Collaborative Practice: Engaging with other contexts

In my field of practice - collaboration is highly recommended.

The different contexts in which social practice operates have major implications for practitioners in this field, In particular, social practitioners need a thorough understanding of the different contexts which shape the worlds of the people with whom we work. Gloria Chisala explains how these contexts (which are constantly changing) affect us as practitioner - and also highlights the constant need to collaborate with other context of practice.

My Department at Unitec has a commitment to the needs of the communities of which it is a part, as well as potential employers. An important part of this commitment is partnership and collaboration with these stakeholders.

Unitec has a commitment to meeting the needs of the communities of which it is part.  Community engagement is the process wherein those needs are identified and collaborative partnerships are formed to create solutions. The programme facilitates community engagement through the placement of students for work experience in community organisations, research done with community groups and organisations, and active participation by staff in community projects and events.

Collaboration also happens across departments - through the newly created Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. The program has similarities to this American-Based Center.

Collaboration is also maintained through membership in communities of learning and practice.

Legal or regulatory requirement in my practice

How we make decisions within various fields of practice is hugely influenced by ‘Codes of Ethics’ - or legal/regulatory requirements. As Collste (2012) observes, these regulate for example,

1. relations between teacher and pupil, doctor and patient, salesmen and customer. Such relations generate professional moral norms, like honesty, fidelity, care and safety.
2. Relations to workmates. Almost all employees have workmates and colleagues. The relation between workmates generates professional moral norms of loyalty and solidarity.
3. Relations to employers (p.12)

Unitec has a clear Code of Ethics which regulates the 3 kinds of relationships outlined above. Important aspects of this CoE are ethical conduct and integrity. As stated in the document,

Unitec is a complex organisation comprising a diversity of populations which have different

relationships to one another. These may be relations of power and/or of status. It is essential in such an organisation that all members recognise and respect not only their own rights and responsibilities, but also the rights and responsibilities of other members of the community and those of Unitec itself (p. 1).

Social Work Registration Board

The field of social practice is also regulated by the Social Work Registration Board (SWRB). The SWRB (and it Code of Conduct) recognises core competencies that reflect practice standards accepted in social practice in New Zealand. These include:

Competence to practice social work with Maori Competence to practise social work with different ethnic and cultural groups in Aotearoa New Zealand Competence to work respectfully and inclusively with diversity and difference in practice Competence to promote the principles of human rights and social and economic justice Competence to engage in practice which promotes social change Competence to understand and articulate social work theories, indigenous practice knowledge Competence to apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments Competence to promote empowerment of people and communities to enable positive change Competence to practice within legal and ethical boundaries of the social work profession Represents the social work profession with integrity and professionalism

Being a Reflective Practitioner

The above video summarize my ‘reflection’ on why it is important to reflect on my practice.

This course has added value to my practice - particularly with regard to reflecting on the role

technology in tertiary education. I have learnt some great tools - for making teaching accessible and flexible to learners and communities of learning (and practitioners) within whom I collaborate. Collaborative teaching has a number of advantages. These include,

• More flexible and creative use of instructional time that advantaged students. For example, providing learning materials prior to lecture allow more time for discussion and activities.
• Knowing more about all the students and seeing different student strengths given the opportunity to view them in varied learning contexts. In collaborative practice, learning takes place in different environments, within and beyond classroom.
• Greater shared ownership of students and student learning; 
• Increased reflection on individual and collective teaching practices; 
• More learning from and with colleagues about students and about teaching and learning through communities of learning
• Increased collective expertise resulting in greater effectiveness with a variety of students; 
• Decreased teacher isolation, increased support and feeling valued by colleague

The course has also highlighted some challenges of collaborative teaching/practice. This were parallel to the ones Chris Bradbeer outlines in his blog. They include,

• Loss of instructional and decision-making autonomy;
• Decreased flexibility and creativity given a set schedule for when additional instructional personnel would be present in classrooms;
• Increased communication demands given instructional interdependence among students and colleagues;
• Role shifts and confusion about how to share instructional time (e.g., who leads, who follows, how to co-teach) and how to share responsibilities (e.g., assessment, reporting);
• Feelings of insecurity because teaching became public and teachers were expected to work with more diverse students than they had in the past; and
• Differing “philosophies,” which was the term often used to describe differences between teachers related to orientations or beliefs about instruction and professional practice.

