For the purpose of this reflection, I have chosen Rolfe’s Model of Reflection (Otago Polytechnic, n.d. ) model of reflection to critically reflect on my reflection using another model as an opportunity to offer a different perspective. Figure 3: Rolfe’s Model of Reflection (Otago Polytechnic, n.d. )

Step 1 Description (What?)
The most difficult part of the inquiry is feeling let down by the digital app that was chosen to assist students improve the quick recall of their basic facts. Whilst the students loved playing the game and were clearly hooked by the incentives and rewards in the game, they were clearly spending too much time on building their virtual world instead of doing the math basic fact questions. This became counter productive to student progress on some of the student’s basic fact knowledge and to the evidence I require to convince other teachers that digital can produce more engaged students and produce high levels of achievement too when personalizing their learning digitally. Figure 3: Rolfe’s Model of Reflection (Otago Polytechnic, n.d. )

Step 2 Theory and knowledge (So what?)
It’s important to acknowledge the failure of the digital tool to meet the required learning objectives, however it is equally important to acknowledge that it would be false logic to apply this failure to all digital tools. It would not be a complete inquiry without asking, “So what?” The inquiry would not be complete without researching further to find better digital tools by collaborating with other teachers to find out what has worked for them. I found this process helpful and re-assuring to have another credible math app recommended to me by another teacher on social media and have also have this recommendation endorsed by other teachers online too. This taught me the power and importance of collaboration to improve learning for students. Figure 3: Rolfe’s Model of Reflection (Otago Polytechnic, n.d. )

Step 3 Action (Now what?) Without reflecting on the progress of the Action Plan, I would not have learnt the power of collaboration in this instance and value of reformulating ideas and plans to find successful solutions that would affect the outcomes of the overall inquiry. This finding is based on the quantitative data has provided the opportunity to affect the overall outcome of the inquiry towards improving student achievement. Not only will this knowledge change the course of planning, it will also change the action that I take on the Action Plan, affecting the final outcome of the Inquiry altogether and influence the opinions of other teachers that may be watching to see if digital tools do provide improvements to learning outcomes. Figure 3: Rolfe’s Model of Reflection (Otago Polytechnic, n.d. )

Who knew that three very simple questions could produce such a powerful change to the next steps of an Action Plan when the most common forms of logic would most often be to give up? This emphasizes the importance of using critical reflection to enhance learning for students and pedagogy for teachers.

​
References

Igoe, J. (2017, June 17). Gibbs’ Cycle of Reflection. [video file] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_acUWM3co8

​Otago Polytechnic. (n.d). Reflective Writing. Retrieved from: https://www.op.ac.nz/assets/LearningAdvice/d0a1fac268/Reflective-writing.pdf

How indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness inform action taken.

Culturally responsive pedagogy is defined by Gay (2001, p. 106) as “using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching”.  This is reflected in knowledge about cultural diversity, the culturally integrated content in the curriculum, the development of the learning community, the ability to communicate with culturally diverse students and culturally responsive delivery of instruction (Gay, 2001).

Bishop in Edtalks (2012) discusses how educators must acknowledge the gap in education between those students that are achieving and the culturally diverse that are not achieving due to a lack of culturally responsive pedagogy and challenges anyone to try to deny that there is indeed an achievement gap in New Zealand that needs to be addressed. Bishop (2012)

In Culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment in primary science classrooms, researchers discuss the importance for all educationalists, including schools and teachers to be on board with the reforms of culturally responsive pedagogy – that students should not have to leave who they are at home to conform purely to school culture. 

Milne (2017) defines cultural identity as something that should be embraced throughout the school day and at every possible opportunity through the curriculum, school events and through learning activities.  Milne (2017) suggests that schools have a responsibility in sustaining student’s culture within the school and not to ignore it.  Milne (2017) suggests that our students should become global citizens through their own cultural lens first.  Milne (2017)
Geneva Gay describes culture as the filter that we use to make sense of information around us in “Introduction to culturally relevant pedagogy” video.  Irvine and Gay agree that culture has to do with world view, values and beliefs.   Gay & Irvine (2012).
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Butcher (2008) identifies nine mega-skills that contribute to cultural intelligence, including checking cultural lenses recognizing that this influences behaviour and thinking.
Asil (2017) has presented Culturally Responsive Practice for Maori Scale developed by Principals from a wide range of schools, which is school based and designed by the National Monitoring Study for Student Achievement, at the University of Otago. Asil (2017).   This tool is based on five concepts:

• Whanaungatanga (building relationships)
• Manaakitanga (ethic of caring)
• Rangatiratanga (teacher effectiveness)
• Kotahitanga (ethic of bonding)
• Pumanawatanga (school morale, tone, pulse)

I have recognized that when planning pedagogy for the needs of my indigenous Maori students, I need to think differently.  I have tried to include parents and Maori students on the planning so that it is culturally responsive to the needs of these students and families.  I have found that this has helped to improved student engagement and assisted in student progress, as they have taken greater ownership of their learning.  It is a very different approach from the school / teacher driven model that usually results in disengaged students and limits learning. 

My teaching inquiry focus has been on Action Planning and making sure that I have used a Maori culturally responsive practice by communicating the needs of Maori students with their parents and developed relationships with other family members that care for the child.  I have also encouraged parents to contribute their ideas and let me know how their children learn best in their own home environment.  Gay (2012).

The Action Planning Research incorporated this cultural response into the development of the Action Plan. I emphasised on mixed ability groups, so that they could choose who they wanted to work with. 
The next step of the Action Plan is to create Math Buddies for individual students who needed more support and practice so that they can build positive and strong learning relationships and community within the classroom.
 
