Virtual Learning Network

Hi Everyone

I love these beautiful calm winter days that hint at the arrival of spring.  They bring a smile to my face just like I love seeing you all involved and collaborating on primary esolonlne or in the Virtual Learning network (VLN) primary esolonline pages.

VLN – primary ESOL online community

Have you joined us yet in the virtual learning network? Maybe that is something you can do today. The main intent is to foster the co-construction, co-development, and the sharing of, best practice in blended learning environments. You will find us here /groups/profile/849194/primary-esol-online . However before you can participate you will need to join the VLN community and create your profile. The VLN home page is here /

ESOL Online twitter feed

You can also follow esolonline on twitter and stay in touch with all the latest news and receive notice of various items that I have discovered and think are worthwhile sharing about. You will discover so much more than I have time to share about through my weekly update.  Follow us here https://twitter.com/ESOLOnline .

Pasifika Education Plan – Loads of support now available to support you

Supporting Pasifika students to succeed in their education is a goal we should all be supporting and I believe ESOL teachers have a big part to play in this. We all need to be leaders in our schools to and do all we can to encourage engagement and action to support the implementation of the PEP in our school. One way to do this is to be informed on what is available so to help you I am informing you about a few new resources. The challenge for you is once you are aware of them what leadership actions will you take to engage the other teachers in your school?  

Just released is ‘PEP in your Step’ a new school starter pack which is free to all primary and secondary schools.  The starter pack is a great way to start conversations within your school and with your Pasifika communities to raise Pasifika engagement, participation and achievement. The packs are intended to help beginners and also those who consider themselves advanced.  The information was developed in partnership with Pasifika teachers and principals. If you have already contacted the Pasifika Unit for a pack, these will be sent out this week.  If you are interested in receiving a pack, email PasifikaUnit@minedu.govt.nz .  

The starter pack includes:

• A Pasifika Education Plan tool to help you unpack and gain a better understanding of the Pasifika Education Plan 2013-2017
• A Pasifika Education Plan flash drive containing relevant resources and templates, and 
• ‘Put a PEP in your step’ posters to help raise awareness of the Pasifika Education Plan in your school.

You can discuss this resource and how you might use it in your school on the VLN. You can join the discussion here /discussion/view/887984?orderby=latest   . You might also like to join and contribute to the following groups in the VLN:

• Pasifika Education Plan 2013-2017
• Learning with Digital Technologies for Māori and Pasifika Learners
• Shifting the minds of our Pasifika parents

A good place to explore and learn more about the PEP is http://pasifika.tki.org.nz/Pasifika-Education-Plan    which is where you can also download the plan itself.  Another useful resource is The PEP Implementation Plan 2013-2017 which is an overview of the Ministry of Education and Education Partner Agencies’ programmes to achieve the goals and targets of the PEP. It includes the lead agencies, key contacts and links to more information on each programme.

We also have the Enhancing Pasifika achievement through e-learning webpage which offers have ideas and resources. http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Pedagogy/Enhancing-Pasifika-achievement On this page  you will find a short presentation by Manu Faaea-Semeatu—Pasifika Learning with Digital Technologies Facilitator with Te Toi Tupu—she discusses what the PEP means for your school. She outlines the key parts of the PEP and how you can use it as part of your strategic planning in order to give every Pasifika student success in learning.

Here are some of the PEP actions that relate to schooling –

• Strengthen accountability processes. For example goals and targets for Pasifika learners in school charters and ERO will review schools’ performance on programmes targeting Pasifika learners, implementation of the PEP and Pasifika learner achievement.
• Implement programmes and interventions to increase presence, participation and achievement of Pasifika learners with special education needs, and accelerate implementation of Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) and the Incredible Years Teacher initiative.
• Provide language and learning intervention to support a smooth transition to school for learners coming from Pasifika immersion early childhood centres, and particularly Pasifika learners that have not participated in early childhood education.
• Use engagement initiatives such as the Pasifika School Community Liaison Project to engage with parents, families, communities and schools.
• Increase the Pasifika capability of school Boards of Trustees utilising new resources

Also don’t forget that if you are in the Auckland area you can engage further by attending the Light the Fire Meeting on Tuesday Sept 9th at Alfriston College see this email for further information.

Engaging parents- Meeting Halfway article

The latest Education Gazette has a great article - Meeting halfway  by Jaylan Boyle. It raises several aspects which I think are important if we are serious about engaging parents.  According to the article Vicki Hiini of Fairhaven School decided that the best way to engage parents in the literacy programme – Reading Together – was to take it to a setting that whanau felt comfortable in. What insights can you gain from this story to improve your own school’s parent partnerships?

I loved the following quotes from the article:

“The programme was successful because it provided a really comfortable learning environment for our whanau. A lot of our parents may not have had a positive experience at school themselves, and I think we need to remember that. Taking these workshops to the marae meant that the setting was familiar and non-threatening. They were made to feel at ease.”

“Community involvement with our school shouldn’t be about, ‘you come to us and we’ll tell you what to do’; the whanau need to have communicated to them that school is part of them and they’re part of the school.”

How could you transfer this learning to Pasifika partnerships?

I won’t do my usual round-up of what is happening in the other communities as I just did it last Friday. However look out for my links to all the latest gems from around the world update later in the week.

Kind regards

Janet