Overall, I have thought about what I can do better (using technology) as a social practitioner; and what not to do (with regards to technology as a social practitioner and a teacher). Technology (digital learning) is a useful tool in tertiary education. However, it can also be a tool that further exclusion (existing or new forms of exclusion). This technology should be critical and contextually applied in tertiary education (and in all education settings I think).

Language as a fundamental human right

A report by the United Nations estimated that half of the world’s 6,000-plus languages will likely die out by the end of the century without urgent efforts to protect minority communities and their languages. Historical factors such as colonialism have had a huge global impact on languages, resulting in the marginalization of and a rapid decline in the use of indigenous and minority languages, which were often seen as backwards, a barrier to colonial hegemony, or as slowing national development.

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Loss of language is a great concern given that language central element and expression of identity and of key importance in the preservation of group identity. A Kenyan author explains the consequences of losing local/indigenous languages in his book ‘Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of African Language’. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o explains how language can be used as a tool of oppression and exclusion. In this book, he describes how socio-political and control is not complete without cultural control - and language is an important element of culture. Therefore, to deny a group or community’s language is to deny their culture and identity. Language is particularly important to linguistic minority communities seeking to maintain their distinct group and cultural identity.

 

The rights of persons belonging to linguistic minorities have been increasingly acknowledged in international human rights law as both individual and collective human rights. There are a number of legal frameworks developed by the UN and UNESCO Declarations and Conventions Relevant to Linguistic Rights.

Social Justice in practice

The department of social practice at Unitec where I work operates within a philosophy which is predicated on a central commitment to social justice - the creation of opportunity, and the empowerment of individuals, groups and communities.

Well, in so many ways my understanding of social justice is in line with the DoSP... but I think it is important to clarify what social justice means for me as a practitioner (and as a person). I make this statement in light of Karen Lebacqz claim that social justice is like the proverbial elephant examined by blindfolded explorers (Lebacqz, 1996). Michael Novak also observes that social justice ‘is often assumed to float in the air as if everyone will recognise an instance when it appear’. These statements point to the fact that there are varied understandings and definitions of social justice - across contexts and disciplines. The following video illustrates my point further...

As an individual (and in my practice) my understanding of social justice is influenced by many theorist, particularly Amartya Sen, Iris Marion Young, and Nancy Fraser. 

I am drawn to these theories (or understandings of social justice) because of their starting point - that is they are concern with removing injustices - and not simply 'ideal societies or institutions'. These theorist share an understanding of social justice - that is social justice as the ‘centring of the margins’.Social justice goes against the grain to deliberately include individuals and groups previously excluded from dominant processes and discourses. They all agree that social justice is concerned with issues of inequalities of political, social, cultural and economic wealth - and discrepancies in access to resources, and access to information. Therefore, within education (or tertiary education), social justice creates ‘justice-oriented’ citizens.

Critical Thinking and my Practice

My practice (both a tertiary educator and social practitioner) is informed by critical thinking. The following clip gives an overview of my understanding of 'critical thinking'.

In my practice context, critical thinking takes the form of critical consciousness. This is the ability to curiously inquire why certain structures and interventions exist and acquire skills for social change. This process is comprehensively summarized in this conversation with Paulo Freire. 

Change is therefore initiated and carried out by the people who should benefit from the changes. Critical thinking, within social practice, enables me to interrogate, for instance, how identity is often shaped by dominant ideologies and discourses. Social construction is a related theory.

The following statement describes why critical thinking is important for social work practice (a field within social practice).

Social workers help people from all walks of life and come across people or populations with experiences, ideas and opinions that often vary from their own. To formulate a treatment plan or intervention for working with a client, you need to first consider the beliefs, thoughts or experiences that underlie your client's actions without making a snap judgment. What seems crazy or irrational to you at first may in fact be better understood in the context of the biopsychosocial factors that play a role in your client's life. Critical thinking helps you objectively examine these factors, consider their importance and impact on your course of action, while simultaneously maintaining professional detachment and a non-biased attitude.

Critical thinking is also important in social practice courses for the following reasons outlined in this article on ‘Teaching Critical Thinking in Social Work Practice’. These include:

• The ability to understand social work theories.
• The ability to divide a theory into its components (assumptions, concepts, propositions, hypotheses, etc.).
• The ability to assess the practice implications of a theory.
• The ability to develop and apply criteria for evaluating a theory.
• The ability to identify common errors in reasoning

Primarily, critical thinking skills is essential to good decision making and engagement, the foundation of (social) just practice. Social justice is an important value in my field of practice - and I reflect on it in my next post....

