Week 32 - APC - Changes in practice

Wow - the end of MindlabEd November Intake 2015!

It has been a rollercoaster ride of wishing I had more time to delve even deeper, opportunity to test ideas over and over again with my learners and even more time to just share with ‘like minded’ people. Stretch the course over two years and it might have almost been perfect!

I never realised how much I love learning and sorting my ideas out in the form of a blog post or assignment. Posting them was just the promise to my wider community that I am going to take action. The choices for research projects and leadership I made were to useful because they gave opportunity unpack the things that interest me or that I am struggling with. Mindlab has given me the opportunity and skills to be more effective in developing my own teacher inquiry, which is an essential skill to have as an effective teacher in New Zealand. (Ministry of Education)

I have also loved being fed all the current readings and videos that a reflective should be interacting with. I know it will be harder to find them without Mindlab but my Twitter CoP are always feeding new readings and blog posts into the mix. This continual cycle of reading, implementing and reflecting is one that will continue in my professional life as Osterman and Kottkamp (1993) identify it as the way practitioners can be more self aware about their impact and as a result grow as a teacher.

So how has the last 32 weeks changed me?

Honestly… I knew about lots of things but was experienced in just a few. Mindlab was the springboard into buying a class set of Makey Makey, running a computer science course and unpacking the Agile Approach. I have learned that I am a leader and the way I draw in my stakeholders and the leadership style I use impacts the effectiveness of everything I do.

As a school we are looking carefully at reflecting on our practice, working backwards from our action to see where it fits into the Practicing Teacher’s Criteria (PTC) which is going to be exciting as I unpack my Mindlab learning. It will be hard to focus on just to of the criteria!

Criteria 4:

Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.

Wow - 32 weeks of Mindlab was certainly a commitment of critical self reflection and changing how I do things - not to mention a vast number of late evenings and weekends! It was a chance to examine my motivations, prejudice and how effective I really am in the classroom and our wider learning community. (Osterman & Kottkamp 1993)

My blog posts in the past have been unpacking an approach or resource in the classroom. I am now beginning to actually interact with readings, other practitioner’s blog posts and question my actions, effectiveness and my assumptions. I still look for opportunities for PD such as the Coding Training with the University of Canterbury in July and and working through my Teacher Inquiry for 2016 based around the effectiveness of the Feuerstein Method in our school setting.

My PD does not rely of what is offered vis school but feeds directly out of the connectiins I have made through Twitter and my wider learning communities, which reminds me of a whakatoki about working collaboratively: "Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi” With your basket and my basket the people will live.

Criteria 7:

Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.

I had already begun this journey, which is why the Mindlab programme appealed to me, but there have been some changes take place as the course progressed.

I love the opportunity that ‘Aglie’ gives me to support students in learning to code and managing their groups through an inquiry project. Those quick 5 minute ‘check ins’ at the start to establish where we are at, what we are struggling with and intend to achieve during the session keep us all on track and aware of what support is needed.

Students are collaborating on Google Docs, even running AKO training sessions in how to use Google Draw and other tools to support their writing and inquiry. Constructive comments are made on blog writing and buddy conferencing supports the writing of students at all levels. All of this maximises learning as there are 58 teachers in our team. I have even begun to let of of the control that I used to crave. My three writing students on an independent writing programme are amazing me with the quality and quantity of the work they are producing, just because the have been given agency and trust.

I could go on forever about the amazing work my students are doing  but need to identify...

Where to Next?

1. Carry out my teacher inquiry based on the effectiveness of the Feuerstein Method in our school and report our results to all stakeholders, while building greater connections with our growing community of practice.
2. Continue my training in Feuerstein so that I can teach the whole range of enrichment activities.
3. Continue to develop a bank of planning and resources to support staff in our school as they begin to take the Feuerstein journey.
4. Develop my skills in coding and unpack how this can be integrated across the curriculum.
5. Go back and play around with how Agile can be developed as an approach to scaffold student independence.
6. Make stronger connections with our marae and look at ways to strengthen my cultural responsiveness in the classroom - Roll on Maori Language Week!
7. Spend some time going back over what I have been learning and embed it in my classroom:

• Makey Makey
• Coding
• Augmented Reality
• Collaboration
• Student led workshops
• Student independence in learning

It sounds like I am going to continue to be very busy, but for the next few days I’m going to just going to put my feet up and reflect on the ups and downs of the journey so far.

