Thursday, October 11, 2012

A profesional e-learning approach to woring with Maori and Pasifika students.

Traditional Maori "assessment' involved ongoing assessment in action, children learned through observation and action, while the assessment occurred in a real life context doing the particular activity and didn't involve failure or success but identified areas to improve or develop - and noticing the gifts that children have so that they can be encouraged and nurtured, nourished and grow in specific areas: visual arts, warriors (physical able, strategic thinkers). The chief aim within whanau was to make their young people brave, bold and independent. How well does our current education system to be this?

Consider taking a BROfessional approach when working with Maori learners...Bro (whanaunagatanga), a term of endearment, about breaking down barriers and being part of something.
Blending - blend of approaches, strategies and the good stuff/ to mix and stir/ to sort.
Relationships - establishing relationships, a relationship cannot occur without people being receptive to it.
Open - open to idea, removing barriers, if you give - give it all, acknowledge who your students are, not just what they are.

Both for Maori and Pasifika students relationships are the core of a successful learning environment. "It is important to consider the cultural background of children and their parents in relation to how their feelings and emotions are expressed". Take time out to explore the different cultural backgrounds of students in class, especially important to give consideration to the fact that each Pasifika culture is unique.

A tki website Te Mangaroa has a bunch of resources and idea for educators to look at to help us consider how to enable Maori to achieve success as Maori.

What are typical Maori kids typical strengths:
Sports and Physical Activities - coordination, competition, team-work, balance, fine motor skills
The Arts - expression, creativity, culture
Kapa Haka - repetition, rhythm, performance
Our challenge as educators is bring these aspects into different lessons, whatever the subject e.g. repetition in literacy and vocabulary learning, perhaps to the rhythm of the drum. 

Where ICT helps - visible editing through tracked changes on word, natural reader free text to speech software that helps literacy development, etherpad (similar to google docs which may help if you don't have google accounts), wall wisher - online brainstorm with stickies, storybird - online storybook writing, vacaroo - online voice recordings, wicked - for helping Maori learners. Other cool apps include sock puppets, hika, te reo dictionary online.

Resources we can all access - VLN, itunes U, YouTube for schools, YouTube Teachers, DVD - Connections and conversations - making links for learning (MOE) which should be in every school, tki Pasifika, MOE Pasifika, digistore has a whole bunch of Maori and Pasifika resources and the wiki explains ways to use it. 

1 comment:

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