Education Gazette 99.1

3 February 2020 | Vol. 99 No. 1

Citizen Science:

learners making a difference Learning support delivery model in action

Embracing Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko

This issue:

Spotlight on Citizen Science Kia ora koutou katoa We’re pleased to bring you this first issue of Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero to kickstart another great year of teaching and learning.

In this issue we focus on Citizen Science, looking at some exciting examples of schools and kura around New Zealand engaging young people in rich science and tech curriculum learning opportunities.

Check out our feature story, which shows how students are taking learning beyond the classroom to help make a real difference in their communities.

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Students petition government to protect native fish

Learning Support Delivery Model in action

Hop online and check out the Gazette’s new video series on Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko.

In our first video, we look at why the revised curriculum will play an important part in helping equip students for the future.

This year, we’ll be bringing the Gazette into your inbox, so sign up for fortnightly alerts to have access to all the latest content: https://gazette.education. govt.nz/alerts/sign-up-for-the-newsletter.

The Ministry of Education is also working closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that schools, kura and early learning centres have the most relevant information to inform your planning in regard to the potential risks associated with the coronavirus; please consult the Ministry of Education’s website for more information.

3 February 2020 | Vol. 99 No. 1

On the cover

Citizen Science:

learners making a difference Learning support delivery model in action

Embracing Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko

P2: Ashley and her classmates travelled from Northland to present a petition calling for the protection of endemic mudfish to Parliament.

Regulars 33 47

Notices Vacancies

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Bringing Te Tiriti to life

18 Armful of learning opportunities

26 Te Kura Moana – citizen science in action in te ao Māori

New curriculum content to equip students for future

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Bringing local curriculum into focus at Te Māhia School

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Taking science outside the classroom brings success

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Kids love data-tracking their sleep patterns

Relationships rule at Homai School

Key contacts

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Reporter Joy Stephens reporter@edgazette.govt.nz

Education Gazette is published for the Ministry of Education by NZME. Educational Media Ltd. PO Box 200, Wellington.

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ISSN 0111 1582

The deadline for vacancies and notices to be printed in the 17 February 2020 edition of Education Gazette is 4pm on Friday 7 February 2020.

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 3 February 2020

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Students petition government to protect native fish A group of students from a small rural Northland kura used online learning tools to effect real-life change – and it took them all the way to Parliament.

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he students in a Year 7 and 8 all-girls digital classroom at Hikurangi School in Taitokerau have become passionate allies of a native freshwater mudfish.

Their teacher, Helen Moore, says her class discovered the plight of the native black mudfish/waikaka that live in their ‘backyard’ and decided to do a petition.

Online petition Their online petition, which calls for the government to protect the habitats of the native black mudfish outside of Department of Conservation (DOC) reserves, got almost 650 signatures.

The Hikurangi Swamp was the largest area of wetland in the Southern Hemisphere before it was drained, and now the unique native mudfish is struggling to survive.

In the petition’s accompanying video, the students say the black mudfish “is so unique and amazing because it can survive out of water sometimes for several months”.

“This petition was the culmination of their year’s work,” says Helen. “The girls have researched and spoken to experts and in doing so, have found out more about the taonga which is the mudfish and was so important to their iwi in the past.”

The group of 14 students and Helen presented the petition to Labour list MP Willow-Jean Prime on 19 November 2019.

The next day they were taken on a tour of Parliament and heard their petition read out in the House.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

Students from Hikurangi School, with teacher Helen Moore present their petition to Willow Jean Prime, Eugenie Sage and staff on the steps of Parliament at the end of last year. gazette.education.govt.nz

CITIZEN SCIENCE

“The girls have researched and spoken to experts and in doing so, have found out more about the taonga that is the mudfish, and was so important to their iwi in the past.”

Helen Moore

Taking it in stride

learning to articulate their ideas through oral presentations so the girls could confidently talk to media, members of the public or politicians.

Helen says presenting the petition and meeting Willow-Jean, Eugenie Sage (Associate Minister for the Environment), Trevor Mallard (Speaker of the House) and Duncan Webb (MP, Chairman of Environment Select Committee) made the experience very real, and she was impressed by the politicians and their interest in what the tamariki had to say.

“Even though the girls are from a rural Northland school, I try to get them to realise they have value and can make a difference – they don’t have to accept the status quo,” says Helen.

“After we got back, we had an email from the environmental select committee saying they are going to consider the petition, and do we have some evidence to back it up.

“So we have been brainstorming all the reasons why we think the mudfish should be protected and thinking of all of the people who can provide support and their expert opinion to back us up. We may need to make an oral submission by Skype this year. This has extended the learning even further,” Helen explains.

Feel the fear and do it

Real-time learning continues After a year of cross-curricular activities, the girls had so much knowledge that when visiting Te Papa on their trip, they pointed out there were no freshwater native fish in a display of endemic plants, fish and animals.

Visit the online version of this article to learn more about the students’ mission.

“The greatest value to me is they are beginning to realise they have a place in society. They have followed it through from Hikurangi Swamp to Parliament and it’s still going,” she says. “I have been quite impressed with the way they have taken it in their stride.”

“They found a mudfish in a bottle and there was no information about it, so the girls have decided they are going to put down everything they know about mudfish and send it to Te Papa,” says Helen.

The project has encompassed cross-curricular learning including strands such as science, research, writing and

Helen says the year-long project has been demanding but the class has received support at every level, from the community who helped fundraise for the Wellington trip, to experts who shared their knowledge. Relationships have also been built and strengthened with iwi, DOC and the regional council.

“We have found there are people out there willing to help – experts are always willing to help and get excited when kids want to know things. As long as you are happy to go with the flow and let it gather its momentum, it’s not a difficult thing. Feel the fear and do it anyway!

“Everybody has been really positive, and we have had some amazing encouraging comments from people who have signed the petition. It just brings it home to the girls that they are doing a good thing,” says Helen.

How to get students to think like scientists In 2018, Helen Moore was a recipient of the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s Science Teaching Leadership Programme. She spent six months with the Northland Regional Council and was able to get involved in tasks such as monitoring coastal water quality in the Bay of Islands and habitat mapping using drones.

It was during this placement that she learned about the plight of many of our native freshwater fish.

“I did some fish surveys and I didn’t even know we had so many freshwater fish other than inanga and tuna (eels). I learned how their habitat is shrinking and the idea was in the back of my mind that we could do something about this, or we could look at freshwater fish when I went back to the class,” she explains.

With a background in science, Helen retrained as a teacher and recently finished a postgraduate qualification in

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science teaching and leadership. She says the Royal Society programme, which included leadership workshops, increased her confidence in her ability to lead science in her school.

“The big thing was having that six months out of the classroom fully immersed in a science environment. I learned how to get students to think like scientists through making observations, finding the evidence, drawing conclusions. I am now getting children and teachers to recognise the science they are doing all the time.

“I hope I will be able to contribute to our tamariki learning to become critical thinkers and effective citizens through science and technology,” she says.

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Students from Hikurangi School researched a kete of knowledge about Northland's endemic mudfish. Ashley, Aaliyah and Dahlia show some of their findings.

Student kōrero What have you learned from this project?

Lucy (11): That mudfish are very unique. They can slow down their metabolism in summer when the sun dries out their habitat and burrow into the wet mud. They can survive out of the water for several months as long as their skin is kept moist. In our Hikurangi Swamp there is the black mudfish which are slowly becoming endangered because of the many threats to their habitat such as drainage, pollution of waterways, and competition from pest fish.

Aaliyah (12): In New Zealand we have 56 native freshwater fish species. Five of these are mudfish. Over 75 per cent of our freshwater fish species are endangered and if we don’t do something now, by 2050 they will be extinct. We learnt how to use social media and the change.org platform to make our petition reach all over the world.

Ashley (12): When you hand in a petition to Parliament, it goes to a Member of Parliament who takes it to the Tables Office who makes sure it is okay. Then they give it to Clerk of the House who reads it out at Question Time in the House. Then the petition goes to the relevant Select Committee who decide whether it is good enough to become a law. We have to provide evidence to the Select Committee to say why we want protection for our mudfish.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

What part of the project did you enjoy the most?

