Granted — The Tu Tane Programme, ChromeBook ease, and the liberation to learn

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Māori Grant: Tu Tane

By guest blogger, Tim Gander

The Tu Tane programme and the Māori grant

We originally applied for a Māori grant to assist and develop the effectiveness of our Tu Tane programme. The Tu Tane programme has become an important part of our boys’ education and personal growth, it provides them with a sense of identity, pride in themselves, and pride in where they come from. It allows boys to develop an interest in their culture, tikanga, and reo.  The programme aims to begin a rite of passage, in which we encourage our young men to move towards becoming good men, by reflecting on their own whakapapa to look forward to where they want to go and who they want to be. As a staff, we found that the important values, beliefs, and elements of personal growth are often given lip service but our communities and country do little to address this. The main focus of Tu Tane is developing key values in our students through practical and theory lessons that are backed up through the ‘7 stages and 7 ceremonies’, closely following our own tikanga and that of our community. The course relies heavily on community links with input from whanau in the form of 'Tane Uetika' — our mentor ceremony. During this year we have worked on several areas ranging from personal identity, relationships, societal attitudes and values, identity, sensitivity and respect, challenges, and social/cultural factors. The programme runs directly in line with the New Zealand PE/Health curriculum, beginning in year 10 and supported through to the senior years.

To support this initiative CORE Education provided funding for a set of ChromeBooks through its CORE Māori Grant. We chose to invest in ChromeBooks because we use Google Apps for Education, and the devices allow safe and easy access to all of our learning resources and opportunities, as well as the ability to connect to the wider community.

The benefits of ChromeBooks for our programme

On the day that the ChromeBooks arrived the boys opened them and booted them up — it only took about 2 minutes from the time that I put the sealed box on the desk until the first boys had logged in and were browsing the web — almost unbelievable. Previously, we had spent countless hours attempting to log on to school computers with numerous software updates, lost passwords, and wasted lessons in an attempt to be connected and online.

Part of the allure of ChromeBooks is the amount of control the teacher or administrator has over the devices. Once the machines were logged into the domain and into the console I could control the user experience from anywhere in the world — making sure students were always safe, secure, and focussed on the set task!  By encouraging the students to unbox the devices it gave them a real sense of ownership. They were able to log in straight away with an existing Google Apps account, or create a new one on the school domain if they had not used one before. I had decided to create a wifi hotspot from my laptop so that the first time the boys turned them on they wouldn't have to worry about wifi passwords and network restrictions.  I was skeptical at first, but I had 15 Chromebooks working at good internet speed from one connection on my Macbook Pro, and some boys were even streaming some content from a recent lesson I had posted on Google+!

Links, connections, and identity

It is critical for students to establish 'Whakawhanaungatanga' where they make links and connections with each other, and encompass the concept of inclusiveness. Students are encouraged to reach out to those around them and include the community in their kaupapa, thereby enhancing 'Te taha wairua' by acknowledging, celebrating, and showcasing cultural capabilities and distinctiveness. A specific example of how the ChromeBooks have helped facilitate this process is 'Ko wai ahau, no hea ahau?' — Who am I and where do I come from? My Identity'. The boys researched and talked to whānau about their whakapapa, and through Glogster they created a page about the journey of their lives from their past to the present. This was then presented to the Tu Tane class during the 'Tane Pepeke' ceremony. The class developed a far greater level of trust and respect for each other, and the ChromeBooks granted the students the freedom and ability to create ‘enhanced’ profiles with embedded content personal to them, increased motivation, and allowed deeper understanding of where they were from, and ultimately, where they were going.

Although the enhanced way of working with ChromeBooks was introduced relatively late in the year, there was still a positive impact. We are hoping that in 2014, because students will be able to collaborate and communicate from the start of the year, there will be a greater impact. For example, by using the devices from the start of the year, next year’s students will be able to maximise the Google+ community for Tu Tane, and share with Whanau and ex-Tu Tane graduates. We would also like to combine the work we are doing in the senior school, with web apps, Google docs, blogging, and Google+ with our Tu Tane programme. Opening up these opportunities to connect and co-construct with the younger boys is likely to enhance cultural distinctiveness, illuminate creative potential, and support successful educational pathways for them.

