Discuss how ethical issues are being addressed

Step 1: Describe an ethical issue that you want to focus on in this entry

Once my inquiry was well underway and children had now immersed themselves with the online platform of Classcraft, I found that the boys in the classroom were taking over and dominating their 'team'.  The girls in the group were reluctantly withdrawing from team decisions and were becoming less likely to involve themselves when completing quests.  also, some of the boys were displaying bullying tactics to some of their groups members in order to get them to give them some of their 'health'.

The ethical dilemma I was facing is based around our code of conduct.  As a teacher, we all have a commitment to all our learners and to have inclusive programmes that benefit individual needs and abilities (Education Council, 2017).

From these observations, I had to think carefully of the action I was going to take.  The dilemmas I was facing:
- do I suddenly stop Classcraft as it was causing gender fractions within the class, increase of bullying tactics and the girls feeling they can't have a voice in the classroom.
-   do I break up the groups and start again, giving choice but in doing so creating competitive groups that might increase the tension with members.
- do I ban certain members of the class as they were creating tension in the classroom and weren't showing kindness or compassion.



Step 2:  Reflection on the actions you have taken to address the ethical issues.

Considering these ethical issues, I have used the Ehrich, L. C., Kimber, M., Millwater, J. & Cranston, N. (2011) ethical decision-making framework.

My priority was to keep this online platform going as I had anecdotal notes on how well children were engaged and motivated to complete tasks.  My target students were showing considerable engagement to their learning, so giving up was not an option.

Firstly, to address the issues I had several 'Circle Time' sessions.  Circle Time is a teaching strategy which allows children to explore and address issues which are of concern.  It provides a structured session/s for solving problems on an equal footing (Children Central, 2018).  In these sessions we discussed group and individual behaviour that was creating tensions within the Classcraft teams.

Secondly, I approached individual children who were in charge of their teams and explained that they needed to involve all members of their team, giving them equal participation.

Finally, I had to involve parents to inform them that their child was not displaying the desired values and expectations of our school.

This course of action was taken promptly.  Lessons and discussions were carried out so that these issues did not escalate and force me to end gamification in my classroom.

Step 3:  Discuss the lesson learnt for future inquiry.

Several lessons were learnt.  Gamification can lead to children being too competitive because they want to enhance their own gratification.  

Before introducing these programmes into the classroom, several lessons need to be taught so that all children have equity, sound social skills to work with others, and team spirit.

For future inquiries, careful consideration needs to be planned for any ethical issues that may arise. Strategies need to be developed to try and mitigate these so that teachers, whanau and their children have successful and positive outcomes.

(550 words)

References:

Children Central, (2018).  What is Circle Time and how it benefits your children.  Retrieved from:

https://childrencentral.net/what-is-circle-time-and-how-it-benefits-your-children/

Education Council, (2017).  Our Code Our Standards.  Retrieved from:

https://childrencentral.net/what-is-circle-time-and-how-it-benefits-your-children/

Ehrich, L. C. , Kimber M., Millwater, J. & Cranston, N. (2011). Ethical dilemmas: a model to understand teacher practice, Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 17:2, 173-185, DOI: 10.1080/13540602.2011.539794

Online Participation - MeWe

Week 28: Apply a reflective model to discuss something that has happened during my inquiry so far, and how it impacts on taking action

Reflecting on our teaching practice is essential to further our pedagogies and to also ensure that we are continually trying to improve.  Findlay, (2008) states that "this often involves examining assumptions of everyday practice." (p.1)

For this reflection entry, I have decided to use Rolfe's Model of Reflection (Otago Polytechnic n.d., 2001).  

These three questions may seem simplistic, however they invite you to really reflect more in depth than I first thought.


Step 1:  (What - Description):  Describe something that has happened during your Inquiry so far.

My inquiry is to what extent does gamification increase motivation, engagement and student achievement within a classroom setting.  

I decided on using the Classcraft online platform.  This platform has a game element to it which involves children working together to gain powers, points and quests.  I decided to establish groups that were a mix of abilities, gender and not necessarily 'friendships'.  I wanted to see if Classcraft would build new relationships and get children to collaborate more.  Once the groups had been set up, children  had to decide on which members should take on particular powers and which members would be in charge of the group.

Straight away I came to the realisation that this platform was going to be very exciting and a popular platform.  Children were excited to choose their avatars and who should have the particular powers.  Positive collaboration was instant!  All children were involved and once the groups were up and running, points were highly sought after for on task behaviours, completion of work and collaborating positively with each other.  An interesting observation was when I had to take away some health (points) off a person, other members in the group quickly said they would give their character some health so that they wouldn't die.  

One challenge I faced was that I needed to always be on this platform to give students points or to decrease their health.  This challenge has been both time consuming, but also exciting to watch how students deal with these situations.

