19189518 CTL Reflection Brigitte Gerges

Link: https://youtu.be/jUz4eHMW1X8
Word count: 1112

Within in our group project we discussed the multifaceted methods by which we could
embrace for becoming effective agents of change within our school environment and wider
community. As a group we identified various strategies we could plan to implement, reflect
and adjust which could positively contribute to students learning environment for maximized
students’ academic achievement and supporting student’s wellbeing and resilience. I will
highlight the relevant theories that have informed out decisions and process. Through the
collaboration of the key learning areas (KLA) of Food and Technology, Visual Arts, History and
Mathematics we have created an educational food-based project revealing how to scaffold
and deliver an engaging project for students to effectively develop an understanding of the
experiential strand, Asian Century Learning.
Throughout this critical reflection, the program we developed will be evaluated
revealing the strengths and limitations we encountered and the adjustments we may
implement for an effective and successful delivery. As suggested by Antonakis, & House
(2014) as future leaders we must remain aware and observant of both the internal and
external environments surrounding us to become effective leaders of change. Furthermore,
Phaneuf, Boudrias, Rousseau, & Brunelle (2016) encourage the execution of combining
individual factors and contextual factors to enhance the understanding both
environments for a successful adoption of transformational interactive leadership .
Through the International Baccalaureate principles each of us were enabled to
practice self-direction, self-efficacy, collegial collaboration with the coordinated vision
to work towards. The application of transactional leadership combined with the
distributed leadership model empowered each member to contribute individual
components that complimented and enhanced each KLA’s needs (Cannatelli, Smith,
Giudici, Jones, & Conger, 2017). According to Aga, (2016) transactional leadership
contingent on the end reward has a positive correlation to a project’s success. The
results revealed that if the projects had a high goal clarity and meaning the success of
the project would achieve higher success. Even so this model of leadership is highly
subjective and presents limitations as the goal clarity may not hold the same value to

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each person compromising the success of the project (Aga et al. 2016). Therefore, our
group followed the distributed leadership model including components from the
transactional leadership model (Cannatelli et al. 2017).
Bulli High school encompasses diverse cultural needs and was chosen as it
embodies a proud tradition of excellence in sporting, creativity and holding high values
surrounding cultural engagement with the wider community and local stakeholders (Bulli
High School, 2019). At Bulli Highschool the student body is made up of approximately 3% of
students that are from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and 10% of
students that speak a language other than English (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority, 2018). Through this project we plan to promote and effectively deliver
an experiential program that each of us may implement sustainable ideas supporting Asian
Century Learning and celebrate intercultural traditions, rituals, and lifestyles.
Throughout Visual Arts students are enabled to be creative in their presentation of
their oriental dish discovering elements of art and design. In addition, students practice their
art through numerous forms: as interactive art piece and 4D performance piece.
Furthermore, students are enabled to investigate artists and their concepts that
experiment/appreciate food as an art form. Students satisfy the Visual Arts curriculum
requirements while learning cross-curriculum capabilities through involving literary and
numerical priorities maximizing student learning and engagement. It is essential for student
to learn literacy and numeracy simultaneously using a creative platform as it enhances their
engagement outside of their typical classroom environment maximizing their academic
achievement (Cunnington, Kantrowitz, Harnett, & Hill-Ries, 2014; Arguedas, Xhafa, Casillas,
Daradoumis, Peña, & Caballé, 2018; Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority, 2017).
The specific activities and assessment for feedback that Visual Arts contributes to the
project involve students for promoting higher order thinking (Solinger, & Peed, 2015; Hattie,
& Yates, 2014):
A. Researching artists for inspiration.
B. Investigate various artists concepts surrounding food-based artworks.
C. Create a mind map/ concept map for how you want to present your artwork
(record/document your process/create a film or
photograph/collage/painting/sculpture).

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D. Implement the elements of art/design in the presentation of your food.