Liberation to learn

Learning is a collaborative process, and the students are more likely to succeed when they feel supported and have an opportunity to share their work. The introduction of the ChromeBooks has given us the ability to strengthen community links because students have been able to make contact with people, and share their work easily at school and at home. The most overwhelming thing we have noticed when working with the ChromeBooks is that it is not ultimately about the technology. There isn’t a significant ‘wow’ factor involved; it is just a tool that works to enhance the learning experience and opportunities available.

To put it simply — the boys just get on with the learning and have wider opportunities available.

Tim GanderTim Gander is Assistant Head of PE and Health at Gisborne Boys High school. He enjoys the day-to-day challenge of teaching a wide range of abilities and ages in a variety of settings. He is aware that effective teaching is not only about the use of technology, but also how the technology supports teaching, learning, and building relationships. He is passionate about engaging students and whānau in a collaborative learning journey, and believes that the integration of technology and adapted pedagogies enable a greater depth of learning, understanding, and encouragement.

Tim is a Google Apps for Education certified trainer and facilitates professional learning with teachers through his blog, PLN, and face-to-face. In 2013 he fully immersed three senior NCEA classes in Google Apps and found the experience to be positive for all, originally flipping the classroom to overcome resource issues, then utilising Chromebooks to maximise learning opportunities. He is in the final selection for the Interface magazine “Innovative use of ICT Award” with his Google Drive and Social Responsibility project.

Tim has also been awarded an eFellowship award for 2014

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So much to share: Getting heard as the CORE Education Travel Scholar

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Wayne Duncan: CORE Travel Scholarship Award winner 2013

The opportunity to be the CORE Education Travel Scholar for 2013 has been a fantastic experience, and one that I recommend to you all. Having recently completed my Doctorate in Education I had much to share, and few to listen. The story seems true that your thesis really does only get read by yourself, your supervisors, examiners, and, if you make them, selected family members. You can prove this anecdote wrong at here if you really want.

The CORE Travel Scholarship enabled me to present the findings of my research at a prestigious distance education conference in the United States. The 29th Annual Distance Teaching and Learning Conference was held in Madison, Wisconsin, and had around 600 delegates from a wide range of American and international universities. I believe I was the only delegate from either Australia or New Zealand: I was a novelty. I was also expected to be somewhat shorter and have hairy feet.  

Many of the conference topics centred around the development and proliferation of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). These online courses are beginning to transform aspects of the tertiary education sector, and are really starting to challenge the 'bricks and mortar' concept of what a university is and where you go to learn. Enrolments for these courses are also growing rapidly and spreading the net wider, both geographically and with respect to the traditional profile of a university student. The concept of a traditional university geographic territory is now challenged by MOOCs being offered worldwide. 

Another area of interest for me was the development and use of Learning Analytics. As data is collected on online learners, programmes of learning are increasingly being tailored for individual need. As the detail of their learning profile becomes more comprehensive, even more targeted assistance and support is being provided. Presenting certain types of learning material, such as video or animations, higher up in search requests and prompting students of submission dates if they are frequent last-minute submitters are all being increasingly used to track, monitor, personalise, and support the online learner. This, I hope, is the direction our own Network for Learning (N4L) is headed. 

The contacts and informal discussions also formed a huge part of my learning experience at this conference. Being an international conference added another layer to this opportunity, allowing me to develop an international perspective and global contacts. It is also fairly humbling speaking with professors from the likes of Stanford, Harvard, and Rice Universities, and you realise we really are a global education community.

I cannot thank CORE Education, and Josephine and Michael Winter especially, for their support during this scholarship. It has been a fantastic professional experience that I encourage you to explore.

Dr Wayne Duncan, 2013 CORE Travel Scholar.

