Keynote abstracts
Keynote Abstracts
Read up on what you'll learn today. Click on the speaker under the 'Jump to' header to go straight to an individual abstract, or scroll down to read them all!
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• Hauora - Stu Macdonald - All-in presentation
• Inspired K & HB waiata - Josie Brown - All-in presentation
• Waiata for our tamariki and whānau - Josie Brown - Workshop
• Kēmu Māori, Games, Rituals and Protocols - Harko Brown - All-in presentation & Workshop
• National education learning priorities (NELPS) - Nicole Young - Workshop
• Harakeke rope and bead making - Toia Palmer - Workshop
• Unpacking He Awa Whiria (Braided Rivers) - Matua Kindergarten - Workshop
• Kei hea te Tuna? - Whangamata Kindergarten - Workshop
• How effectively can Pākehā teachers educate and lead in authentic ways - Kerry Neas - Workshop
• The Heart of Learning Story Writing - Practical Ideas That Really Work - Kate Fabian - Workshop
• Strengthening our connection with the natural world - Catalina Thompson - Workshop
• Yogabuds - Mel Young - Workshop
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Hauora - Stu Macdonald
Embracing Te Ao Māori: Nurturing health and wellbeing through Mātauranga Māori enriched education.
This keynote presentation explores the transformative power of embracing Te Ao Māori(Māori worldview) and fostering health and well-being through an education enriched by Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). At its core, this journey recognises the value of traditional Māori practices as modalities of health that can be successfully utilised in contemporary times to promote health and wellbeing for teachers, students and whānau.
The authentic integration of Te Ao Māori into our education settings can weave an extraordinary pathway for our learners and teachers, one that enriches the mind and nurtures holistic health, creating a stronger and more connected society grounded in cultural wisdoms and values.
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Inspired K & HB waiata - Josie Brown
During this all-in session you learn our very own Inspired waiata! The amazing kaiako Josie Brown created the song (and helped us out with actions), while the lyrics were written by Ngairo Eruera i tito.
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Hauora - Waiata for our tamariki and whānau - Josie Brown
Josie has whakapapa connections to Tauranga Moana, and has a wealth of experience in performing, tutoring and teaching kapa haka of all age groups. Be prepared to be inspired, energised and have fun. Josie’s workshops will look into more practical ways games and songs can be used with our tamariki/mokopuna. Come along to this informal and fun workshop.
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Kēmu Māori, Games, Rituals and Protocols - Harko Brown
Movements adapted into specific sequences can become games, rituals & protocols for learning and skill development. We will participate in some of our traditional korikori which were utilised to reinforce desired attributes & skills & to open learning pathways. During the day we will enjoy experiencing fun cultural activities like matamatarongo, taki & tiwakawaka (meet & greet protocols), honga & hei tama tu tama (socialisation tools), pukao & kuku (cultivation-based games), Hou-hora & te taku huatau (values reinforcing rituals) plus weave aro-takaro (games implements) such as kii, poi toa & manu. Facilitator Harko Brown has written six books on nga taonga takaro (traditional Maori games), with his latest edition ‘Ira Takaro: Rethinking Health, Sport & Education in Aotearoa NZ’, the blueprint for our sessions today. Harko helps develop traditional games curriculum content for the Ministry of Education, Sport NZ, TWoA, UNESCO and the UN.
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National education learning priorities (NELPS) - Nicole Young
• An introduction to the NELP framework - Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the foundation
• Understand the NELP connection to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Whāriki and Local curriculum design
• Explore the priorities and what this looks like in a local Curriculum context This will be a 45-minute look at how the national learning priorities were founded, why they have been created and how to easily incorporate them into your learning space, The NELP learning priorities are now part of the licence criteria and must be implemented in annual plans, strategic plans and internal evaluation so this is a great workshop to embed current knowledge and learn new knowledge.