Riley (11): Watching the petition being read in the House at Question Time and knowing that it is going to the Select Committee and Duncan Webb is taking us seriously – they didn’t treat us like kids.

Aaliyah (12): I have enjoyed learning about the black mudfish because I didn’t know we had freshwater fish and that the mudfish are so unique and struggling to survive. I think I am a bit of an expert now and know more than my whānau about our mudfish. I really enjoy that I am able to help save them.

Has this inspired you to get involved with other or the same environmental causes?

Ella (12): Yes, because I don’t want so many of our native freshwater fish to be gone because they are only found in New Zealand and they are really hard to find. I want to carry on with this project next year.

Jordan (12): Yes, because in the future we might not have the environment unless kids my age change what is happening now.

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Digital citizens effect real-life change Eugene Sage talks to students from Hikurangi School while Willow Jean Prime and parliamentary staff look on.

Science strands combine in Hikurangi project The study of mudfish and the resulting petition has strong links to two main strands in the Science Learning Area: The overarching nature of science strand is where students learn what science is and how scientists work. They develop skills, attitudes and values to build a foundation for understanding the world and come to appreciate that scientific knowledge is durable, but also constantly re-evaluated in the light of new evidence. They learn how scientists carry out investigations, and that science is a socially valuable knowledge system. They learn how science ideas are communicated and to make links between scientific knowledge and everyday decisions and actions.

The living world strand is about how living things interact with each other and the environment. Students develop an understanding of the diversity of life and life processes, of where and how life has evolved, of evolution as the link between life processes and ecology, and of the impact of humans on all forms of life. As a result, they are able to make more informed decisions about significant biological issues. The emphasis is on the biology of New Zealand, including the sustainability of New Zealand’s unique fauna and flora and distinctive ecosystems.

These science strands have strong links to three key competencies: Thinking; Relating to Others; Participating and Contributing.

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Hikurangi School is one of eight schools participating in Taitokerau Education Trust’s successful Digital Immersion Programme.

The programme gives students in lowerdecile Northland schools equal access to online learning to empower them to become actively engaged digital learners. This is done in two ways: by making personal-use devices affordable for every participant – whānau who purchase a Chromebook through the programme can pay off the interest-free loan when they are able to. Money is then reinvested to buy more Chromebooks for the next round of children. Secondly, the trust employs a dedicated digital immersion facilitator, Beth Lamb, who supports teachers in their professional development.

Taitokerau Education Trust executive officer Liz Cassidy-Nelson says the mudfish petition is what the trust’s Digital Immersion Programme is all about. “Despite living rurally, these students are fully engaged digital citizens using online learning tools to effect real-life change,” she says.

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Northland school gains Google acclaim Whangārei Intermediate School has earned a coveted place among the world’s most proficient digitally immersed schools.

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he Northland school is one of three New Zealand schools to be selected as a Reference School by Google for Education. Reference Schools are recognised by Google for their outstanding use of technology to drive positive learning outcomes. Whangārei Intermediate’s areas of expertise include 1:1 device deployments, Chromebooks, professional development and technology being integrated into the curriculum.

Acting principal Paul Botica says qualified, digitally fluent teachers deliver computerbased instruction across 20 of their 23 classrooms. This year the school will be 100 per cent digital.

“Every student has access to a Chromebook, which gives each learner access to 24/7 learning and the ability to learn at their own pace,” he says.

Digital immersion in Northland Whangārei Intermediate is the lead school in Taitokerau Education Trust’s digital immersion cluster.

The trust gives students in Northland schools equal access to online learning through the provision of affordable Chromebooks, while teachers receive professional development support through a specialist digital immersion facilitator, Beth Lamb.

Chromebooks in classrooms, full use of G Suite for Education and teachers with YouTube channels are par for the course at Whangārei Intermediate. Chromebooks are also used in specialist subjects such as Xplotech, art, music, dance, coding and robotics.

The library has a digital selection where students can issue themselves e-books.

The Taitokerau Education Trust’s Digital Immersion Programme aims to raise student achievement levels through access to affordable Chromebooks and professional development support for teachers, says the Trust’s executive officer Liz Cassidy-Nelson.

“The accolade for the school is testament to the enthusiasm for learning shared by students and teachers alike. The leadership team, teachers, support staff, and superstar students, together are producing some amazing and innovative learning outcomes,” she says.

The other New Zealand schools to be recognised by Google for Education are Auckland’s Aorere College and Whakatane High School.

“Every student has access to a Chromebook, which gives each learner access to 24/7 learning and the ability to learn at their own pace.”

Paul Botica

Citizen science for all This year, Helen Moore plans to lead Hikurangi School in a schoolwide citizen science project doing bird counts for the E.bird platform.

“Our Years 1–3 aren’t digital, so I was looking for a project where they can gather the data, rather than analyse it. The older students will put the data onto the E.bird website which gives you information like your stats and they will be into doing the graphs and drawing Find conclusions,” Helen explains.

E.bird sits on the Science Learning Hub site, which offers many different projects that students can contribute to by gathering data or helping scientists with analysis.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

more resources on sciencelearn. org.nz.

Ashley was thrilled to visit the heart of our democracy when she travelled from Northland with her school to present a petition to Parliament.

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Whangarei Intermediate teacher Shannon Watson with Year 8 students Emily and Catlin.

Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi

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LEARNING SUPPORT

Learning Support Delivery Model in action A North Canterbury Kāhui Ako has developed an effective safety net for its schools and community based on longstanding relationships and the Learning Support Delivery Model.

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he Puketeraki Kāhui Ako in North Canterbury, which was established four years ago, includes 17 mainly rural schools and ECEs. This Community of Learning (COL) is working within the Learning Support Delivery Model (LSDM) to address the learning support needs of its learners in flexible, responsive, collaborative ways.

Team leaders and special education needs coordinators (SENCOs) meet regularly to share data and plan how to combine resources and expertise to address the learning support needs of the local community; identify gaps and trends in service provision, and deliver the right services in a timely manner.

“We have a saying in our Kāhui Ako that it’s better when we work together, rather than alone,” says Sharon Marsh, Principal of Leithfield School and Lead Principal for the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

She says North Canterbury has traditionally had a close-knit group of principals who work together, and prior to the Kāhui Ako, neighbouring learning community clusters had evolved to support each other after the Christchurch earthquakes.

“The Kāhui Ako has been the vehicle to get everybody together. We are now very connected – 90 per cent of our students follow a pathway to Rangiora High School.

Now teachers are in each other’s spaces, conversations happen and resources are being shared in a way that never happened before the Kāhui Ako,” explains Sharon.

LSDM evolving Kelly McGowan is the resource teacher: learning and behaviour (RTLB) cluster manager for the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako and says that the Kāhui Ako combined with the LSDM has helped build relationships and simplify things so that systems can be more responsive.

“Since the transformation of the RTLB service in 2012, we have worked really hard to connect and support our SENCOs. The LSDM is about taking what we have done and expanding on it with the extra learning support coordinators, who will start this year. We are extremely lucky – 21 have been allocated across North Canterbury, with 11 in Puketeraki,” says Kelly.

Learning support coordinators will mean more people on the ground to help the Kāhui Ako plan and deliver tailored support to children and families. “It’s working together to develop some consistent responses to the challenges that we’ve got and collectively supporting each other to respond to those challenges.

“When we think about the children who have challenges across our cluster, we put the child and family at the centre and think about the right people to have around the table for that one-plan approach. It might be RTLB, a Ministry of Education psychologist and a gazette.education.govt.nz

LEARNING SUPPORT

Ohoka School is one of 17 schools and ECEs to benefit from the LSD model. From left: Jude Edwards SENCO, Hunter (Year 6), Kate McClelland (principal), Matilda (Year 2), Kelly McGowan and Sharon Marsh.

The Puketeraki Kāhui Ako nestles beneath the Puketeraki range depicted in this graphic, which has even found its way onto coffee cups.

speech language therapist. We then have flexibility to come and go, as the situation requires. There’s that real sense that we are in this together,” says Kelly.

Mana Ake part of support network Canterbury schools have access to a range of support services. Mana Ake, established in April 2018, is a mental health and wellbeing programme that was developed in response to the ongoing effects of the earthquakes.