Resources:

Freire, Paulo. (2000) Pedagogy of the oppressed /New York : Continuum

James, M. Agile Scrum Training Series (2016) http://scrumtrainingseries.com/

Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Registered-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators.California.Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 7th May, 2015 fromhttp://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf

Making connections across learning areas - messy and engaging.

Interdisciplinary connections between subject areas might seem innovative and new as seen in Hobsonville Point Secondary School but it is something primary school teachers have been experimenting with for years. The only way to fit everything in, at a depth that makes learning purposeful and interesting, is to mix it all up together like it happens in life!

But how do we define Interdisciplinary teaching? Mathison and Freeman (1997) suggest the purpose is to enhance learning by having two or more subjects work in together to help make the connections. They suggest that the interdisciplimnary approach is more teacher driven, an intergrate approach is inquiry driven and the intergrative approach is about sharing student and teacher ideas to co-construct the curriculum. The basis of all of these approaches is to make connections between learning areas and apply skills across different contexts.

Interdisciplinary connection map:

My interdisciplinary connection map is totally different from those of other Mindlab students because I have focussed on aspects I am so passionate about that they seep into everything I do as a teacher.

I love utilizing digital technologies for learning to scaffold student success. They allow students to create and share their learning as digital citizens with an understanding of the strengths and challenges involved in working ‘online’.

Being the Enviro School lead teacher has a huge impact on how I do everything. The five guiding principles are that of empowering students to take action for real change, teaching and learning for sustainability, honouring Māori perspectives, respecting the diversity of people and cultures and developing the skills in our students that will nurture both people and nature as a sustainable community. These Enviroschool principles tie in with my passion for Te Reo, raranga (flax weaving), Māori tikanga and empowering students to be independent change-makers.

My focus is to develop independence in learning and developing the Key Competencies so my students have the necessary skills for participating in the challenges of the 21st Century.  A key component of this is self reflection, unpacking the metacognition behind their learning which will help them develop as a self directed learner. (Ministry of Education 2016)

Topmost in my mind is the way the Feuerstein Method has changed my teaching. I focus on unpacking - cognitive functions into manageable chunks, mediate learning by asking those challenging questions that help students identify effective strategies, while making connections from learning to other contexts and the real world. I believe that every student is modifiable and feel that it is my responsibility to give them the skills they need to grow. (Feuerstein 2010)

Finally, I strive to make learning engaging, for a purpose and social. We co-create learning as we struggle with an inquiry or problem based learning which requires us to use all of our skills and make connections across the curriculum areas.

Identify two of the potential connections from your map as your near future goals:
In the challenge of fitting everything onto the page in my map, I forgot to mention the possible future steps.....

1. Make closer links with the Marae and local Māori community. I hope to return to studying raranga (flax weaving) in 2017, which will continue to build my relationships within tthe Māori community, but also need to look at ways to make my teaching even more culturally responsive. One way is to take more of an active role in my local marae so that I can build relationships and incorporate these into my classroom.

2. Unpack the effect of Feuerstein amongst our learners. This will take the form of carrying out my research project, supporting new other teachers from the school in their training and developing a bank of resources that can be used in implementing this amazing method. This will also require further training over the next few years, so that I can teach the full range of enrichment tasks within our school Dynamic Thinking programme, while also embedding the approach across the curriculum with the aim of providing ‘Equity for all’. (Ministry of Education 2016, NEG 2).

The beneifts of making connections:
Feuerstein states that teaching specific cognitive functions should be done repeatedly and in isolation so it can then be embedded in a task. His key focus is to always make those connections between the strategy and where in the world it was being used. This is fine for an intense cognitive function programme but I believe that it is more motivating if the 'need' for learning arises from an authentic learning opportunity. This results in....

• clear connections being made between subjects, strategies and encourages application into new contexts
• more complex and challenging isssues can be unpacked - in depth rather than superficial 'coverage'
• collaboration as a focus, using creativity, communication, problem solving and critical thinking to socially co-construct knowledge
• authentic lines of inquiry engage and inspire students
• student interest and voice leads the direction of inquiry or problem soving challenge
• learning being fresh and interesting because it is driven by student interests

The challenges of interdisciplinary connections:
Uncertainity of planning:
These issues tend to sit with the teacher. Are they prepared to 'back-plan' or cope with the uncertainty of not having the planning completed for the term? Relying on student imput takes the control away from the teacher and requires flexibility. 

