M4: Foundations and Principles in Context of Practice

Section 1: Write about why you selected the context of professional practice that you did and what professional contributions you hope to make in that professional space, how these spaces can contribute to your growth as a professional, and how they can serve as a place for you to provide leadership.

 

edWeb Contribution 1 - June 2, 2022

At the end of May, I joined edWeb.net and found a PLC there, dedicated to 21st Century Learning. This topic appealed not only to the New Media 10 teacher in me, but also to the PME student in me who has been contemplating the role of technology and “21st-Century skills” in curriculum. I selected this domain for its accessible, yet teacher-oriented organization: by this, I mean that it was open to teachers across the provinces and internationally, and for which I was not required to pay membership fees (which I found for some of the links provided by Queens, and I am a teacher in BC). I appreciated how edWeb has webinars to accompany their forums.

I wanted to first begin my posting by answering other people's questions, so I was more of a contributor/ giver than a "taker." Please see these two screenshots.

edWeb Contribution 2 - June 2, 2022

my #teachergram page, as of June 2, 2022

 At the same time, I should state that I have been active on the #teachergram/ #teachersonIG community since 2020. When we went back to hybrid, then in-person learning, I found it challenging to remain positive when my colleagues, for very understandable reason, were extremely stressed and stretched in a million directions. What I mean to say is, I let myself get into a space where I was so focused on the small-scale, on the tiny world that is our school, that I lost optimism and lost a wider perspective. And this is not a unique phenomena, as Watson (2014) discusses the dangers of group-think that can occur in a PLC (p. 25). 2020-2021 was a challenging year for a myriad of reasons, but I found myself turning to social media for other inspiration. And I found my way onto #teachergram. It began with me sharing my experiences with the hashtag #teachingduringapandemic, as catharsis, and then, as followers increased, bloomed into me developing the confidence to share some lessons of which I was proud. When I focused more on giving (i.e. giving lesson plan ideas, with the hashtag #newteacher #teachertips or #lessonplans) than venting (hoping to receive validation through Likes), I believe I made the shift towards legitimate leadership. I am still not there. 

My Post from June 2, 2022

an example of sharing my teaching philosophy in practice (Nov. 2021)

an example of sharing how to bring SEL research into English 10 curriculum (Nov 2021)

an example of showing my strategies for clarity of instruction (for ELL students in summer school, July 2021)

an example of sharing my thoughts and perspectives on positive parental communication (Dec. 2020)

 Section 2: Write about any challenges you found in getting accepted into the group and how you navigated these challenges. 

Supposing that one has an email account and is moderately familiar with forums and social media, both edWeb and #teachergram are relatively accessible. However, the challenge emerged for me not with acceptance, but in seeking active and local communities online. I suppose the idea of online PLC’s is that we are extending the concept of “community,” so local connections is not entirely relevant; however, I cannot help but contrast these online PLC’s with that of Blitz’s (2013) definition, which addressed the very tangible and local purpose of such a group: 

"Operationally, PLCs are teams of educators (commonly teachers) who meet regularly, often during scheduled school time, to develop lesson plans, examine student work, monitor student progress, assess the effectiveness of instruction, and identify needs for professional learning" (A-1). 

This is definitely nowhere near even simulated with my online PLCs – most teachers, as I will discuss later, are teaching in other countries (mainly the USA). At the same time, I am not under the expectation that online PLC’s would reflect the idea of meeting in school time – that part, I am overlooking. I feel that this is a constraint in all schools, especially with all the conflicting needs during this covid time. But further, my creation of the Instagram account was borne out of, in part, a lack of time to collaborate with colleagues who, back in 2020, were not able to stay at the school for extended times (due to safety precautions). 

 With the challenge of the local, I navigate these through adapting the ideas found in the PLC, to my context. It is also just a helpful practice, because adaptation helps make the lesson ideas uniquely yours, and so you can convey them with more excitement and authenticity – at least for me. Also, if we are truly to speak of a student-centered and student-first education model, we have to remember that there is not one size fits all (McNeil, 2009; Sowell, 2005; Vallance, 1986); similarly, there is not one-class-size-fits-all: what works in one person’s class will be different from yours, not just because of teaching location, but because each class character/ composition is different. We know this. So, yes, I did adapt, but I feel like these adjustments were also just “best practice.” 

 Section 3: What type of curriculum theories/ philosophies does this group connect to? Is this easily apparent or is it harder to determine? Why is this? 

 The social reconstructivist model (Eisner & Vallance, 1974) seems inescapable to me here. Bridging Section 2 and 3, because your PLC will contain people with different provincial/ international standards, what is then left over are the transferrable skills. That is, sure, one teacher may be covering the Vietnam War in Socials 11 from an American context, but that doesn’t mean a Socials 10 teacher in BC cannot take inspiration from the skills (e.g. perspective-taking and inquiry) or type of activity (e.g. escape room) for their own. This brings us back to the point of cognitive processes (Eisner & Vallance, 1974). 

