APPLIED​ ​PRACTICE​ ​IN​ ​CONTEXT, ASSESSMENT 2
Blog Post 3:

“REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND CHANGES IN PRACTICE”



Reflective practice is an organic, ongoing, demanding and sometimes frustrating process. (Osterman & Kottkamp, 1993, p.2) It requires high levels of self critique and patience before desired results are achieved. It can be more effective when undertaken in a collaborative setting, to allow for unbiased peer critique.

Reflective practice begins when we become aware of a need for an area of change. For example, when I was working on my early Digital and Collaborative assessments the need for more Professional Content Knowledge when learning how to Screencastify a slideshow was overwhelming!
Next, I entered the experiential learning phase, facing considerable challenges when working out how Screencastify worked. During Digital classes, I was also confronted with assumptions that I knew how to use apps such as Scratch, which I found frustrating as I felt I was being held back; but I knew I was learning at the same time.
I can take heart from Osterman & Kottkamp when they state: “Experiential learning theorists ... maintain that learning is most effective, most likely to lead to behavioral change, when it begins with experience, and specifically problematic experience.” (p.2)
The assessment requirements did however, give me opportunities to further experiment with my new knowledge and linked well with my Inquiry of incorporating ICT into my practice.



Key changes in my own research informed practice in relation to the Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC) in e-learning.
*My first area of change relates to Practising Teacher Criteria 12, “Use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in their professional practice.” (p.1)
The change relates to the problem solving required when increasing my repertoire of ICT skills to include in my practice; namely Screencastifying a video.
I can link my learning experiences to the 4 steps of Osterman & Kottkamp’s Experiential Learning Cycle in this way:
  1. Concrete experience: when I needed to use Screencastify to present assignments, after reminding myself how to make a Google Slideshow!
  2. Analysing: Noticing how much I needed to repeat steps of the process before “taking it in” in ICT related tasks. Asking for help when unsure.
  3. Abstract Reconceptualisation: Considering alternate ways of thinking/acting to solve problems. Knowing why something didn’t work and developing strategies to “fix” the problem; e.g: fitting information into a 6 minute Slideshow.
  4. Active Experimentation: Trialling new recordings after a rehash of ideas in my script, until I got it right.


*My second area of change relates to Practising Teacher Criteria 7, “Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.” (p.1)
This change manifested itself in a more holistic way, as I started implementing ICT across a broader spectrum of my practice (this was also linked to my Teacher Inquiry).
Working in collaboration with my ILE colleague and an ICT expert, I engineered my Reading programme to include tasks which required my students to interact in an inclusive, supportive way when completing Reading tasks (eg: making a Kahoot! quiz to share with the class).


Next?
Regarding my future professional development, I would like to continue collaborating with ICT experts to strengthen my confidence in this area. Also, I’d like to continue building my competence as an ILE leader next year, as the rest of my pod move into the same setting.




References
Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators.California.Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 7th May, 2015 from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files.

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