Helpful links:

Wayne DuncanWayne Duncan is Deputy Principal of Northern Southland College. His thesis on understanding the function of empathy in synchronous multimedia conferencing draws on both his prior work managing distance learning projects and his experiences as an educational psychologist. He is currently working with Professor Angus Macfarlane and Dr Kathleen Quinlivan researching empathy in face-to-face classrooms, and has also been invited to be on the advisory group for the Network for Learning.

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A mighty totara has fallen

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Vince Ham

Takoto mai e te rangtira kua mau kawakawa te tihi o Aoraki maunga. E tangi hotu te ngākau o tō whānau o Core i tō wehenga atu me te māuiui kua kawe e koe i ngā tau tata. Makere atu i ngā mamaetanga ka aro tō titiro i ngā mahi papai kua mahia e koe tēnei mātou e mihi.

Ka rere hoki te mihi ki tōna whānau ki a Ronnie ki ōna tamariki kia piki te ora me te māramatanga ki a rātou.

It is with the deepest sadness and respect for a splendid friend, trusted colleague, and hugely loved "original" of our company, that we write to say that Dr Vince Ham has passed away at home today, surrounded by the love and thoughts of his family and friends.

Vince's last days have been in the company of his wider whānau as well as his closest blended family and Ronnie who all love him dearly. His fight against cancer and its effects have taken their toll on his body while he remained with us, a man of enormous strength, integrity, and foresight. We know that the messages of support and the shared memories from our team have also been reflected in the massive response from the many friends and colleagues who he has touched in some way over the years. Vince was planning, thinking, caring, and loving throughout the past months, weeks and days, with a strength that was amazing and so very typical of him throughout his life with us.

As we remember Vince we see the mark of the man printed in the soul of our company. He has been the guardian of our vision, and of the values upon which the company is based. There will, as long as CORE exists, remain that imprint of a great man, with a huge love of life and a wide and inclusive vision for learning and education, at the heart of our company.

Our loss of Vince is profound, and our hearts go out to his wife Ronnie and his wider family/whānau right now. A mighty totara has fallen in the forest of Tane. We all share the loss and send our love and thoughts.

Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou

CORE Education Staff

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From our bookshelf, to yours…

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Summer’s here, and like many Kiwis you’ll be looking forward to the sunshine, beaches, walks and BBQs. Summer is also a great time to catch up on the books that have been on your ‘to read’ list throughout the year, whether it be the latest fiction, sporting biography or something a little more serious.

We’ve brought you a CORE ‘summer reading recommendations’ list before, and we’re doing it again, picking the brains of our facilitators, e-learning consultants and thought leaders to save you the hassle of compiling your own list.

There’s bound to be something on the list to tickle your tastebuds, so lie back, slip on a hat, slop on some sunscreen, and enjoy the following reads from our Christmas stockings to yours. Happy holidays!

Derek Wenmoth: Director – e-Learning
A keen reader himself, Derek is always keeping up with the latest in educational thinking. He couldn’t choose just one to recommend for summer, so he recommends both Stratosphere: Integrating Technology, Pedagogy, and Change Knowledge by Michael Fullan and Vital Connections: Why we need more than self-managing schools by Cathy Wylie. “Stratosphere is a recent book of Fullan’s in which he (finally) acknowledges the transformational influence of technology in the change management process. This is a slim volume that could be read in an afternoon, but every page is packed with the sort of challenge that could stimulate an entire discussion. A 'must read' for anyone who is serious about understanding the impact of technology on learning, and the role of technology in shaping the future of our education system.”

Derek Wenmoth Derek Wenmoth is the Director of e-learning at CORE Education. This involves him in e-learning activities from exploring innovative use of the latest technologies and researching e-learning practices, to helping establish policy and strategies to guide the implementation of e-learning, both nationally and overseas. Derek’s role perfectly combines his passion for teaching and learning along with his long-held fascination with the use of technologies in education. Derek is a popular keynote speaker and he maintains a very popular blog on matters relating to e-learning and other aspects of interest to educators: Derek’s Blog

Tara Fagan: Early Years Facilitator
Taking a break from technology, Tara has been reading Warming the Emotional Climate of the Primary School Classroom by Ian M Evans and Shane T Harvey. “Drawing on evidence-based research, Evans and Harvey describe how New Zealand primary school teachers create a 'classroom atmosphere' that enables children to be motivated, feel accepted and enjoy learning.  Emotional interactions between teacher-pupil are examined and the child's voice is articulated throughout.  While research-based, the book is easy to read and has excellent strategies for enhancing the social-emotional environment of the classroom.
 

