Celebrating Te Reo Māori Blog Post

Nā Janelle Riki: BeL Facilitator, National Māori Team

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori!  Language is the lifeforce of Māori mana! 

Nau mai, haere mai ki te pānui tuatahi! Welcome to the first blog post to celebrate Te Reo Māori!  We will be sharing some fantastic ideas and links to support the teaching of Te Reo Māori in classrooms.  If you have any feedback, or would like some specific information or resources, please get in contact with us and we will do the best we can to support you.  Kia kaha te ako o Te Reo Māori!

 Why teach Te Reo Māori?

• Te Reo Māori is an endangered language.  In order for it to thrive, we must all breath life into it by speaking and conversing in Te Reo Māori.  This includes in the classroom, in our homes, in the community and in the wider world!

• There is no other country in the whole world where you can learn to speak this beautiful language.

• Te Reo Māori is the indigenous and first language of our nation.

• What makes us unique and special as kiwis is our unique and beautiful indigenous culture.  We can all connect with our ‘kiwiness’ through Te Reo me ōna Tikanga Māori, and showcase our unique gifts to the rest of the world!

• In most other developed countries, children can speak 2-3 languages.  If our tamariki are to be leaders and stand confidently on the world stage, it is important for them to be able to effectively learn another's language.  What better language to learn than the one we already have!

• The Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document, states that all Māori have the right to speak and learn their own language.  The NEG’s and NAG’s stipulate that school’s must meet their obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.  Ka Hikitia and Tātaiako provide support for schools and teachers to be able to do this effectively.

• Last but not least, it’s cool to kōrero!

 For more information about why you should teach Te Reo Māori in your classroom:

• Te Taura Whiri booklet: Promoting Positive Attitudes to the Māori Language in the Classroom

• ED Talk: Tamara Bell: Te Reo Māori in English Medium Schools

Matariki: 21 June 2012

Matariki is fast approaching! There are some amazing digital resources and class units online to share with your class!  A hakari or feast to celebrate Matariki is always a fantastic idea too and a great way to finish off the term!

• Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand: Matariki Education Resource

• Kōrero Māori: Matariki Resources

Māori Language Week Ideas: 23-29 July 

This year, the theme is - Arohatia te Reo, which means 'to cherish the language.'  

Here are some cool ideas for using digital resources and technologies in school to help you all celebrate Māori Language week:

• Send out a phrase, whakataukī and/or kīwaha of the day each day.  Encourage staff and children to use them in imaginative ways.  You could provide rewards for using them e.g. house points or a special Te Reo card.  Get posters up around the school that feature the phrase, whakataukī and/or kīwaha of the day.

• Reward! Tamariki and staff members could be given a card or badge for their blog when they use Te Reo Māori and these cards could be collated and prizes could be given out for a junior child, senior child, best class, teachers etc.  Hint: Māori dictionaries and books make great prizes!

• Share resources with colleagues, whānau and the wider community.  Class blogs are a great way to showcase and share new learning!

• Check out the Kotahi Mano Kaika (KMK, a Ngāi Tahu initiative), website where children can make online, personalised, Māori Language books

• Use the iPad/iPhone app Sock Puppets with tamariki to records conversations in Te Reo Māori and share them with your community on the school website. 

• Use the Kōrero Māori and Te Taura Whiri booklets in your classroom, staffroom and as resources for the children to take home. 

• There are some interactive Te Reo Māori websites too check out Wicked.

• There is an abundance of Māori resources on Digistore.  Also check out the fantastic Māori Resources catalogue and further down the page, check out the Māori Delicious stacks that feature some amazing online Māori resources.

• Tamariki could create visual mihi or pepeha using Animoto

• Check out the TKI page for various websites to support teachers with Te Reo Māori in English Medium Schools.

The Blended e-Learning National Māori Team will be posting regular blog posts to support the teaching and learning of Te Reo me ōna Tikanga Māori.  Please feel free to contact either myself, Janelle Riki, or Moana Timoko for further support.

Mauriora!