The service provides advice and guidance for schools and whānau to support the wellbeing of school children between Years 1 and 8. North Canterbury has three full-time and four parttime Mana Ake kaimahi (social workers and counsellors), who are connected to the Kāhui Ako in the region.

“Between the Ministry’s learning support service manager, Mana Ake and RTLB, we meet gazette.education.govt.nz

twice a term and we support each other – we have each other on speed dial,” says Kelly.

The LSDM means earlier and better access to services for children who need them.

“An example from my school was a child who potentially was a referral to mental health for support. The Mana Ake team came in and wrapped support around the family and were able to calm the whole situation for that child.

The earlier intervention helped to provide the parents with the structure and support they needed so the referral wasn’t required.

That’s where I see the difference the LSDM has made,” says Sharon.

Joined-up approach to attendance and engagement The Puketeraki schools are currently talking to each other about issues around attendance and truancy, says Sharon.

“We never had a joined-up conversation before. None of us knew what each other was doing and some of us didn’t know there was a whole lot of information that could be accessed to support whānau. It’s having the time and space to have that conversation and then to have the people in the room who know where the resources sit,” she says.

Conversations and trust The Puketeraki Learning Support Network comes together once a term to discuss needs identified by the Kāhui Ako. “A typical network meeting would begin with the MOE service manager and RTLB service sharing some data and talking about trends and issues and then we would do some professional learning based around these,” says Kelly.

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LEARNING SUPPORT

“We’ve looked at things like universal design for learning (UDL), quality adaptive learning plans and responses to intervention and supporting teachers who are managing children with difficult behaviours.”

The LSDM now sees all kinds of groups coming together across the Kāhui Ako to find ways to work smarter, harder and more efficiently to benefit tamariki, explains Sharon.

“It’s created communities that perhaps hadn’t existed before, but it’s built on the back of a history of professional relationships and trust among the school principal groups. Last year we started network groups; teachers self-select in an area of interest.

“We might have early childhood teachers and Year 13 biology teachers – those sorts of conversations around the whole educational spectrum have been a big area of growth.

“Now that there’s some relational trust, teachers are more interested in taking conversations into what that looks like in their classrooms or, if they are an early childhood teacher, how they would judge a student’s sense of belonging in the classroom. There’s never been a platform for those sorts of conversations before,” she says.

School and community learning An annual Puketeraki teacher-only day held in 2019 was attended by 400 teachers and ECE kaiako along with MOE, RTLB and the Mana Ake kaimahi. The themes were about wellbeing and the importance of networking. There were keynote speakers and workshops on topics from yoga to making the best of curriculum maths resources.

Community initiatives include sessions for parents about restorative practice. “Getting some understanding about what restorative practice is about and why we might do it differently is really good. If the message is the same across our community – it’s really powerful,” explains Kelly.

“Most of our schools are somewhere in that journey of using restorative practices and a consistent approach will make a big difference in our schools. We have seen a decrease in requests for behaviour support coming through to us and we think this is due to PB4L schoolwide systems and practices being implemented with fidelity,” she adds.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

Identifying trends The Puketeraki Kāhui Ako doesn’t use a learning support register yet but pulls together data from RTLB, Mana Ake and the Ministry to look at the big picture and identify specific trends.

“Our whole Kāhui Ako has done the NZCER Me and My School Student Engagement Survey for the past four years. It gives us a chance to see if there are any aspects of engagement that are different to the national picture or areas of strengths that we can build on.

“We’ve sat at the table with all of the Kāhui Ako data and said, ‘OK, what does this mean for us?’; or ‘It’s not the same in my school’.

It’s those conversations about what you do that’s different that are particularly valuable,” explains Sharon.

Supporting learning support coordinators When the Kāhui Ako was told it would be getting 11 learning support coordinators, it made a conscious decision to allocate them to the areas of greatest need and ensure that the coordinators are not isolated in schools but teamed up so they can support each other.

“We’ve made it clear that we know that needs shift and change, so our 11 new learning support coordinators know that their job is to put their arms around the community where they are needed – but they could equally be effective elsewhere at another time,” says Sharon.

“That’s why it’s important for us as we think about how we build the systems now that support them and that we don’t splinter them off because they will be less effective. The LSDM has taught us that we are all better when we are teamed up.”

The initial national Kāhui Ako model was very top down and hierarchical, but the model that has grown has been very inter-connected and networked.

“Because we have been in the Kāhui Ako for so long now and had very few key personnel changes, there’s a sense that the Kāhui Ako ‘has got this’ and even if something bad happens, that it will all hold together – no-one is alone,” says Sharon.

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LEARNING SUPPORT

“It’s working together to develop some consistent responses to the challenges that we’ve got and collectively supporting each other to respond to those challenges.”

Kelly McGowan

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• Ideate some solutions to these problems

• Share their findings with the class Photo by Kate Whitley. © Te Papa

Available for download at: tepapa.nz/QuakeReadyFuture

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TE TIRITI O WAITANGI

Bringing Te Tiriti to life Avondale College teacher Clementine Fraser shares how to make Te Tiriti o Waitangi come alive in learning programmes.

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ow we engage with Te Tiriti determines how our students engage with it. We want them to have a thorough, nuanced, and interested take on it. We want them to be keen to learn about it.

I hear from many people how difficult it is to enthuse students about Te Tiriti and to that I say, “It doesn’t have to be!” Let’s get excited and make them engaged learners.

Te Tiriti doesn’t just belong in the realm of social science. Once you are confident in your knowledge, you can engage with it in many different areas. Looking at contracts? Discuss the Treaty. Examining New Zealand literature? I think it’s pretty essential.

I believe before you teach about Te Tiriti there are several things to reflect on. Key to teaching it successfully is understanding why Te Tiriti is important and why we should be enthusiastic to include it in our learning programmes. » It is the founding document of our nation – albeit an imperfect and broken one. » It is a living document – the promises bound in it are still in action (or should be) today. » It has shaped our history, and therefore our national and personal identities, in a multitude of ways. » It is nearly unique in imperial histories of the 19th century.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

» The way society (and schools) discuss or value Te Tiriti reflects the way society values the place of Māori.

I advocate six main steps for teaching Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

STEP ONE: Know your stuff This is the most challenging one, but the most essential. You need to know how and why the meanings of the words used in Te Tiriti and the Treaty differ. You need to know why the British sought to offer a treaty rather than colonise in the way they did pretty much everywhere else their empire spread.

You should know that under international law (Contra Preferentium) the treaty in the indigenous language is held to have more weight in any dispute over meaning.

If you don’t know your stuff, if you haven’t done the mahi, then you’re more likely to either skip including Te Tiriti in your courses or rush through it, not doing it justice.

STEP TWO: Show them how much you love it We all know students respond to teacher enthusiasm and passion for their subject.

This is the easiest way to hook your students.

Show them, too, that you value our history.

Regardless of who sits in front of you.

STEP THREE: Use a wider context

Please visit the online version of this article for some useful online resources.

Not just the broader history of New Zealand Aotearoa prior to 1840. Not just the reasons for Te Tiriti and the reactions to it. Engage with a wider context of imperialism, where New Zealand was the only British colony to have a treaty relating to sovereignty.

A context where 50 years before Aborigines had been declared fauna, and where 40 years later the ‘Scramble for Africa’ divided an entire continent between European nations. Why is our experience so different? Draw them in with curiosity and critical evaluation.

STEP FOUR: Hook them with a sense of justice Children (yes, even and perhaps most strongly, teenagers) have an inherent feeling for what is fair and generally abhor injustice.

Give them activities that demonstrate injustice.

Teach them about the New Zealand Wars, the Tohunga Suppression Act, Rua Kenana, Parihaka, Bastion Point. These are all connected to Te Tiriti. They show how different understandings led to (and still lead to) injustice and conflict. gazette.education.govt.nz

TE TIRITI O WAITANGI

STEP FIVE: Make it fun Use role plays, simulation treaties, write and perform raps. After they’ve watched the mockumentary video Waitangi – What Really Happened, get them to make their own. Go on field trips whenever you can to local areas affected by Te Tiriti negotiations or protests.

