These conversations I have seen and heard within these 32 weeks while I am at school or through professional discussions I have with other kaiako and Ngai Tahu initiatives that are occurring at present. These initiatives have been the sending of a group of Ngai Tahu Year 9 and 10 students to San Francisco with other students from other iwi around Aotearoa. The skills, knowledge and experiences these students were invaluable. They went to silicon valley and visited the top tech businesses and organisations there. The main and common messages that were given by the presenters and representatives were about the skills that are to be successful - Soft Skills.
Soft Skills
- Problem Solving
- Communication Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Curiosity
- Passion / Interest
- Collaboration
- Organisation Skills
- Gritt
- Learning from failure
Two key changes that I have made in my teaching is the emphasis I place on Soft Skills. These skills are used in all areas of life and will benefit our tamariki in the future. I have written these on the walls in my classroom and I try and focus many on my teaching to include or reflect on these skills.
The second change I have included into my teaching practice is the use of technology and online resources. This has included trying to flip my classroom and teaching my tamariki that learning does not just occur at school and in the classroom. Outside of the class, at home and with who ever can support our learning. I am having my students blog in written and video forms. I am having them use online dictionaries and google to support their literacy programme and inquiry. They are viewing videos and articles and having discussions about what they have viewed or read. I have used Facebook to support my tamariki and their whānau with making communication easier between kura and whānau.
This is my dream for my future professional development. This is from my blog that I posted earlier in this MindLab course.
Opening up my students learning, understanding and relationship to the world (from either a Māori, Pākeha or World view)
My dream is to be able to teach my students how to interact and realise that their culture, language and learning can have relevance and impact on others around the world. I want my students to be able to do things that they see on Youtube, Facebook or on the News. I want them to realise that they have or will have the skills and abilities to create and develop new and different directions for the future.
I teach in a Māori bilingual unit. Many of my students are confident within themselves and are very proficient with their reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
So, my dream is for these "soft skills" are able to be applied regardless of the language (they are universal skills). My belief is that my sudents can create in any world future (Māori, pākeha, any)
I teach in a Māori bilingual unit. Many of my students are confident within themselves and are very proficient with their reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
So, my dream is for these "soft skills" are able to be applied regardless of the language (they are universal skills). My belief is that my sudents can create in any world future (Māori, pākeha, any)
Evidence of online interactions
Wow, that Ngai Tahu trip to San Franciso sounds like the ultimate in experiential learning. It must have been so beneficial to your students in terms of making those global connections to their learning and gaining new perspective on issues. Putting posters of the 'soft skills' or 21st Century skills on your classroom wall is a great idea and reinforces what the students were exposed to and heard about on their trip. Like you, I have started a lot of my students on blogging and researching outside of class to introduce some flipped learning but I have found that while it has been really enjoyable and motivating for some students, others have viewed it as an extra 'chore' and have not stuck with it. Another issue was a lack of internet and/or devices in the home. Have you had any problems with this as well? I encouraged students to use the school and community libraries but not all made the effort to do so. I really connected with your statement "My dream is to be able to teach my students how to interact and realise that their culture, language and learning can have relevance and impact on others around the world. I want my students to be able to do things that they see on Youtube, Facebook or on the News. I want them to realise that they have or will have the skills and abilities to create and develop new and different directions for the future." More than 50% of my students are from Maori, Pasifika and cultures other than 'Pakeha' and through my ESOL and English classes, I too have been encouraging students to be aware of their cultural knowledge and identity and to develop and celebrate it within their classroom learning. I hadn't made the explicit connection to the soft skills though so your post has really inspired me to think more about this in my future planning. I really enjoyed reading your post, thanks.
ReplyDeleteKia ora e hoa, your ideas and thoughts on Soft Skills sound really interesting. Your trip to San Fran with your tauira must have been awesome! Great to see a fellow kaiako from Te Wai Pounamu on here! Nga Mihi, Marina
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