Education Gazette 99.3 by Education Gazette

2 March 2020 | Vol. 99 No. 3

Special edition

The diversity and inclusion issue

report Drawing the

Future

Exploring the career aspiratio ns of New Zealan d children

This report is the first of its kind in Newthe Zealand, insightproject into the Drawing Futureproviding is a fun research that aspirations of 7their to 13futures year-olds getscareer children to think about – and by and theyour factors them. taking part classthat couldinfluence win one of ten $100 art supply packs. It’sasked a quicktoand easy exercise Children were draw what you can run in your classroom with children in they want to be when they grow up. Years 3 to 8.

Over 7,700 drawings from primary

We’ve each primaryschools and intermediate andsent intermediate across theschool one pack of 30 drawing templates to get started. country were received and analysed. If you require more packs, just order them on our webpage and we’ll send them out to you.

For more information: careers.govt.nz/drawingthefuture sectorhelpdesk@tec.govt.nz

The results show patterns of unconscious ethnic, gender, and socio-economic bias that often limit children’s career aspirations and choices. More than 50 percent of drawings represent just nine jobs. Every educator in New Zealand should read By thistaking report.part you could win a $100 Download it atart supply pack for your classroom. tec.govt.nz/inspiring-the-future

This issue:

Spotlight on diversity and inclusion Editor’s note A special issue deserves a special cover. Pictured are just a small sample of the thousands of paper dolls received by The Paper Doll Project, an initiative started by two Bay of Plenty siblings following the tragic events of 15 March last year. To help celebrate diversity and acceptance, paper dolls representing many different cultures and ethnicities were created by children at schools, kura and early learning centres from all around New Zealand and other countries. Diversity and inclusion are big topics and we have attempted to explore them from different angles. We talk to a Muslim leader and high school teacher about cultural responsiveness. We look at what disabled young people say about making the education system more accessible. We visit a school to see what they are doing to support a group of gifted and talented learners. And we present a great example of the Learning Support Delivery Model in action. There's more online too - visit gazette.education. govt.nz to find more articles and resources, and to sign up to our fortnightly e-newsletter.

On the cover P3: Some of the many paper dolls sent in to The Paper Doll Project to celebrate diversity.

2 March 2020 | Vol. 99 No. 3

Special edition

2 An outpouring of support and solidarity

Breaking down barriers in Milton

17 New programme to grow future Māori leaders

23 A passion for making a difference

Focusing on what’s really important

Curriculum of awe and wonder

Flori the wonderdog

Supporting gifted learners

Kai and Kōrero kaupapa

Enabling Good Lives

The diversity and inclusion issue

Regulars 34

Notices

Vacancies

30 Making time for te reo

31 Opinion: Beyond listening

Book challenges stereotypes of disability

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS

An outpouring of support and solidarity The staff and families of An Nur Child Education and Care Christchurch, a Muslim early learning centre, have experienced an outpouring of support since the tragic events of 15 March last year.

ollowing the Christchurch mosque shootings, An Nur Child Education and Care Christchurch, like other Muslim centres, received countless visitors bearing gifts, cards and flowers in an effort to convey their sympathy and support.

A child psychologist visits the centre to regularly monitor the children and offer support to staff and parents. In consultation with the psychologist, the centre has sourced and created new resources such as special personalised stories about loss.

“We had so many cards of aroha, even from overseas,” reflects centre manager and co-founder Dr Maysoon Salama.

The psychologist has also supported the centre to organise parent education sessions.

Dr Salama, who is also national coordinator of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand, says the centre has worked hard with children and families to ensure they feel safe and valued, consulting with the Police, Ministry of Education and District Health Board for advice on how to deal with trauma.

The centre, through its parents’ committee, organised a series of wellbeing sessions called ‘The healing journey’ with a life coach from the Muslim community. The success of this series prompted them to start a new series called ‘Live with a purpose’.

“We have modified the curriculum to cater for the new needs of our children including one who was seriously injured herself, those who lost loved ones, and those who have injured family members.”

Hornby cluster group worked with An Nur to initiate a special professional learning and development (PLD) workshop for primary and early childhood teachers supported by the Ministry of Education. Dr Salama says the centre is looking forward to discussing more ideas around cultural responsiveness at the next workshop.

Police officers visited the centre regularly to reassure safety.

Cultural responsiveness is important for the An Nur community. As Muslims come from all over

the world, the centre is very multicultural. “We always find ways to respect diversity and include every child no matter where they come from, what faith they belong to or what special needs they require.” Feeling safe was also central to supporting An Nur to recover. To help them feel secure, the Ministry of Education financially supported and guided An Nur through a building project that improved their security, safety and learning environments. In keeping with Muslim beliefs, the centre doesn’t intend to mark the anniversary. “We haven’t planned anything in particular. In Islam once the Janazah prayer [funeral] is over there should be no memorial anniversary. Our lost loved ones will never be forgotten,” says Dr Salama. “The teachers and children at An Nur Child Education and Care Christchurch want to say a big thank you for the aroha and kindness the community at large have shown us over the last few months. It is truly appreciated and has made a horrible situation easier knowing we are surrounded by so many caring people,” she says.

“The teachers and children at An Nur Child Education and Care Christchurch want to say a big thank you for the aroha and kindness the community at large have shown us over the last few months.” Dr Maysoon Salama Children and teachers at An Nur Child Education and Care Christchurch have been touched by the kindness and support they have received.

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

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CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS

Emily and Daniel with some of the many paper dolls sent in from around the world to convey acceptance of diversity.

The Paper Doll Project Schools and early learning centres from all over New Zealand and around the world have got behind The Paper Doll Project, an initiative that was started by two siblings keen to uphold diversity and inclusion in the wake of the 15 March mosque attacks.

four-metre long wooden crate fills the Barback family’s garage. The crate contains hundreds of strips of heavy-duty cardboard, each strip lined with row after row of colourful paper dolls, sent in from schools and early learning centres around the world.

Messages of support

The Paper Doll Project was an idea conceived by Papamoa siblings Daniel (11) and Emily (9) Barback following the mosque attacks in Christchurch. They struggled to understand why someone would attack a group of people because of their race and religious beliefs and they wanted to find a way for Kiwi students to show the world that the attacks don’t define New Zealand.

Many paper doll deliveries were accompanied by notes from teachers, saying how the project gave them an opportunity to talk about diversity and inclusion in a positive light following the atrocities of 15 March.

