Reflection …

If you’d asked me this time last year if I would be doing my masters I would have laughed in your face. When I finished uni at the end of 2007 I felt like I could write everything I know on an A4 sheet. I learnt more in my first term than in my four year degree.

So when I began the masters in New Learning and New Literacies in October 2008 I was surprised about how applicable it really was. During the first subject New Learning I really began to question why I was doing this and what I wanted to get out of it. It was more than a pretty certificate and a line of my resume. It was about creating a better learning environment in my classroom. New Learning really opened my eyes to the types of teaching and we found wikis and blogs. Watching Cherie incorporate them into the classroom we were all pretty quick to follow in 2009.

One subject down and it wasn’t to hard, than Historical and Social Barriers to Education began. I became determined to make my home group really think about what sort of citizens they were and this stemmed from the readings about citizenship (The Changing Face of Citizenship). My home group really took off with the idea, they began working with Aid’s action council, they’ve begun fundrasing money, they’ve volunteered at the International Aid’s candlelight memorial and their attitudes have begun to change. I didn’t set out to give year nine a social conscience, my idea stemmed from the concept of giving back to the community. It was the students who took it to the next level. To be honest, it is the students who organise the guest speakers, the fundraising,

 the volunteering, I just sign the note. I think because the student were able to control their learning and their level of involvement they’ve really engaged with it. I think what amazed me most was the way my boys reacted, they made some silly comments at the beginning, then as we’ve moved through different units their attitudes towards people’s sexuality has really changed. Meeting a man with HIV really impacted on them, it made them realise that HIV and Aids was everyone’s responsibility and it didn’t matter who you loved as long as you were happy. For that sort of reaction to happen was amazing. Without the readings and my learning I don’t think I would have tackled such a large project, nor do I think my students would be such a cohesive group. What has amazed me most about the masters program is the way it has implicated on the classroom relationships and the students behaviour. Learning really is the main focus because they are engaged, because they want to learn and because we are working together to create the learning, the students are focussed and it’s fun! 

 

People ask me how I handle the extra load of assignments on top of my normal workload and life … When to comes to doing extra work I’m happy when I see such positive results! Completing the assignment every week, a wiki post and a blog, I actually think the extra work is worth it. I am learning so much more than I ever thought. The wiki’s are really helpful because they help you get an even better understanding of the readings, we’re able to see think about the readings in different ways. The blog is really a blending of ideas and practice for me. How am I applying this week’s reading in my teaching?! I really enjoy reading other people’s ideas and thoughts, and I think it is important to share and discuss.

Subject two down, and Knowledge, Learning and Pedagogy came. I really love my classes, I know that sounds strange but I have three classes who I work really well with and they work with me really well. I’ve loved being able to come to class every Monday and discuss this week’s reading, talking about how they learn, the different learning styles and the brain. I think they’ve appreciated it, they laugh at my nerdieness (but most people laugh at my nerdieness). But being able to understand how you learn and why you learn in a certain way is a really hard concept but one that can really help you. I think what both my year seven and year nine students have appreciated is being treated as adults, not babies in an adults clothing, but intelligent people!

 The brain discussions were amazing, talking about what I had learnt,you could have heard a pin drop. The students were really interested, and why shouldn’t they be! And why shouldn’t they know?! As well as my masters I have begun working with the Assessment for Learning team, and it is really about being clear about what you want students to know. What I’ve learnt is that student need to know explicitly what they have to do and what they’re learning. It is more than just not guessing what is in the teachers head. But rather links to having a learning intention, telling the student the aim of todays lesson or activity. Why shouldn’t they know what they’re going to learn about? And I think our school is really positive with this and it’s links to out portfolio interviews.

I don’t think I was a bad teacher before, but doing my masters is helping me become a better teacher. And it isn’t because I am doing my masters, but rather what I am learning in the New Learning and New Literacies program. The other students in the course and Bill have really been a valuable source of information. It’s been excellent to work together to discuss education. I think that education shouldn’t about guessing and Bill makes it really clear what we need to do and we’re able to do it. The online learning environment is really practical and I’ve enjoyed not drowning in paper!

I think what I’ve learnt most is that yes this is all obvious, but we caught up in the grind, in the politics, in the behavioural problems, in issues that take over in our classrooms and you can forget that our students are there to learn. All students can learn it is up to us to create the right environment. So next time Rita asks if anyone want’s to do their masters I think I’d take another change and jump for it!