STEP SIX: Make it real Te Tiriti is a major part of our current society and political environment. It helps explain current injustices and social narratives. I say don’t be afraid to dive into these. This is what makes it real to the students in front of you. This is why it is important. This is how to change their attitudes.

Suggested activities

Investigate local claims. School Kit has some amazing free resources to help you do this. Also don’t forget to use the Waitangi Tribunal site for specific claims. In 1999, when I was still working at the Tribunal, they issued a School Resource Kit for primary schools.

That kit is possibly still sitting on the back shelf in resource rooms all over New Zealand but there is a PDF on the School Kit website as well, full of some really great activities to investigate claims and also the nature of treaties.

Engage with your local iwi. If possible, go on a field trip to see the sites you discuss. There is nothing like a field trip to get students excited, and there’s something about standing on the land that really helps them connect to their learning.

Governor ‘Role Play’ game with Sovereignty cards, Rangatiratanga cards, Treaty, and Te Tiriti, and a set of specific issues. The student playing the Governor has a secret sovereignty card that, regardless of what the students holding the Treaty and Te Tiriti cards decide, and regardless of the student with the Rangatiratanga card, when they play the sovereignty card, they get to do what they want. This is great for getting students to empathise with the past and present injustices.

Look at land claims and treaties in other parts of the world.

Create mini-books to explain key concepts in a simple manner.

Conduct treaty simulations looking at what would happen if, say, climate change drove millions of people to come to New Zealand and we were outnumbered. How would we want to protect our land, our customs, our language, our protocols? What would happen and how would we feel if this new majority didn’t follow our conditions?

“Teaching Te Tiriti is a part of my school year I always look forward to. It’s fascinating, it’s necessary, and it can be a lot of fun.”

Clementine Fraser

LEARNING EXPERIENCES AT AUCKLAND MUSEUM Book now for our new generation of interactive AM Learn programmes.

For younger children, focusing on empathy and different understandings of things like lending or sharing crayons versus giving crayons to another student can be really helpful.

Teaching Te Tiriti is a part of my school year I always look forward to. It’s fascinating, it’s necessary, and it can be a lot of fun.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories in the curriculum The Ministry of Education is making explicit the expectation that all ākonga learn key aspects of New Zealand’s histories, and the ways this has influenced and shaped our nation.

The Ministry will be working with the sector, history and curriculum experts, iwi and mana whenua, Pacific communities, students, parents and whānau, and other groups with a strong interest in shaping how New Zealand histories are taught.

Together we will update our national curriculum and make sure that schools and kura have the resources and support they need to include New Zealand’s histories and local histories, in their school curriculum and marau ā-kura – in partnership with their communities and mana whenua – from 2022.

Choose from over 20 programmes, from WWI and WWII to dinosaurs, Māori and Pacific, with tailor-made experiences and school visits available.

Book now for our 2020 Matariki programme.

Contact us to discuss your options: 09 306 7040 schools@aucklandmuseum.com

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 3 February 2020

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES & HANGARAU MATIHIKO

EMBRACING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES & HANGARAU MATIHIKO Watch: Visit Education Gazette online to watch the first of a five-part video series on the revised Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko (DT&HM) curriculum content.

Sophia puts the final touches to an original 3D model that she created using Blender before sending it to the 3D printer.

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES & HANGARAU MATIHIKO

New curriculum content to equip students for future Education Gazette is launching its first video series on the revised Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko (DT&HM) curriculum content. Across five videos, this series will look at why it is so important to prepare our young people for a swiftly changing world, and how schools and kura are approaching digital technologies learning.

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he Ministry of Education wants to see digital technologies learning taking place as part of a rich local curriculum. This is about ensuring children and young people are equipped for the workplace and society of the future, says Ellen MacGregor-Reid, Deputy Secretary Early Learning Student Achievement.

Solving real-world problems

“We know the pace of digital change is massive. It’s exciting but it brings challenges. We have revised digital learning in the national curriculum to support schools and students to thrive in this rapidly changing world.

“This is where it gets really valuable, because it’s not just about our industry, but about society as a whole. We want our children to change from being users and consumers of technology to creating with technology and driving change forward,” says Paul.

“The new Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko curriculum content isn’t about students sitting in classrooms using devices all day, it’s about tamariki and rangatahi learning to be innovative, creative, think critically and work together,” she says.

Children will develop competencies and learn about the underpinning concepts of digital technology, before advancing to designing and creating solutions using technology.

Schools around the country are already working with the revised curriculum content, ensuring that students from Year 1 to 13 have the skills and competencies they need for the future. All schools must be teaching this new technology or Hangarau curriculum content from 2020 and beyond.

Support for teachers and kaiako

Solid grounding in concepts The DT&HM curriculum content supports students to be innovative, reflective and critical in designing new models, products, software systems and tools to benefit people.

Jim Taylor from software and analytics company Theta says the landscape is ever-changing and people need core skills such as knowing how to structure and use data, and how to approach digital problem solving.

“You see increasing numbers of new and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) incorporated into products, the Internet of Things and the emergence of 5G. But there are key underlying concepts and understandings that guide you through using and adopting these technologies. If students have a solid grounding in that approach, it can help them adapt and learn how to use these different technologies.

“An understanding of computational thinking is very important. People often use it in tasks without realising it, but an understanding of how to break down and tackle a problem using a piece of technology is an important skillset in the workplace,” he says.

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Information Technology Professionals (ITPNZ) have been involved in the development of the DT&HM curriculum content. Chief executive Paul Matthews says the skills and competencies students will learn will help them to ‘think’ like technology so they can manipulate it to achieve good outcomes.

“Technology is just the tool – it’s the thinking that goes into it that really matters and that’s why the curriculum content begins at Year 1,” he says.

The new DT&HM curriculum content can be taught in a purely digital context or incorporated into other subject areas from maths, science and English to hard and soft materials and there is PLD and mentoring available to help teachers feel confident in engaging with the new learning. Teachers as individuals or schools as a group can assess their readiness using a self-review tool, found under the resources section of kiatakatu.ac.nz.

To support leaders, principals and boards of trustees through this curriculum change – a newly released Implementation Support Tool is available from the Technology Online website, technology.tki.org.nz.

The Tahi Rua Toru Tech Challenge is part of the implementation support package being provided to schools and kura. It offers mentors and resources for teachers to work on local problems using digital technology to find solutions, says Paul.

NZ Tech Chief Executive Graeme Muller discusses why it’s important to work with industry. “The tech sector would really like to find ways that they can work with schools in their town or city – and see what they can do to help prepare New Zealand’s future generations.

“Don’t just think about IT when you think about technology – think about future businesses. We’re seeing companies like banks, farmers, orchardists, and even construction firms, needing more and more digital technology.

“The tech industry is now New Zealand’s third largest exporter, and is on track to be larger than the tourism sector in the next five years.”

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DT&HM content in brief DT&HM learning has been repositioned in the national curriculum to focus on students and ākonga building skills to become innovative creators of digital solutions, moving beyond solely being users and consumers of digital technologies.

Schools and kura are expected to be teaching the revised Technology Learning Area or Hangarau Wāhanga Ako as part of their local curriculum or mārau ā-kura by the start of the 2020 school year. The change applies to all students from Years 1– 10, and 11–13 if they choose to specialise in this area of learning.

With its focus on design thinking, technology education supports students to be innovative, reflective and critical in designing new models, products, software, systems and tools to benefit people, while taking account of their impact on cultural, ethical, environmental and economic conditions. Hangarau design involves critiquing past, existing and possible future technologies, while considering their environmental, social and cultural impact.

The new curriculum content includes core programming concepts, computational thinking where students learn about the computer science principles which underlie

Paul Matthews.

digital technology, and learning how to design quality, fit-for-purpose digital solutions for Aotearoa and as citizens of the world.

New learning in the revised Hangarau Wāhanga Ako will help to pave the way for our young people to flourish in the digital future in Te Ao Māori.

The aim is for students to develop broad technological knowledge, practices and dispositions that will equip them to participate in Aotearoa society as informed citizens and provide a platform for diverse careers moving forward into the future.

Rolleston College's Bronwyn Hoy.