“We wanted to create a long, long line of paper dolls that show people of all different cultures together, holding hands,” says Emily. The siblings started a paper doll chain, creating colourful dolls symbolising the rich diversity of New Zealanders. The project soon went viral on social media and every day more paper doll deliveries arrived from all over New Zealand. Then they started arriving from other countries like Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Chile. They also received a hand-written letter from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and a letter from the office of HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, both commending them on the project. gazette.education.govt.nz

Many of the dolls contain messages of hope and support for those affected by the shootings, such as ‘Kia kaha Christchurch’.

The children have been overwhelmed by the response and it has been slow progress connecting the thousands of dolls together. Their school and the local community have pitched in to help them with the task. “The paper doll chain is now over four kilometres long, but we’ve still got thousands more to connect,” says Daniel. “I’m not sure if we’ll break the world record, but we’ll give it a go!” The world record for the longest paper doll chain stands at just over 8.5km. While breaking the record would be a great feat, the focus of the project has always been on demonstrating inclusion and acceptance and on celebrating diversity. Daniel and Emily are unsure what they will do with the paper dolls when the project is complete, but they hope the chain will eventually find a home in Christchurch. TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS

Becoming culturally responsive Education Gazette talks to Aliya Danzeisen, lead coordinator of the Women’s Organisation of the Waikato Muslim Association (WOWMA) and teacher at Hillcrest High School, about how schools and educators can continue to improve their culturally responsive practices.

liya Danzeisen says there has been a huge show of solidarity for the Muslim community since the tragic events of 15 March, nearly a year ago.

As both a leader in the Muslim community and an educator, Aliya is well-placed to comment on how our schools and wider society have responded.

There are many things schools can do themselves to improve their cultural responsiveness, starting with making students aware of the school support services on offer. Promoting things like buddy systems, counselling and reflection rooms are all helpful.

“I think that the response shows in essence that New Zealanders want to get it right. Educators want to get it right.

“Because about 75 per cent of Muslims have come from a migrant background, they will not necessarily know what some of the services are,” says Aliya.

“I would say that the significant amount of time we’re getting things right. But the damaging effects of when we get it wrong has long-term harmful effects on the individual, family or community.”

“Even things like what happens on camp, how the netball season works, when registration happens – making them aware is another way to make them feel included.”

Good intentions can misfire Aliya says sometimes teachers’ well-intentioned efforts to be inclusive can have the opposite effect. For example, calling upon Muslim students to be experts about the whole Muslim community can result in distancing them from their peers, their experience of New Zealand and their teacher. Such actions fail to recognise that the Muslim world is so diverse, in terms of ethnicity, nationality, language and traditions. “They are placing a whole intense experience globally on youth who have no ability to change that,” says Aliya. “What students know is the Kiwi Muslim context; they don’t necessarily know the geopolitical issues from their parents’ homelands.”

Where schools can find information Aliya says there are places where educators can seek information, rather than from students themselves. Local Islamic associations, for example, are happy to help local schools where possible.

Guidance and resources The Ministry of Education provides a range of resources to schools to support them to develop a local curriculum that helps children and young people to shape social skills and relationships and support diversity and inclusion.

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

Being aware of the global calendar when scheduling school events is another way to be inclusive. Holding parent teacher conferences on significant dates for various cultures is like saying ‘your parents don’t need to be here’, says Aliya.

The positive impact of diversity Aliya believes incorporating diversity into a school’s values can have a positive impact on the school’s culture. One of Hillcrest High School’s five values is ‘We value diversity and difference’ and this has made a big difference to the student body, she says. “The Muslim community has chosen New Zealand because of its approach – because of the education, the environment, the safety, the people. A lot of our values and beliefs are similar to those of Māori people. “So when we’re pointing out that we can improve, it’s not that the vast majority of things aren’t good – they are – it’s just the few things that we have to get right.”

» The Same Game, a big book for Years 1–3, is intended to help foster the curriculum principles of Cultural Diversity and Inclusion by supporting students to recognise and appreciate their similarities and differences. It can be found on TKI. » School leavers’ toolkit with a focus on active participation in community and society beyond school. Local Islamic Associations can be contacted via the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand at fianz.com.

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CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS

Aliya Danzeisen says there are things schools can do to improve their cultural responsiveness.

“I think that the response shows in essence that New Zealanders want to get it right. Educators want to get it right.” Aliya Danzeisen

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Focusing on what’s really important The Kōrero Mātauranga/Education Conversation revealed a need for a more inclusive and equitable education system. But how do we achieve this?

he Kōrero Mātauranga/Education Conversation saw well over 50,000 New Zealanders sharing their ideas and aspirations for education in New Zealand, through surveys, summits and faceto-face meetings. The common message to emerge from Kōrero Mātauranga was concern about the wellbeing of our children. The consultation confirmed how important it is for children to have equity of access, to experience a sense of belonging, and to be included. Among the 15 key themes identified from Kōrero Mātauranga was a clear focus on ensuring that learning is inclusive and equitable; that family, whānau and communities want more engagement in their children’s education; and a system that meets the needs of different learners. But how do we take the Education Conversation to its next phase? How do we achieve a more inclusive and equitable education system? Secretary for Education Iona Holsted says the Ministry of Education is being more selective about what it is asking of schools, early learning services and teachers. “We are trying to focus more deeply on a smaller number of things.

“It’s about being far more strategic about where we put our energy and what we ask of the system – because there’s an awful lot going on at any time and if we’re asking the system to respond to multiple messages it’s unlikely they’ll be able to focus on what’s really important. “For example, we know that too many children and young people experience racism in school. We’re going to provide professional learning and development to teachers so they can understand their bias and have the tools and opportunities to address this.” Another key priority area is ensuring disabled children and children with additional learning needs have access to a fully inclusive and equitable education. The Education Secretary says the Ministry of Education can’t achieve this without the efforts of schools and early learning services at the local level. Schools that are working to increase engagement with their whānau and communities are helping to make a tangible difference for children, she says. “We can set expectations but it’s what children experience every day that makes a difference.”

“We can set expectations but it’s what children experience every day that makes a difference.” Iona Holsted

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

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INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Inclusion from every angle

Manurewa Intermediate School saw a huge turnout from its school community for its recent night market.

