21st century skills

week 2 looking at 21st century skills. What skills do our students need in this time of change?

Reflected individually through a Google form on our thoughts then all of the Rotorua group had their responses recorded in a word cloud.

My thoughts

• Collaboration
• Reciprocal learning
• Problem solving and problem creating
• Creativity
• Innovation
• Self-regulation
• Communication

Our next task was to look at Gert Biesta’s domains of purpose

We were asked to discuss in groups 

• Are schools balanced across the three domains?
• Skills in a time of hyperchange?
• How does the ‘Knowledge as a noun’ idea sit here?

There were some interesting discussion around socialisation and whether we change in different places, situations and who we are with. Are qualifications always needed? I feel that knowledge as a noun sits in this area and that that knowledge as a verb sits in subjectification. Many innovative people don't necessary have formal qualifications and I believe our existing ways of being can change especially in the global world we find ourselves in and the many interactions we have from it.

We looked at the document 21st century learning design and compared their defined skills needed for 21st century learning with the key competencies.

21st century skills	Key Competencies
Collaboration Knowledge Construction Self Regulation Real World Problems/Innovations ICT for learning Skilled Communication	Thinking Relating to others Understanding language, symbols and texts Managing Self Participating and Contributing

Our group (Kath, Kersty and I) were given one of the ITL research 21st century skills and an activity rubric to create a video. We were given Collaboration and the following rubric.

We looked at the steps needed to create a good movie.

Collaboration of the three little pigs

Watch the three little pigs move through the rubric of collaboration, where they have shared responsibility to make substantive decisions.

In our other paper on leadership in digital and collaborative learning we were asked to

• reflect: How might teachers’ strengths in developing capabilities in thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, be recognised and celebrated?How might students’ capabilities in thinking, using language, symbols, and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, be recognised and celebrated?
• I believe the key competencies all weave together and are not separate.

Teachers-when working collaboratively: planning, teacher inquiry, moderation, PLD, class blogs, working with other teachers or schools, learning conversations, working with the community,
Asking questions,reading current literature, reflecting on practice, identifying own goals, RTC blog, balanced time on work and away from work, professional networks,

Students-working in groups, inquiry learning, reflecting, setting and assessing against goals, planning for their learning, critical thinking and problem solving and setting, challenging assumptions, curiosity, interpret information,provide information and communicate with others, student blogs, knowing when to lead and when to follow,positive interaction with others-within the school and the community and with other school students when at activities or events. Certificates indicating when  key competencies are been displayed. Setting class Dojo behaviour awards to the key competencies. Constantly referring to them and questioning what they look like in action. Identifying them through units of work or inquiries.

Mindlab-the purpose of education and

Started on a new journey with Mindlab and looking forward to learning so much.

First week and we were asked to describe what knowledge is. Worked with a great group of people in developing our concepts about it. first on paper and then challenged to create a video in 30 minutes.

We were also asked; reflect on how your understanding of the purpose of education is visible in your classroom.
First I thought about how learning is displayed in the classroom.

• Learning and ways to help learn are displayed all around
• Class and individual blogs share learning to a wider audience
• SOLO and other thinking and questioning and assessment is displayed, together with questions about why and how we are learning.

Next I thought more about what we had been doing around the concept of knowledge and feel that my purpose in education is to empower the students to be life long learners and prepare them for a future that is uncertain and that they need the skills to do this rather than just content and facts. So I thought again; how are the skills needed to be a successful learner visible in my classroom? Or how I would really like to have them visible in the classroom.

• Teacher as facilitator more student centered
• Collaborative working
• reciprocal learning
• problem solving and creating problems
• sharing of ideas, thoughts
• having a questioning attitude
• inquiry learning
• critical thinking
• creativity
• resilience, having a go and not frightened to make mistakes
• developing own goals and self assessing
• discovery and exploration
• fun, positive, safe environment
• learning space, environment which allows for choices of individual learning styles and how and where children learn
• access to different technologies

 Hopefully in mine and the students learning there is more focus on  these skills, allowing for collaboration, creativity, understanding and awareness of others,effective communication and connected with the world.

Te Rangihakahaka

Attended our school's Te Rangihakahaka wananga at Paratehoata-Te Kohea marae. Where we experienced the marae setting and deepened our knowledge of Ngati Whakaue identity, language and culture through various korero about whakapapa, tikanga and whenua. We also learnt about the setting and significance of Ohinemutu and various other places in and around Rotorua, including the stories around the street names in the CBD. From the wananga experience we reflected and considered what we had learnt and how we can use this new learning within the school community and classroom, and what support is needed.

Managing change transition

Attended a two day course facilitated by Vikram Murthy on managing transitional change. This involved looking at different types of change and how organisations and individuals perceptive, react and respond to change. We questioned and self analysed our own organisations through many self tests and assessments and gave feedback and presentations of our findings/data. A force field analysis of the driving forces for change and the resisters for change was conducted for both the school and individuals. The effect of change on organisations and individuals was explored and the transitioning process identified. Changing output or skills or people didn't have as profound effect as changing a culture which needed complete change. One aspect that came from this was the need to have a vision that was actually attainable and measurable and the importance of all staff sharing, fostering and working towards the vision and believing in it and it's attainability.

Growing the Brain

Attended the course/talk below on what children's brains need to optimize learning.  

connected Rotorua meet

Friday evening meeting with people of Connected Rotorua.  Looking at ways of doing RTC on line. Discussed different ways of recording evidence. Also questioned ownership of material etc if leaving school if using on Blogger who owns it. Also security of pictures and videos  of children could be an issue.Shared my own RTC with the group.

Connected Educator month

Have been taking part in connected educator month and as part of this have been doing PD on-line and also attended the U-learn mobile day in the holidays, which i attended a workshop on Google apps for use on the Ipad and Torbay school presenting about BYOD. Still not sure about the ability and use of Google apps on the I pads, need to look at other way to collaborate, also need to look at task first rather than tool. As for BYOD not sure if we need to specify a device as this limits, however, would be good to have information for parents of what we are doing and what we may need and to offer some sort of package to lease or buy. As part of connected educator month students in my class have taken part in passing the blog, a blog which showcases Rotorua and is been commented on and accessed globally.

http://connectedrotoruaschools.blogspot.co.nz/