Tara FaganTara Fagan is an Early Years facilitator for the Wellington/Manawatu region. Tara’s postgraduate research investigated the nature of children’s social interactions in a mixed-age setting. Tara has a variety of educational interests inlcuding: the rights of children, children’s interactions, ICT and 21st century pedagogy. She is currently working for CORE in the most perfect role for her, as it allows her to combine her love of ICT and education.
 

Jedd Bartlett: Digital Media Producer
Jedd has recently read Howard Rheingold's Net Smart on his iPad, which seems appropriate. "This is a great reference book for anyone interested in digital literacies, and ways we can use our attention to focus on the relevant portion of the river of information that is available to us on the web.  I go back to it often for Rheingold's thinking on attention, collaboration, and online participation. It's especially relevant for educators, and would be good reading while recharging batteries."  (Read the first chapter for free).

Jedd BartlettJedd Bartlett manages research development and the production of digital media resources for CORE, including the EDtalks website. Jedd has his own blog: Jedd

 

Karen Melhuish Spencer: e-Learning Consultant
Karen has been indulging her passion for online networks for learning with Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations: "It may be a few years old but it's still totally relevant. Shirky interweaves stories of the online networks of our time, from the formation of Linux programmers' networks to Wikipedia, with an engaging, compelling assessment of the dynamics at play in their development. Fascinating insight into the way technology is opening up new ways to work together while, at the same time, threatening the ways we have traditionally organised our knowledge. Particularly recommend the chapter on how the notion of the 'specialist' is evolving. A good read." (Download a sample chapter or grab the lot.)

Karen MelhuishKaren Melhuish Spencer is an e-learning consultant at CORE Education. Karen describes herself as a bit of a geek on the sly, and her passion for playing with technology has spilled over into her passion for professional learning. Karen runs her own popular and thought-provoking blog: At the Virtual Chalkface.
 

Jane Nicholls: Manager, New Zealand Curriculum Online
Jane took time out from her "work reading" to read The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton. “This book takes a quiet journey following different types of jobs. The stories are accompanied by black and white photos which lend to the rather 'grey' tone of the book. In the end you find yourself asking if you are spending your time in the way that makes you happy, and what exactly might work look like that could make you happy. Of course, I am lucky to work for CORE and therefore these questions are answered. The author calls his book ‘a hymn to the intelligence, peculiarity, beauty, and horror of the modern workplace and, not least, its extraordinary claim to be able to provide us, alongside love, with the principal source of life's meaning.’”

Jane Nicholls Jane Nicholls works in the talented EDtalks team alongside Michael Lintott and Jedd Bartlett. Together they scout New Zealand for interesting stories.

 

 

Glenda Albon: Early Years Facilitator
With a keen interest in the development of infants and young people, Glenda was naturally drawn to the book Why Love Matters: How affection shapes a baby’s brain by Sue Gerdhart. “Gerdhart describes through relevant examples the significance that love and affection has within the earliest relationships for children. She sets out to demonstrate how these relationships impact on children's brain development, the formation of emotions of the child and their continuing ability to self-regulate these emotions. Where babies know and trust that their needs will be met, their brain responses and relevant neural connections are constructed, and we can be assured that positive outcomes will be met. I encourage anyone who is interested in exploring this further to check out  this book, and to consider the implications of our teaching practices, relationships and interactions with the children, their families/whānau and the wider ECE community "

Glenda Albon Glenda Albon has had vast experience in facilitating workshops and discussions for parents, teachers and a range of other professional groups.