Curriculum hour blocks:
The other current issue I can see in primary school is moving away from specific subject blocks. While we might be using reading or writing to support the inquiry or project based leawrning - why do we need to separate the day into 1 hour sections? Breaking down these barriers is fine in a single cell classroom but how do you manage three teachers and 90 students in the mix?

Tracking and assessment:
If the subject blocks are removed and we focus on 'Integrated Learning' how do you check that each subject recieves an appropriate amount of time, track the learning in separate subjects and keep it sorted in your own mind? How then do you explain this to parents who are set in the traditional apporach of hour blocks?

It is obvious that real life does not fit into small clearly labelled sections but is messy and skills from one part of life are always applied to other areas. This is the life we are preparing our students to thrive in. Lets give them the skills they need!



References:

Feuerstein, R., Feuerstein, R. S., & Falik, L. H. (2010). Beyond smarter: Mediated learning and the brain's capacity for change. New York: Teachers College Press. 

Hipkins, R., Bolstad, R., Boyd, S., & McDowall, S. (2014). Key competencies for the future. New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) Press.

Lacoe Edu (2014, Oct 24) Interdisciplinary Learning [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA564RIlhME

Ministry of Education, http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/legislation/negs/  11/5/16 uploaded

Ministiry of Education, Key Competencies. http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Key-competencies 26.6.16 uploaded. 

TEDx Talks (2001, April 6). TEDxBYU - David Wiley - An interdisciplinary path to innovation. [video file].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytjMDongp4 

Social Media - Does it have a place in Education?

The world is changing pace rapidly so how do we to prepare our students for 21st Century when we don’t have the skills ourselves? We as teachers are supposed to model being ‘lifelong learners’ then where and when do we learn? How do we measure our effectiveness or get inspiration? Who acts as our mentor or critical friend when there is no money or little time to invest in these tools?

It is social media that inspires me to ‘hack learning’ in my classroom and continue to be that ‘lone nut’ that stands out as doing something a bit different. For me being ‘Connected Learner’ (Office of Ed Tech 2013) it is not the key aspect of being a 21st Century Educator. Being a connected learner is essential for my growth, my excitement and what drives me to continue the journey in becoming a better teacher. It is the air that I breathe as an educator.

This is good because relying on ‘management’ to provide relevant PD to my particular interests or needs is not realistic. Melhuish states “It is recommended that educators explore ways to make strategic use of social network sites within a clearly articulated inquiry, focused on student outcomes.” (2013, pg 179)

1. How do/would you use social media to enhance your professional development? Why?

Being actively involved in my Twitter Community of Practice has has allowed me to make connections with colleagues around the world. I can participate in discussions about current educational trends across continents due to the ability to access this PD at any time or place. This provides a never-ending, free ‘conference’ where we share resources, challenge ideas and discover the next inspirational book to read. Twitter is like a spider’s web of AKO that binds us together in learning from and supporting one another.  Gone is the past where resources were hoarded and classroom doors closed. The sole purpose of being a connected learner is to support those around you and be enriched by sharing their expertise. I am lucky to be connected to colleagues from around the world that challenge and inspire me to be better.

Other social media tools that help support my learning journey are using Google Docs to collaboratively plan, Google + groups and Facebook pages for discussion with like-minded people on issues like ILE or Collaborative Teaching. The VLN Groups network are an excellent resource but the most effect on my practice has come from Twitter.

2.  What are some key features of social media that are beneficial for teaching and learning? Why?

Why would we ask students to ‘power down’ when the come to school when we are charged with preparing them for the 21st Century? Surely our job is to engage students while teaching them how to effectively use these tools to collaborate and create in a safe way. (Education Council 2016). Digital citizenship has to be at the heart of our classrooms along with moving from the act of consuming to actually creating. (Seaman, & Tinti-Kane, 2013) Pearson’s survey in that same document shows there was an increase of 21.3% from 2012 to 2013 in social media use in teaching.

In our classroom, we make use of many social media tools to motivate students, support their learning and share that journey with whanau.

Every student has their own blog which acts like an e-portfolio tracking their progress across time from Year 4 - 8. This is a place to share writing, oral recordings of reading fluency, reflections, slide presentations for inquiry, movies and many other exciting pieces of learning. It gives students an audience and purpose to present their ‘best’ and the thought of ownership and their learning being seen by ‘the world’ is highly motivating.