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Nāu te rourou nāku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi : Shared learning creates understanding, hands-on activities - harakeke rope making and harakeke bead making - Toia Palmer
E kapokapo mai ana ngā tai o Te Awanui, kau atu te moana ki te tihi o Mauao. He uri ahau nō ngā moutere o Matakana, Ngaituwhiwhia, Ngaitamawhariua, Tauwhao te Ngare, Ngāti Tauaiti. He Toroa whakakopa au nō runga i Karewa, he pōtiki manawa ū nō Ngāiterangi. Ko Toia Palmer ahau.
Kia ora e te Whānau o Inspired kindergartens, my name is Toia Palmer, I am originally from Matakana Island and I live in Tauranga moana. I have over 20 years teaching expereince in Early Childhood Education (12 years teaching with Inspired Kindergartens) Over the past 6 years I have undertaken study in Māori art, Māori weaving, Māōri carving and rongoa Māori. I run my small business Toi Raranga and study te reo Māori full time.
Nāu te rourou nāku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi / Shared learning creates understanding Fun / hands on Workshop Raranga activities (harakeke rope making and harakeke bead making) for kaiako to take back to your Kindergartens. We will also discuss connections to:
• whakawhanaungatanga, whakatauki hutia te rito
• kaupapa Māori & hauora.
• taiao - environment for sustainability.
All resources will be provided on the day including dyed harakeke strips, tools plus copies of Harakeke Harvest tikanga hand outs and brain storming hand outs. We will end our session with a fun game and there will be prizes for the rope making competition.
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Unpacking He Awa Whiria (Braided Rivers) - Matua Kindergarten
We have been implementing the He Awa Whiria framework to grow our Cultural Responsiveness. Each kaiako has used the framework in their own inquiry, this has manifested in opportunities and possibilities to look holistically at our practice through a braided lens, thinking deeply about our own cultural identity and awareness as individuals/kaiako and implementing it into our practice. Using the mantra of ‘’we need to know ourselves well first, before we put this onto others’’. Where to next: we would like to further embed this framework into all aspects of our Philosophy and practice. Growing our local knowledge and curriculum through landmarks, history and purakau.
Links to Te Whᾱriki Learning outcomes:
- Wellbeing; managing themselves and expressing their feelings and needs | te whakahua whakaaro
- Belonging: Showing respect for kaupapa, rules and the rights of others | te mahi whakaute.
- Contribution: recognising and appreciating their own ability to learn | te rangatiratanga
- Communication: enjoying hearing stories and retelling and creating them | he kōrero paki
- Exploration: making sense of their worlds by generating and refining working theories | te rangahau me te mātauranga.
He Mapuna Te Tamaiti: A co-constructed curriculum that promotes intercultural learning encourages children to be curious about the lives of others. . . .able to experience diversity … including and responding to diverse languages and cultures of the community we show that we view cultural competency as a strength.
Te Whatu Pokeka: exploring cultural contexts and methods that contribute significantly to nurturing all aspects of children’s growth and development.
NELPS: Have high aspirations for every learner/ākonga, and support these by partnering with their whānau and communities to design and deliver education that responds to their needs, and sustains their identities, languages and cultures Our Philosophy; Whanaungatanga: Where the place of whānau and tamariki is treasured and they know they belong and have a place here. At Matua we welcome and treasure the relationships that create community. Tamariki have every opportunity to connect and engage, creating their own place, bringing who they are and where they have come from.
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Kei hea te tuna? - Whangamatā Kindergarten
At Whangamatā kindergarten what emerged from our Internal Evaluation “What does manaakitanga look like, feel, like, sound like in our kindergarten?”was rich local curriculum, learning that was unique to our place, and sits soundly alongside the concept of sustainability.Kaiako have been responsive to what presented itself to us by working together with whānau, leading us out into the taiao, sharing pūrākau, and tamariki representing their working theories over a repertoire of modes of meaning-making.