Step 2:  (So what - Theory and Knowledge):  Analyse its impacts on taking actions in relation to supporting literature.

Within the first few weeks I noticed a definite shift in their motivation and engagement to complete tasks/quests and the positive relationships that had now become established.  Whanaungatanga definitely improved through this game.   (Asil, 2017).  This tells me that having this platform has definitely made a difference in the classroom with children getting along with each other and collaborating together to complete a task.  

As we got more involved with the platform, children were more engaged and asking to do more 'quests'.  This word had replaced 'tasks'.  Children became more excited and motivated to complete class tasks in order for their groups to level up and gain more points.  This impact was heart warming for my target students who often struggled to complete work.  I observed the rest of their group now wanting to help them (Tuakana teina) (Asil, 2017), making them more engaged and motivated.

One challenge was due to its popularity, students wanted me to purchase and upgrade the platform to release more features.  This was part of my action plan (Integrating Kaupapa Maori Principles) of Kia piki aki i nga raruraru o te kainga where I would provide equal access and opportunities.  I was unable to upgrade due to the personal cost of me providing the funding.  This made some students disappointed that they couldn't gain extra features and therefore they lost some engagement in the programme.

Student agency also increased in the classroom (Edtalks, 2012).  Children took more of a collaborative role in completing the quests with more problem solving, operating and using the strengths of their group.

Step 3:  (Now what - Action):  How can it contribute to your future practice?


With Classcraft now embedded into my daily teaching practice, I need to continually add in quests for the children to complete.  This is becoming a little challenging as the time factor on top of planning is becoming restrained.  To continue its positive effect on my students I will probably need to upgrade to unlock further benefits of the programme.  I can not see this as a problem for 2020 as I have met with my Team Leader and he has said it could come out of the classroom budget.

I will need to ensure that all children have access to a school device if they haven't purchased their own as this will mean all students have access when ever they desire.  It has been a challenge to have all students with their own devices this term.  

I have certainly noticed that motivation and engagement has increased in the classroom, which has been wonderful to observe.  

For myself, I still need to further my learning with 'gaming' and gamification.  Being a 'non-gamer' has meant I have had to get my head around the 'gaming' language, how online gaming works and how children work together online to complete various quests.  I need to continue to develop exciting quests for children and work towards having a classroom environment whereby all students look forward to using gamification to enhance their learning.




References:

Asil, M. (2017).  A School-Based Measure of Culturally Responsive Practices.  Frontiers in Education 2(17), 1-7. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2017.00017

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Finlay, Lynda Jan 10, 2008 - Reflecting on 'Reflective practice. PBPL paper 52. 

Otago Polytechnic. (n.d.). Reflective Writing. Retrieved from https://www.op.ac.nz/assets/LearningAdvice/Reflective-writing.pdf

Week 27: Examine how indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness are informing the way you are taking action

Culturally responsive pedagogy isn't anything new in New Zealand schools.  However, teachers need to have this pedagogy in the forefront of their everyday teaching practice. Gay (2010) defines culturally responsive pedagogy as teaching ‘to and through [students’] personal and cultural strengths, their intellectual capabilities, and their prior accomplishments’ (p. 26) and as premised on ‘close interactions among ethnic identity, cultural background, and student achievement’ (p. 27).

Being a cultural responsive teacher in Russell Bishop's (2012), research is to move away from deficit explanations for students' learning and a focus on agentic talk.  That is, talk that is clearly articulated and students are encouraged as they succeed. Another example of being a cultural responsive teacher is one who cares and nurtures the learner. 

Effective teaching around this area is one where educators have a sound understanding of their own culture and how they build relationships and provide learning experiences with their akonga and involving their whanau. 

Relationship Based Learning (RBL) (Bishop, 2012) is one of our whole school professional development contracts we are currently on.  For Maori learners to learn successfully, teachers need to embrace individuals and seek out their strengths and cultural heritage, nurture and set high expectations and allow for students to collaborate in meaningful ways within authentic contexts.  What benefits Maori leaners, will in turn benefit the whole class. 

Step 2:  Examine the actions you have taken for your inquiry in light of the cultural frameworks.

For this reflection, I have chosen the 'Culturally Responsive Practice for Maori Scale' (Asil, 2017).  This scale has been developed around key components of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Kotahitanga, Rangatiratanga, and  Pumanawatanga.

My inquiry is to what extent does gamification engage and motivate learners and student achievement.  I was finding that children did not have positive relationships with each other and were unable to successfully collaborate.  Asil's, (2017) aspect of Whanaungatanga (relationship building) ties in nicely with this.  

