What does Māori enjoying educational success as Māori mean to you?
In my work with different schools, teachers and principals, this statement is often difficult for many to understand. Mostly because of the last 2 words ... as Māori. So, please feel free to share your thoughts,beliefs and experiences to help us unpack this important aspirational statement.
What does Māori enjoying educational success as Māori mean to you, what does it look like, what examples/strategies have you seen, what are you unsure of??????
Replies
- Annemarie Hyde (View all users posts) 25 Jul 2012 9:12am ()
We had a short discussion about this yesterday, with my NAPP PLG; one participant is looking at student Maori achievement at her school and encourage us to brainstorm. Our ideas included:
Being recognised for succeeding in areas that are important to Maori (can't work out where to get the macron), e.g. oratory, hospitality, leadership, kapa haka, rather than just reading, writing and mathematics
Feeling that Maori language tikanga is important in the school or kura; that names are pronounced correctly
That others recognise the importance of connections to the local marae, iwi, hapu and those connections make the student feel important and is making an important contribution.
That's the small korero from this pakeha, trying to get it right for her students!
- Trevor Bond (View all users posts) 25 Jul 2012 9:30am ()
This issue has been on my mind a lot over the last few weeks as I head into three days of sessions on this topic with schools in the Gisborne area next week.
I think I can best illustrate my current understanding from my time in a small international school in Nepal. I had a class of 15 students composed of 13 nationalities. Each of those students was expected to achieve highly and were all going to go back into their home countries and cultures for their high school education.
The German student needed to succeed in my classroom but needed to do so as a German, as did the Swiss, American, Australian, Taiwanese, Singaporean, British, French, and the 5 other nationalities.
So let's take the German child as an example:
Their tenure in my class should not diminish them in terms of their Germanness (if there is such a word). In fact the very opposite, their tenure in this kiwi teacher's class needed to value, affirm and and deepen their Germanness. This is what should have been happening for each child in the room.
Alongside that, for each child, there should be a growth of understanding and empathy of the other cultures and groups represented within that classroom.
Strategies to do this:
1: relationship relationship relationship
2: Actively valuing and seeking to understand where people where coming from and why
3: Having the concept in my head that each child brought with them a treasure of culture, experiences and understanding, an incredible resource that would enrich that classroom as a place of learning and interaction
Enough rambling from me, I look forward to reading other responses as I continue prpearing for next weeks sessions.
- Janelle Riki (View all users posts) 25 Jul 2012 11:32am ()
Kia ora Tamara. I did a staff meeting about this last night. To me Māori achieving educational success as Māori means that tamariki are given opportunities to celebrate, share and participate in their cultural uniquesness! I ngā wā o mua, our ancestors would identify strengths and interests in tamariki and that would become their pathway forward. Their education would be based on what they showed potential in and what they showed interest in e.g. hunting and gathering kai, kaikōrero, the art of becoming a warrior, ringawera, manaaki tangata, karanga weaving, kōwhaiwhai, tukutuku etc etc. In a new world and in a new education system, the challenge before us as educators and schools is to provide contexts where Māori tamariki can tap into their innate potential and strengths, particpate 'as Māori' and then feel successful in their 'Māori education'. Some key ingrediants need to surround the tamaiti in order for this to be successful. Te Ao Māori - tikanga Māori, Te Reo Māori, whānau, iwi/hapū, kawa, ako, tuakana/teina to mention a few. A few suggesstions for how English Medium Schools might be able to accomodate such learning: pōwhiri and mihi whakatau where Māori tamariki are able to actively lead and/or participate, kai (traditional kai gathering and preparing practices), kapahaka, mau rakau and taiaha, karanga (where appropriate), whaikōrero, mihimihi, manu kōrero, manaaki tangata: greeting manuhiri, preparing kai, mihi etc, karakia, waiata, hīmine, learning Te Reo Māori, whakapapa, placed based education: learning about the local place and iwi surrounding the kura. For me if Māori tamariki are able to participate in their own culture, know that it is cherished and valued by those around them and also feel able and successful whilst they are participating and sharing their culture with others, this is Māori achieveing educational success as Māori. When a tamaiti feels safe, valued, strong, confident and connected in Te Ao Māori, this in turn allows them to be conducive to learning in all other areas. It's not just about being 'inclusive' to the Māori culture, it's about valuing and 'responding' to the whole child, their cultural needs, their emotional needs, their physical needs and their academic needs. The essence of this is relationships and the research has clearly shown that relationships have the biggest impact on educational success for Māori. Relationships that are strong and reciprocal in nature and that extend past the teacher:student relationship and incorporate whānau, iwi/hapū and all those that the tamaiti is connected to.
