Professional Learning and Ethical Practice – Standard 9 Project

Professional Learning and Ethical Practice – Standard 9 Project

• Jeremy Browning

REFLECTION & LEARNING ON TWITTER EVENT

So, for my activity in the Twitter event for Unit 9, I have to admit that I wasn’t the most active class member, but I did try to get my two-cents in when I had the time. I posted one of the topics “Responsibility for Learning” on my page but I didn’t get any hits on it. However I did go about looking at other people’s tweets and commenting on them. Overall, I commented on 20 posts.

ADDRESSING THE 3 TOPICS

Responsibility for Learning

For this, I replied to Charlotte (@shrty3572) post for this topic of the lesson. Though several people did reply to the post, I didn’t get a reply, so there was no input. Comments by other people mentionedd that as students get older, they need to bear greater responsibility for their learning. Young children require greater direction by the teacher and parents in collaboration. But when they get older, the reigns are loosened as transition to adulthood.

• Ethics in Education

Paul Dourley’s (@DourleyPaul) post stressed the importance of teachers showing respect and demanding it in return from the students. I went on note saying how it was an ideal concept but that it doesn’t always work out that way. Will Menarndt asked if the prejudices of the schools were linked to the community and as a result, the students. Overall, I would agree with Paul, and expect positive behavior from teachers and students alike. However, it must come from the top with the school support as well.

Elana Molier (@ElanaMolier) posited that Ethics in Education starts with administrators hiring people based on their positive work demeanor and communication with staff and students, as opposed to simply seeing what university a person graduated from. I’ve seen this in Japan, for it’s a common practice as well. I’ve also seen teachers with less qualification teacher better than the “higher university” graduates. I think this is because some famous school graduates rest on their laurels and think the name of the school is enough. Or, they think that their high knowledge is enough to teach in a “I’m teacher, you are student and therefore must listen” approach. As we know, there’s much more to teaching than simply shouting out information.

We also slightly touched on the unethical practice of overworking teachers for the betterment of the students, but also about how it’s seen as ok because it’s for the students. When the teachers are overworked, their lessons are weakened, which reflects on the students. It’s all cyclical.

• Student Stereotypes

Dan Lin’s (@wingsu_lin) post started me off with the question related to stereotyping. Her idea, which is the best and most common form of attempt at addressing the issue, is to create lessons that convey equal voice and respect for different cultures in order to alleviate stereotypes. I agree with her on this and think the teachers need to and such elements to portray all students with equal value and respect. I do know that there are challenges, as I mention in the post, regarding cultural influences than are set foundations within a given culture. However, we need to teach students to look beyond their ethnocentric cultural norms in order to create respect for diversity.

Elana Molier (@ElanaMolier) and I also tweeted about the topic of cultural biases in culture, ethnicity, gender, and learner differences. We agreed that it’s the teacher’s responsibility to teach the students about those differences, but mostly focus on the specific learning styles of the students in order to elevate the student’s academic learning beyond stereotypical thoughts.

• Extra Twitter Communication

Dan’s (@K12dan) question regarding the scenario of the teacher if technology advanced to a point when people didn’t have to work. Dan’s hypothetical question is a nice prompt to get people thinking about different scenarios, even if they might not happen. So, if the question were to be true, then I suggested that schools would focus on skills that don’t have to be related to work. All subject areas can garner passion from students. Therefore, all students need access to various subjects. Perhaps only students with pure interest need apply to certain programs. I suggests Sports and the Arts because those are proven subjects that students like beyond work-life duties. It’s through those passionate activities that we’ll advance even if not working because the joy of it will push people though to discover new ways. So, schools would need to figure out how to garner that spirit in their programs mores than they do today.

Dan’s (@K12dan) question about preparing students to take responsibility even if jobs are unknown in the future. I tweeted here twice and my focus was on the fact that students need to understand their responsibilities but that many don’t understand the future consequences of inaction. So, a paradigm shift is the only way for students to take responsibilities for quick effect. However, that’s not really possible since paradigm shifts happen arbitrarily. So, teachers need to put responsibility activities in their lessons . They may not know the future, but knowing how to take responsibility connects to all future endeavors.

Will Menarndt’s (@Trope_Advisor) regarding how to address current event & politics in the classroom. I mentioned in my tweets that the students I teach have a mixed feeling about politics, with some liking it and some hating it. It’s a tough topic. However, current events does seem to go over well. Perhaps with time, the current events can trickle down into pooltics and tease the student’s interests.

RESEARCH VIA TWITTER

FIRST ITEM

The very first tweet I commented on was by the instructor Dan Roggenkamp (@K12dan) related to Blockchain technology. I remember hearing about it but didn’t really know what it was about. So, Dan’s questions spurred me into looking it up and being “educated” about it. No doubt this is an important technology everyone needs to know about, besides just teachers. I would be curious to see how this technology will be used in education in the future.