Knowing this issue, I am finding that the introduction of Games Based Learning and Gamification has had positive outcomes.  With the introduction of these platforms, I created groups that were not based on friendships but rather a mix of abilities and gender.  Children in these groups were instantly bought together to create a group name and then to decide on what members of the group had what 'powers'.  Children quickly worked out who should have the various powers.  Suddenly I noticed the tuakana teina concept in practice (Asia, 2017). 

Within each task or 'quest', I have found it surprising how students are more sincere towards each other and how they are now displaying Whanaungatanga.  Relationships are a lot more positive now with children working together in these groups to gain points, powers and extra 'gold' to level up to the next level.

Step 3:  Implications for future inquiry

When considering implications and future actions in relation to cultural responsive practice, it is important to reflect on my learning journey in this area.  

Our school will enter its third year of Relationship Based Learning (which is based around Russell Bishops research, 2012).  I have recently been accredited as a RBL Impact Coach through a vigorous PD programme alongside our Cognition facilitators.  This involved several observations of colleagues and then having a feedback session looking specifically at their cultural responsiveness in the lesson.  

I have become more aware of my own teaching pedagogy in this area and now have a clear understanding of what it means to be culturally responsive by way of rejecting deficit thinking in my practice.

I believe with more agentic talk, caring for and nurturing the learner, voicing and demonstrating high expectations, and knowing what students need to learn, that I will continue to provide an environment where Maori students will show positive and social outcomes.

References:

Asil, M. (2017).  A School-Based Measure of Culturally Responsive Practices.  Frontiers in Education 2(17), 1-7. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2017.00017

CORE Education.(2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Week 26: Discuss how aspects of law, regulations and/or policy impact on teacher inquiry

As an experienced teacher, my obligation to the profession of teaching and the students I teach is to be a life long learner that continuously changes and improves my pedagogy.  My position is one of which I need to continue to learn new innovations, engage and understand my students so that they can reach their full potential both socially and academically.  

As teachers, we are governed by the Education Council and have to adhere to the codes and standards documented in the Our Codes, Our Standards (Educational Council, 2017).

Teacher inquiry is embedded into our schools professional culture.  All teachers at our school have to carry out a teacher inquiry that shows that we can improve the learning outcomes for our 'target' and Maori students.  Teachers generate an inquiry question, gather evidence to support and affirm their hunches and the actions they develop.  With our inquiry question, we also have to keep in mind on how we are meeting the Practicing Teacher Criteria (PTCs).

Page 18 of the standards from the regulation 'Our Code, Our Standards' has an important influence on the appraisal process and the inquiry question which we develop throughout the year.

The Education Council states that the appraisal process has been developed to "affirm and develop a high standard of teaching in New Zealand".  Using the standards "help teachers learn, grow and achieve the best outcomes for learners" (pg.8).

Kerikeri Primary School uses the Arinui Clarity through Focus online tool.  Arinui is more than just a portfolio of evidence, rather it is a tool focusing teachers on improving rather than proving.  There is a big focus on student learning, teaching and leading and active reflection.

This process is closely aligned to Timperley's cycle of inquiry (2014).  Teachers are prompted through a series of questions and reflective sections where they are asked to upload any evidence that supports their inquiry.  Towards the end of the process, teachers than select the appropriate PTCs that have been identified through out the inquiry process.  This in turn may lead to further inquiries that focus the teacher on PTCs that weren't evidenced through their first inquiry. 

Teachers have been using this platform for two years now.  Using this tool for appraisal is still a little contentious.  Some teachers feel that it is a 'top down' directive that has to be filled in correctly and comprehensively.  With the current work load issues, teachers are feeling that appraisal is just another 'tick box' form that they need to complete.  I would argue that we don't need a prescriptive online platform to complete a successful inquiry rather we should be focusing on teacher individuality and the desire for teachers to pursue a meaningful inquiry that they can present in a variety of ways.


Wider Context:

Professional learning is well supported by our senior management team.  However, much of this professional development has been decided without consultation with the staff, therefore some inquiries have been completed without a meaningful purpose that relates to individual teacher needs and interests. Wood, (2015) argues this point by saying that inquiries are not teacher led but are driven by the appraisal systems and are therefore not teacher owned. 

I feel that enrolling in the MindLab course is a true inquiry process whereby I have been excited to learn new pedagogies and be a more critical with my teaching practice.  I have been motivated and engaged because it was something that I was interested in and excited about.  I question whether whole school professional development meets everyone's needs or personal interests that make them a better teacher.

When thinking of appraisals and the inquiries that happen within various schools, I wonder what expectations are given to each teacher and whether these expectations hinder a meaningful inquiry that a teacher wants to pursue.  Wood, (2015) argues that there are pitfalls and obstacles that need to be considered.  School management need to think carefully of their systems and approaches to appraisal, such as the time frames they set, and the mandated inquiry topics that teachers may inquire on are a risk of restricting personal professional development and inquiry (Wood, 2015).