Manurewa Intermediate School in South Auckland approaches inclusion from every angle, looking not only at how to make students feel included, but also staff and whānau.

“

We talk about being strongly values-driven to encourage inclusion among our kids, so we should surely be carrying that out to our staffing situation as well,” says principal Iain Taylor.

The school employs 10 full-time learning assistants (teacher aides) on a salary basis at a rate above what teacher aides are typically paid. Not only does this give the learning assistants job security and satisfaction, but it helps to create productive and consistent relationships with the students. “In my first few years here it was a real challenge trying to find staff at the drop of a hat,” says Iain, “So I investigated with the Board of Trustees and said, ‘it’s going to cost us a lot more than what we’re funded for but if we do this we’ll get good people, and they’ll be effective at their job’. “It also represents all the values that drive us to be an inclusive school. Our learning assistants all tend to be from within our community and live in the area so they’ve got connections into our whānau and families – and that is a huge advantage.” Iain says whānau are encouraged to feel welcome at school. Smaller class sizes enable teachers to make connections with parents. In the first week of term, for example, every teacher rings every student’s family to help establish positive relationships. “It all enables us to be more adaptive to the kid, rather than making the kid adapt to us. And it’s working. They’re learning. They’re having fun. They want to be here.”

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

LEARNING SUPPORT DELIVERY MODEL

Breaking down barriers in Milton A Kāhui Ako in Milton, Otago, has found the learning support delivery model (LSDM) has enabled local schools to identify needs, build partnerships and make more informed and collaborative choices for learners and their whānau. 8

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

he Tokomairiro Kāhui Ako, consisting of five early childhood centres, four primary schools and one secondary school, came together in 2017 and has developed a range of initiatives which pull in support and expertise from around the community. At the heart of the model is a learning support group consisting of in-school and acrossschool teachers, principals, a resource teacher of learning and behaviour (RTLB), a public health nurse and a Ministry of Education learning support service manager. “The idea of coming together and forming this group, instead of working in our own silos, was

so we could identify the patterns and trends across our community and better use both internal and external resources,” says Tania McNamara, principal of Milton Primary School. “We are very aware there’s not an unlimited pot of money, and money doesn’t necessarily fix these things. And we had a lot of expertise within our individual schools. By coming together, we could share that knowledge and expertise, which was really powerful.”

Changing needs and demographics The collaboration between schools in the area was initially motivated by the fact gazette.education.govt.nz

Year 2 students at Milton Primary School: Abel, Zion, Hemi, Taya, Annalise, Zoe, Ruby, Ned engaged in some playful collaboration.

“There are no surprises – if there’s a need for my [Learning Support] service to do something, we can prioritise and plan and make sure the resource will be there if it’s needed.” Colleen Wakefield that increasing numbers of children were presenting with a diverse range of needs. “At that stage [three to four years ago] we hadn’t collated our data around needs and were all just looking inwards,” explains Tania. While Milton is a small community with extremes of wealth and poverty, there have been some recent demographic changes with families facing socioeconomic challenges moving to Milton to seek affordable housing. The Otago Corrections Facility at nearby Milburn has also had a positive impact of encouraging families to move to the area. gazette.education.govt.nz

“It’s a lovely community – they look after each other,” says Glenis Sim, principal at Tokomairiro High School, where the majority of the town’s children attend secondary school.

community, but there were insufficient resources. We knew we had some similarities across schools, but as the journey has gone on, we’ve realised how significant they are,” says Victoria.

How the model evolved in Milton

With parental consent, a document, which is accessible to all committee members, is created for every student who requires extra support. Victoria ensures that when a student comes up for discussion at the regular committee meetings, his or her document is updated prior to, and after, the discussions.

Milton Primary School teacher Victoria Stephen is one of two across-school teachers for the Tokomairiro Kāhui Ako. “The first couple of meetings were focused on asking how we (principals, RTLB and the Ministry of Education) can all support each other. There were many needs in our

This means all people involved with that student know what has been discussed and TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

LEARNING SUPPORT DELIVERY MODEL

Milton's learning support group (l-r sitting): Craig, Glenis, Lisa. L-r (standing): Katie, Colleen, Victoria, Tania.

what support and intervention have been suggested. Meanwhile care is taken to ensure the appropriate protection of sensitive student information. “We have been doing this for two years. This year, one of our teachers said she had a child come into her class and she was able to go back to the document where there’s a huge amount of history and she felt it was incredibly useful. As teachers, it’s been quite powerful to know that there’s a pattern and it’s not just something that’s happened in your class. “The power in it is that it’s a flexible and non-threatening model – we can sit around the table and talk. We have broken down the barriers between the schools,” Victoria explains.

Data provides valuable information The Tokomairiro Kāhui Ako began to collect two levels of data: information about individual children, and anonymous aggregate data

which shows learning and behaviour trends and is used as a springboard for professional learning and development (PLD). For example, it was identified that teachers wanted more PLD around managing challenging behaviour, which they saw as a barrier to learning. The Ministry of Education organised a series of optional workshops on the subject, which were attended by more than 20 teachers ranging from early childhood to secondary.

table and say all the stakeholders now share a wide-ranging picture. “I used to work in partnership with individual schools, and transitions between schools have been relatively good, but there was still quite a small sample of students identified with needs. We’re now able to target families better. Often they can be quite complex families, but now the information is shared – and not just the academic side but when bigger stuff is happening,” explains Craig.

“With the collection of the data, we started to recognise the needs across the whole community and then we could look at the professional learning that was needed for teachers as well,” says Glenis.

“If we see a similar need across all the sites, we can target professional development. For example, Lisa and I have noticed that a number of children didn’t have certain life skills when they reached high school.

Holistic view

So next year at Tokomairiro High School, we are helping with some workshops around skills like making your bed and safety in the streets. There’s always a group of students who miss out on the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme but still need a lot of support. Some of them come from some quite troubled homes,” he says.

