Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Te Whakatauki as a teaching pedagogy!

Which whakatauki can you use to ground your pedagogy?

"Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi, he toa takitini"
For me I have a whakapapa that strengthens me and the current influential people to keep me inspired.
The message I took from Ted Pogai was "get up early and find your oil,"
 
The message I took from Manu Keung was, "Surround yourself with positive  likeminded people" I believe to push you to your limits and help you in your thinking.

Our tamariki are taonga, so what whakatauki will keep you focussed on their needs and their development.
Start blogging whanau.  Last two weeks.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

The Changing Paradigm of Education

Soooo
What has to change in our current system of education to meet the needs of 21st Century learners?

I believe that the current system has never catered for our Maori Learners fullstop.  Now I believe the system disadvantages all ethnicities.  It stifles their natural creativity and just focusses on how the learning is regurgitated for the period before exams.  Sad but true.

So what do you believe is going to make a difference in our future classrooms?

"Kimihia nga mea ngaro"  (Kingi Tawhiao)

Literally translated this says "Find what's missing",  the deeper meaning to this is that in Tawhiaos time this meant in future generations we have left some hidden gems not only physical but esoteric too that you will find meaning for and also need.  Think about this.  What could this mean today for education. 

Thursday, September 4, 2014

What makes you so special?

A reading by Peter Westwood(2000) Numeracy and Learning difficulties: Approaches to teaching and learning assessment. ACER:Victoria Australia
He writes about why our tamariki fail in Maths.  Essentially it depended on the approaches, attitudes and teaching methods of the kaiako, not catering to the tamariki in front of them.
As future teachers we need to take this seriously.
Ask yourself:
Do I have what it takes to cater for diverse classrooms?
Am I willing to listen to others to inform my practice?
What are my strengths and weaknesses? 
What am I willing to do to develop my weaknesses into more strengths?
What expectations do I have of tamariki I am teaching?

Take some time to think through these questions
Nga mihi