The new curriculum focuses on students learning to be innovative, creative, collaborative and critical thinkers, says Ellen MacGregor-Reid.

“Technology is just the tool – it’s the thinking that goes into it that really matters and that’s why the curriculum content begins at Year 1,” Paul Matthews

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gazette.education.govt.nz

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES & HANGARAU MATIHIKO

Digital learning around Aotearoa The Education Gazette’s video series and related articles will look at how some schools have been introducing the DT&HM content into their local school or kura curriculum. In Rolleston, south of Christchurch, new primary and secondary schools were able to design their new facilities with digital technologies learning in mind.

“When developing our [local] curriculum, we have always had a digital thread. We want our children to be creators of technology and when we were making choices about our school’s vision, we thought about the kinds of tools we needed and how to use our space to help our children become 21st century learners,” says Sylvia Fidow, principal of West Rolleston Primary School.

Students have time allocated each week to devote to their passion projects. Along with digital technology, may learn the technical skills required to achieve their goals such as learning how to weld and use CAD (computer-aided design) or learn first aid through an online course.

Rolleston College aims to build confidence in using digital technologies in its teachers and students, says Bronwyn Hoy, lead teacher for the digital technology and social science programme. Students are also taught a series of critical skills including problem solving, creativity and resilience.

It’s a similar story at Newlands Intermediate in Wellington. “This isn’t about devices – it’s about mindset, being open to learning and being able to find good creative pathways where the kids are at the centre of what we do,” says principal Angela Lowe.

Character and capability important for future Kaye Maree Dunn, a Wellington-based tech leader and the co-founder of Āhau, a genealogy and community development platform start-up, asserts that we should focus on the core skills of character to equip young people for all of the [technology] specialised skill bases.

“It’s the core skills of character that are important moving forward into the future: Are you a good person? Can you communicate? Do you know how to be vulnerable? Do you know how to collaborate effectively

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with others? Can you be a good leader, but can you also be a good follower?

“If we keep building technical skills but focus mostly on building one’s character – no matter what the future brings – you should be able to step into these new environments without getting left behind.”

Matt Richards is an accredited facilitator for professional learning and development for the new DT&HM curriculum content and works with schools around Aotearoa to help them develop in digital capability, learner agency and new technology.

“As a species we are facing some big challenges at the moment and we need to be able to communicate, collaborate, innovate and look at new solutions to problems.

“Digital technologies are really needed. It’s not so much about the tools, but about the amazing development in key competencies that can occur by trying out some of these new ways of learning and working,” he says.

Information and inspiration

» For information, ideas and to see the full implementation support package, visit the Digitech page on the Ministry of Education website. » Tahi Rua Toru Tech challenge 2020 and Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko | Digital Readiness are examples of these supports. » See the Technology TKI site for curriculum resources related to the New Zealand Curriculum – including the new Implementation Support Tool. » See the Kauwhata reo site for curriculum resources related to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa » #futurethinking_today.

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES INSPIRATION

Armful of learning opportunities The gift of an electronics kitset led to a Rolleston College student learning the practical and digital technologies knowledge and skills required to make a robotic arm that can be programmed to perform repetitive tasks.

Levente's robotic arm took two years and many prototypes before it became a reality.

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pon receiving a kitset to build an electronic arm for Christmas, Year 10 student Levente Scott was inspired to swap the syringes, which provided the air pressure needed to make the arm move, with actuators – devices that convert energy into motion. Four prototypes and two years later, Levente’s robotic arm was the star of the show at Activate, an event held in November 2019 to showcase design, technology and science among schools in the Rolleston area.

Levente’s aluminium robotic arm sits on a cart that can be controlled remotely and features a 3D-printed claw. It uses stepper motors: a powerful back motor from a golf trundler provides the drive. The robot is powered by two computer power supplies and can also run off two 15amp batteries.

“The project expanded. I thought if I used electronics, I might make a bigger arm out of metal and it grew over the course of two years. What I have learned is that it’s really important to prototype and not to rush things,” Levente says.

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To develop the arm, Levente had to learn a range of new technology skills. He says he knew the basics of electronics when he started Year 9. Over the course of the project, however, he learnt programming, basic coding, welding, and how to use a lathe, 3D printer, and CAD (computer-aided design).

He says Rolleston College gave him the freedom to explore the possibilities of his project. Students are able to pursue passion projects in which they can learn new skills and use the school’s workshops and facilities.

“I’m given one hour of class time a week and get opportunities at lunch times. This is a school-based project and the school introduced me to 3D printing, CAD, laser cutting and welding.

But I learned most of my skills from practising in my own time, watching tutorials on YouTube and just experimenting until things worked. gazette.education.govt.nz

COMPETITIONS 2020 “I thought if I used electronics, I might make a bigger arm out of metal and it grew over the course of two years. What I have learned is that it’s really important to prototype and not to rush things.”

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Levente Scott

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“I have quite a few teachers working beside me. I email them, updating them on my project. They all specialise in certain parts and help me when I have problems. The school also helped me get in touch with electrical engineers, who have helped me quite a bit. If I come across a problem, they will email me information or help me out with it.”

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Levente says the project doesn’t have a practical application; “it was all about the learning opportunity”. He wants to study mechatronic engineering at university and ultimately start his own business in the technology area.

Digital technology in action Rolleston College has been using project-based inquiry to support their learning and understanding of the new digital technologies curriculum content, specifically the new technological area: Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes.

Visit the Education Gazette article Learning with digital technologies to support sustainable outcomes to read more about what they are doing.

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LOCAL CURRICULUM

Bringing local curriculum into focus at Te Māhia School

The 62 students who attend remote Te Māhia School, situated on the Māhia Peninsula in Hawke’s Bay, are not only treated to great views of the Pacific Ocean every day at school but also to authentic learning opportunities from within their local area.

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tilising the school’s unique environment and histories has helped make learning come alive for students at Te Māhia School, says principal Aan Hoek.

“It’s through their home, their whenua, their history, their geography, and their whakapapa that learning is made meaningful. And we all know that if you can make learning about kids, they engage fully in it, so you can get a lot of ‘bang for buck’ with local curriculum and local learning,” says Aan. Take the geological rock formations along the East Coast Road, for example; Aan says these are unique to this area. The rocky shore will provide the basis for one of the school’s term 1 inquiries.

“And at the end of the East Coast Road is the Whangawehi River, where our students have done a lot of work with the Whangawehi Catchment Group through the Enviroschools programme. Our kids are the kaitiaki of the river and have helped to restore and look after it.”

“Our school has also been involved with projects in Opoutama Wetlands to restore the native plants and shrubs there, which have now been completed.”

Broadening horizons One of Te Māhia School’s major learning activities of the year is the school’s camp, which involves a different camp experience each year over a course of three years.

Aan explains: “In the first year, it will be the ‘Māhia camp’, and then the next year they’ll do a ‘lake camp’, usually Tūtira, or Waikaremoana, making it a wider environment that our students learn about. In the third year, they complete a ‘city camp’ to broaden kids’ horizons and see what else is out there.

This best-of-both-worlds approach helps students become global thinkers and learners, says Aan.

“We all know that if you can make learning about kids, they engage fully in it, so you can get a lot of ‘bang for buck’ with local curriculum and local learning.”

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

The school has just completed one part of this camp, last year.

“It consisted of learning about the history of Maungakāhia, one of our significant maunga (mountains) down here on the East Coast Road in Nukutaurua, which is where our iwi Rongomaiwahine were situated, and where Rongomaiwahine herself lived with Kahungunu.” gazette.education.govt.nz

LOCAL CURRICULUM

Before the students started their hike to the maunga, they had the opportunity to hear from one of the parents, Blue Maru, about the history of the place.

“Blue’s whakapapa connects to Maunga-a-kāhia and the stories he handed down to our kids were the stories that have been passed down to him,” says Aan. “As we reached the summit, the kids were able to stand where their forefathers have stood and look out on the view that their whakapapa had experienced.”

After the hike the students cycled along the beach to visit a seal colony at White Rock. There they met with Department of Conservation worker Malcolm Smith to learn more about the ecosystem.

