Activity 5: Professional Connection Map

Professional Development Communities

• Mindlab Facilitators  (Tim and guests)
• Mindlab Colleagues (March Intake Gisborne)
• School ICT Team Members (Herman, Amie, Alicia, Bruce, Robbie and I)
• Gisborne Schools Facebook Page Gisborne Schools ICT Facebook Page
• Mary-Ann Baxter Leadership PLG Group (Mary-Ann, Conrad, Stu, Jodie and I)
• Ka Hikitia Roopu (Puri, Trace, Walter, Bruce and I)
• Turanganui Year 7 Teachers (Jules, Toni and I)
• Turanganui Syndicate Members
• Google Apps Facebook Group (Google Apps NZ Facebook Page
• Ako Panuku - PD in Te Reo, Leadership, Whanau Engagement, raising Maori Acheivement, ICT - Hui e Taiki E.
• Core Education - Te Reo Support - Linda Brown and Merimeri Anania
• MOE

Teacher Training Providers

• University of Waikato
• Victoria University
• Te Wananga o Aotearoa
• Christchurch College of Education

Colleagues

• BOT
• Senior Management
• Lead Team
• Syndicate
• Direct Colleagues
• Curriculum Team members

Other schools in the region

• Lytton High School - Husband teaches there and son attends there
• Te Hapara School - Child attends there
• Through Mindlab colleagues or friends who teach there.
• Day care centres - Tuakana-Teina experiences

Local Business'

• Through Whanau, Friends and connections through students and colleagues.

EOTC Outlets

• Te Tairawhiti Museum
• Otuwhare Marae - Te Whanau - a- Apanui
• Mindlab
• Red Cross
• Emergency Services Gisborne (Police, Fire and Ambulance)
• Murray and Joe Palmer - Science specialists

Friends around the world

• EPALS - France School
• Kate in Armidale NSW
• Katie and Jamie in Ohio

What are the benefits of working in a more interdisciplinary environment?

Students are taught in real world contexts and learning has a real purpose not just isolated as has been tradition. Real world means more engaging and meaningful therefore students are likely to be more focused and on the path to success. I also believe that this form of teaching better caters for differentiated needs which are becoming more prevalent in today's classrooms. Teachers are no longer bound by boring routine teaching when instead they can make their classrooms come alive and match the wants and needs of their students. I have noticed this shift already in my 15 years of teaching where we had to teach 6 specific units over the course of a year whereas now teachers are able to self select their topics based on their classes interest or even better allocate inquiry topics where the children can choose individual projects to suit their needs. The challenges can be when long serving teachers feel uncomfortable about changing their practice.