Activity 6: Professional Context - Broader Context

Activity 6:
Contemporary issues or trends in New Zealand or internationally.
            

 How are we addressing the emerging contemporary trends in the education world?

Trend 1: Rethinking learners  

I agree that technology, social and economic advances has changed the learners (Bolstad, Gilbert, McDowall, Bull, Boyd & Hipkins, 2012). Education is focussed on the learner - learning like technology has become personalised. Learning is ubiquitous, accessible, affordable and personal (Pearson 2013).

This changing nature of learning has forced the learners to be active participants of their learning, but I think more importantly it has changed the teachers' role. What is the teacher's role now especially in the day of learner agency? Learning is now an equal power role between the teacher and learners.

Learners and digital learning

How are we addressing this in our learning community? It started with the introduction of digital classes that forced me and many of my colleagues to question our pedagogy. The learners are learning everywhere and anytime - what are we doing as a community to utilise this? Am I doing the best for them? As teachers, we have lost the power to tell them when and how learning occurs. So what am I doing? Embrace it, question it, discuss it - change the classroom, change the teacher. Both teachers and learners have on choice on what to learn.  Classroom delivery and PLD is slowly changing towards a personalised learning approach. I'm constantly reflecting on learners and what learning means - are we doing the best we can to make these learners successful in the global and local context? I'm talking others and seeking feedback about this.

Trend 2: Changing idea of knowledge 

(Schaefer, 2008)

Knowledge has changed to something that is created and developed (Bolstad et. al, 2012). I agree with Bolstad et. al (2012) who states schools were able to predict what skills need to be taught so learners/students can fill their economic role.  But that has changed, we can't predict the skills anymore - they are not tied to the industrialisation age. There are jobs now that didn't exist before. The population will grow to 8 billion (Pearson, 2013). The implication? How do we share a limited resource between 8 billion people? We have to create knowledge to find innovative ways to share/use those limited resources. Learners need to build an identity around self-reliance, critical thinking, creative thinkers, team players and initiative (Bolstad et.al, 2012). But even these skills are not set in stone - they are educated guesses. In this age, teachers and learners need to be adaptable like knowledge.

How are we addressing this as a community? A slow change and challenging of current planning. Is our planning knowledge transmitting knowledge or is it knowledge creation? We are re-structuring planning so it is moving towards an integrative/integration model but more importantly dynamic and adaptable one.

Trend 3: New partnerships and relationships. 

Technology has formed new connections - they are faster and has made us feel closer globally. We have wider access to expertise and resources (Bolstad et. al, 2012). I found it interesting the biggest economy is predicted to be China and non-western economies (Pearson, 2013). The implications? A new economic power but more importantly we have to learn to make connections. We have to be aware of different cultures to make connections and collaborate to access resources. In a local sense, professionals need to collaborate and be open to new thinking to be more future-oriented (Bolstad, et. al, 2012).

(Geralt, 2015)

How are we addressing this in our community? Our school has joined a cluster that meets monthly to share resources, problem solve and collaborate on issues. We are not alone in our journey. In our digital classes, we emphasize in effective communication, collaborating and making connections to different people.

I think it is difficult to have "answers" to these trends and we are playing a "catch-up" to the 21st-century game. The only thing we can do is have educated guesses and continue to reflect on whether we are addressing them. The worst thing to do is just sit and watch.

References:

21st Century Learning Reference Group. (2014). Future Focused Learning in Connected Communities. 

             Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/
              Documents/Ministry/Initiatives/FutureFocusedLearning30May2014.pd

Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012).Supporting future-oriented 

learning & teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Retrieved 5 May 

2015, from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306

Geralt. (2015). Social Media. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/social-media-personal-552411/

Pearson. (2013, April 26). Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history. 

            Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g

Schaefer, D. (2008). Brain. Retrieved fromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/dierkschaefer/2961565820