RTLB Craig Moir and public health nurse Lisa Sell have always had their fingers on the pulse of school and community needs, but prior to the collaboration, they worked with individual children, families and schools. Now they bring their broad knowledge and experience to the

“The power in it is that it’s a flexible and non-threatening model – we can sit around the table and talk. We have broken down the barriers between the schools.” Victoria Stephen 10

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

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LEARNING SUPPORT DELIVERY MODEL

Transitions to high school Katie Moodie is student support teacher for Year 7 and 8 at Tokomairiro High School and became the second across-school teacher at the beginning of 2019, joining Victoria who was the first across-school teacher for the Kāhui Ako when it was established in 2017. “Part of my job is transitioning students into Tokomairiro High School. Having all the data and information has built a good picture and from day 1, we know who is coming through. We have an additional needs register at our school and these children are all tracked very carefully,” says Katie. Victoria adds: “This year we have already applied for in-class support for students who will need it at high school. If Katie didn’t know about those children, she would have to start the process of applying when they arrive at the beginning of the year, but this now means they can hopefully arrive at school with that support in place.” Glenis says the LSDM in action has made a big difference to Tokomairiro High School. “We now have lots of information about our students. Knowing what is in place for these students and their families before they come is fantastic – it’s really important for us to have that understanding.”

Individual data supports students When the learning support group was initially set up, they had to obtain consent from parents to share information about individual students between schools. “It was quite daunting going to a parent and saying, ‘Can you sign this form to say we can talk about your child around a table with lots of educators?’ But I was really surprised how willing the parents were. They would say, ‘Yup, anything to help my child’,” Katie says.

The documentation for students who need learning or behavioural support is in-depth, with a classroom teacher filling out a request for support form and a document is then set up. “There’s a lot of communication between the committee and the teacher. The teacher then feeds back on progress to the next meeting when we review the child,” explains Tania. “There’s a wealth of information which clearly documents what interventions or supports have been put in place, what’s worked, what hasn’t and what needs to continue when they go into their next class/ school,” she says.

Expertise around the table The learning support group format of information-sharing allows quicker positive solutions-focused outcomes, says Colleen Wakefield, Ministry learning support service manager for Otago. “For example, a teacher brought to a meeting some really concerning information about what had happened in the classroom that day. A need was identified and then the public health nurse brought another level of understanding. There were phone calls happening within the half hour and a solution was provided.

referral process, and we get a really complete picture. It speeds everything up and makes it more holistic for the child at school because if there are health issues that stop them from learning, we break down that barrier. I feel more supported and part of a team – it works really well,” says Lisa.

Professional development The aggregate data has enabled the group to better target PLD for teachers and teaching assistants. Victoria and Katie look after PLD, facilitating and leading workshops for teaching assistants. “The most valuable part for them is to get together and discuss what’s happening in their spaces and sharing ideas. From those discussions, we identify what we can do to support them further. It could be something like the Ministry leading a workshop around managing behaviours, because that’s an issue for some of them,” says Tania. “They are one of the biggest resources for helping those students requiring learning support. That’s a significant change – they weren’t getting targeted PD before,” she adds. Classroom teacher Angela Hubac with Kyle (Year 5) at Milton School.

“That wouldn’t have happened without at least three key people who were at that meeting. I think the people around the table are crucial and at the moment the people here are fantastic. “There are also no surprises – if there’s a need for my service to do something, we can prioritise and plan and make sure the resource will be there if it’s needed. Or we can stop an event or situation building by getting in there straight away and providing some supports,” she says. For Lisa, being involved with the group means she can not only share her knowledge and expertise about wider healthrelated issues, but paperwork to get access to Ministry services has been reduced. “I have been able to talk to Colleen, which has often saved me having to go through the whole

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TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

LEARNING SUPPORT DELIVERY MODEL Community involvement The LSDM can call on a range of community groups in Milton. For example, Anglican Family Care is a provider of services to the local community and may be called on to support a family that is under stress or help them with parenting skills.

Victoria Stephen, the first across-school teacher for the Tokomairiro Kāhui Ako.

The aggregate data identified lack of food was an issue impacting the learning and behaviour for some students. “At the time that we were identifying food as an issue, a local community organisation called Project Bruce made contact with the schools through the Kāhui Ako. They have worked in conjunction with the Otago Corrections Facility up the road who make the lunches, and now we have delivered lunches for 20 per cent of the roll every day,” Tania says.

Working smarter The collaborative approach to sharing data among Milton’s early childhood centres and schools has meant situations can be triaged, Craig says. “We are working smarter and there’s role clarity so that students’ needs are best met,” he says. “As a community in Milton,” says Glenis, “we feel that we are actually getting more input from outside agencies than we did in the past.”

Checklist for setting up a learning support group » Include outside-school experts such as RTLB, Ministry of Education service manager and public health nurse to provide a holistic overview, share knowledge and information about resources. » Seek parental consent for information about individual children to be shared among a learning support committee. Guidance and templates are available on the Ministry of Education website to support sharing information and seeking consent in the context of the learning support delivery model. » Collect data for individual children with learning support and/ or behavioural needs to be shared via an online register which is regularly updated. » Collect aggregate data to identify needs across a community, which can be met through PDL and/or targeted approaches to meet needs across groups sharing similar traits. » Develop collaborative inquiry groups across school levels to identify areas where understanding can be deepened and then shared with colleagues through professional learning and development (PLD). » Target PLD for teacher assistants in areas where it is most beneficial. » Involve agencies such as church social support or Oranga Tamariki in Kāhui Ako initiatives which will support whānau and ultimately a child’s ability to learn and thrive.

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

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Get on the budgeting buzz.

Want to win a share of $15K worth of prizes for your school? To celebrate Global Money Week (23–29 March), we’re kicking off an interactive contest designed to change how young New Zealanders think about managing their money. Money Jam gives secondary students the chance to win some incredible prizes for your school by completing a simple budgeting challenge, equipping them with essential money skills along the way. It’s really easy to get involved. First, they’ll need to download one of our Sorted in Schools resources and use it to plan an experience – like an epic sports or social event.

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Once they’ve created the budget, teachers can submit it for the chance to win the experience, plus spot prizes like $500 Rebel Sport and Rockshop vouchers for your school.

The resources are easy to use and turn what can be a tricky kōrero about money into a fun and engaging exercise for classrooms of all shapes and sizes. To get your school involved, check out sortedinschools.org.nz/moneyjam and download the Money Jam resources.

Sorted in Schools is a free financial capability programme aimed at equipping young New Zealanders for their financial future. Check out sortedinschools.org.nz to find out more. T&Cs apply.

Money Jam Dream it Plan it Win it!

Theta developers Ryan Sumner (left) and Jim Taylor (right) meet with the MiniDevs to discuss a proposed design for a Mixiply project.