So with my research into Blockchain, I found a nice article related to it and education entitled, “ 10 ways Blockchain could be used in Education by Donald Clark. Here’s the link to the sire article:

https://oeb.global/oeb-insights/10-ways-blockchain-could-be-used-in-education/

I won’t go into the details of each ten but simply list them here:

1. Single Institution

2. Groups of Institutions

3. National Blockchain Database

4. Global Assessment

5. Blockchain and Badges

6. Blockchain and MOOCs (massive open online course)

7. CPD (continuing professional development)

8. Corporate Learning

9. Apprenticeships

10. Bodies of Knowledge

SECOND ITEM

Another Twitter based research topic I looked up from an other educator’s post was in regards to the school of education called Kunskapsskolan. I’d never heard of this school or it’s method of education. Apparently, it’s a Swedish based school that has about 80 schools around the world, 28 of which are in Sweden.

Like most of the training we go through in education, this school is focused on education that caters to the student’s needs via coaching sessions, which go into working on the student’s goals. A stronger one-on-one system that promotes higher learning at a pace specifically designed for the individual students. The system is also running in congruent with the Swedish education system which the link to on their website. Here’s a link to that website:

https://www.kunskapsskolan.se/inenglish.4.3684acb01537296c560d6a31.html

These are the two new areas of educational interest I got out of my time with this unit’s activity event.

MY PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK PLAN

Below, I’ve listed several resources I plan to utilize in my professional networking plan. Some of these are from a different unit in the Teach Now program modules and some are newly added. The education I’ve gained through this program has been beneficial but perhaps this might be the most prominent because it can help me develop my skills with the assistance of fellow professionals instead of going it alone.

HERE’S MY PLN RESEARCH

Jeremy’s Personal Learning Network

The following is a page devoted to personal growth in learning, or Personal Learning Network (PLN). This information can better assist your learning growth as teachers, students, friends and family members.

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK has various groups you can join to grow your PLN or find teaching ideas, such as:

• The Beginning Teacher (Personal Learning Network)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/346800725428879/

• Teacher2Teacher

https://www.facebook.com/tchr2tchr/

• LS 462 Personal Learning Network

https://www.facebook.com/LS-462-Personal-Learning-Network-1620758974805589/

Teachers Sharing Bright Ideas This is a great group to post activity ideas and connect with teachers from around the world who are happy to share their creations!

PINTEREST can be used to search for information on teacher development. <https://www.pinterest.com>. Here are some examples:

• PLNs

• Teaching with Twitter

• 21st Century Educator

YOUTUBE

• Developing your personal learning network

• Should I Follow That? Building a Learning Network

TUMBLR

Tumblr is another site that may be able to help in finding and creating PLN groups. It’s free to create a page and search for other pages. Here are some examples:

• Personal Learning Network

http://personallearningnetwork.tumblr.com/

• Teaching Tips for Tumblr Teachers

http://teachingtipsfortmblrs.tumblr.com/

• Teacher Professional Development

http://teacher-professional-development.tumblr.com/

LINKEDIN

A great site to advertise yourself as a professional and connect to other education professionals in your area. Join a group for educators in your area and stay up to date on education issues by following certain groups, such as:

Education Week

Global Citizen

Edutopia

U.S. Department of Education.

MEETUP

Sometimes networking has to be done in person. Grow you PLN by attending a teacher’s or educator’s meetup in your area. Or, create and host one!

TIPS & TOOLS FOR PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS

We all need tips and tools to add to our repertoire of progressive lessons for our students. Here’s some you can peruse:

• 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom

http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom

• 13 Reasons to Use Twitter in the Classroom

http://www.teachhub.com/13-reasons-use-twitter-classroom

• 30 Innovative Ways to Use Twitter In the Classroom

http://www.edudemic.com/the-30-newest-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-classroom/

• 8 Tools Built for Perfecting Your Personal Learning Network

https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/8-tools-personal-learning-network

• How Teachers Create Personal Learning Networks on Social Media

https://www.crisisprevention.com/Blog/June-2016/How-Teachers-Create-Personal-Learning-Networks-on

• 10 Social Media Skills for Every Modern Teacher [Infographic]

https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/10-social-media-skills-modern-teacher

• From PLN to Practice: Tips from 5 Educators on Personalizing Your Professional Learning

https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/from-pln-to-practice-tips-from-5-educators-on-personalizing-your-professional-learning

• Models For Designing Your Personal Learning Environment

http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning2-0/designing-personal-learning-environment/

• Ready To Grow? 20 Ways To Improve Your Professional Learning Network

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/20-ways-to-improve-your-professional-learning-network/

SOME LINKS FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

Here’s some additional sources teacher might find useful in their class. Like most information on this page, it’s discretionary and subjective to you class and teaching style.

• Social Media for Teachers: Guides, Resources, and Idea

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-resources-educators-matt-davis

• 15 Social Networks For Teachers

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/15-social-networks-for-teachers-from-edshelf/

• 10 SOCIAL MEDIA RULES FOR TEACHERS

https://www.americanboard.org/blog/10-social-media-rules-for-teachers/

• Professional development 2.0 for librarians: developing an online personal learning network (PLN)

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/07419051211241840

• WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF A PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK?

http://www.theedadvocate.org/importance-personal-learning-network/

• Advance your career by developing a Personal Learning Network

https://www.nuiteq.com/company/blog/advance-your-career-by-developing-a-personal-learning-network