our school. We have strategically employed staff, over a long period of time to reflect this cultural diversity, striving to grow staff (and learners) who model 'culturally sustaining pedagogy' (Milne, 2017).

An area that has been identified, to work on, is related to the ways that we communicate with our community. We have begun to understand that these sustaining pedagogy requires our visibility in our community. We know that there is no, one way, that will work with all of our community. As alluded to in the video by Anne Milne (2017), the effects of the 'white spaces' have had their effect on our community. While we are working with our students in the classrooms, a lot of damage has already been done with the parents of these children, who came through this, heavily 'tainted' education system.

Now What?

 Our work must be alongside these parents, and proving to them that it was the system that was flawed, and not their ability to learn, or lead. The challenge is, for us to encourage these parents to, once more, trust us, and become engaged in this system, so that we can work together to include their 'stories' as an important chapter in this book (Bishop et. Al. 2009). We will need to work alongside whanau and students, as agentic teachers, and through this engagement, and commitment to work together, build the integrity of this education system, which holds their views and knowledge, as a key ingredient, but especially for their children to thrive in this ever growing global environment.

REFERENCES

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742

CORE Education.(2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

Week 30 MINDLAB PRACTICE - The Broader Professional Context.

                                                                                    

IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: 

I will attempt to evaluate the potential for growth and being a possible 'disruptive' transforming trend, using Rolfe's Reflective Model. 

WHAT: 'The Impact of Digital Learning', on our teachers, and students.

This Topic has recurred throughout my study, and is definitely at the forefront of leadership conversations. We have observed the exponential growth of digital technology use by our learners.  Furthermore we recognise the importance of integrating this technology in our instructional practice. Our goal is to support learners to engage with this technology and recognise its link to their ongoing learning, and the skills required to be an active learner.

SO WHAT: According to Daggett (2014) the frequency of learners using digital devices, and social media in the last 10 years, has just about doubled, yet we do not allow these devices at school. In order for schools to keep these 'digital natives' engaged in learning, our school systems will have to integrate them into instructional practices, or we risk losing these students to purely online courses.

Currently, questions about the impact of using Digital Technology has forced our staff to reconsider their pedagogy, (i.e. lecture style, to a more responsive, blended learning model). This has placed teachers in the uncomfortable position of having to learn how to teach, when some of the experts are students sitting in front of them. This has led to deep inquiry into teachers' practice, and the gradual shift of the 'locus of control' towards the learners. For some, this, has led to several difficult conversations regarding the role of teachers, and the type of teaching/learning relationship that is necessary for our learners to be innovators in the 21st Century.  The leadership, has ensured a 'culture' in the school where 'change' is necessary, as well as a shared expectation that all students will benefit from this inquiring pedagogy, and that this will not happen in a prescribed way, as was reinforced in Daggett (2014).

NOW WHAT:

Local Audience: We understand the benefits of online learning for students and community (audience), but also understand the key element of 'kanohi ki te kanohi' (Face to face) for students and teachers,  an important time to discuss the relevance of the learning. According to Hattie in his book 'Visible Learning', that engagement is one of the most important factors when determining students' success.

I believe our school, and Community of Leaders (local) needs to inquire into 'gamification', which are features that gaming companies have mastered, being a part of creating this learning as partners of schools. Many of our students, (and parents) have already bought into this 'Digital Badging' as ways of recognising proficiency. Daggett (2014) explains that, the ability of leadership to recognise the importance of  the partnership with gaming companies, as a 'game changer'. While we understand the importance of 'gamification' in learning, it will require, the rigorous scrutiny of a community of leaders (and learners) to recognise potential, hidden agendas by these privatised, profit seeking companies, and not be driven by unethical practices or outcomes.

National Audience:

As the third of the five tenets identified by Daggett (2014), the leadership will have to drive its inquiry, or risk being driven by external pressures. These challenges will need leadership of schools to have robust 'norms' in place to test bias, and the intention to improve student learning, while holding the aspirations of the community close at heart. I believe, that the Ministry of Education, have to move into this new era, letting go of some traditional methods that worked in the past. We will need to develop new funding methodology, and less bureaucratic red tape, to allow for learners to develop skills around 'global language' and develop 'social and emotional intelligence' (OECD, 2016). 

International Audience: The world is at a point where traditional boundaries, like countries will become less of a barrier. Our current national and international leaders will need to pave the way for this international transformation, while still recognising ethnic culture, so that learners engage, collaboratively as part of a wider global community, where they have a vital social and ethical part to play in the successful future of our world, as Global Citizens who are increasingly aware of environmental social issues that face us.

 

 REFERENCE: 

Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing Current and Future Challenges in Education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf

OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-enDaggett, B. (2014). Addressing Current and Future Challenges in Education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf