Teachers and learners - exploring the spaces in-between Ma te hono ā hinengaro e rite ai ngā whainga'. Te Tari Puna o Aotearoa, NZCA Conference - Rotorua

Our Collaboration through google docs . . .

http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/inspiredbycollaboration/walkingthetalk.html

I often pondered what ‘collaboration’ meant and knew very in my mind well I did this ‘all’ the time, or so I thought. . .  
To me collaboration was of course the sharing of ideas and regular discussions all tying into what we call ‘team work’. I mean yes of course these were aspects that contributed to collaboration, yet over time I realised I had only touched the surface of what collaboration truly meant.

This only continued our evolving journey of where we were going to next with our explorations of using ICT as a tool to enhance our pedagogical documentation. We had been fuelled with knowledge then, but felt it was not the end.

"Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding"

@TeachersJourney, www.twitter.com

Learning stories became the foundation from how this collaboration all began, starting off with our traditional pen and paper we took notes during the day onto what we called ‘Reflecting on Observations with Infants and Young Toddlers’ (see example below) which was simply our own version of the beginnings of a learning story and what we like to call the ‘process’ before the end product was created. We were oblivious to the fact that this was already the beginning of collaboration, we were just yet to believe it or better still allow it to happen.

We created our own observation sheets to note down children's learning during the day.

I think in order for this to happen, we had to let go of ourselves and accept the notions of change. This meant combining our thoughts and perspectives in a way that was critical and collegial, without the hierarchical tensions of teachers individual ways.  

The months went by, so did the attraction of such ICT tools. Google docs captured our curiosity as well as our convenience, imagine having to write learning stories wherever you go! and the best thing was that, it wouldn’t even take long to spare a few minutes during your day.

So the 'warm fuzzies' of collaboration continued and we ditched our paper and pen to a digital format, continuing this technique of adding bits here and there in a ‘peaceful’ way except it was all done at the fingertips of our keyboard. 

Example of one of our first google docs learning stories. 

Personally I didn’t feel satisfied with this and wanted to pursue more challenges and have my work critiqued where I could see it and realise the changes that had been made. Whilst also acknowledge the need for improvement and embracing it within my team, in order for me to grow as a teacher.

This is where it all began . . . .

"Teachers take risks. Like everyone else, we fear failing, but we must refuse to let the magnitude of our task overwhelm us."

@TeachersJourney, www.twitter.com

In this example you can see the dramatic changes that have occurred in this learning story of Elizabeth. In discussion with each other, we were able to shift the change and become critical learners in the process. At first this was not our entire purpose, yet it all seemed to unfold with time, persistence and a team that was determined to be subjective in their teaching.

This also brought to life the true meaning behind pedagogical documentation. What lies beyond the surface of our thinking as teachers and not only making children’s learning visible, but makes our learning as teachers possible.

Its’ o.k to Agree to Disagree

postmodern science regards consensus as a step

towards diversity, uncertainty and undecidability – a state of discussion, not its

end..."

"Hope for change lies not in our agreements but in our disagreements, because in our disagreements

(dissensus) we argue about what is ‘the truth’ and we question the dominant norms and values and seek to change them”

(Bertens, 1995)

It soon came to mind that the core part of this journey wasn’t so much the technology. It was the relationship of collaboration that truly shined through for our team. Google docs provided the foundation to enable the pathway of critical collaboration ahead. We anticipated the impossible, and instead opened up endless dialogue to take us to a whole new level. Where to for now? We can only look ahead, ponder and grab at the opportunities that come our way. Being able to bring this to life and present at an annual early childhood conference is just the beginning of where we as teachers stand as leaders and advocates inspired to make a difference for the education of children.

I would like to commend the work and effort of Jen, who without her there would be no reflection on this event. The hours over a year of in depth discussions of dreams and hope for change have reached places beyond our belief. I am also very proud to be part of a team that makes this happen at the fore front of Tots Corner Early Learning Centre. Many thanks to Lorraine for always supporting our drives and allowing us the opportunity to share our story with our fellow Community of Learners. 

The 'final' (in a sense that this is not the end) of a collaborated learning story. 

Collaboration is not a passive phenomenon; it requires risk taking with some passion about it. Collaboration that leads to meaningful learning often begins with someone's (or something's) act of provocation and the willingness of another to become engaged.

Elizabeth Jones and John Nimmo (1999)

Reflections from teachers

Being an educator from outside the Nest, I am not as familiar with the children as Hanna and Jen. However, I believe this enables me to read the learning story from a more objective perspective and ensure a particular learning story is accessible to readers. Sometimes, I can suggest a different approach to a learning story or a rearrangement. Each of us bring different ideas, views and knowledge to the collaboration. I have found Hanna or Jen expanding on several ideas in ways that I had not considered. I believe the learning stories are more coherent and better informed due to this collaboration.
Carolyn Beadle - Tots Corner Relief Teacher

And how can this blog entry be complete without a reflection from Jen herself. 

WOW!!! (That’s the first impression I had on reading your in depth reflection!)
Unpacking the “wow”...
Looking back on our Google Docs journey, I can see how much our thinking has changed, and how our collegial relationship has strengthened. The flow through into our day to day teaching practice has been noticeable not just to ourselves but to the teaching community as a whole. There seems to be a sense of equality in our dialogue, and a shared vision of what it is to embrace teaching in the 21st century. Also, having been invited along on your forays into cyberspace through your CORE e-fellowship I have been inspired to re-visit and reflect on the multiple possibilities presented via social media and web-based learning. So, thank you too for having the open-mindedness to embrace educational change in this direction, it has meant that you and I can be advocates for the education and care of infants and toddlers. Perhaps giving others in the community an opportunity to see what we see - powerful and competent children who are global citizens right now and not at predesignated point in the future.
That’s the WOW I was talking about!!
Jen Boyd, Tots teacher, colleague and collaborator with inspirational e-fellow Hanna Fale

Life through a Lens; Looking at children anew through Photography

Listening with our eyes - photos as one of the 100 languages of children

Recently I presented 'Listening with our eyes' to a great group of motivated and ambitious teachers at the Tamaki-Maungakiekie Early Years Conference, organised by Naketa Ikihele (Core Education early years facilitator). Each time I share this journey with teachers, I am excited by the fact that they are left with a provocation to seek yet another perspective into their own reflective teaching.

This journey began in 2008 and has evolved ever since. The title says it all and it’s reassuring to know that I am still invited to share this story with other teachers.
Even though the ECE ICT PL 3 year contract has ended, we are continuing to un-pack our over-arching research question which was ‘How to use ICT as a tool to enhance our pedagogical documentation’. Further investigating the endless ways, ICT tools can be intertwined into our curriculum to enhance children’s teaching and learning.

 

Pedagogical Documentation. . .
Pedagogical documentation is based on teachers’ decisions of how they choose to make children’s learning visible.
Are we creating documentation that articulates meaningful and understandable perspectives of what children see?
It is the significance of what lies beyond our teaching pedagogy that embodies who we are as individuals. This reflects on our practice and most importantly how we decide to interpret the learning of children and ourselves as professional practitioners. If we believe that it is important to advocate our early childhood teacher roles to the wider community, then I firmly believe we should be articulating meaningful and rigorous pedagogical documentation.

The concept of a ‘Community of Learners’ is having a growing influence on how teachers are viewing learning and teaching processes. For this to be successful, teachers need to consider ways in which they present children’s learning and adult’s learning occuring within the group context, as opposed to learning that occurs in individualistic ways.

Giudici, Rinaldi & Kreschevsky (2001)

Life through a Lens - Photography

“ You don’t take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel Adams

An interest as well as a passion for myself personally and professionally is ‘Photography’. Photographs tell their own story, and I feel share the essence of what we as teachers decide to capture. I have found that using photographs as a tool to document children’s learning, only drives our motives as teachers to form valid and informative pedagogical documentation.

Over the years I have learnt to use photography as a means to communicate with others the potential of it, but more importantly to tell the visual stories of infants and young toddlers investigations and experiences. How do we justify the stories we tell with the images we make?

The possibilities are endless really. If this can inspire, motivate others to seek other perspectives into making learning visible through ICT, then we can all provoke each other to further un-pack using ICT as a tool to utilize and enrich teaching and learning with children.

To be able to share the history on how this all began leaves me with so much pride of such achievements. This falls back on the imbuing team of leaders at Tots Corner, that have contributed to this learning journey in many ways.

This year I am an eFellow recipient along with 5 other teachers from around New Zealand.
The CORE Education eFellowship Awards recognise innovative e-learning practice by New Zealand teachers.
The Fellowship celebrates teaching excellence in an e-learning context and aims to raise public and educational community awareness of the benefits of e-learning. Once inducted into the fellowship, fellows will provide ongoing, community-focused leadership in the field.
http://www.core-ed.org/foundation/efellows-2011

Prior to this Jen Boyd (The Nest Teacher, Tots) and I sent in an abstract to present at the annual Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa, New Zealand Childcare Association (NZCA) conference in Rotorua this July. The excitement was that we had moved on in leaps and bounds with this next chapter of our ICT journey.

Having completed the Ministry of Education ECE ICT PL programme in 2008, the Infant/Young Toddler teaching team at Tots Corner continue to un-pack the ways in which ICT could enhance their pedagogical documentation. Through the use of ‘Google docs’ teachers are able to better interact and collaborate as they critically reflect upon their role as teachers. We wish to share how we have been challenged in our understanding of collaboration, coming to the conclusion that truly reflective practice comes through multiple perspectives.

Here I would like to acknowledge where my blog title 'Truly reflective practice, comes through multiple perspectives' came from. To be able to work alongside another teacher who sees what I see is not only a gift, but truly an experience I will cherish for as long as I teach. I can only say that this really is the beginning of something that took us beyond the true meaning of 'Collaboration'. 
I look forward to sharing my next posting following presenting our keynote at the NZCA Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa Conference 2011.

A beginning is only the start of a journey to another beginning.. . .

The Journey so far. . .

I believe the combination of life and learning form an important part of my teaching. The experiences at Tots Corner Early Learning Centre have provided the guidance and materials for building on my abilities and for strengthening the principles that I highly value. I have to commend the leaders in my teaching career that inspired my thinking and provoked me to challenge my understandings of working with children, families and teachers as a Community of Learners.

My qualities are reflected in personal efforts to advocate my teaching role in society. I feel these experiences continue to contribute to who and where I am today both professionally and personally. 

Achievements 

I have been awarded an eFellowship for 2011 through the CORE Education Foundation. This eFellowship celebrates teaching excellence in an e-learning context and aims to raise public and educational community awareness of the benefits of e-learning. Fellows will provide ongoing, community-focused leadership in the field and participate in a one year research project. 

From 2007-2009 Tots Corner was involved in the Early Childhood Education Information Communication Technology Professional Learning Programme (ECE ICT PLP) with CORE education. The programme  and Jean Rockel (Auckland University Senior ECE Lecturer and First Years Journal Editor) . 

The programme provided the inspiration to write an article alongside our Core facilitator. ‘‘Listening with our Eyes” was published in The First Years; Nga Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education - The University of Auckland, Faculty of Education in 2009. 

http://www.education.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/first-years-content#s2c5. 

Through this research I was also presented with opportunities to share our research findings at various early childhood education conferences and events: 

• Tots Corner Professional development for Teachers 2007 - Present
• ECE ICT PLP Cluster Conferences  2007 - 2009
• ULearn Teachers Conference Christchurch 2008
• Reggio Emilia Provocations Conference 2008
• NZCA Te Tari Puna Aotearoa  2009/2011
• ‘Inspire'  Teachers’ Conference (Professional Development for Teachers) 2009/2011'
• Guest Speaker at Auckland University of Technology for ECE First Year Students 2010'
• Guest Speaker for CORE Education facilitators professional development for Teachers 2010/2011
• Presenter for ‘Inspire' American Teachers’ Study Tour to New Zealand 2010/2011

In connections with this programme, I was also featured in a DVD produced to illustrate the benefits of ICT in early childhood centres around New Zealand.