Reflective Entry 2: Research Question - relating to the contexts and perspectives of different audiences

Our learners are no strangers to digital technology.  They are familiar with swipe right, YouTube and gaming among others.  Prensky (2011) refers to our learners as digital natives for that very reason.  Learners, educators and whanau need to see devices as a way to support our learners to adapt to situations and have the ability to access more tools that support rather than hinder or distract.

The agile techniques, whilst based on a software approach, can be used both digitally and nondigitally.  The benefits of utilising these tools on a digital scale will also allow students to be collaborative, supporting each other in the learning process and learning outcomes. Learners require a variety of tools including visuals to assist them in accessing and completing tasks.  

Building in agile techniques will provide students with confidence in their learning. For our learners to be able to take charge of their learning, apply visual tools and gain feedback from peers and educators or coaches as a term in this process.

This goes beyond just the implementation within the classroom.  As an educator, agile techniques can be applied to professional learning workshops with staff.  Techniques such as Kanban boards (Stellman and Greene, 2015) support staff in seeking solutions to problems, creating innovative ways to support learners with their learning needs. As an educator to be able to use the techniques, a model to confidently apply into the classroom environment.

Educators are regularly required to ‘switch it up’ to support their learners.  Providing a scaffold will give teachers more time to focus on delivering the learning of new concepts with knowledge students are self-regulating and collaboratively working together.  A change in thinking and pedagogical practices forms the basis of our role as educators in New Zealand.  In the Code of Professional Responsibility, one learning outcome in our commitment as a teacher is “demonstrating a commitment to providing high-quality and effective teaching” (Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, n.d).  Finding effective ways of doing this is key and agile techniques will fit within a positive pedagogical framework.

Agile Classrooms, a website set up to support educators in creating innovative learning environments, points out three ways agile techniques can support learners: “deepens learning, enriches relationships, broadens the future” (n.d).  Their focus is to reinvigorate!

From the perspective of Senior Leadership and the Board of Trustees whose focus is not just around student achievement focused but to ensure learners have access to the curriculum, tools to support the completion of tasks and to create an environment that is safe for them to learn.  

Families and Whanau was their child to succeed and to be in an inclusive environment.  Ultising agile techniques will provide peace of mind for them knowing their child given the tools to be successful learners.  Parsons and MacCallum (2019) unpack techniques that can be adapted for educators and learners, explores the work of Peha (2011) mentioning how these can be effective in many ways including “sharing knowledge between peers...making learning more connected to the learners and responsive to individual learning” (page 10).  This work also points out how achievements would be “more visible and responsive to the needs of the learner” (2019, page 10).  All of which, families and whanau want for their children.

Personally, I can see how agile techniques such as Kanban Boards supports my own practice but in a simplistic way, supports learners to self-regulate their ideas and learning.  The organisation of workflow is just one way.  Kanban Boards are described by Stellman and Greene (2015, page 315) “focus on eliminating the waste from [the] process”.  I need to note at this point that Kanban boards are in fact part of Lean Learning.  According to Parsons and MacCallum, both Agile and Lean can be joined together for effective educational environments (2019).

Across the world more and more businesses are turning to Agile to support their business to be more effective, efficient and productive.  Authors from the education world are seeing the value of Agile within the classroom and school.  According to Briggs’ blog on Agile Based Learning (2014) schools are “beginning to use Agile to create a culture of learning”.  

Google for Education (n.d, page 5) have produced a document on emerging trends based on New Zealand education.  The three trends all fit into the focus of this research: Life Skills and Workforce Preparation, Digital Responsibility and Emerging Technologies.  Agile techniques provide a variety of tools that prepare our students for their future, help them to include technology that captures and provides opportunities to be innovative. 

Changing the way we teach students, changing our pedagogical practices is key in this ever-changing environment we call education!   

For further ideas on how to use agile techniques in the classroom:  Agile Classrooms - https://www.agileclassrooms.com/

References

Agile Classrooms. (n.d). Agile Classroom: Learning Invigorated - Built for the 21st Century. retrieved from https://www.agileclassrooms.com/

Google for Education (n.d). Future of the Classroom: Emerging Trends in K-12 Education NZ Edition. Retrieved from http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/new_zealand_future_of _the_classroom_country_report.pdf?utm_source=web&utm_me dium=campaign&utm_campaign=FY19-Q2-global-demandgen -website-other-futureoftheclassroom

Parsons D, MacCallum K. (2019) Agile Education, Lean Learning. In: Parsons D., MacCallum K. (eds) Agile and Lean Concepts for Teaching and Learning. Springer, Singapore

Peha, S. (2011). Agile schools: How technology saves education (just not the way we thought it would). retrieved from https://www.infoq.com/articles/agile-schools-education/

Prensky, M. (2011) From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom: Introduction. Published in From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom: Helpful Essays for 21st Century Education. Corwin (2012

Stellman, A., & Greene, J. (2014). Learning agile: Understanding scrum, XP, lean, and kanban. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.".

Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. (n.d) Code of Professional Responsibility document. Retrieved from https://teachingcouncil.nz/assets/Files/Code-and-Standards/Code_of_professional-_ResponsibilityTC_english.pdf