Through blogging we have an opportunity to teach Cyber Citizenship  - with a purpose. We also have a huge focus on students giving constructive comments and following the next steps suggesting in those from teachers, parents and peers. This reinforces the concept of us all being both the teacher and learner. This could also be seen when my students not only participated in 5 Sentence or 100 Word Challenges but also wrote comments on the writing of other students. To be a Cyber Citizen, we can’t expect to just receive comments but we also need to give back to our community.

Teaching students to use a range of apps and tools allows them to make choices about which would be most effective in achieving their desited goal. This requires them to take their audience into account and evaluate each tool. These are all skills of a much higher level than just ‘consuming’ drill and skill games! They are the skills of a 21st Century Learner.

Apart from blogging, we also use a range of other Social Media tools. We use twitter as a reflection tool where students need to make a summary, have it correct and think about their audience. (@coolkiwikids) This gives us a platform to share learning but also has the opportunity to make connections. In the past we have been involved in #kidsedchatnz, quadblogging and #kidscafeNZ which developed into running a kids ‘educamp’ for blog buddies from another school. Making connections helps develop empathy as students see the similarities between them and students in other countries or circumstances.

Another tool we find valuable is the LEARNZ Network for Virtual Field Trips. This gives students an opportunity to participate in activities that might be impossible to attend in 'real-life' and make connections with experts in the field. This next week we are actually participating in making the 'Bird Survey' video that will be shared with other students.

Being a GAFE school also gives our students great joy as they love collaborating in projects and co-writing stories which they then post on their blogs, from where whanau can comment. Google Docs and the use of Hapara Dashboard to track student learning gives me opportunity to build those relationships Joosten reports are needed for learning (2013). I can even comment on learning that students are working on in the weekend!

Classrooms are no-longer the centre of our learning. They are the base from which we reach out to a rich wealth of connections with other classrooms, students and experts. I am excited that the classroom I have the pleasure of working in looks so different to the one I began my teaching career in 20 years ago.

Ethics in my practice...

My ethics are what determine how I react in different situations and might be different from someone of a different cultural or religious background. However, there is a code of practice that governs our behaviour as teachers: Code Of Ethics for Certified Teachers.
The key focus is that in dealing sith students, whanau, colleagues, The BOT, cluster colleages.....

• We treat people with respect
• We nurture all students and encourage them to think critically
• We promote student wellbeing
• We collaborate with whanau for the good of their child
• We respect privacy and confidentiality
• We collaborate with and support colleagues 
• We promote our school in a positive manner

There was probably much more but this seems to be the essence of it.... and should be what is at the foundation of all my actions as a teacher.

What happens when you throw the ever-changing aspect of social media into the mix? Keeping our students safe becomes a much more challenging task than it was 20 years ago.

I have been blogging with my class for at least 6 years, students have had individual blogs for three years and my students have been using Titter as a reflective tool for the same amount of time. According to the NZ Teacher's Council (2012) the purpose of using social media must be established and I can attest that blogging has increased student writing due to a sense of ownership and audience. Using Twitter allows for the succinct sharing of reflections and both of these tools allows us to connect with a wider community of learners, where we can begin to collaborate and have access experts from around the world. 

So how do my personal ethics and choices protect both me and students from potential issues?

I migh not call myself an early adopter but I was pretty close behind. I value the professional support I gain through Twitter and the opportunities that social media bring to education. But how can I make use of this resource and keep myself professionally 'safe' in my professional environment?

My personal twitter account @kiwiallana is where I share my learning as a teacher, blog posts and Mindlab assignments. I am careful to make my posts positive and think carefully about what is professionally appropriate for posting. This account is not shared with students. 

The class share a separate account @coolkiwikids where they post reflections and images from class. These are identified only with a first name and images must be checked before posting. 

My personal Facebook account is very inactive but does allow me to connect with family overseas and is mainly limited to how my garden is growing or how many mice the cat has caught - nothing that could be a bad example to students should they 'happen' to see any of the posts. I do not 'friend' students or their parents. I have also chosen to not 'friend' the school so that my personal Facebook account has no connection with my professional life. I do know of a colleague who was intentionally 'stalked' by students and understand the importance of keeping everything professionally appropriate and separate.

Digital Ethical Issue:

Within the school environment, we have so many systems in place to protect our students but have also been very lucky to not have had many major issues arise. As a result, I will unpack something that I can see being a possible digital issue.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kyteacher/3578441521

All senior students at our school have personal 'Blogger Blogs' and Google Drives which are tracked through Hapara Dashboard. Students have completed a series of 'Cyber Citizenship' lessons at the beginning of the year, signed annual safety and image sharing contracts then completed a BYOD Quiz before creating their own 'safe' password and learning about how to use their blog. This year our inquiry included lessons on blogging skills including their digital foodptints and acknowledging sources. There are still workshops being run throughout the year for students to upskill in this area.