Weeks before the camp, Malcolm brought a small juvenile White Shark to the school so students could dissect and study it. The shark was sent to the Department of Conservation after it unfortunately died from being accidentally caught in a net.

“So at White Rock, the students were able to see where the shark lived and learnt about the whole colony. The experience connected to some learning we’ve done in class.”

The next stop for the students was the monument near the Kopuawhara River, where 22 railway workers lost their lives in a flash flood in 1938.

“A lot of these children had no idea about that more recent history of Māhia. The author of Tragedy and Heroism at Kopuawhara, Gillian Ward, who is also the president of the Gisborne Hiking Club, came with us and she was our guide for the day and our expert on the history of that terrible incident.

Te Māhia School Principal Aan Hoek says the school's unique environment helps make learning meaningful.

“On our third day, we took turns flying across the peninsula in a Cessna. Ex-student Richard Coop and his wife Hannah currently lease Okepuha Station and they use the plane to commute between Napier and Gisborne. Richard and Hannah are incredibly generous and were able to fly our kids over the peninsula, and over Waikawa/Portland Island.

“A couple of years ago we presented the 600-year history of Waikawa/Portland Island at a drama festival in Wairoa. It was really neat for the kids to fly across it because we knew so much about that island already.”

Collectively these experiences – spanning the local area’s history, ecosystem, and geology – presented some fitting opportunities for the integration of learning across the curriculum.

Important role of whānau Aan says whānau have played a huge role in bringing these learning opportunities to life for the students.

“Whānau are always involved with everything we do. We don’t have a lot of resource people in Māhia to draw on, but we have a wealth of people with local knowledge that we can draw on to help us with our learning. Depending on where we’ll go in Māhia, there’s always someone who has a really strong connection to that place through whakapapa that we can generally draw on to learn about it.”

Looking ahead Aan has already started planning for their September 2020 camp. He says that the learning outcomes are always his starting point when working on the camp’s plan.

“You’ve got to work out what’s the end result – what are you wanting to achieve, what is it that you want your kids to be able to do or learn from the experiences you provided. When you have worked that out, you then have to figure out how to make all of your learning purposeful, meaningful and design it in a way that kids can connect to it. You’ve got to back-map it and work on how to achieve those goals.”

Indeed, Te Māhia School’s approach provides a good example of how a strong connection can be formed between a school’s local curriculum and its strategic plan, and the importance of continual reflection and evaluation. gazette.education.govt.nz

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Taking science outside the classroom brings success Taking science outside the classroom is bringing rewards and awards for students and has created citizen science learning tools for future students of New Plymouth Girls’ High School.

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t the suggestion of science teacher Athol Hockey, Year 13 students Breanna Camden and Jessica Frost began investigating how New Plymouth Girls’ High School could generate its own sustainable energy for use in electric vehicles (EVs).

The students won several science fair prizes and awards for the project, which involved monitoring the energy generation of solar panels and two types of wind turbines. They recorded the voltage, current, power and accumulative energy over seven weeks while also gathering weather data.

Their project stemmed from a concurrent project involving the sustainable charging of batteries for the EVolocity competition.

Breanna says they took the opportunity suggested by Athol because they’re interested in sustainability and science.

“With so much coverage and attention on climate change and sustainability it was a good project for us. One of the reasons we did it was to show people how they can contribute towards a more sustainable future.”

Jessica had also previously studied solar panels at intermediate.

Athol, who’s enjoying using his master’s degree in environmental education in the classroom, is modest about his contribution but encourages other teachers to keep giving students ideas.

“I’m blown away by what these girls achieved.

Obviously, I gave them a bit of help in the beginning and was able to use some funding to get them set up, but once they got the opportunity, they got stuck into it.”

Community and business support A key part of the success of the project was Athol reaching out to the community for support. What started as one solar panel became five with a donation from local company Computer Sense. From there PowerCo donated an inverter, which allows teachers and students to monitor electricity generation.

“That is really helpful, more people can get educational benefit from it.” And there’s now even enough electricity being generated to charge some teachers’ EVs, should they wish to plug in.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

Breanna Camden (left) and Jessica Frost won Best Year 11-13 Exhibit at the Taranaki Science Fair 2019.

Jessica says they enjoyed the opportunity to develop a project away from the classroom.

“You can follow your own method on where you are going to take a project without having guidelines.”

The students say their most interesting findings were that hotter temperatures reduced the energy output of solar panels, and that converting to solar panels is more affordable than they expected.

In another part to the project, a group of Year 11 students used old bike parts, motors from ebikes and scrap metal to build and design two EVs, named Cyclops and Koopa King, as part of the EVolocity schools challenge, in which Cyclops qualified for the national finals event.

The students learnt how electrical connections and motors worked and used computer technology to programme their vehicle’s controller. They also learnt perseverance when the vehicles didn’t always start.

The Koopa King EV races in the EVolocity schools challenge. Photo credit: Mark Robotham.

gazette.education.govt.nz

CITIZEN SCIENCE

How to create citizen science opportunities for students “Hopefully it will carry on and become a bigger thing. Rather than it being a one-off project, we want to make a bigger impact.”

Athol Hockey

New Plymouth Girls’ High School teacher Athol Hockey shares his advice for helping create authentic and meaningful learning experiences in science.

Q: Why is it important to provide these types of citizen science opportunities to students?

It allows students to experience some of the real world and how this can enhance their learning beyond the curriculum.

Q: What advice do you have for other teachers wanting to do the same?

Teachers should not be afraid to engage with people in the community and to seek practical advice from them to impart to their students.

Q: How do you find out about what’s on offer?

You need to contact the agency and look at the offers and requirements for proposals for funding.

Q: How important is it to get support from HODs and principals?

It is essential as the support of HODs and the principal makes it a legitimate educational pursuit which will enhance not only students’ learning but that of teachers as well.

Q: How do you go about linking it to the curriculum?

The New Zealand Curriculum encourages engagement with the community to make the students’ learning relevant in a changing world and future workplace.

Q: What effect has this work had on the learning of your students?

It’s been very effective at engaging students in their science work. It has also made them appreciate the importance of the scientific world in real life and the generosity of the community.

Q: You’ve connected with many organisations and businesses in the community. How has that added to the project?

Without the advice, financial assistance and time devoted by the organisations the project could not have happened.

Q: What has been the most satisfying part of this work for you?

Seeing the engagement of the students and the ultimate success of the project(s) whether it was in competitions or science fair engagements.

Q: Why would you encourage other teachers to go out of the classroom with citizen science?

As teachers, we are also learners. I strongly recommend these types of projects, not only for the students but for teachers.

Collaborating with the public and industry fosters positive relationships and leads to rich learning experiences with tangible educational benefits.

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Athol says the success of this project was also due to expertise and support from several businesses in the community, and he encourages other teachers to think about opportunities in their community.

He says other students can now continue learning from the projects because they attracted donations from local people and companies.

New Plymouth Girls’ High School is now generating a small amount of its own sustainable energy, which offsets its monthly power bill, and it would like to add more solar panels in future.

The work connects with other projects in the community towards sustainable energy by 2050 in Taranaki, he says.

“Hopefully it will carry on and become a bigger thing. Rather than it being a one-off project, we want to make a bigger impact.”

Set up of generators.

Project partners and supporters » Curious Minds Taranaki Participatory Science Platform via Venture Taranaki Trust » Computer Sense » Rivet Engineering » Egmont Industrial Supplies » Ecoinnovation » Plug n Play » e2bikes » Motiv Parts Supply » PowerCo » Open Polytechnic staff.

Students monitor the solar panel and wind turbines at the Tūhonohono marae whare.

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Athol Hockey.

Get inspired Visit the online version of this article to see the links to the following resources and sources of inspiration. » See more about these projects at Watt about the weather and what other schools are doing through Curious Minds. » For continuing teachers’ science education, see the Sir Paul Callaghan Academy and the Science Teachers Leadership Programme on the Curious Minds site. » Find science teaching ideas and resources on Science Learning Hub. » Science Online TKI site has new resources to support teaching and learning in science. » To get citizen science projects going at your school talk to your local iwi, a science organisation or environmental community group and Curious Minds.

Rivet Koopa King in the pit. Photo credit: Mark Robotham.