Curriculum of awe and wonder The digital design and technology lab at Wellington’s Newlands Intermediate hums with learners developing and playing games, collaborating on a photo editing project or teaching themselves how to create a 3D model for printing.

ewlands Intermediate’s digital design and technology teacher Marianne Malmstrom began teaching the subject in the US in the early 2000s. She says it was quite daunting in those days as there was no curriculum and no map. As she was developing a ‘roadmap’ for teaching digital technology, she realised that what students were doing outside school was much more complex than the lessons she was planning.

Right school, right people

Watch: Visit Education Gazette online to watch the third of a five-part video series on the revised Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko curriculum content.

Marianne knew Newlands Intermediate was the right school for her when principal Angela Lowe asked her if she could design a digital technologies curriculum for the school that would fill students with awe and wonder. The school introduced its digital design and tech programme about four years ago, says Angela.

“I really didn’t know what it was going to look like or what I wanted it to be. So the key to it was employing teachers who wanted to take a risk, wanted to try something new and go in a new direction. And since then, by and large, I have let everybody have a free rein. “The key to the success of a programme like this,” she explains, “is to have a wide range of staff, not just people that have really good knowledge about software and hardware and devices, but to have somebody who has a clear vision of what digital technologies learning might and could and should look like.

“It took me on a rather extraordinary journey. I thought I was designing really good lessons, and yet what I saw them doing with digital tools in those spaces like Minecraft and virtual worlds outside of school was a lot more sophisticated than what I was planning for them. So I learnt to really start co-constructing my lessons with kids.

“Our school staff are at all different stages of the continuum. The concept, philosophy and direction of the new digital technologies curriculum is something that everybody wants to embrace,”

“When I came to New Zealand I brought that knowledge and then I had the luxury of the beautiful New Zealand Curriculum and the key competencies that really provide a framework for what I was observing with my work with the kids,” she says.

“All our students have the opportunity to extend their learning in the technology curriculum. This currently includes Food Technology, Digital Design Technology, Visual Art, and Hard Materials. The emphasis in these curriculum areas is on the design process.”

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

How technology teaching and learning is included as part of their local curriculum is described on the school’s website.

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES & HANGARAU MATIHIKO

Sophia’s 3D digital model becomes a real-world artifact after being sent to the 3D printer.

Sophia’s 3D-printed cat.

“My whole objective is to get the kids in a space where they recognise they can create their own knowledge, they can get themselves unstuck and can even make their own lesson plans.” Marianne Malmstrom Self-directed learning

Breaking out of the silo

Students in Marianne’s classes can create their own lesson plans.

Marianne says education in the 21st century needs to break out of its silo and partner with a wide range of people and organisations. She has observed a growing divide between the way schools run as they always have and a rapidly changing world – and is keen to bridge it.

“My whole objective is to get the kids in a space where they recognise they can create their own knowledge, they can get themselves unstuck and can even make their own lesson plans. Sometimes they feel a bit relaxed in here because they get so much choice and they will want to try something new the first time the learning gets hard. I send them back to their lesson plan and ask: ‘What’s your objective? Have you met your objective? If not, get back to work!’ “It’s all about students respecting themselves as self-directed learners and developing their capacity to persevere and not be intimidated by the unknown,” she explains. Year 8 student Sophia taught herself how to 3D print a model of a cat. “I started off from scratch and I used the 3D software called Blender and I was interested in animals so I decided to make a cat. I didn’t know anything at the start and I had to watch YouTube videos and teach myself at home. I love how you can choose whatever you want – what interests you and basically just have fun and create things you never thought you could do. I think I would like to be a doctor – but maybe a game designer, because I think that would be quite fun,” says Sophia. gazette.education.govt.nz

“We have got to all figure it out – it’s the Māori concept of ako, which describes a teaching and learning relationship where the educator is also learning from the student. Educators’ practices are informed by the latest research and are both deliberate and reflective. Ako is grounded in the

Inspiration: “The central challenge is not to predict the future but to prepare for uncertainty. This is best achieved by developing in individuals the capacity to adapt successfully to changing situations” (p. 3) Buchanan, J., Ryan, R., Anderson, M., Calvo, R., Glozier, N., & Peter, S. (2018). Preparing for the best and worst of times. NSW Department of Education.

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES & HANGARAU MATIHIKO

principle of reciprocity and also recognises that the learner and whānau cannot be separated. “Everybody has to be at the table and have a voice: our students, the outside world, non-educators, educators. I think when we embrace that space, we will figure out where to go next. I’m very excited about the possibility. That’s why I’m in New Zealand – you are curious, interested and already have some structures in place to pursue that.”

Real-world design partners Eager to bring the real world into the classroom, Marianne was delighted to team up with Jim Taylor from software and analytics company Theta Innovation Lab at a Techweek Hackathon held in Wellington in 2017. “I had asked developers to develop a sandbox platform that will help kids create their own content. That really resonated with the developers and we teamed up and actually won the hackathon. Jim kept working on a prototype and came back to me six months later and said ‘Theta wants to build this, but we will only do this if we can do it with the kids’. “I couldn’t believe it – never in all my experiences working with developers has anybody asked the kids ‘what would you design?’ It’s been the most incredible partnership for the students, for me as an educator and for the Theta developers,” she says. Mixiply – a platform for making AR/VR games and apps for multiple devices – was the result and the team at Theta benefited from co-designing with students, says Jim. “We learned not to make assumptions. We saw that we needed to create a creator’s platform. The kids were really keen on using digital tools and models and it broadened our scope into a digital maker space tool,” he says. Theta has continued to collaborate with Newlands Intermediate through involvement in the MiniDevs, a team of students who work with developers from Theta on the Mixiply platform. The MiniDevs are keen to see other schools give their students opportunities to create their own content to learn. Building relationships with people and companies from outside school has brought a whole range of new things into the school environment, says Angela. “With groups like MiniDevs we have 11-,12-,13-year-olds working with outside developers to produce things that are marketable and commercially savvy.” “So far we have seen the new digital technologies curriculum content merely as an affirmation of what we do already. We’re very focused on developing a localised curriculum and having digital technologies learning integrated throughout just seemed to fit us perfectly,” she says.