E. Create a narrative surrounding the people that would be dining together.

Similarly, my team members created specific activities and assessments for feedback that
applied to their KLA. This was a challenge due to the breadth diversity of subject areas we had
in our group however we were able to set goals and intentions to measure student learning
and engagement through mixed surveying and interviewing methods (Davis, 2016). Another
challenge we encountered as a group was communication towards the end of our assessment
due to practicum commitments. Even so, we ensured to redirect our communication to an
online platform where we could update each other on our personal progress, ideas,
understanding and commitments thus subsequently we developed a harmonious collegial
rapport rhythm towards the same goal reflecting characteristics found within the transaction
leadership model and distribution leadership model (Phaneuf et al. 2016). Applying the
characteristics allowed us to rectify any discrepancies between the short-term and long-term
goals subsequent from individuals undertaking leadership to strengthen personal ideas, goals,
skills sets. A final challenge was coordinating the video content and roles that was overcome
through collegial communication to meet the projects requirements, executing designs within
context and applying the process practically.
Furthermore, after evaluation it was clear that our proposal was relevant to the
community surrounding the school and aligned with the school values and beliefs. Lastly, we
coordinated the assessment of the data through collection, reflection and adjustment. For
successfully improving the students learning experience, as a group we agreed it would be
appropriate for us to plan any assessments for and of learning through the Understanding by
Design (UBD) Framework. Heineke, & McTighe, (2018) suggests that critical and creating
thinking are maximised through backwards planning as well as thriving within the
personal and social capabilities that students would be attempting to balance and
experiencing throughout their secondary years. Applying these strategies throughout
of project I have learnt skills that I can apply to future professional development of my
teaching career.
Lastly, Through the understanding of propositional leadership each of us
understood how to deliver ethical, trustworthy, interpersonal communication while giving
and accepting support of colleagues. Additionally, for the future successes and effectiveness

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of this food-based project we will continuously build and develop skills to work within and
strive to improve school systems through applying equitable curriculum standards
considering the diverse demographics, historical and cultural experiences to student learning.
Ultimately applying glocalisation to students learning; enabling students to think ‘globally’
about their immediate environment and local context reflecting global influences and ideals
for maximising engaging into student’s cultural assets.

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References:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018). Bulli High School, Bulli,
NSW. My School. Retrieved from https://www.myschool.edu.au/school/42938

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). NAPLAN Achievement

in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy: National Report for 2017,
ACARA, Sydney.
Antonakis, & House. (2014). Instrumental leadership: Measurement and ext ension of
transformational–transactional leadership theory. The Leadership
Quarterly,25(4), 746-771.

Arguedas, M., Daradoumis, T., & Xhafa, F. (2016). Analyzing How Emotion Awareness
Influences Students?Motivation, Engagement, Self-Regulation and Learning
Outcome. Journal of Educational Technology & Society,19(2), 87-103.
Aga, D. (2016). Transactional Leadership and Project Success: The Moderating Role of
Goal Clarity. Procedia Computer Science, 100, 517-525.

Cannatelli, Smith, Giudici, Jones, & Conger. (2017). An Expanded Model of Distributed
Leadership in Organizational Knowledge Creation. Long Range Planning, 50(5),
582-602.

Cunnington, M., Kantrowitz, A., Harnett, S., & Hill-Ries, A. (2014). Cultivating Common
Ground: Integrating Standards-Based Visual Arts, Math and Literacy in High-
Poverty Urban Classrooms. Journal for Learning through the Arts, 10(1), 26.

Davis, C. (2016). ‘Focus Groups: applying communication theory through design, facilitation
and analysis.’ Routledge, published electronically. ISBN: 9781315298504. Retrieved
from: https://bit.ly/2PF4j35

Heineke, A., & McTighe, J. (2018). Using Understanding by Design in the Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Classroom. 4-26

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Hattie, J., & Yates, G. C. R. (2014). Visible learning and the science of how we learn.
Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Solinger, C., & Peed, John. (2015). Critical Thinking in the Visual Arts Classroom: A
Phenomenological Participatory Action Research Study,ProQuest Dissertations
and Theses.

Phaneuf, Boudrias, Rousseau, & Brunelle. (2016). Personality and transformational

leadership: The moderating effect of organizational context. Personality and
Individual Differences, 102, 30-35.