The educational purpose of these blogs are for student writing, reflection and to share their learning with family and the wider learning community. We train students to make constructive comments on one-another's work with clear next steps as they are AKO kids and are excellent teachers of their peers.

But what happens if a student posts an inappropriate image of another on their blog, or makes 'bullying' type comments on another student's work or in the form of an e-mail?

Hall (2001) would suggest that there are a series of questions to ask when dealing with a digital issue. For us the steps would be very clear and based on the contract signed which determines our school expectations.

This type of behaviour would be picked very qucikly. Any posts, comments or e-mails would be sent to our ICT co-oridnator and teachers via the 'Linewise' and 'inappropriate word' filter. We also have the protocol of students only saving blog posts with TBC (To Be Checked), then the teacher giving advice or posting the piece for them, until they have earned the right for independent posting.

The facts of the incident would be unpacked then students and parents would be referred back to the signed contract about appropriate use of ICT. As a restorative school, the people harmed would be identified and a way to restore this relationship would be set in place with the students involved. If it was a more serious case, a restorative conference would be set up between the two families, with a trained facilitator to unpack the steps required to restore the relationships, a plan and monitoring would be set in place. In all instances there could be a period where the student was removed from the school wiifi, followed by close supervision and tracking.

Any learning opportunities would be unpacked from this event for the remainder of the class and the need for futher training in what is 'appropriate use' would be establised and carried out. Systems would be reviewed to see ifchanges need to be made for the future.

Pandora has been let out of the box and in most instances, devices and social media are an effective tool in making connections, collaboration and sharing learning. There could be no suggestion that these tools should be removed from our classrooms. We do, however, need to have strong systems in place to protect our students from potential issues that might arise. 

Source: 

Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers

Henderson, M., Auld, G., & Johnson, N. F. (2014). Ethics of Teaching with Social Media. Paper presented at the Australian Computers in Education Conference 2014, Adelaide, SA. Retrieved from http://acec2014.acce.edu.au/sites/2014/files/attachments/HendersonAuldJohnson_EthicalDilemmas_ACEC_2014_0.pdf:

Ministry of Education. (2015). Digital technology- Safe and responsible use in school. Retrieved from http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Managing-and-supporting-students/DigitalTechnologySafeAndResponsibleUseInSchs.pdf: 

New Zealand Teachers Council.(2012). Establishing safeguards.[video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://vimeo.com/49216520

Indigenous knowledge & Cultural responsiveness in my practice

My third year at University had a profound impact on my belief system about the levels of equality within education. A shift so great that it went against common opinion and is still being slowly translated into my classroom practice. It involved the heady combination of Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2000) and Bourdieu (cited in Szeman & Kaposy 2010) looking at the cultural capital passed on by the dominant class to maintain the status quo. Smashed was my naive view that we all had an equal chance and that success was determined by effort. This was not an equal playing field and it was being maintained by the education system itself.

This is obviously something that has been brought to the attention of the education system as noted in Bishop’s Edtalk (2012). He pointed out the disparity of Māori achievement which impacts on our country economically, socially and politically. Under the Treaty or Waitangi Māori were promised equal rights, opportunities and education.

But obviously, equal access to education has not translated in equality of success. The common voice might argue that success is based on effort or innate ability and that Māori are failing because they have a cultural deficit.

Feuerstein (2010) would argue that there is no ‘deficit’ but that everyone is modifiable. The Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools report states that it is not the learners but the system that needs to be modified. (2002) Our key response needs to be to put the child in the centre.

Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa

The Child – the Heart of the Matter

In the Te Kotahitanga research (Gutschlag, 2007) it was suggested that the teacher needs to become the agent of change for our Māori students. To achieve this there are some key changes to be made which will lead to improved learning for Maori but I truly believe they are beneficial for all.

1. Build relationships for learning.
2. Adjust the curriculum so it is engaging and values the Māori world view.
3. Use assessment to provide feedback to inform learning and the social nature of co-constructing learning with and between students.

So what does cultural responsiveness look like on our school?

My initial response is to think - wow, we have a way to go in our being culturally responsive in our school of 250, with only 20 Māori students. And while that may be true, we are in the process of taking action but also have some areas of strength.