Project-based learning magic Matt Richards has jumped the ditch from Australia to work with schools around New Zealand to help develop their learner agency and digital fluency. The accredited facilitator of professional learning and development (aka Village Robot) is working with teachers at Newlands Intermediate to help them develop the Matt Richards. digital technology curriculum in innovative ways using a project-based model. “A great way to develop learner agency and digital fluency is in a project-based learning format. We had a teacher-only day at the start of the term and explored how project-based learning can be a way of starting to use some of the digital tools and resources and new pedagogy. “Digital technologies teaching and learning loses its magic and potential if looked at as another silo in the curriculum. The potential of all of these new technologies and pedagogies is how we can breach the silo to make learning authentic and connected to the real world,” explains Matt. For example, rather than teaching a session on learning how to do Google presentations, Matt suggests that students may have an idea for a project that requires funding. “They might need to make a really persuasive video – that brings in literacy and persuasive text and all of this is wrapped in an authentic project that has real purpose and meaning,” he says.

“Digital technologies teaching and learning loses its magic and potential if looked at as another silo in the curriculum.” Matt Richards Matt says the potential to make a difference in the world is exciting and he is particularly impressed with the New Zealand concept of ako, which gives teachers space to move out of their comfort zones and be learners alongside their students. “If you can do projects with kids where they are having some success at looking at solutions to local problems at the community level, then I hope they will feel empowered to become involved in projects further afield. “This new way of learning, by helping a student discover their learner agency, is empowering them to become active world citizens in the future.”

Marianne Malmstrom.

RANGATAHI MĀORI

“This has been developed by people who know Māori better than anyone else and who have reached into the past to find the solutions for our rangatahi going forward.” Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the launch of Tauranga Kōtuku Rerenga Tahi in Kerikeri.

Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis

New programme to grow future Māori leaders A new rangatahi Māori extension programme, developed by Māori for Māori, reflects traditional models of learning.

new initiative designed to grow future Māori leaders was launched by Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis at Kerikeri on 4 February.

The programme, named Tauranga Kōtuku Rerenga Tahi by Tai Tokerau Taumata, has been developed under the umbrella of Te Kawa Matakura, an initiative designed to provide development opportunities to rangatahi Māori who demonstrate a passion for tribal knowledge, and partake in succession planning for their iwi and te ao Māori. “This is the realisation of the moemoea of many Māori for a long time,” said Kelvin Davis.

“We, the Māori people, find ourselves at a very clinical point in time where our language has only just come back from the brink of extinction. However, it is our history and traditions and many other key aspects of Māoridom that are now at the edge of extinction.”  He believes the programme will serve as a “matrix of Māori ideologies” drawing on the spiritual, physical and mental realms. “It will help instil within the next generation, facets of Māoridom that will mould and shape taiohi [youth] into leaders, equipping them with celestial knowledge, fundamental skills and qualities to fashion them into modern day leaders, reminiscent, dare I say, of the likes of Ta Himi Henare and Dame Whina Cooper.”

“Even better, it’s been developed by Māori for Māori. This has been developed by people who know Māori better than anyone else and who have reached into the past to find the solutions for our rangatahi going forward.”

Wānanga-based extension programme The programme is the result of discussions with Ngaio (Māori experts) to develop a traditional wānanga-based extension programme for rangatahi aged between 17 and 25 years who are proficient in te reo Māori and show a strong desire to learn more traditional bodies of Māori knowledge and tikanga, such as mōteatea, hītori Māori, whaikōrero, karanga, navigation, weaving and whakapapa. As part of Tauranga Kōtuku Rerenga Tahi, a unique Wānanga Tohu Mātauranga qualification has been established to better increase the opportunities for Māori to succeed as Māori. Twenty-three students will work towards a Level 5 diploma, with a pathway to a degree programme. The launch was attended by rangatahi, whānau, mātauranga Māori experts, teachers and Ministry officials. Among them was Padre Brown, one of the rangatahi who spoke at the event. gazette.education.govt.nz

Padre Brown says the programme will serve as a “matrix of Māori ideologies”. TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

LEARNING SUPPORT Savleen, Gracie, Barleen and Amber hang out with Flori at Rototuna Junior High School.

Flori the wonderdog

A two-year-old dog’s ‘day job’ is having a big impact on a junior high school in Hamilton.

Things to consider

Feedback about Flori

» It can take three to four hours’ extra time per week managing the dog’s day-to-day needs.

Student kōrero

» Signage for the school such as ‘Therapy dog inside, no other dogs allowed’. » Designated areas for the dog to toilet and walk. » Make a sign for the dog’s quiet space so people won’t visit – they need some time off! » Permanent spaces for crates, water bowls, beds/stations. » Someone to be responsible for training the dog, students and staff. » Train some students to help look after the dog.

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

“Flori has been a great help to me for taking her to classes and counselling meetings. She has helped me through hard and easy things. I am so glad that you have brought Flori into all of our lives. She is a great support dog and has made me very happy and I’m sure she has made lots of other people happy, too!”

Teacher kōrero “Flori is a joyful and calming presence at RJHS. She is like an anxiety sponge for many students. I have also witnessed a student with a fear of dogs, transition to a state of comfort and ease in her presence.” Angus Jones

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LEARNING SUPPORT

lori, a working cocker spaniel, is a fulltime support dog at Rototuna Junior High School. She belongs to science curriculum learning leader Kelly Daniel, who has three other dogs she trains for competitions. “She just kind of fell into being a perfect therapy dog because of her temperament. “We saw the opportunity and need, and the impact she was having,” explains Kelly.

Pats and cuddles Requests for support from Flori may come directly from a student, a classroom teacher, or the school’s SENCO (special educational needs coordinator). Kelly discusses with the student the classes or times of day they struggle with and checks in with the teacher that Flori won’t interrupt the class. For most students, a pat and a cuddle is enough to decrease their stress and anxiety levels and bring the heart rate down, but Flori can be worked in different ways depending on the needs of each student.

“One student had severe anxiety in her first year at school to the point where she was making herself dry retch and vomit in class and then having to go home. Her attendance was down. She took Flori to a couple of the classes she found most stressful and within a week we got her attendance pretty consistently up to about 90 per cent. “She said Flori made her feel better and she also had an excuse to leave the class for a few minutes – either to take Flori for a walk or to take her back to the office. It gave her that little ‘out’ if she needed time away. She wasn’t a student who was confident asking for things, so I think she sat there until she felt so horrendous that she had to go home,” explains Kelly.