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For more information and to enrol: otago.ac.nz/PCT Tel 64 03 479 4900

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CITIZEN SCIENCE Te Kura Moana learning experiences have included exploring coastal wildlife.

Te Kura Moana –

citizen science in action in te ao Māori Rangatahi (youth) in Te Ūpoko o te Ika a Māui (Wellington region) are deepening their understanding of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) through exploring local marine environments.

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auira (students) at Kura Kaupapa Māori and kura kāinga (home schools) are forging strong foundations in mātauranga Māori and science to shape future actions around protecting our taiao moana (seascapes).

The rangatahi are doing this through Te Kura Moana, a year-long programme delivered entirely in te reo Māori that ties together oral histories, cultural mapping, mātauranga and science through hands-on experiences and kura-driven research.

This project is co-run by Te Kawa Robb (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Awa) at Mountains to Sea Wellington; Te Atawhai Kumar (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) at Te Aho Tū Roa; and four kura kaupapa Māori: Te Kura-āIwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano; Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito; Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna; and Te Ara Whānui Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Awakairangi.

“We co-developed Te Kura Moana with the kura, instead of just saying, ‘here’s a plan we already made, do you want to do it?’”

Te Kawa explains.

“The purpose is to have a ground-up approach rather than just translate science

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into te reo Māori. Each kura has its own kaupapa (approach) and levels, which we adapt to – so all the kura are defining what Te Kura Moana means to them and taking ownership of it.”

Te Atawhai adds, “Ngā Mokopuna has taken a whole-school approach with all subjects at all levels being interlinked with Te Kura Moana, while Te Ara Whānui are using waka navigation and Matariki to build their connections with the sea.”

Learning experiences have included dissecting kuku (green-lipped mussels) and kahawai along with exploring coastal wildlife in Maraenui (Seatoun), Te Motukairangi (Miramar Peninsula), Pukerua Bay and Kāpiti Island.

Tauira also recorded the tides and linked them with maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) practices, observed underwater life through snorkelling, and measured and compared the richness of wildlife in marine reserves with that in unprotected areas.

The project involves local Māori scientists, especially experts such as kaumātua (elders) and pakeke (parents) from their hapori (community), for tauira to build relationships with and learn from.

Applying knowledge In one class at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna, Dr Ocean Mercier (Ngāti Porou) from Victoria University of Wellington helped tauira apply their knowledge of te reo Māori to uncover significant place names and their meanings on some of the earliest maps of Maraenui, where their school is located, and across Wellington Harbour.

Tauira and kaiako (teachers) also carry out actual research as part of the project, including investigating different methods of marine management and protection, and assessing and documenting the current state of their local environment.

The kura intend to keep using the tools and framework that Te Kura Moana has given them to explore other ways to look after te taiao (the environment). One ongoing project, for instance, is focused around Waitī – the star in the Matariki constellation representing freshwater – and īnanga (whitebait).

Kura are also sharing their experiences with the wider community, inspiring other locals to care more for te taiao moana, while Te Kura Moana intends to run professional development training for kaiako in Te Ūpoko o te Ika a Māui to take ownership of the programme for long-term sustainability. gazette.education.govt.nz

CITIZEN SCIENCE

Tauira share their experiences Jade Ko tā Jade te Hira, tētahi tauira o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna, “Ko te mahi pārekareka ki au e pā ana ki ngā mahi a Te Kura Moana ko ngā mahi ruku ngongo hā nō te mea ka taea e au te kite i ngā momo hua ora me ngā uri ā Tangaroa, me tana hauora hoki.”

Jade te Hira, a student at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna, says, “I really enjoyed the snorkelling experience in Te Kura Moana, and seeing all the different species of Tangaroa in an ecosystem that looks pretty healthy.”

Manaia Ānei ko tā Manaia Ringiao, he tauira anō, “I tirohia mātou ki runga i tēnei mahere [i Te Whanganuia-Tara] me te kimi i ngā kupu hou kāore mātou ka mōhio, ā, me te ohorere ō mātou ki te kite i ngā wāhi rerekē. I haere mātou ki te tātahi ki te kimi i ngā rāpihi ririki me ngā pāpaka kaumātua.”

Another student Manaia Ringiao says, “[In class] we looked at this map [of Wellington harbour] and identified all the place names that we didn’t know about – it was surprising to see so many different places within this space. We visited our local beach to collect micro-plastics, as well as observe giant crabs.”

Hamuera Ānei ko tā Hamuera Va’a, he tauira anō hoki, “I haere te akomanga tau teina tau tuākana ki Kirikiritātangi ki te tiki i ngā mea ka whakamāuiui i ngā tamariki ā Tangaroa, i ngā uri ā Tangaroa – pērā ki ngā tohorā me ngā mea e tino pai ana ki a Tangaroa. I kitea ngā ngongo, me ngā kai, me ngā kirihou me te kōata, pepa hoki. I āhua pōuri, nā te mea he mea kore i te pai ki te moana, ki ngā tamariki ā Tangaroa hoki.”

Hamuera Va’a, also a student, says, “The junior and senior classes visited Kirikiritātangi to collect objects that are polluting the waters of Tangaroa and impacting on his children – like the whales, for example. We collected straws, food packets, plastics, paper and glass. We were saddened at how damaging this is for our moana, and for Tangaroa and his children.”

“We co-developed Te Kura Moana with the kura ... The purpose is to have a ground-up approach rather than just translate science into te reo Māori.”

Te Kawa Robb

About Te Kura Moana Te Kura Moana is a kaupapa Māori experiential programme run by Mountains to Sea Wellington in partnership with Experiencing Marine Reserves and Te Aho Tū Roa, with support from WWF, Henderson Trust, Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve, Greater Wellington Regional Council. The project was funded during 2018 through the Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund.

Te Kura Moana acknowledges the many experts and holders of knowledge who donated time and energy to support the kaupapa and learning of tauira within Ōtaki, Te Awakairangi and Pōneke.

gazette.education.govt.nz

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CITIZEN SCIENCE Students enjoyed visiting the Fisher & Paykel Healthcare manufacturing facilities as part of their sleep study.

Kids love data-tracking their sleep patterns A sleep study that teaches tweens and teens about the importance of sleep sounds like a parent’s dream, but it was children from Beachlands School who were over the moon with the project.

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ne-hundred-and-thirty Year 7 and 8 students became scientists at Beachlands School, answering self-developed research questions about sleep habits by tracking and analysing their own sleep. The Curious Minds project was run by Beachlands School in partnership with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare through the South Auckland Participatory Science Platform.

Teacher Imogen Kennedy says a highlight for students was visiting the Fisher & Paykel Healthcare prototyping labs and manufacturing facilities in East Tamaki, where they saw real-world science first-hand.

“They loved it and were able to get an understanding of what jobs are like in industry. It’s inspiring these kids to be interested in science and see it as an actual pathway they could go down.”

Scientists enjoy sharing their work Clinical research scientist at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Susyn Kelly, says the students’ faces lit up when they realised the scientific method they used in the classroom was also used to prototype and test designs in a sophisticated laboratory.

“In our day-to-day work we don’t get instant results but with kids you get immediate feedback that something is interesting,” says Susyn.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

“The project was really satisfying for us as scientists because we could give students a real perspective of what it is like as a career.”

Students began their sleep studies by recording their sleep patterns for five weeks using sleep diaries. Then they were each given a data tracking watch to gather more data.

Sleep important for hauora The students were challenged to identify ways they could achieve better sleep and build their own model bedrooms to reflect a good sleep environment.

Susyn says it’s good for children to learn how important sleep is before their sleep patterns change in their teens.

“Getting kids to recognise that sleep has such a big influence on them and their wellbeing is important.”

Imogen, who’s a Community of Learning Leader for Kāhui Ako STEM, says the project was the best engagement in home learning she’s seen with 95 per cent of the cohort engaged. She recommends other teachers consider doing a class sleep study, using sleep diaries if data trackers aren’t available.

“You could do it with a Year 5 and 6 cohort, as well.” gazette.education.govt.nz

CITIZEN SCIENCE Students had to get 'gowned up' before entering the manufacturing space

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 3 February 2020

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RELATIONSHIP-BASED LEARNING

Students are empowered to become agents of their own learning, clockwise from front left: Esha, Year 6 teacher Terangi Haurua, Givanni, Salote and Isaiah.

