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A taniwha in the pipes: encouraging creative writing
Strong written language skills not only help students to cement and present their learning – some teachers are using creative writing to strengthen children’s sense of identity and build resilience.
“A space where children can be Samoan”
A leai se gagana, ua leai se aganuu … A leai se aganuu ua po le nu‘u. When you lose your language you lose your culture, and when there is no longer a living culture, darkness descends on the village. – Samoan proverb
Jumping into Māori immersion learning
Over the past 30 years, the demand for Māori immersion learning has increased, being a pivotal way to strengthen te reo Māori. What effect do immersion units have on mainstream schools and their communities?
Sign language and support systems
The landscape of Deaf education in New Zealand has changed a lot over the last 20 years. We look at the options now available to deaf children who are starting primary school.
To literacy and beyond
School librarians talk about how they serve the varied needs of their communities.
Love reading aloud? Love writing!
Every year I read my class the same book – Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Why? One of my favourite memories from primary school was hearing it read by my Year 3 teacher.
Compulsory te reo in schools – what does it look like? / Ko te whakapūmau i te reo ki te kura – ka pēhea hoki?
Ah, compulsory te reo Māori in mainstream schools. It’s a grazing table for politician-elects and a fear-inducing topic for overworked teachers. It’s been on the cards since 1972, when 33,000 people signed a petition approaching Government on the topic, but so far, it’s been a fruit too high to harvest.
O Taumafa Manogi ma Aogā mo le Fanau / Nourishment for the next generation
O a ia Taumafa? O Taumafa Manogi, ua fa‘atusaina lea i le fa‘aaogaina o le Gagana e fafaga ai tama a Samoa e Faatonu, Fa‘asino, Faapoto ma Fesoota‘i ai. E leitioa fo‘i le Fa‘autaga ma le ‘au fai Tofā a fa‘apea mai: “O fānau a tagata e fafaga i ‘upu ma tala ‘ae ‘o tama a manu o fuga o lā‘au.”
Reflections of a president
When asked to share some reflections on my three years as NZEI Te Riu Roa President, I was prompted to think back to the very beginning of this journey.
Asking the big questions
It is great to have the opportunity to contribute to Ako. I am really pleased that this issue is focussed on language, as it is top of mind for me.
To literacy and beyond: Te Totara School
Michelle Simms, the librarian at Te Totara Primary School, talks about some of the ways she supports literacy at the school.“Speaking my culture”
Nerra Lealiifano-Tamarua considers herself blessed. “I am one of the lucky generation of Pasifika New Zealanders who learned to walk in two worlds. I’m confident and successful as a Samoan and as a Kiwi – and that’s what I want for the students I teach.”Jumping into Māori immersion learning at Otari School
A number of mainstream schools like Otari School can date their Māori immersion units back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, developing alongside the Kura Kaupapa Māori movement.
Summer 2020: Children’s book reviews
Reviews of ten fantastic new books for children.
Embracing Multilingualism Across Educational Contexts
A review of Embracing Multilingualism Across Educational Contexts.
The Professional Practice of Teaching in New Zealand (6th edition)
A review of The Professional Practice of Teaching in New Zealand (6th edition)
Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching (6th edition)
A review of Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching (6th edition).
Empowering students to build community
In a school with dozens of cultures and languages, equipping and empowering students to coach, guide and befriend their ESOL peers has huge benefits for all involved. At Christchurch’s Ilam School, 12 children in Year 6 are appointed as Cultural Leaders.
Kapa haka student leaders
Two student leaders of kapa haka at Kapanui School, Waikanae explain why they like it.
Teaching in a community new to you
A new teacher gives some advice to others starting work in a new community.
Home has been my classroom
Child of the mist, Tame Iti, says that “history has woven us together. We are the basket, the kete, that holds the future!”
Teaching – and reaching – online from Ohura
From her tiny school on the appropriately named Forgotten Highway, Anna Fourie teaches students across the country, using the internet.
The community of kapa haka
For nearly a decade, Kapapapanui School in Waikanae has been using kapa haka as a way of building community in and around the school – and the benefits have been extraordinary for both Māori and non-Māori students.