“I have done lots of training with her, but I think it’s more her characteristics and temperament that’s made her perfect for this job. She matches her energy with the children. If there’s a quieter child who isn’t sure, she’s quiet and still and leans up against the kid. For the high energy kids who need a little bit of crazy, she’s a little bit crazy with them.”

Huge impact

Perfect for the job

Rototuna Junior High School has had success in using Flori to support students in counsellor meetings, reading support, engagement and attendance, helping with OCD symptoms, engagement and appropriate social interactions of students on the autism spectrum and rewarding behaviour in classes.

While Flori is a high energy breed and doesn’t get overwhelmed by children or noise, she has a crate in Kelly’s office where she’s happy to stay when she’s not working with students.

“The impact is huge, considering it’s just one dog in the school of 1,600. While it’s a lot of extra work for me, seeing the impact on so many students is really worthwhile,” says Kelly.

“[One student] took Flori to a couple of the classes she found most stressful and within a week we got her attendance pretty consistently up to about 90 per cent.” Kelly Daniel

Joey and Cooper on exercise duty with Flori. gazette.education.govt.nz

Flori and Savleen enjoying a cuddle. Photos by Nicola Inglis. TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

Supporting gifted learners A team of Resource Teachers: Learning & Behaviour (RTLB) are working with Al-Madinah Senior School in South Auckland to investigate how they can support a group of gifted and talented learners.

Zubair and Bilal.

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GIFTED AND TALENTED LEARNERS

utstanding test results come as no surprise to the teachers at Al-Madinah Senior School. Every year a significant number of students at the decile 2, stateintegrated Muslim school in Mangere, South Auckland, gain exceptionally high scores, particularly in mathematics. Despite this, the school has experienced difficulty retaining students because of a perception in the community that students could be better served in larger schools offering more subjects. To address this, Al-Madinah enlisted the support of a RTLB team - Nicola Talbot, Kobus Van Schalkwyk, Tania Longair and Runnitty Tagaloasa-Peteru. “We assumed we would be dealing with a small number of students but after looking at the data we realised that there were 65 students - 24 percent - who scored stanine 8 or 9 in the maths PAT,” says Nicola. “We screened those who scored a 9 as this had been designated a ‘gifted’ case, and we wanted to explore the possible factors contributing to the high number of students achieving exceptional results.” The team used the Ravens Standard Progressive Matrices, a measure of general ability, which correlates highly with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). It is a nonverbal tool that can be used to provide a measure of ability for students from diverse populations with different languages and cultural backgrounds.

Zabina Khan (SENCO Secondary School), Rehana Khan (SENCO Primary School), Nicola Talbot (RTLB), Zubair Mohammed, Bilal Memon, Kobus van Schalkwyk (RTLB), Runnitty Tagaloasa-Peteru (RTLB), Tania Longair (RTLB).

“After reviewing our data, we found that there were 26 students (10 percent) ranging from years 6 – 13 who scored either at or above the 90th percentile (superior level), and 17 scoring above the 95th percentile (very superior level). “We then measured the students’ achievement using the WAIS, including the math and math fluency subtests as these are standardised and designed as stand-alone tests. This is because all but two students are speakers of other languages.” The team triangulated the Ravens data with the WAIS data to determine any discrepancies between ability and achievement. The data was compiled as individualised reports, areas for development were outlined, and the team created a template for Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings to determine possible learning pathways for students, in consultation with all stakeholders, including whānau. These IEPs were based on the students’ strengths and interests and reflect a cross-curricular approach to their learning. The findings were shared with staff, community, and parents, as well as a leading scholar in gifted education, Dr Tracy Riley, a professor at Massey University. “The maths results, I believe, are exceptional – but more importantly, the Ravens, a non-verbal IQ test, discussions with teachers and surveys of parents confirmed high levels of ability for some of those children initially identified as mathematically exceptional,” explains Tracy. “In isolation, the high scores are not evidence of giftedness but they do demonstrate high levels of mathematical aptitude. The tests only assess what they set out to assess, and in those areas, the children have performed exceptionally well – certainly in the upper ranges. “There are, of course, factors that would need to be considered, namely, “the ceiling effect”: was the assessment performed above the child’s expected level of achievement, so as to get a more true indicator of abilities? Probably not, and this is a common issue among gifted populations – it could be that these children have a much higher aptitude than that reported! As English second language speakers, some tests may be biased against them hence the importance of all of the gazette.education.govt.nz

Humairaa, Aribah, Aaliya, students at Al-Madinah Senior School.

Supporting gifted and talented learners Schools and kura can access a range of resources to identify and support gifted learners. These include: » New Zealand Association For Gifted Children for information, resources and access to events. » MindPlus, offering a one-day school and online modules where gifted students can learn alongside like-minded peers. Contact admin@nzcge.co.nz » Awards for gifted learners (or groups of learners) to extend and challenge their learning in order to complete a particular project or activity in areas that may be different from their usual learning. » Awards for teachers to access learning opportunities so they can better support gifted learners. » Information about events, experiences and opportunities for gifted students throughout New Zealand can be found on the TKI site for gifted learners.

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GIFTED AND TALENTED LEARNERS

follow up work the RTLB did by using other assessment measures, working with the teachers, and surveying the parents and children. “My gut feeling is that these children are performing at exceptional levels – their entrance into correspondence school and university as accelerated learners confirms their abilities,” says Tracy. Information gleaned from surveys completed by students and whānau revealed interesting insights into what could be contributing to the results. All students were expected to begin rote learning the Quran at an early age; parents placed a high value on academic achievement; there were strong home-school partnerships, and parents supported with homework or private tutoring. “A definite pattern occurred where parents and caregivers of every student involved in the inquiry viewed education as a top priority and provided structured times for educational tasks such as reading and maths,” says Nicola. “But in order to make any valid conjectures about this anecdotal evidence, further studies and surveys would need to be completed in other similar special character schools.” The team also looked at how gifted students were supported holistically and in subjects other than maths. “There was a clear message from teachers that they were aware of the workload and possible overload that could occur. And with students very involved in mapping their own learning pathways, they were able to articulate through IEP meetings their feelings about their learning.

