Virtual Learning Network

Kia ora koutou, hope you’ve had a restful and inspiring break over summer.  The weather has continued to delight in the sunny Bay of Plenty, I hope it's been shining in your rohe as well.

Tenei tau (this year) sees a lot of school and kura revisit and reimagine their localised curriculum. Several in-school facilitators are also supporting schools to plan and implement a tiriti-led curriculum. Over the next few months, we'll be collecting a few stories sharing how schools are developing a rich curriculum in collaboration with mana whenua (whānau, hapū, iwi) and Mātauranga Māori (rangitira, kaumatua, experts). Strengthening these partnerships in schools, backyards and beyond is exciting. It gives our taiohi a chance to be squarely located in their own cultural narratives.

For anyone interested in exploring themes in Marautanga-ā-Kura (see example from Helena Baker) and curriculum design check out the following resources. Also see Cultural capability for more CORE Education frameworks to help develop Te Tiriti rich curriculum design.

The following PDF has been shared in the Kaitiakitanga curriculum Facebook group by Celia Fleck. Her colleagues at Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti have created this resource based on the Atua Matua framework. There’s also a Te Reo version in the comments, as well as more information about Atua Matua from Dr Ihirangi Heke.

Other resources include:

Facebook groups:

Living by The Stars with Professor Rangi Matamua

Cultural narratives:

• Embracing cultural narratives
• CORE Ten Trends 2019 - Cultural narratives
• Hūmārie – an authentic response to cultural location

Cultural narratives are entwined with science and environmental studies in Earth Education at Ngunguru School

In this video from Ngunguru School we see cultural narratives are entwined with science and environmental studies in Earth Education at Ngunguru School. The EarthEd programme aims to embed the role as protectors of the environment (kaitiakitanga) into the everyday life of students, and is more than just educating about the environment. Through this school wide programme students develop meaningful and authentic connections with the local environment and local history, and with the earth.

Readings for leaders:

• Te Hurihanganui 
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 4.0 A toolkit for leaders to accelerate social progress in the future of work June 2020 World economic Forum

What localised, place-based learning opportunities do you have planned for your taiohi (young people) tenei tau?