An important factor that needs to be considered is whether an inquiry should be aligned to the appraisal systems and the 'Our Code, Our Standards'.  I believe there is great value in teacher-led inquires in schools'.  Wood, (2015) argues that there needs to be a collective responsibility between management and teachers.  More needs to be done to encourage teacher inquiry in collaborative groups, and as individuals to encourage teacher ownership. Inquiries are usually completed individually and never shared with colleagues.  Placing an importance on appraisals would benefit teachers.  Prioritising teacher inquiries within staff meetings and team meetings would truely benefit.  Ensuring teachers get explicit guidance and coaching through out the year with the Arinui platform and having weekly discussions about our inquiry questions would also be an effective way to improve our pedagogy with building relationships, critical friends and also having a positive result on our akonga. 

References:

Arinui, (2019) Retrieved from:
https://www.arinui.com/benefits

Education Council (2017). Our Code, Our Standards. Retrieved from https://teachingcouncil.nz/sites/default/files/Our%20Code%20Our%20Standards%20web%20booklet%20FINAL.pdf

Timperley, H., Kaser, L., Halbert, J. (2014). A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the Spiral of inquiry.  (Center for Strategic Education Seminar Series Paper 34). 
Retrieved from:

https://teaching council.nz/sites/default/files/40%20Spiral%20of%20Inquiry%20Paper%-%Timperley%20Kaser%20Halbert.pdf

Wood, C.(2015).Teaching as Inquiry: form, purpose and application in New Zealand

Week 25: Discuss how you are addressing the context of different audiences and their perspectives for my inquiry.

As a 21st Century leader in digital technology and an enthusiastic classroom teacher, my inquiry is to implement gamification into the classroom to see whether it will make a positive change to learning in the classroom with children becoming more motivated and engaged therefore enhancing achievement.

I have various audiences within this inquiry, starting with my students in the classroom.  My particular focus are my identified children who are struggling with motivation and engagement and are a level behind where they should be in the curriculum.  My wider audience base will hopefully be the teaching staff and whanau as I see gamification as an exciting online platform to increase motivation and engagement in the classroom.

Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012) argue that 21st century learning needs to continually evolve as new ideas, beliefs and theories shape our akonga.  As teachers, we have the responsibility to be a life long learner and to implement new pedagogies to benefit our akonga.

Children are very familiar with gamification and "gaming" in the global settings, therefore we need to be prepared to have some form of gamification operating in our classrooms to enhance the learning.  Students require new and emerging skills, particularly critical thinking skills of the 21st century (Daggett, 2014).

Bolstad et al., 2012 argue that we need new partnerships and communities.  With my inquiry of gamification, I can visualise that learning tasks could be developed within gamification and that children across different classrooms can all be operating in a 'quest' where they all have to problem solve, communicate effectively and cooperate to complete a quest ahead of other classes.

Daggett, B. (2014) points out "the world in which students will live and work is changing and advancing at an even faster rate than improvements in our schools." (pg.2).  It is therefore vital for teachers and whanau need to keep up with latest trends and advancements that are taking place both nationally and globally.  With my inquiry, educators and whanau need to realise that gamification is in fact a vital part of 21st century learning and needs to be incoroparated into daily learning practices and learning experiences.

As an early adopter (Robinson, L. (2009) of digital technology, I embrace new innovations that enhance learning and bring excitement for akonga.  I realise that my wider community of colleagues that are resistant to change will find it difficult to introduce gamification into their classrooms.  Daggett, (2014) argues the lack of training to implement new digital technologies is a challenge in schools.  I agree with this statement and will have to work alongside my colleagues and also the senior leadership team in order to implement gamification in a wider context.

Teachers and digital curriculum leaders will need to have systems and support mechanisms in place to ensure that the digital curriculum will be implementing successfully with competent teachers incorporating learning experiences daily into their teaching programmes (Daggett, 2014.)

Gamification is a relativity new concept that is being developed within schools.  I realise that there will be resistance and laggards that feel children are getting enough 'gaming' experiences at home and that some whanau will be arguing that it shouldn't be in a classroom context.  My perspective is, if children are gaming online in their home context, why not embrace it at school where teachers can use gamification for motivation and engagement which in turn will enhance learning, engage students and incorporate many of the key competencies.  It is up to teachers to provide stimulating lessons and education that will help learners be prepared for the future!



References:

Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective. Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306

Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing current and future challenges in education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf

Robinson, L. (2009). A summary of Diffusion of Innovations. Changeology.
Retrieved from http://www.enablingchange.com.au/SummaryDiffusion