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

Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742.

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. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2),106-116.

Milne, B.A. (2013). Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. (Doctoral Thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10289/7868
Milne, A.(2017).Coloring in the white spaces: reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
Pohatu, T. W. (2011). Maori - Rethinking human wellbeing. MAI Review, 3, 1-12.
Retrieved from:  http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/v...
Te Toi Tupu. (n.d.). Pasifika: Participation, engagement, achievement tool.
Retrieved from:  http://www.tetoitupu.org/pasifika-participation-engagement-achievement-tool
Unitec. (n.d). Learning and Teaching at Unitec Institute of Technology.
Retrieved from:  Booklet.http://www.unitec.ac.nz/ahimura/publications/U008817%20Learning%20and%20Teaching%20Booklet.pdf

 
 

​"Identify the aspects of law, regulations and / or policy relating to teacher inquiry in practice."

Whilst New Zealand law does not specifically require teacher inquiry, it does however provide some over-arching areas of law within which all teaching practice must adhere to.  The Education Act of 1989 and the Education Act of 1964 are two key legislation that govern in New Zealand.  More recent legislation are:

• Vulnerable Children Act 2014  
• Bill of Rights Act 1990
• Human Rights Act 1993
• Privacy Act 1993
• Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004
• Official Information Act 1982
• Children, young Persons & their Families Act 1989. 

Teacher practice is more specifically governed by the Code of Professional Responsibility and Standard for the Teaching Profession – Our Code, Our Standards (Education Council, 2017).  All practicing teachers must adhere to this code in New Zealand.  It provides the expectation that teachers should “use inquiry, collaborative problem solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners.” p.18). 
Retrieved from:  https://teachingcouncil.nz/content/our-code-our-standard

The TKI website emphasizes the importance of teacher inquiry to improve learning outcomes for all students based on the successful identification of their needs and individualized approaches for students.  Teacher inquiry should also be based on a teacher’s own learning requirements to find the best practice solutions for students.                                                                                                                                                                                                   "Since any teaching strategy works differently in different contexts for different students, effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students."
Ministry of Education, 2007 p 35
Retrieved from: http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-
Retrieved from:  learning/Teacher-inquiryhttp://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/
 
“Teacher inquiry should be based on your students' learning needs, your own learning needs, and the impact of your practice on student learning and achievement.”
http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Teacher-inquiry
Teacher professional learning and development: Best evidence synthesis iteration (BES)
 
The Teacher Council has described the “Design for learning” as “based on the curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, assessment information and an understanding of each learner’s strengths, interests, needs, identities, languages and cultures.”  This standard expects learning activities to be based on the knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy and the new learning progressions.  This is a process of embracing student culture, gathering data, identifying learning needs and student’s next steps to design learning based on national policies from the MOE.
Retrieved from:  https://teachingcouncil.nz/content/our-code-our-standard
 
The Teacher Council has described “Teaching” as “Teach and respond to learners in a knowledgeable and adaptive way to progress their learning at an appropriate depth and pace.”  This standard requires educational learning outcomes for every child at their level.  Maori learners should be supported alongside their Whanau and being prepared to make adaptations to programs where necessary.  An evidence-based approach is required that include the local community.  This is where our use of See-Saw online tool between home, school and student works so well to communicate learning and progress on a platform that provides equal opportunities for everyone to communicate freely.  This standard also requires a wide variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of learners and this where we can take advantage of the many online apps that are available to educators for free.  Opportunities for students to apply different contexts of learning and make connections with prior learning is another requirement where student voice becomes important and making the links between home and school with regards to their learning.  Ongoing feedback is also essential, and this can be done through student and teacher conferencing either online or in person so that students are clear on what their next steps will be in terms of their learning progressions and can articulate these clearly, having fully understood their next step.
Retrieved from:  https://teachingcouncil.nz/content/our-code-our-standard
It is widely regarded that, Teacher Inquiry is also “at the centre of strong school self-review practice” (Fowler, 2012, p2).

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My research is based on the Spiral of Inquiry adapted by MindLab, based on Timperley, Kaser and Halbert (2014), is mostly aimed at a local audience, although influenced by global concepts. The cultural diversity key elements referred to in this research would assist educators address cultural diversification in education around the world within their own contexts. This means that this spiral of Inquiry is also relevant to an international audience, whilst predominantly intended for a local school focus and Communities Of Learning (COL), our neighbouring schools.

Colleagues I work most closely with have embraced the idea of collaboration and are appreciating the benefits of collaborative practice from sharing and enhancing ideas to reducing workloads. Our wider Community of Learning (COL) is driven by its leaders and their agreed agendas between schools. Our focus on Te Reo and understanding the Maori culture are one of those goals which aligns with my current practice to improve student achievement to this minority culture group.

We should never under estimate the international influence that technology has on local education. The OECD has put together some data that shows 59% of teachers have requested more professional development in technology to assist them in the classroom. OECD. (2018).Trends shaping education 2018 spotlight. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/Spotlight-15-A-Brave-New-World-Technology-and-Education.pdf

We should use technology to change the way we teach rather than a tool to continue to enhance old pedagogy that has become outdated both locally, nationally and internationally. Our assessment data should be a tool to customize learning needs for individualized programs. Daggett, B. (2014). Addressing current and future challenges in education. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/2014MSC_AddressingCurrentandFutureChallenges.pdf

The personalisation of Education is also a national strategic goal along with international trends that can help support local schools and teachers. Bolstad, R., 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

It is clear from the research that local, national and international audiences are intertwined and have influence each other right down to the personalisation of education.