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Renewing participatory democracy: Walking with young children to story and read the land - Maunganui All Day Kindergarten
Mauao is a revered maunga of Tauranga Moana, steeped in history and tikanga which in turn has influenced and guided our fortnightly haerenga. Being invited to participate in a TLRI project, Renewing participatory democracy: Walking with young children to story and read the land, with University Waikato researchers, provided the impetus for teachers to discuss and reflect on further possibilities for learning for children, families and teachers of Maunganui Kindergarten. Te Whare Tapa Whā, orginally a health model, created by Sir Mason Durie, was a framework we wanted to investigate further. We wondered if this model would enhance the teachers’ understanding of Te Ao Māori and outcomes for children. The more the teachers unpacked the understandings of Te Whare Tapa Whā, the more cognisant we became of the influence of Mauao and Te Ao Māori was having on our narratives, observations and intentions during our haerenga. This presentation discusses these changes that occurred over time.
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How effectively can Pākehā teachers educate and lead in authentic ways? - Kerry Neas
How effectively can Pākehā teachers educate and lead in authentic ways that nurture the cultural identity and belonging of Māori children without embarking on the process of conscientisation; of understanding themselves as Pākehā and the power and privilege this brings? Using an autoethnographic approach I reveal personal vignettes to unpack and analyse my hidden bias, choosing to know rather than remain ignorant. I share how these revelations challenge me to become an intentional teacher and leader, leading change for Māori tamariki in early childhood in a predominantly Pākehā sector.
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The Heart of Learning Story Writing - Practical Ideas That Really Work - Kate Fabian
Kia ora koutou, I am Kate Fabian, your fellow kaiako from Te Puna kindergarten. I have recently finished my Master's study and would like to share my findings with you about Learning Stories. I asked the question: What is the heart of Learning Story writing?I found out that the answer is, YOU. The teacher, who has excellent skills in making emotional connectedness with tamariki; builds trustful relationships with whānau and involves them in their child’s learning. The kaiako who has exceptional skills in writing and presenting the stories in ways that inspire tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. So, let’s share those real practical ideas that really work and can help us reach those ‘hard to write about children’, see the dispositional learning behind children’s play, and show the change in their skill set and dispositions. Come brainstorm, share, and korero about good practical ideas which can make Learning Story writing easier, more enjoyable, and more beneficial for tamariki, whānau, and us kaiako.
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Strengthening our connection with the natural world - Catalina Thompson
Ko au Te Taiao, ko te Taiao ko au/I am nature, and nature is me Connection….the beating heart of our hauora. Te taiao, with its infinite reservoir of opportunities for exploration and connection is the most powerful avenue for us all to achieve a deep sense of well-being. As this whakataukī so wonderfully states, we cannot separate ourselves from te taiao, for we are one. With that in mind, join me for a fun session of nature games aimed at strengthening our connection with the natural world. After all, “we can play anything where there is nothing…but nature” (child’s voice quoted in Pennie Brownlee - “The Sacred Urge to Play”). Amongst fun, laughter and surprising discoveries we shall also learn to compose a mihimihi that can be used whenever you wish to acknowledge a particular Atua. “My name is Catalina Thompson and I have been a kaiako at Te Puna Kindergarten for almost one year. Prior to this role, I was a kaiako at Greerton Early Centre for 10 years. Nurturing authentic connections with the whenua is something that I am deeply passionate about."
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Yogabuds
The yoga workshop is designed for Early Childhood professionals interested in exploring the benefits of yoga and storytelling for preschoolers. It offers a brief introduction to yoga, essential poses, breathing and relaxation techniques that you will be able to use in your center. Active participation is preferred (even from a chair and with no yoga experience). Bring a good dose of enthusiasm, a sense of humor and lots of imagination!
Melanie Young is an experienced yoga teacher and “Cosmic Kid” graduate.She has been teaching yoga to grownups since 2002 (Saltspring Island, Canada) and started teaching yoga to children in the UAE in 2010. Since returning to the Bay, she has taught children in community centers, libraries, primary schools, kindergartens, in parks and at festivals. She offers theme-based yoga sessions that explore yoga through adventure stories, group and partner poses, games, uplifting music and creative visualizations. Her passion is to make yoga fun, imaginative and accessible to children of all ages.
