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Pasifika identities — more diverse than you think

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Aiono Manu Faaea-Semeatu

pasifika

In a previous blog post, my colleague Togi Lemanu talked about the “10 things that you need to know about Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa”. I wanted to explore some of these ideas in more depth, in particular the notions of cultural identities. Seeing as it is Samoan language week on May 26th-30th, we will look at a cultural identity model I developed that focuses on the multiple identities of Samoan culture.

I’m interested in the idea of an “identity continuum”, which I explored in my article, Faaea-Semeatu (2011) based on Anae’s (1998) doctoral thesis. The notions that underpin this Samoan identity model, focus on two key areas: language and the practice of Samoan customs, traditions and protocols.

IDENTITY CONTINUUM
Based on Anae’s (1998) thesis

Fluctuating between
Identity confusion——————————————————-Secured identity   

NZ-born Samoan                                 NZ-born Samoan                     Samoan-born Samoan
__________________________________________________________________________
No language fluency                               Language fluency                             Language fluency

We can further explore the identity continuum by looking at the ‘types’ of Samoans that people with Samoan heritage recognise amongst their own — that reflect these ideas about  the fluency of Samoan language coupled with the knowledge and practice of fa’aSamoa (Samoan customs, traditions and protocols). Samoan children know from an early age that fa’aSamoa plays a huge part in living the Samoan way.

Add to the mix, migration – Samoans who migrate to host societies and form their own diaspora communities. The descendants of those migrant Samoans in turn, could become transnationals. This helps to explain why there would seem to be ‘identity confusion’ or cultural ambivalence that occurs, where second or third (in Aotearoa, we are even up to fourth) generation Samoans who were either not allowed to speak gagana Samoa (Samoan language) or chose not to.

Multiple identities of Samoans

  1. Samoa mao’i – “Samoa mo Samoa” (Samoans with gagana and fa’aSamoa)
  2. Fluent gagana Samoa, no fa’aSamoa
  3. Fluent Fa’aSamoa, no gagana Samoa
  4. Some gagana Samoa, no fa’aSamoa
  5. Some Fa’aSamoa, no gagana Samoa
  6. Brought up in the Fa’aSamoa, chooses not to engage in Fa’aSamoa or speak gagana Samoa
  7. Not brought up in the Fa’aSamoa but chooses to engage in Fa’aSamoa and gagana Samoa
  8. No gagana Samoa, no Fa’aSamoa

Contributing factors to the multiple identities of Samoans:

  1. Diaspora Samoan vs. Samoan born Samoa
  2. Second language learner (gagana Samoa is the mother tongue)
  3. Academic language learner (gagana Samoa is studied at tertiary level)
  4. Passive vs. Active (understanding gagana Samoa rather than speaking it)
  5. Relationship between gagana Samoa and Fa’aSamoa, practises gagana Samoa
  6. Formal school learning environment (does it allow for gagana Samoa and Fa’aSamoa?)
  7. Family environment (is gagana Samoa or Fa’aSamoa practised as family values?)
  8. Palagi showing cultural competence – Palagi developing fluent gagana Samoa and now teaching it
  9. New millennium Samoan
  10. Ethnicity vs. Identity

Other Pasifika cultures will experience the same struggles or challenges in the maintenance of their heritage cultures and languages in Aotearoa.

The question for educators is:

If these are the levels of diversities within Pasifika cultures – what can we do to ensure that the achievement of Pasifika children is secure in Aotearoa? 

For more information about increasing the understanding of Pasifika diversities and Pasifika learners, visit the following links:

  • TKI English Online – supporting Pasifika learners
  • TKI Pasifika – Pasifika Education Community
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The World Literacy Summit 2014

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Jedd Bartlett

The second World Literacy Summit was held in Oxford in April, 2014. The Summit aims to build awareness of the global literacy crisis and provide opportunities for participants to develop strategic plans, exchange information, find solutions and build partnerships to improve literacy standards worldwide. As mediascape partners, CORE Education provided digital media services at the Summit, and Michael and I were fortunate to spend a week in Oxford capturing delegates’ contributions in the form of interviews, keynotes, panel discussions and presentations.