 

 

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samsung tablet

A teacher’s tablet review: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

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Samsung tablet

At our ULearn conference in October, we had some of the latest mobile devices on display for teachers to try, along with a survey on teachers’ views on the increased use of mobile devices in schools. All those that completed the survey went into a draw to win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. The lucky winner was Paul Elkerton, and we caught up with him a month later to find out how he was using his new device, both as a personal and a professional tool.

– Glen Davies, CORE Education’s IT Manager

In the weeks leading up to ULearn I had been considering finally purchasing an iPad or a tablet running the Android OS. I’ve had an iTouch for two years now, and have enjoyed using it for everything from personal note taking, diary, games, music, email and cooking (recommend Nigella Lawson’s app), to using it in the classroom with educational apps. However, I could see the benefit of a tablet with its bigger screen size, quick web surfing, book reading, and for sharing my photography.

I was pleased to see a number of trade stands at ULearn11 with iPads or tablets up for grabs in exchange for completing simple surveys. So, between browsing what innovations were on offer and enjoying the food, I completed surveys. Thanks to CORE Education, I won a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at the end of the conference.

Here’s how I’ve found it…

Set up

The first thing I did when I finally got home was to start charging it and setting it up. It was a simple process requiring me to download Samsung’s Kies software to my laptop so I could sync my files and calendar. The tablet also connected to my wireless quickly and through the built-in browser I was soon able to access all my accounts such as Flickr, Facebook, Trade Me, YouTube, and even manage my photography webpage.

Personal use of the tablet

In terms of personal use, the Tablet has taken precedence over my iTouch.

Personal management

The Memo app is a great way to keep organised, and the calendar allows me to keep track of all important events, especially meetings at work.

Surfing the web and communication

Instant and easy web surfing without waiting for my laptop to boot has been enjoyable. Skype is great with the front facing webcam.

I have transferred my portfolio of photography to the tablet which has been a great tool for sharing with potential clients.

App shopping

The Android app market is easy to use, and those used to the iTunes store will quickly become familiar with it, although, I found it takes longer to find the appropriate app.

Reading

Recently, I downloaded the Amazon Kindle app, and was surprised by how easy and cheap it is to purchase books. And the reading experience is just as enjoyable as an actual book. —likewise, reading the paper through the NZ Herald app.

Games

In terms of games, I have become addicted to Angry Birds. And recently, my cat even started using my tablet to play CrazyCat, a simple app for cats. A mouse wanders around on the screen, and he gets points every time he swats at it.

Using the tablet and apps in the classroom

Around the classroom and at school the tablet is rarely sitting idle. I have it with me to quickly type notes and to add events and meetings to the calendar.

It is most popular during maths time, when children use it to play a range of Maths apps (Math Genius, Math Training, Math Magic, Math Ninja, Math Workout, Math Maniac) during their game rotation. During reading we have used the camera to record our plays so we could critique the expression in our voices and actions upon playback. The quality of the videos is impressive.

As the Android OS supports Flash Player, educational websites that don’t work on Apple devices work on the Samsung Tablet. Thanks to this we have been able to access our usual educational sites (BBC Bitesize and Snappy Words are great). We have used the StopWatch & Timer app for athletics, and recording the time of our model land yachts for maths so we can then work out their speed on the Calculator app.

Conclusions

Overall the tablet is an engaging educational tool.

I see potential in the Tablet for bringing devices into the classroom 1:1. However, I feel that a lack of a publishing programme such as Word, which our current Microsoft-based schools run, will for now hold the tablet back from widespread adoption. Our school will be looking for replacements of our net book pods next year, and the lack of this publishing option would see us steer away from tablets (unless we adopt Google Docs). Likewise, I can’t see the tablet replacing my teacher laptop yet, not until it can connect to and run our interactive whiteboards, or allow us to plan through a publishing programme.

Paul ElkermanPaul Elkerton is a Year 5/6 teacher, syndicate leader, and Director of Technology (ICT) at Stratford Primary. He is also an amateur photographer (www.pjelkerton.com).

 

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