A Reflection on my context of practice: Tertiary Educator and Social Practice Practitioner

The context of my practice could be defined from two perspectives, namely my profession as a tertiary educator in Aotearoa, New Zealand; and my field of practice which is social practice (particularly community development).

Tertiary Education in Aotearoa NZ

As in most parts of the world, tertiary education in NZ aims to meet the needs of adult learners. Courses often range from transition programmes, through to postgraduate study and research. I currently teach courses across the board (undergraduate to postgraduate) and thus meet students from from diverse backgrounds (in terms of age, life and work experience, culture, and socio-economic backgrounds).

A report by the New Zealand Ministry of Education provides a comprehensive background to tertiary education in New Zealand. The majority of students are are either studying towards employment; or are already employed and wanting to build their capacities. Our role as tertiary educators is to enable students achieve these goals. At the same time, we aim to provide employers with highly productive talent.

As a teacher at Unitec, my teaching context is significantly influenced by the living curriculum - which has the following components.

Involves complex conversations; Is curiosity/inquiry led, and stimulating; Integrates learning with work; Is socially constructed – self-sufficiency and collaboration are equally valued, and Together they help nurture resourcefulness and resilience; Embeds Mātauranga Māori; Blends face-to-face and blended learning; Is research-informed and encourages research engagement where appropriate; Has a discipline base, and is also interdisciplinary; Develops literacies for lifelong learning; Includes embedded assessment and Considers issues of sustainability.

Living curriculum enables environments where active and flexible learning is encouraged. The emphasis results into a libertarian model of education.

At Unitec, we also emphasize Matauranga Maori. The Education review office recognises that,

The inclusion of Mātauranga Māori across the curriculum enhances the mana and wairua of Māori children. This validates their ways of knowing, being and doing. At the same time it provides all children with knowledge and information that extends their learning and understanding of the world they live in.

The following diagram outlines the key Maori principles that informs teaching and learning within my Department at Unitec (taken from DoSP Documents - only available to Staff).

Key principle	Achieved through	Specific evidence
Manaakitanga and Whanaungatanga (respect, support, trust)	·        Pedagogy. ·        Establishing a sense of belonging. ·        Good classroom dynamics. ·        Fostering peer support.	·      The tutors encourage active participation, and uses inclusive approaches. ·      Clarity of orientation for courses and tasks.  Supporting the learning process.
Rangatiratanga (self-determination)	·        Development of strong personal agency; learner autonomy.	·      The tutors promote autonomy, self-discovery, along with learning strategies for doing this.
Ako (Teaching and learning)	·        Teaching and learning are inseparable. ·        Teachers can learn from learners. ·        Respect what the learner brings to the learning.	·      The tutors provide feedback and encouragement. ·      The tutor addresses the learners’ needs. ·      Tutor gives academic support, and constructive feedback.
Wairuatanga (spirituality)	·        Affirmation and restoration of cultural identity.  Being self-directed.	·      The teaching acknowledges the learners’ experiences and prior knowledge.
Kaitiakitanga (Guardianship)	·        Guardianship and preservation of cultural knowledge and respect for the environment.	·      Responsibility for our environment

Finally, the Treaty of Waitangi significantly informs my practice as a tertiary educator in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Unitec has developed a statement of Partnership, Te Noho Kotahitanga, which outlines its partnership with and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand.  Te Noho Kotahitanga expresses Unitec’s commitment to principles of authority and responsibility, legitimacy, guardianship, co-operation and respect. The principles of Te Noho Kotahitanga are in line with the dynamic nature of the living curriculum, and are woven through the programme in content and teaching practice.

The context of Social Practice

Social practice is vast field - including fields of practice such as social work, counselling, and community development. A common factor within these fields is working with individuals, families, groups, and communities to facilitate transformative engagement. Therefore these fields of practice emphasize commitment to change.

As an educator and practitioner in this area (majoring in community development), my commitment to change mainly occurs in two forms. These include activity (such as participation in community projects and activities which encourage change) and inquiry (theorizing and analysing both institutional and intervention practices).

While my context of practice is always changing - the values that inform my practice remain the same. I reflect on these in my next post....