WLS Conference

The overarching Summit theme was Literacies: the Power to Change — the role of both new and traditional literacy tools and techniques in the worldwide fight to eradicate illiteracy.

Issues and underlying theme

Delegates at the Summit discussed key issues impacting literacy around the world, and analysed the latest literacy delivery methods and teaching approaches, with the goal of increasing awareness of the global literacy crisis, and creating opportunities for collaboration in support of literacy development.

An underpinning theme was the widening of the notion of literacy from the classic reading and writing to include multi-literacies — health, financial, and emotional, for example. At one of the panel sessions, speakers spoke to these new literacies, outlining the challenges and possible areas for action. For example, by 2015 more than 50% of the total population in extreme poverty will reside in places affected by conflict and chronic violence. People in these countries could benefit from greater levels of emotional literacy including an ability to recognise, understand, and appropriately express their emotions to assist them to contribute to more peaceful and stable societies.

Signing of Oxford document

Signing of the 2014 Oxford Declaration

The concluding act of the Summit was the signing of the 2014 Oxford Declaration document, which outlines the key action points delegates believe are required to improve global literacy standards. Delegates had contributed to the content of the declaration in panels and discussion groups throughout the conference, and the document was signed by all of those attending the final keynote.

Video interviews with key delegates

There were over 70 international speakers at the Summit, and a key element in the dissemination of knowledge and experience from the Summit will be the video record. Michael Lintott and I were able to interview many delegates, including Dr Jean-Pierre Ezin, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Culture for the Economic Community of West African States, Dr Temechegn Engida, the Programme Officer for ICT use in Education at the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, and Ms Farida Lambay, the Founder Trustee and Executive Secretary of Pratham Council for Vulnerable Children in India.

Jean Piere EzinDr Jean-Pierre Ezin, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Culture for the Economic Community of west African States,

These interviews are now being released on the Global EDtalks channel and on the World Literacy Summit website.

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Mutukaroa – a fresh approach to home-school partnership and engaging parents

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Brenda Crozier

What is Mutukaroa?

The Mutukaroa project, developed by Sylvia Park School, is getting schools throughout New Zealand to challenge the way they communicate with parents, and to create home engagement opportunities that provide a better fit for their community.

CORE Education is supporting the initiative by providing an online space where coordinators of this project can support each other and share resources.

The Sylvia Park story

In 2012 Sylvia Park saw the need to interact with parents in more meaningful ways to help them to “…understand some of the important things that go on in schools.”

Assessment stood out as an area of concern for their school as they realised parents were unfamiliar with the assessment tools and terms. The information parents received about their children’s achievement sometimes gave them little more understanding than whether their child was above or below the National Standards.

Looking for better ways of involving parents in their children’s learning, Sylvia Park School released teacher Ari Williams from classroom duties to be the Mutukaroa coordinator. Ari’s role was to discuss children’s individual test results with the teacher, and meaningfully convey the results to parents, demystifying assessment terms and process. She took this to the next step by having learning conversations with the parents about how they could support their children’s learning.

Ari met regularly with all parents of 5–8 year olds in a place convenient to them, e.g. their workplace. She provided specific information about their children’s progress, and support materials to help move them on.

Mutukaroa process

The team from Sylvia Park School is quick to point out that Mutukaroa is focused on learning, not behaviour, and that “…those conversations are the responsibility of the child’s classroom teacher.”

Find out more about how the project was conceived and established at Sylvia Park from this video on New Zealand Curriculum Online.

Getting involved

Mutukaroa was trialled initially at Sylvia Park School with a phase one roll out to 10 schools in 2013. A phase two rollout to a further 100 schools is currently underway with spaces still available. The Ministry provides 50/50 funding for the first year of the project to enable schools to get set up and underway.

For further insight into the journey Sylvia Park have been on check out their blogspot.

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