Back in July I signed up for the Mindlab course along with my colleague and friend from work, Catherine. @catwooller
We were lucky enough to be given sponsored places on the course through our school's association with Unitec. Can't turn down an offer like that!
So off we went. The bonus was being able to choose which night you attended - or the Saturday morning. Theoretically you would be able to swap nights if you were caught up in meetings or something. Great idea - seriously great idea.
As it turned out we became pretty much bonded in our groups and it was a wrench to move to another time - so people only did that when desperate!
The 'course' turned out to be 4 postgrad papers. First 2 - in-house attendance - on Digital and Collaborative Learning and the second 2 - based online - on Research.
The first few weeks stretched us in many ways. We were forced to get to know each other. It was a timely insight into how our students feel in new classes at the beginning of a school year. All my defences came up "I don't want to work with them", "I don't know them", "I don't feel very collaborative" etc etc. At times we were not well behaved and did not play nicely with others but we sure learned to! It pushed us out of our comfort zones and teachers don't always like that! We learned we are fairly traditional at heart and the push was good for us.
The format of classes developed as we went along. The weekly classes were of 4 hours duration. A bit of an ask after a full teaching day, but it generally went surprisingly quickly. The first 2 hours were usually spent learning a skill and demonstrating our expertise in that skill before settling down to listen to more theoretical parts of the course and engage in (sometimes heated) discussion. There were times early on when I was confused by how we were given a seemingly abstract task to complete - we didn't always see the value of manipulating play doh to 'represent' some aspect of theoretical understanding...We often had to interpret the task within our group to work out how to complete it. And interpretations varied between groups. Exercises like 'designing a future school' seemed too abstract at the time (week 3) but in hindsight I can see where it was going. I think it just wasnt the time for it then. Some of us wanted practical DO NOW type things we could implement. We were being asked by colleagues what we were getting from the course that could link back to our schools - and for the first few weeks that didn't happen. It felt more like a business model. I think this happened as the weeks wore on. It became less hypothetical and more reality (our reality) based. Maybe someone said something or that came through in the feedback forms we filled in.
I was really impressed with the tutors. All of them were extremely easy to talk to, friendly, approachable, knowledgeable in the extreme and keen! REALLY keen. That was important when considering they were dealing often with cranky, tired teachers.
In the event, leaving school promptly on a Tuesday and driving to a fun place to work with like-minded people turned out to be a really cherished weekly event.
My classmates were a varied bunch. From early educators (Year 1) to Tertiary - with teachers of every age group in-between represented. Not only that but we were a diverse mix ourselves. Every age, many ethnicities, lots of varied experiences, differing attitudes to technology - from the 'full embrace' to the 'arm's length I-have-been-forced-into-using-this' brigade! It was really the most amazing mix! I wondered how it would all go at the beginning!
The building itself is a really 'different' space. Open, airy, sectioned off in parts and often cold over the winter! We had the run of it when making things and could use 'bits' from anywhere. The computers were set up but we also often used our own - depending on the task. Phones were an essential for capturing photos of spontaneous excitement over things going right - or wrong! I would really like some aspects of this style of learning environment at my school - probably would work on heating it better though! But the idea was good. There were standing desks, comfy chairs, hard chairs, tables, benches - whatever you needed. Technology wise it was good too - new shiny computers, green screen, robots - whatever we needed really.
One great that happened was the getting to know my classmates and where they had come from. Like all situations we are thrust into - some of the people I related to better than others. Some I grew to respect. Some I managed to avoid - especially in group situations. Another insight into what our students go through.
The assessments. Well.... they came thick and fast. Luckily I managed not to have to get an extension until the third paper! But that was due in the last week of term 4 and that was never going to happen, schools being schools at that time of year. Luckily they understood this and extensions were not a problem, technical failure was not really a problem. There was plenty of advice given and I felt like I could ask questions over and over until I got the answers I wanted. Generally speaking - from the perspective of one who writes assessment tasks, the tasks we were given were often rather vague. They almost always needed clarification from the tutors/markers. We often had a couple of hours devoted to asking questions around the requirements of the tasks. But this I think is due to being in the first intake. It's a refining process and I appreciate the process - having developed assessment tasks at school - its not until the second time you run them that you sort out the bugs!
The bonus was - we could always ask.
Digital assessments were an 'experience'! I had to learn the skills needed to produce these and there was often trial and error involved but I generally appreciated the experience and learned that forms of assessment can be many and varied but all still valid. Ive been trying to convince my dept of that for years - and am NOW making some headway!
So what did I get from it? So far some fairly healthy marks! Did well in my Digital and Collaborative Learning in Context paper and my Leadership in Digital and Collaborative Learning. The Leadership one was more of a challenge but also REALLY interesting and relevant too!
I think the things I learned most were:
To remember what it is like to be a learner - in so many ways!
To know that I am ahead of the game as an early adopter of technology
To risk take
To pace myself
That I am still able to learn new skills
That collaboration is the 'new black'
So where are we now? Embarking on the online part of the course. I am reflecting on my concept of the purpose of research in education. I have found a topic I want to look at - the use of digital technology in supporting beginning teachers - and I am reading up a storm on it so that I can get my assessments in over the Christmas break.
We are having a get together tomorrow night at Mindlab in Parnell to regroup as none of us have seen each other for a few weeks and we are all getting Mindlab withdrawal! AND we need reassurance around the Lit Review assessment! (in written format no less!)
Its a blast. I would highly recommend it. Not just for teachers who are leading change in their schools but for ANY teacher who wants to remain relevant in the classroom in these times of exponential change.
Onward!