Today was my first session at newly opened Mind Lab. I've started a 32 week Post Grad Diploma in Collaborative and Digital Applications!
Due to school holiday sports' tournaments I missed week 1 - which focussed on what knowledge is today and what that means for the classroom. As all readings and media notes are well sorted on the Unitec MindLab Moodle, it was easy to get an overview of the session.
So Week 2 is my first week. Committing to weekly 4 hourly sessions for 16 weeks seemed daunting at 8am this morning when I left home. But the 4 hours went incredibly fast!
This weeks session focussed on -.what skills do 21st century learners need to thrive and how does leadership create these possibilities.
A theorist mentioned in the brief 'lecture' part of the session was Gert Biests's and his domains of purpose - qualification, socialisation , autonomous - elements of truth in all of these
Which theory dominates is up to the individual? What are my view on this ? I will be following this up later. http://www.gertbiesta.com/
What are the main skills needed in the 21st - in an age of hyper change? Many of our reflections on the Today's Meet discussion mentioned adaptability, flexibility, ability to change.
Another theorist to look into is George Siemens - connectivism - knowledge resides in networks - human and non human - how does this impact on our practice? http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
What do we actually mean by 21st century skills? Is it a relevant term? Microsoft partners in learning - provides rubrics to assess all of these skills required for students to survive in the future - and for education to be relevant
- collaboration
- knowledge construction
- self - regulation
- real world problems
- ICT for learning
- skilled communication
Collaborative and co-operative learning task - Film Making - the 3 Act Structure
The task for us today was to create a short film using three act structure - a basic film paradigm - a common way of telling a narrative
Why is this relevant to us today in this course? A key part of the course is based around narrative.
We had to create a short film about a problem that we planned to solve by using 21st century skills
Set up - the context of our school -
Confrontation - what is the conflict - what is the issue in pedagogical terms
Resolution - the introduction of a 21st C skills- in terms of the problem we are going to introduce this skill to help resolve the problem
Our groups 21st century skill is 'skilled communication' - and this was our group's plan
There were very specific timed time-frames for the task (good modelling I thought!). None of us were particularly enthusiastic about being in front of the camera - not sure you can see how final product here - https://app.themindlab.com/media/9563/view - sorry you need a password, so I'll figure out how to download and post.
How do the 21st century skills connect to the KCs? This of course is what we are aiming at!
21stC skills and KeyCompetencies - fit naturally together
Leadership is about change - not management.
Educational systems are complex ecosystems can- classes are nested in schools, schools are nested in communities and countries and connects with other systems. These systems are always adapting.
What skills do students need to operate in this system and world.
Change agents and agents of technological change - how do the key competencies underpin what we as leaders do? Mary Ann Murphy's EdTalk on TKI - expands on this - http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Media-gallery/Key-competencies/Key-competencies-in-leadership
Some key messages from this focus thinking on - thinking outside the 'box', building relational trust, keeping ourselves as leaders 'in the flow' and building out professional communities.
We need to think about how we 'vision' the key competencies.
The online survey provided interesting data in terms of the group 200 - the highest competencies - thinking and relating to others - but the KC that featured highly for improvement was also thinking.
Last part of the session was discussion around the first assessment/s
- identify and briefly justify the need to implement a digital and collaborative learning innovation
- provide a justification for a digital and/or collaborative learning innovation
Scarily due quite soon.
Initial thoughts are around the educational issue of innovative learning spaces - what is the need in our school? The digital or collaborative learning innovation could collaborative planning and co-teaching.
Or a class based need / issue - improving critical analysis - metacognition.
So, Week 2 done: class mates met, group tasks completed, readings and viewings done for the week, supportive and engaging tutors and staff connected with, collaborative and co-operative tasks modelled. Ka pai!
Thanks to the NEXT Foundation - www.nextfoundation.org.nz - for the fees scholarship that got me here!
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