 I am also thinking of one of Brown’s (2006) categories of curriculum orientation, whereby curriculum uses technology as tools to maximize one’s abilities in terms of pedagogical exploration and delivery. 

 That said, my failing in this is that both the behavoiurist and curriculum as technology lens are more on the teachers “doing” than students. I think it is harder to determine the philosophies of this group because of its expansiveness. That said, I am open to others’ thoughts.

Section 4: Write an analysis of the group you have joined. Is it supportive? Does it post often enough? Does it give you what you need? Is it connected to your philosophy of education? Would you suggest others join it? Interesting or challenging points? 

After examining the internet space of your context of professional practice, think about what mode of communication best suits the space. Also, analyse the web site for clues as to the practice of the site’s participants: What type of curricular design commonly guides planning, instruction and evaluation? (Think back to educational philosophies and conceptions of curriculum at some point in your writing). Then, write out your analysis. Without a doubt, the #teachergram community is largely populated with American teachers. Elementary and middle-school teachers tend to be the most active; I co-hosted a Follow Loop last summer, and most of our participants (as well as my co-hosts) were American elementary school teachers. There were two secondary school-specific follow loops that I was aware of, and I participated in one for a brief period in 2021; however, it was still in its grassroots stage. Watson (2014) outlines the guidelines of an effective PLC, in terms of shared values, inclusivity, respect, and networking ability. For edWeb, one will definitely find a community with shared values, because the individual is selecting a specific PLC to join. It is curated as such. Inclusivity is present insofar as you apply to get in, and you are admitted within minutes (as an automated system). In scanning the 21st Century Skills one, I don’t know of the extent to which you would build a sense of networking and rapport, just based on the limited activity (and the datedness of said posts). #Teachergram is highly inclusive and respectful. I’ve not found a more positive community. While I don’t receive too many comments at just over 5K followers, I’ve yet to receive the sort of internet slander I’ve seen in, say, YouTube comment sections. Safety online will always be a concern, and there were two regular interactors whom I have had to block, but otherwise, I have had regular interactions with just over 5 other teachers in the USA and UK. There would be more opportunity for networking if I responded to my Direct Messages (DM’s), but I have received some unsavory comments in the past, and no longer check them. I don’t feel comfortable with the privacy, ironically. Follow loops are a great way to find more regular content creators, from whom one can gain inspiration. Hashtags are a quick option to find specific resources for your own teaching context. That said, Watson (2014) also outlines the different purposes that PLC’s can serve, and this cannot go disregarded in the context of #teachergram. I defend the civic (collective good) purpose in #teachergram: when we first had covid outbreaks at the school, when I felt overwhelmed and shared my states of mind, other teachers were kind enough to come to aid through comments and likes. As well, what drives some of the newer content creators, I at least want to think, is this desire to find ways to serve their community better: like me, they sought to expand their networks and role model teachers. However, Watson (2014) also addresses the fame factor: to be transparent, I did, for some time, benefit from my account through a brief period of sponsorship (to be clear: this was not monetary gain, but I received products to then promote). I no longer work with either brand, mostly just because of the time commitment, but you will notice I stopped posting these adverts because I felt like I was using my platform for the wrong purpose. I spoke of this in multiple Instagram Stories (temporary posts), and I believe I made a post about it, as well.   

(1772 words)

References

Blitz, C.L. (2013). Can Online Learning Communities Achieve the Goals of Traditional Professional Learning Communities? What the Literature Says (pp. 1–37). Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED544210 

Brown. (2006). Conceptions of curriculum: A framework for understanding New Zealand’s curriculum framework and teachers’ opinions. Curriculum Matters, 2, 164–181. https://doi.org/10.18296/cm.0080 

Eisner, E. & Vallance, E. (1974). Five conceptions of curriculum: Their roots and implications for curriculum planning. In Vallance (Ed.), Conflicting conceptions of curriculum (pp. 1–18). McCutchan. 

 McNeil, J. D. (2009). Contemporary curriculum: In thought and action (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ. 

 Sowell, E. (2005). Curriculum organization. In Curriculum : an integrative introduction (3rd ed., pp. 37–51). Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall. 

 Watson, C. (2014). Effective professional learning communities? The possibilities for teachers as agents of change in schools. British Educational Research Journal, 40(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3025 Wiley. Pages 1, 3-14, 27-39, 52-60, 71-74. 

 Vallance, E. (1986). A second look at conflicting conceptions of curriculum. Theory into Practice, 25(1), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405848609543194