Reflection of Learning Practice based on Key Competencies

Five key competencies in the NZ curriculum I believed were for me to create lifelong learners in my teaching but never applied or saw its value in my own practice till I started the Mindlab course. Thinking led me to explore the value gamification if any could have on student engagement and motivation driving me to intellectual curiosity that is the heart of this competency. My literature review on it revealed both sides of the coin including gaps in studies conducted, however due to lack of NZ research it motivated me to set up my Teaching as Inquiry in 2016 based around it with the support of my Curriculum leader. Being passionate about the Design Process, the inquiry I have set up to undertake is an investigation of game elements, questioning my cohorts on interaction with the work, compare and contrasting cohorts that had exposure to gamification and ones that haven’t to see the impact it makes on their engagement. All these skills are encompassed under this competency and I hope it will reveal information that will challenge my practice yet meet the objective of motivating and engaging my learners’ which is a major struggle of distance education at school level.


The 24 weeks of the course exposed me to new concepts such as

• growth mind-set 
• crowd sourcing 
• flipped and blended classrooms 
• Agile based learning 
• Connected learning 
• Different leadership styles 

All of which challenged my thinking upside down, back to front and most of all questioned my practice in terms of “how am I supporting and enriching the lives of the 21st century learner”? It clearly showed me the need to create a collaborative environment where knowledge is created by the learners and they lead their learning.

Meeting and relating to people from different walks of life in the course was both a pleasure and an eye opener – somewhat scary. The discovery that face-face predominately Primary schools were quite advance with the use of digital tools in students everyday learning/interacting clearly outlined how some secondary schools are behind with the times in terms of 21^st century learning- Food for thought. 

Interacting and sharing ideas in class on different topics or IT programs, role playing at different stages in the lessons, working out strategies of efficiency in ball games and doing the practical components in the early part of the course created opportunities for me to contribute and accept the ways others did things. 

Within the course, the assessment requirements left me no choice but to interact and contribute on other forums that I had expertise in such as project based learning and design thinking or needed to gain insight into. That was how I created networks with the groups listed in the diagram (above) and am starting to nurture the relationship created as I cannot continue to stay in my cocoon...time to spread my wings and transform the lives of my learners so they can survive in the world ahead of them- quite different from mine and make those connections too. 

Collaborating on assignments with my Te Kura colleagues doing this course tested this skill as we didn't get all the aspects correct the first time and by the end we three had developed respect, a listening ear and an effective working relationship regardless of being from three different teaching areas.