Week 19- Contribution of Teacher Inquiry Topics to my Communities of Practice.
My two inquiry topics are:
1.How can I use digital technologies to motivate and engage learners?
2.How do I develop student agency in disengaged learners?
How do the two chosen topics relate to issues in your professional practice?
How can I use digital technologies to motivate and engage learners?
Been teaching for many years I notice that I always have a big group of students in my class who are not motivated or lack engagement. This group of students have always worried and stressed me. No matter how hard I try to keep these students focused, it just doesn't work. Through Mindlab I came to know how digital technologies can motivate and engage students."Digital Technologies present new opportunities for drawing out and leveraging students agency. One of the ways that technology accomplishes this by personalising the learning experience allowing students to work at their own pace and being responsive to individual needs, such as found in intelligent tutoring systems. Other technologies create agency by putting students in the role of a teacher". (Biswas, Leelawong, Schwartz,& Vye, as cited in Lindgren and McDaniel, 2012).
How do I develop student agency in disengaged learners?
In week 9 of the Mindlab course I came across student Agency. Martin (2004, p. 135) characterises agency as "the capability of individual human beings to make choices and act on these choices in a way that makes a difference in their lives”. The Piagetian (1967) view of constructivism says that “the most transformative learning experiences will be those that are directed by the learner’s own endeavors and curiosities”. I feel if I find ways to develop agency in my students it will improve student engagement in my disengaged students. "Mounting evidence suggests that engagement is a vital protective factor and leads to a host of positive educational and social outcomes and decreases negative emotions and behaviours" (Li et al, O'Farrell and Morison as cited in Shernoff, 2013,p.11)
How could Wegner's model help you to identify some of your meaningful Communities of Practice?
Wegner's model has helped me to identify my Community of Practice (CoP) at my school. Wegner states that a CoP has three elements: joint enterprise, mutual engagement and shared repertoire (Wegner,2000). Joint enterprise is when the members have collectively developed understanding of what the community is about. Mutual Understanding is when members engage in interactions building trust. Shared repertoire is when members produce resources together. My meaningful Community of Practice are the teachers in my team. It is easier for me to communicate with them as we all teach the same age group. We also catch up during lunch breaks and team meetings to plan and talk about the challenges,problems and successes we are experiencing. Also I have worked with most of them for many years, I know them so well. My colleagues need to know how digital technologies and student agency can motivate and engage learners in the classroom. I continuously hear from them about students not engaged, off task, disruptive, drifting off, bored, not keen and so on. I feel that inquiring into my two chosen topics and sharing my findings with my colleagues will help them to change their practice in order to help these students.
1.How can I use digital technologies to motivate and engage learners?
2.How do I develop student agency in disengaged learners?
How do the two chosen topics relate to issues in your professional practice?
How can I use digital technologies to motivate and engage learners?
Been teaching for many years I notice that I always have a big group of students in my class who are not motivated or lack engagement. This group of students have always worried and stressed me. No matter how hard I try to keep these students focused, it just doesn't work. Through Mindlab I came to know how digital technologies can motivate and engage students."Digital Technologies present new opportunities for drawing out and leveraging students agency. One of the ways that technology accomplishes this by personalising the learning experience allowing students to work at their own pace and being responsive to individual needs, such as found in intelligent tutoring systems. Other technologies create agency by putting students in the role of a teacher". (Biswas, Leelawong, Schwartz,& Vye, as cited in Lindgren and McDaniel, 2012).
How do I develop student agency in disengaged learners?
In week 9 of the Mindlab course I came across student Agency. Martin (2004, p. 135) characterises agency as "the capability of individual human beings to make choices and act on these choices in a way that makes a difference in their lives”. The Piagetian (1967) view of constructivism says that “the most transformative learning experiences will be those that are directed by the learner’s own endeavors and curiosities”. I feel if I find ways to develop agency in my students it will improve student engagement in my disengaged students. "Mounting evidence suggests that engagement is a vital protective factor and leads to a host of positive educational and social outcomes and decreases negative emotions and behaviours" (Li et al, O'Farrell and Morison as cited in Shernoff, 2013,p.11)
How could Wegner's model help you to identify some of your meaningful Communities of Practice?
Wegner's model has helped me to identify my Community of Practice (CoP) at my school. Wegner states that a CoP has three elements: joint enterprise, mutual engagement and shared repertoire (Wegner,2000). Joint enterprise is when the members have collectively developed understanding of what the community is about. Mutual Understanding is when members engage in interactions building trust. Shared repertoire is when members produce resources together. My meaningful Community of Practice are the teachers in my team. It is easier for me to communicate with them as we all teach the same age group. We also catch up during lunch breaks and team meetings to plan and talk about the challenges,problems and successes we are experiencing. Also I have worked with most of them for many years, I know them so well. My colleagues need to know how digital technologies and student agency can motivate and engage learners in the classroom. I continuously hear from them about students not engaged, off task, disruptive, drifting off, bored, not keen and so on. I feel that inquiring into my two chosen topics and sharing my findings with my colleagues will help them to change their practice in order to help these students.
References
Lindgren, R.,& McDaniel,R. (2012). Transforming Online learning through Narrative and Student Agency. Educational Technology & Society, 15(4),344-355.
Martin, J. (2004).
Self-Regulated Learning, Social Cognitive Theory, and Agency. Educational
Psychologist, 39(2), 135-145.
Shernoff, D.
(Ed. 2013). Optimal Learning Environments to Promote Student
Engagement (Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development). Dordrecht:
Springer.
Wegner,E.(2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization,7 (2),225-246
Having students select areas of research, topics etc. that have personal meaning has been extremely beneficial for me with Scholarship Physical Education. That sense of vested interest means the teaching of academic writing, critical thinking etc. becomes a lot more meaningful. Hope it goes well for you.
ReplyDeleteKia ora Ashweni
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog. I look forward to reading everyone’s’ blogs as they give me ideas when I need inspiration to complete my assignments. I can see how and why you have identified a Community of Practise with teachers in your school based on the 3 elements of a CoP by Wegner (2000). I too have identified a CoP of teachers because I believe there is a need for my colleagues and I in our kura to know and develop our understanding and knowledge around using digital technology to develop 21st century skills, student learning and achievement.
As Wenger says in his video, Cultivating Communities of Practice: Making them grow, you are creating aliveness by ploughing the soil, ready to grow learning together.
It is interesting to read that the most meaningful CoP for you is that which includes colleagues you have worked with for a very long time. Perhaps as Wenger 2000 suggests it is time to change that up. He says of being in a community for a long time, " We know the ropes. We are thoroughly competent in our own eyes and in the eyes of our peers. But something happens. ...We meet a "stranger" with a completely different perspective...or we engage in a conversation with a friend. Whatever the case may be we have an experience that opens our eyes to a new way of looking at the world." Communities of Practice can help influence even us "old dogs" and provide new ways of thinking.
ReplyDeleteI remember Wegner saying that and we do have some new staff in our team who will bring new perspectives into our CoP.
DeleteI love that you brought this up Geraldine. From being in the Mindlab community it has opened my eyes and made me look at things from a whole new perspective. Sometimes we can have narrow blinkers on so it is nice as Wenger 2000 says to change it up. I am a BT and love going into people's classes and have people come into mine from all over the community to offer different perspectives etc. really makes you think about your teacher practice or if you can offer advice to someone about their practice.
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