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Education Gazette 3 February 2020

gazette.education.govt.nz

RELATIONSHIP-BASED LEARNING

Relationships rule at Homai School A South Auckland primary school has transformed its practice to address underachievement among Māori learners – and it’s working.

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ince 2017, Homai School in Manurewa has adopted a schoolwide approach to culturally responsive and relational pedagogy in the classroom. Known as relationship-based learning (RBL), the approach focuses on learning rather than behaviour.

Rosina Wikaira became principal in 2013 and got together with other principals in the area to discuss the ongoing disparity of outcomes for Māori learners.

“As Māori and Pasifika principals, we were quite horrified that our Māori learners were still underachieving – even in our schools. We come with the reo, the practices of what we do best for Māori, but it still didn’t transfer into their learning outcomes,” she says.

Turning negatives into positives RBL goals are combined with Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiatives which have resulted in changing negative discourses.

“We had a few gaps in attendance when we first started this – so we needed to close that gap. A lot of it was finding out why students were away and a lot of it was justifiable. But when a child would come back after being away for a week or so, the first thing that would happen at the office was the child was being blamed for being away – or late. Those were the kind of discourses that we identified needed to be changed.

The principals looked at what success looks like for Māori learners and how existing practices and systems might be contributing to the disparities.

Student view of success “Relationship-based learning gave us new spaces to look for success, which was the narrative of our learners. What do they bring to the table before we actually get into their classrooms and teach? It’s about them bringing their culture, which isn’t just Māori culture, but where they believe their success comes from and starts,” explains Rosina.

Education Support Services

Facilitators from education consultancy Cognition Education came on board and asked the students about what they regard as important for their learning. Students responded that feeling connected with their teachers, and teachers knowing who they are was important to them for successful learning.

School Leavers Toolkit nationwide workshops Terms 1 and 2, 2020

“The children were saying ‘we want to learn more, give us more – challenge us!’ Yet sometimes as we teachers do, we already have the idea of what we think is best, not what they [students] know is best for their learning.

“What it looks like in the classroom now is that blame has gone from the vocabulary – ‘it’s your fault you’re not learning’; ‘your fault you haven’t got a pencil’. We had to remove those barriers so the relationship can be developed and supported with the teacher and the learner.

Introducing teachers to the Toolkit in both English and Māori mediums.

“It’s about being able to stop, listen and change what wasn’t working – empowering our students so they become agents of learning in their classroom. They are so articulate now that they are now picking up on their teacher’s emotions. That’s a shift in the power relationship – they feel that they have a say,” says Rosina.

Focus on mentoring

“They describe good practice, what it looks like why an area has been identified from our data, which includes student voices. Then before our teachers go, we ask ‘what are you going to action tomorrow?’ My leadership team and I go into classrooms and are asking the kids ‘what ARE you learning today?’ And listening to see if they can identify what the learning intentions were, how they are going to be successful at it and their next steps in learning,” explains Rosina. gazette.education.govt.nz

HUM-HM0710-0120

Rosina coaches and mentors the leadership team one day a week using evidence and data to drive effective practices at the teacher level. The leaders then mentor the whole staff in an after-school session.

No enrolment fees For more information and to enrol: otago.ac.nz/SLTK Tel 64 3 479 4900

TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 3 February 2020

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RELATIONSHIP-BASED LEARNING

“I might see that child in the office later that day because they started the day with that negative discourse. In the last couple of years, children who were consistently late are no longer late because they want to be at school. Those are the successful educational outcomes as well.”

Building partnerships Part of Homai School’s approach to building relationships with whānau is to find out what’s important to them. Parents have said, ‘don’t wait until the end of the year to tell us our children are under-achieving. Why didn’t you tell me this earlier and ask what we could do at home?’” says Rosina.

Better buy-in from whānau has seen more parents volunteering and sharing their skills, with some parents going on to be employed as teacher aides.

“Everything we do in our school is connected to RBL, which allows us to monitor and identify what’s working and what’s not. When we worked with the experts around our curriculum, we said ‘how do our student voices, our whānau voices fit into this curriculum?’ That is how we are able to design a curriculum that allows all of us to have a say as to how it was driven. That gives more of a whānau feeling.

“We call our last week of term ‘social action week’. We’ve stopped having teacher/whānau conferences in the evening – now the school is open for the whole week all day for parents to come in and sit alongside their child and the child gets to talk about their learning. Our parents have been reorganising their work that week so they can be there.”

Student-centred learning Students at the school identified they wanted learning, whether it is reading, writing or maths, to be based on real-world problems.

“Writing has been a priority for us for a while now – especially boys’ writing. We begin with hands-on exploration specific to the writing component of what students need to learn.

Where there’s a real-world problem, we use writing to unpack what that looks like.

Then we look at application – ‘now that I have learnt this new thing, how do I apply it in my everyday learning?’

“A simple example that students had identified themselves, was they had moved into these new Portacom classrooms and they found a real-world problem – their doors didn’t have a hook to keep the door open. It was about using the language to unpack why this was a problem. Then they needed to write to the Portacom people to explain that it’s a problem for us – each day we have to use a shoe or put something under it to hold the door back. It was about connecting to our community. In the following couple of weeks. The Portacom guys came in and put in a new hook – they got results!” explains Rosina.

The school has seen improvements in data right across the board.

“It hasn’t come through our traditional teaching where we say, ‘here’s the gap, we need to teach more of that’. That wasn’t working. It was focusing on the learning relationships in the classroom. Building that culture of learning where students are empowered and heard. That has been a huge shift for us and by looking at how we teach, why we teach what we teach, it’s taken away the blame,” she says.

“Being Māori is important, but the culture that really counts, is our learning culture – we really push that,” adds Rosina.

Monitoring progress For the past two years, Homai School has monitored progress using the GPILSEO model to identify goals for learning and the pedagogy required to reach and sustain their goals.

The GPILSEO model is a model for sustainable educational reform that addresses the concerns of both culturalist and structuralist positions for educational reform at classroom, school and system-wide levels.

Benefits of RBL

Visit the online version of this article for resources.

» Positive learning relationships between students and staff. » Students are driving and taking ownership of their own learning. » Localised curriculum including wider community. » A change to a ‘no-blame’ mindset’ creates optimal learning conditions and interactions, resulting in improved attendance and outcomes. » Seeking student input and co-constructing learning results in students becoming futurefocused learners. » Commitment to RBL has seen improved partnerships with whānau. » Teachers feel empowered, resulting in zero teacher turnover this year.

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Homai School leaders’ kōrero In late 2019, Homai School’s leadership team held a focus group retreat to discuss and evaluate the impact of RLB at the school between 2016 and 2019. Here are some of their responses: What are your views about RBL reform?

RBL encompasses many values, including integrity, honesty and accountability.

This research and tools have developed effective practices across the staff and leadership. Sustaining effective pedagogy and allowing staff to grow within their own areas. RBL language is now embedded in staff and students.

How has RBL improved your leadership practice?

Using the research has empowered me to confront issues and confidently have challenging conversations – and reject deficit thinking.

When we as lead coaches are in class, we ensure we are modelling what we have worked on during our PLD sessions, working alongside teachers to model areas they need support on.

What impact has RBL had on Māori learners’ success?

We have been able to support Māori learners through providing high-quality PLD for their teachers and using their data to drive these PLD sessions.

What are your perspectives on the leadership model this year?

Power-sharing of responsibilities has given us all the opportunity to grow as leaders. Collaboration has allowed me to learn and seek advice on my own leadership capabilities.

Share your thoughts on the mentoring/ coaching you received this year?

I was supported by an outside facilitator at the beginning of the year with effective pedagogical practices to monitor our schoolwide focus on a learning culture that counts. Having these mentoring sessions kept me up to date with new information and cutting-edge research.

This has been the most rewarding year of all 11 years of my teaching career. I have been provided an opportunity to demonstrate my capabilities as a leader and build my credibility on a platform that is conducive to me as a growing leader.

gazette.education.govt.nz