MY PD

My PD

This Month I am doing an online training on MYP technology. The experience is very good and I am learning a lot. Next month will be more trying as I will have two online PD. I will be leading Diploma Physics Internal assessments and also I will be doing iEARN online course in science, math and environmental. The last quarter of the Year will be my learning Time.

Reflective Journaling

Writting reflective Journals is a practice which has helped many. Practitioners have been able to look back and track their progression overtime. One challenge is what to writ ein the journal. During the first week of November I will be having a session on How to write a reflective Journaling. You are all welcomed.

A reflective parent.

During the meet and greet session after the Graduation I come across a parent who had something to share. He explained how his children has been in this school and explained his thoughts of it. He further shared what he though is good practice.

The parent started narrating to me how his children have passed through this school. How he was very skeptic about the IB when it started. He explained how his friends removed their children from the school. He narrated how they urged him to follow suit or have challenging experience in the future. The parent thought otherwise.

He refused to listen to all the remarks and vowed to give it a try. He explained in detail how he read more to get to understand the program. Furthermore he explained how he attended all the presentations which were being offered then. He even travelled overseas to meet an elder brother who did IB back in 1980's. To me this was a determined parent and from his face he was glowing with joy.

He descriptively explained the transformation he has seen in his graduating child. What I was gathering from his descriptors was the IB learner profile laced with the AK strands. The parent was as happy as he gave the details and he flashed back how he went through difficult times in his schooling despite which he managed a place in the Royal collage (now the University of Nairobi). He made a comparison of when he graduated and his son's graduation. He said he saw a transformed child a child ready to face the future.

He saw a lot of potential in the school in terms of facilities and the software (pedagogy and curriculum). He attributed all this to the team spirit of the Student, Parent, and Teacher triad. As a professional he reiterated how he saw this curriculum appropriate and with potential to meet the demand of the future. He also expressed his interest to be invited in the career week to give a lecture. As part of this team I was very proud of the thoughts of this parent. The parent has an MYP child and also expresses the same hope for the development of the student.

As the parent narrated all this I was thinking of the effort we put in our work. I felt that it paid of and there is need to continue with the effort despite the challenges we may be facing. Stakeholder plays a very imperative role in our profession. If parents are able to make meaning of our efforts, they are bound to give up support as we support their children in their learning. This reflection made my weekend and it reminded me of the importance of my role as a facilitator to the learning of the students. I am proud of being part of the team.

Gioko, A

Bloggers and Wikispapers

We Lucy, Okemo and Myself have launched the Bloggers and wikispasers to our students. We shall look at all the opportunities to allow them utilize the facilities in their academic progression.

Research Abstract

Leadership model for integration of ICT in Science: Perceptions. Practices and Possibilities

Anthony Gioko Maina [1]
Professional Development Teacher
AKU-IED
Facilitator, Physics, ICT
Centre of Excellence Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.

Abstract
Leadership has been identified to play a role in the development of innovations and its implementations in the schools. Technology has been introduced in the science curriculum and the role of leadership has been instrumental in foreseeing the level of ICT integration in science. The current status has been observed as use of ICT as additional or supplementary session to the mainstream syllabus. In some cases the use of ICT has been delegated to “ICT specialist” by the Science Subject leaders (SSL). The Middle mangers who are the departmental Heads are close to eh teachers who are expected to implement the integration. The model of leadership practiced by the SSL is evident in the practices of the teachers and successful integration will give students opportunities to undergo an experiential learning of the science concepts. This study explores the leadership practices of a SSL and developed a model for effective ICT integration in Science.
The study was a qualitative case study which was explorative and interpretative in nature. The leadership model was derived from the data obtained from field notes, interviews, and document and artifact analysis. Leadership is fluid and not identified within an individual but a responsibility hence the SSL was the focus and the people she integrated with in the projects also participated. The study observed a ten lesson (six weeks) project cycle in a private middle school in Pakistan undertaking IGCSE curriculum.
Three aspects emerged to inform on the leadership model of the SSL in integrating ICT; they were; leading manifest as leadership styles and technophile, technologic that is procession of skill and knowledge, utility level and training others and administration in shared planning, monitoring, mentoring and reviewing. I argue that the personality and technologic influenced the teachers to enhance integration
The study revealed the empowerment of a SSL builds up the leadership capacity. Furthermore the SSL skills and knowledge have a leverage to influence on the beliefs and attitudes of traditional approaches hence develop innovation. In addition collaborative practices impact on the effectiveness through networking with relevant resources. Thus SSL perceptions and roles must be attended to and not taken for granted the implications of the study include a) Empowering the SSL b) Allowing interdepartmental collaborated activities c) provision of resources. Nevertheless training and equipment require SSL leadership for integration to be enhanced.
The study was limited within one project implementation due to time factors, However many projects may have identified variety of factors.