Professional learning - online forums, a new experience for me

This year (2019) I have expanded my online horizons and joined 2 teaching focused Facebook groups: NZ Biology teachers and NZ Science teachers.
I was also introduced to Twitter as a means of delving into various aspects of pedagogy.

Via Twitter I have been investigating the concept and classroom practices involved with

•  "Flipped Classrooms" where the concept is covered by a short online video clip (produced by the teacher) and the the class session time is used to consolidate the learning.
• Meta cognition - who can I get my students to think about their thinking?
• Growth mindset - what I realized was actually underpinning my interest in meta cognition.

One of the fascinating posts (shared below) about cultural responsiveness in teaching made me feel really lucky to be working at a Kura where we are walking the talk, and are given the scope to increase our cultural responsiveness in teaching and all other interactions with students and colleagues.

FB conversation about Cultural responsiveness (Science teachers group) - FB names removed for privacy: 

Post: Our principal is running a PD programme tomorrow, whole day, on 'Cultural Responsiveness' Each department is being asked for a '5 min report back on 'how the principles of the treaty are explicitly embedded in one of your units of work'.
We as a department have resources that are used ..... however these would probably not be considered 'principles of the treaty'. Units do allow students to work collaboratively in groups (participation & partnership?) in an environment that is safe and supports positive learning (protection?)
Thoughts, suggestions welcome.

Responses:

Do you give opportunities for prior knowledge - which may be culturally relevant - which students can then develop? Using linking contexts to culturally relevant world views?

Are you (or your Principal) just ticking a box? (ie PTS#1) or are you trying to show understanding of our partnership?

Knowledge and understanding of our partnership can be interpreted any number of ways, from translations of scientific words to applications of traditional science (eg flax) to historical events.

The more you put in, the more you are just trying to tick a box. We won't contrive 'content' because thats not authentic, but we can easily find little bits to put in all our Y10 units

Great to hear your school is actively trying to implement consideration for the Treaty in the curriculum. This is a great way to connect with Maori students but also provides an opportunity for non-Maori students to get some ideas of a Maori world view. Great for race relations, ect. In saying that, ways I try to honour the Treaty through my practice is by considering Maori knowledge and practices in my teaching, no matter the context. Quick example, I am a Bio teacher, when studying life processes, I get the students to classify living and non-living things, eg: tree, insect, log, rock, bird, fire, volcano, and lastly a river. Is a river alive? Science hats on = No, Maori world view hat on = Yes. Then we have a big discussion about the Whanganui river and how recently it has been recognised as a living entity by (Pakeha) law. If you want to go with the 3 P's Partnership= acknowledging Maori beliefs, Participation= actively sharing, discussing, teaching Maori knowledge, Protection= No matter what you personally believe, Maintaining the Mana of that knowledge by 'treating' it as a truthful, and valid cultural belief, not just airy fairy myths. Of course there are lots of things we can do that come from a Maori pedagogy (tuakana/teina- peer teaching, manaakitanga- support, ect) but like <NAME> mentioned, great way to tick the box, but these are just teaching and learning strategies with Maori names. I guess my challenge to you (all teachers) is: How can you include Maori knowledge and practices in your curriculum to help connect with and acknowledge Matauranga Maori for the benefit of not just Maori students, but all students, and society as a whole?
I hope what I have said doesn't sound grumpy and I say these things with the upmost respect to all teachers who want to acknowledge the spirit of the Treaty. I also acknowledge a lot of this Maori kind of knowledge can be hard to find.
In saying that, I hope I inspire, rather than dishearten. Anyone, please feel free to get in touch if you feel the need.

 Similarly, we have a teacher only day on cultural responsiveness. I've just started reading "Teaching to the North-West" by Russell Bishop of Te Kotahitanga fame. I've only just read through the introduction but I like this section "Relationship-based learning is a form of culturally-responsive pedagogy (CRP), in that it allows for that which marginalised students bring to the conversation. That is, they are enabled to bring their cultural knowledges, understandings, and sense-making processes to the forefront. What is important for this understanding is that, for teachers, CRP is a matter of pedagogy rather than learning and/or transmitting the culture of their students which is often what is meant when CRP is promoted. To confuse CRP with a cultural competency approach is to expect teachers to learn about the culture of all their students - an impossible and unnecessary task, for the students are already "experts" on how they see the world. A cultural competency approach produces anxiety among teachers of "getting it wrong" and promotes stereotyping, reductionism, and mimicry. A responsive approach includes learners in their own determination and supports teachers to become even more professional and productive". This section refers to Professor Iribinna Rigney for analysis of the dangers of a cultural competency in comparison to a responsive approach.

From that I interpret the questions about how Te Tiriti principles are imbedded are as you say: participation, partnership, and protection with an emphasis on respecting the knowledge and culture that our priority learners bring and how that has an impact on what and how they learn.