Our school vision, mission, and core values

As a school we have recognised the need to adapt our school vision to make it fit our community and be more culturally responsive. We have asked the local Marae for our Māori name and are building stronger relationships as we begin to incorporate our cultural narrative into the fabric of who we are at Springston School.

We are in the process of developing our new vision, in connection with the Taumutu Marae and with our learning community. The clear difference in our new vision is that it is all about excellence - for all.

Vision: Inspiring excellence and outstanding character.

This is supported by our goals of ...

Learner: Self motivated role models who demonstrate empathy and resilience.

Community: Leading engaged, connected school and community partnerships.

Environment: Dynamic, inspirational and nurturing learning environment.

And the final aspect weaving these concepts together is our A+ Characteristics of being articulate, accountable, accepting, adventurous and adaptable. We have the challenge of unpacking the Māori view of this wonderful representation of our Key Competencies to develop the ‘story’ behind each aspect e.g. 

Adventurous: 

Like the tuna, we know our goals and never give up when it gets tough because we are determined and persistent.

PD leading to school activities:

I want to unpack all the things we are doing well and they don’t really fit into just one category so here goes…

1. In 2013 the whole teaching staff made a commitment to learning Te Reo and completed a year at Te Wananga of Aotearoa (TWoA), two staff then took it on for a further year. This has resulted in a confidence and use of Te Reo across the school with daily use in waitata, karakia, whakatouki and speeches at official functions.
2. Personally I continued with TWoA with a further year in raranga (flax weaving), which has played a large role in my AKO students teaching others how to weave and preparing putiputi (flax flowers) for a teacher’s wedding.
3. The weekly admin meeting begins with a waiata and a new Te Reo phrase to use for the week.
4. Tracking boards are kept where Teams can track the progress of target and Māori students to keep ourselves accountable that we are meeting the needs of our Priority Learners. (2012)
5. The Kapa Haka team performs in both the Christchurch and local Ellesmere Kapa Haka Festivals.
6. Our whole school participated in a powhiri to welcome the new principal, as supported by our local marae, and images were included in their document to explain the protocol for these events.
7. Personally, I begin every year with a mini mihi whakatau, where past students welcome the new ones into our learning space, talk about the exciting things that happen there and share kai on the very first day.
8. Having a student buddy system throughout the whole school that reflects the reflecting tuakana teina relationship where the older students mentor, support and and help run ‘starting school parties’ for the little ones.
9. Senior students are given responsibility and can develop leadership skills in the areas of hospitality, build-teams, bus monitors, librarians and other areas.
10. Student voice and action is harnessed through our newly established student council.
11. Our local marae is beginning to be use more frequently as a learning resource with visits to Lake Ellesmere to unpack the importance of the tuna (Longfin eel) and unpacking protocol by spending time on ‘our’ marae.
12. Being an enviroschool and playing an active role in student involvement as ‘tamarkik tiaki’ - guardians of our environment. They work in our school garden, are planning to get chickens and have been planting native trees down at our local Chamberlains Ford.
13. Visual evidence of the Maori culture is becoming more evident around our school with the wind garden being created by ECO Team students to represent Tāwhirimātea (god of the wind) and pou (wooden posts) with our Key Competencies engraved on them.

For a school with a very small Māori community, I know we are doing lots of things to make connections with our environment but also, when you list them like this, the list of culturally responsive actions is quite long.The questions is…. are these making a deep and meaningful impact on helping our Māori students and whanau feel like the school is theirs and values Māori knowledge and world-view, or are these actions just superficial?

The only way to progress is to keep engaging in korereo with our Māori community and taking action to incorporate their wishes and advice as we continue this journey together.



References:

Bishop, R. Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Bishop, R, Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009). Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5)734–742.

Education Review Office, (2012) Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools. Downloaded from http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/evaluation-at-a-glance-priority-learners-in-new-zealand-schools/ 

Feuerstein, R., Feuerstein, R. S., & Falik, L. H. (2010). Beyond smarter: Mediated
learning and the brain's capacity for change. New York: Teachers College Press.

Freire, Paulo. (2000) Pedagogy of the oppressed /New York : Continuum

Gutschlag, A.(2007). Some implications of the Te Kotahitanga model of teacher positioning. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 4(1), 3-10. Retrieved from http://www.teacherswork.ac.nz/journal/volume4_issue1/gutschlag.pdf.

Szeman, I., Kaposy, T. (2010) 2010, Cultural Theory: An Anthology. Wiley-Blackwell