- Moana Timoko (View all users posts) 25 Jul 2012 1:26pm ()
Tēnā koe Tamara - Te pai hoki o tēnei kōrerorero ki aku taringa!!!
Ko taku whakaaro tēnei:
Māori enjoying educational success as Māori - To me this is about cherishing what our Māori children carry with them all of the time. In some cases our Māori children may not even know what that means for themselves. It's about having a second thought about what a child brings into any learning environment other than just their physical body and chatty mouth. Our tamariki carry and are a part of whakapapa, our reo, tikanga and wairua - Deep terms that carry deep meanings. I have recently been enlightened by a dear friend ‘B’ who explains these terms really well and describes them as being non-negotiables for us as Māori. These are things that I cherish and have learnt about throughout the years of my life...and believe me I'm still on my learning journey. Our tamariki need to know where they come from - Whakapapa is not just about people but it is about the origins of all things. Our reo is not just about speaking in the Māori language - Our reo allows us to express ourselves in different ways and to think about and see things from different perspectives. Tikanga to me is a way of holding on to what we feel is the right way of doing things. Our tikanga stems from traditions and can at times be confusing...but it is the experiences and the actions that we learn from. Wairua encompasses our wider being – when working with our tamariki we need to acknowledge that there is more to a child than meets the eye.
Phoebe Davis shares an awesome ed talk about 2 key elements for raising Māori student achievement - forming relationships with students and whānau and about being culturally located. Phoebe shares different examples in her discussion but another example of this (my whole yarn) in action is where a friend recently described being in awe of the oratory skills of the young speakers at a Manu Kōrero competition. Now for all of our talkative young Māori who are good at sharing speeches or speaking in general...there may be some other things to consider...Maybe those students come from a line of great orators. This creates an opportunity to share a second thought...rather than just seeing the students sharing their speeches...see them carrying the knowledge or traits of their tūpuna. It's an opportunity to speak directly to those students about those possibilities...an opening for discussion....forming connections...."I wonder if your ancestors were great orators?" "Maybe you ....maybe we....should look into that...ask someone from your family, do a bit of research"...Maybe the students already know of orators in their families...it's a way in, a way to communicate...a way to form or embrace a relationship...being culturally responsive and acknowledging potential ...having a second thought, third thought.... and sharing those thoughts directly.
- Tessa Gray (View all users posts) 14 May 2014 12:57pm ()
Sorry for the cross-posting, but didn't want to lose the rich kōrero from across the VLN about, Maori achieving success as Māori (with an e-learning lens).
I've started a thread on, What exactly does 'Māori achieving success as Māori' look like? over in the Learning with Digital Technologies for Māori and Pasifika Learners group which makes references Waerenga o Kuri using the e-Learning Planning Framework and a Māori achieving success as Māori (MASAM) Framework tool for self review.
Enabling e-Learning started a thread on Using ICTs to support our Māori learners and Anne Kenneally has created a Literacy Online page, Māori Success as Māori with references to resources to support Māori literacy in the classroom.
Koia kei!
Anyone else have more to share?
- Tessa Gray (View all users posts) 06 Nov 2014 12:10pm ()
More and more schools are proactively looking at ways to address, Māori achieving success as Māori. Enabling e-Learning community members are keen to find ways to address this with an e-learning lens.
Enabling e-Learning is hosting a LIVE WEBINAR: Māori achieving success as Māori with an e-learning lens 12th November, 3.45-4.45pm.
This webinar will showcase 3 Enabling e-Learning videos sharing one kura’s journey in addressing this very issue, using the, Māori achieving success as Māori (MASAM) Framework as a tool for self review. Join Kathe Tawhiwhirangi and Trevor Bond (Learning with Digital Technologies facilitators), to find out how the MASAM Framework has made a difference for Māori learners at Waerenga o Kuri.
