Janice's Reflective Practice Blog

What a journey the last 32 weeks have been! One that has seen me grow professionally and personally. Although my husband has referred to it as a ‘divorce diploma’. I read somewhere that the brain was like a muscle that needed to be worked out, just like the body. My brain certainly had the full fitness/boot camp workout.  Osterman and Kottkamp (1993, p.2) suggested that “reflective practice is viewed as a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance”.  I have, as a consequence of this Mind Lab programme, moved from having a fixed mindset to employing a growth one. Carol Dewek (2015) stated that a growth mindset wasn’t just about effort but also about trying new strategies and seeking input from others when you’re stuck.  The Mind Lab course has given me new knowledge, countless strategies, many opportunities to create digital and collaborative goals, and to take risks. If someone ...

Andrews (1990) defines interdisciplinary collaboration as occurring "when different professionals, possessing unique knowledge, skills, organizational perspectives, and personal attributes, engage in coordinated problem solving for a common purpose" (cited in Berg-Weger &. Schneider, 1998). My Interdisciplinary Connections Padlet. For a better view follow this link: https://padlet.com/janice_potts17/ptalcmst9fhl Interestingly, as I consider all my current interdisciplinary connections, my Padlet became quite a large arrangement. I also noticed that it is impossible to act as an independent. My current interdisciplinary connections and the CoPs I identify with, are interwoven. There are so many connections that we create to enable us to do our job properly that I have unconsciously adopted an interdisciplinary approach. Benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary practice in relation to my identified connections: The key benefit is that of mut...

Considering my Influence of Law and Ethics blog, I have started this reflection by referring to the New Zealand Education Council’s Guidelines on Ethical Use of Social Media. They say that; “teachers have commitments to: learners; parents/guardians and family/whānau; society; and the profession.” It further states that; “Teachers have a professional obligation to develop and maintain professional relationships with learners based on the best interests of those learners.” Do those ‘best interests’ involve using social media? Yes! Social media permeates today’s society with technology transforming the way that school's teach and children learn. General Social Media Reflection:                                                                ...

Today’s learning environment is completely different. We are faced with ethical choices that we did not have 25 years ago. On my CV, a section reads; At all times the attitudes and values that I display are reflective of my upbringing and as a professional in the community. I would never close my eyes to basic moral principles . I still use this as my ‘guide’. Nowadays I have to give deeper thought to ethical decisions as they now bring many differing challenges as we move forward in this digital ‘minefield’ world. Hall, A. (2001) noted that the decisions of teachers are now more frequently questioned and challenged by members of a more articulate and better-educated community, aided by mass media. That is frightening and sadly in line with the ‘blame culture’ we are promulgating in New Zealand. It is also another reason to be very clear where we stand ethically, when address issues, whether they be face to face or on-line. When reflecting on my ethical dilemma, I have cons...