Staff and students at two Te Tai Tokerau kura have been learning the challenging skill of tāniko and other weaving techniques. Ako finds out how this akoranga is supporting hauora and weaving the school community together.
An innovative language project involving 19 kindergarten teachers has shown the value of collaboration and using data to enhance intentional teaching in early childhood education.
Puta noa i te motu e ngana ana te hunga tangata ki te ako i te reo Māori me Te Reo Turi/New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), koia nei ngā reo taketake o Aotearoa. I kōrero ake a Ako ki ētahi o ngā ākonga e ngana nei ki te whai i tēnei kaupapa, ko te whāinga hoki ko te whakamana i ngā reanga e kake ake ana, e mōhio ai rātou ko wai rātou, nō hea rātou.
Across the country people are making it their mission to learn te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), both official languages in Aotearoa New Zealand. Ako spoke to educators who have taken up the language learning challenge, with the aim of empowering the next generation to be confident in who they are and where they come from.
Professional learning and development (PLD) is a critical part of practice for all educators. But how do they ensure their ongoing learning has the best impact for ākonga? These personal stories showcase some outstanding PLD experiences that benefit students, educators and whole communities.
For many of us adults, memories of physical education at school are embarrassing and isolating. Ako profiled teachers being supported to change that through Healthy Active Learning, a joint government initiative enhancing tamariki wellbeing through quality physical activity and healthy food and drink.
It’s not every day a Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter lands on your school field, and then you get to shoot hoops alongside the local policeman, your teacher, and your mum. That’s exactly what happened for students at Richmond Primary, a small school in the heart of Maraenui, Napier, when a desire for teachers to connect with whānau following the COVID lockdowns, turned into a community-wide celebration.
Initial teacher education plays a crucial role in our education system. But is it up to scratch? Ako talks to education professionals who are reimagining how we grow new teachers.
In the future, inclusive education won’t be bolted on to the system, it will be built in.
As we begin to see the effects of climate change, with storms, flooding and sea level rise, educators are finding ways to bridge optimism and reality in the classroom.
He hoa haaere te maanawatia aa Mataariki i te whakanuia te maramataka Maaori. Kei te whai ake aa Ako i ngaa koorero oo te waa mai ngaa kura puta noa i te motu, me ngaa painga oo roto.
Alongside celebrations of Mataariki there has been a growing interest in the Maaori calendar. Ako finds out how schools around the country are benefitting from following the maramataka.
COVID-19 forced schools and early childhood centres to rethink the way they delivered learning. Ako talks to educators who have found the silver linings and are looking to the future.
Exploring local history is one way schools can connect to the new Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum. Ako caught up with two Auckland schools who are uncovering local history right under their feet.
Many schools and ECE centres already use Aotearoa histories as a powerful tool to engage tamariki in learning. Personal stories of migration are at the heart of it.
Tae atu ki ēnei tau tata nei, he rautaki a te kāwana kia whakawarewaretia āna ake mahi tūkino ki a ngāi Māori. He aha ngā whakaaro o ngā kura Māori e hāngai ana ki te whakaakoranga o ngā kōrero tuku iho me ngā hītori o Niu Tīreni?
How early childhood centres are weaving past into present to grow tamariki to be confident in their identity and belonging.
Our local communities are rich sources of history and support but building these networks takes time, effort and dedication. Ako finds out how one Kāhui Ako is connecting with local iwi and sharing knowledge amongst member schools to build understanding, connections and tikanga.
In interviews with practitioners Ako asks how kaiako can prepare for difficult conversations in the classroom that might arise when teaching Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.