“By ensuring an IEP was developed with input from all stakeholders especially the mokopuna and whanau, challenges that are appropriate educationally have positively impacted the social and emotional wellbeing of these gifted ako,” explains Nicola. She says the feedback from Al-Madinah school staff and the community about their involvement has been overwhelmingly positive. “Al-Madinah has been provided with a Long Term Plan to cater for these and future gifted students. The school is currently enrolling these identified students in suggested extension programmes such as dual enrolments at Te Kura Pounamu or one of the universities.” Two students have also been accepted for assessment by Mensa NZ, a non-profit organisation that promotes stimulating intellectual and social opportunities for its members. “This case has allowed us to create a framework for how we will approach future casework around gifted and talented students and has laid the groundwork for Al-Madinah to develop systems reflective of Priority 5 of the Learning Support Action Plan. “As educators, we all have an obligation to recognise and support the diversity of giftedness. In order to achieve this, it is vital that we provide all students with a responsive, inclusive, educational environment that maximises opportunities to fulfil their potential. If we fail to do this, we risk losing one of our country’s greatest natural resources and the opportunity to foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity,” says Nicola.

“As educators, we all have an obligation to recognise and support the diversity of giftedness.” Nicola Talbot

Humairaa, Kulsum and Aaliya.

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

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YOUTH LEADERSHIP

A passion for making a difference

UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders bring perspectives from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Youth Leaders group chair Ashlee Peacock (right) in Paris with National Committee chair Robyn Baker.

The new members to join the UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders group bring valuable perspectives from a diverse range of backgrounds and are passionate about ensuring young people are heard and empowered.

en UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders met for the first time at the end of January, unified by their interest and concern for the environment and the climate and their shared passion to foster better-connected communities and be educated and vocal global citizens. Each leader is appointed to the role for two years, with five leaders rotating each year – as five depart, five new leaders join – maintaining a balance of experience and fresh ideas amongst the group. The diversity of the group – interests, backgrounds and life experience – is carefully considered when the new members are being selected.

Unique skills This year, the new youth leaders bring with them unique skills and a desire to make a difference. Blair Kapa-Peters, (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa and Ngati Kuri), is from the Far North and received the Kiwibank Local Hero Award for her efforts in the environmental sector and her work with rangatahi. She says putting your heart into everything you do opens the door to opportunity and she plans to make a positive impact as a youth leader while absorbing all she can to “bring all my learnings home to share with my community”.

Fellow youth leader Brodie Cross supported Anne-Sophie at this event. Brodie (Ngapuhi and Te Āti Awa) was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and later cortical vision impairment. He has always been eager to ensure that people with additional needs are supported and listened to and has previously been a member of the Education Minister’s Youth Advisory Group.

“Although Aotearoa New Zealand is a small and isolated country, I believe we have the opportunity to be world leaders in how we respond to and look after people with impairments,” says More information Brodie. about the work of

the UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders can be found on the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO’s website and Facebook page

Bella Simpson is also looking forward to being part of the group’s work. Bella has already been highly influential in speaking out on the rights of transgender and LGBTI people. “My key driving force is to inspire and empower trans and gender diverse people to feel valued, inspired and empowered to be their best selves,” says Bella. Wellbeing and being truly integrated into New Zealand society are what drive Naheed Saeid, a former Afghan refugee who arrived in New Zealand 18 years ago and is currently studying medicine. “Representation of the diverse communities and minority groups that brighten New Zealand’s social tapestry is one of my greatest passions,” says Naheed. Veterinary student Anne-Sophie Pagé’s bid to fight climate change and preserve New Zealand’s endemic species has already taken her many places gazette.education.govt.nz

– she has conducted climate change research on coral reefs in the Pacific as a Sir Peter Blake Ambassador, and ventured south to the Sub-Antarctic Islands as an Enderby Scholar. She has already stepped into the role of youth leader by reading at the recent 1.5 Degrees Live event in Christchurch – encouraging more people to understand climate science.

Representing New Zealand’s views internationally is something youth leaders can have the chance to do through the many opportunities UNESCO’s networks offer.

Recommendations presented

Late last year, chair of the UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders Ashlee Peacock, with New Zealand’s delegation, attended the 40th UNESCO General Conference and spent two days at the 11th Youth Forum discussing issues of relevance to young people from all around the world.

“Each participant came with their own particular expertise and experiences, adding perspectives to the common issues we shared. We were all strong in our view – that it was time for action… we had intense discussions, super late nights and time pressures, but we did it!” Ashlee said of the forum. As a result, a set of clear recommendations were formulated and presented to the Deputy Director General, UNESCO Secretariat staff, and invited dignitaries. The UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders work to ensure young people are engaged, connected and empowered in all areas of the National Commission’s work, and 2020’s leaders will weave their skills together to ensure many different voices are heard. TUKUTUKU KŌRERO 2 March 2020

ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION

Human Rights Commissioner for Disabilities, Paula Tesoriero, reviewing participants’ feedback about the theme of Education.

Kai and Kōrero kaupapa Disabled people need accessible education environments said participants at a forum on inclusive education held in Palmerston North last year.

ore than 60 people from the education and disability sectors in the Manawatu took part in a Kai and Kōrero Inclusive Education forum co-designed and co-led by Disability Rights Commissioner, Paula Tesoriero, Mana Whaikaha (pilot disability support system), and the Ministry of Education. “All parts of the education system are undergoing the most radical change in 30 years, and teachers, principals and Boards want to know more about how they can make improvements for disabled people” says Paula. “The Kai and Kōrero forum is a chance for disabled people, and their whānau, educators and other networks to meet with each other, people who can make things happen in their community, and people who can influence change nationally through policy,” she adds. Paula says parents and young people at the forum stressed the importance of fully

Education Gazette 2 March 2020

accessible and inclusive learning environments, where the classrooms, bathrooms, outdoor spaces and technologies support students with visible and invisible disabilities. “No one disagreed with this ambition so the kōrero then shifted to how to make this happen in the Manawatu community. Members from Boards of Trustees were interested in hearing more about the expert perspectives of disabled students and their whānau. “Parents offered to help Boards run a sort of ‘warrant of fitness’ to check for any potential barriers to access or safety for their children could be highlighted and removed,” she says. “Teachers talked about the importance of young disabled people having role models they can identify with in their community. Disabled young people immediately saw opportunities to create their own network as mentors of younger students.”

Diverse voices The Palmerston North hui included a diversity of voices, with discussion focused on education’s role in shaping an inclusive society in the Manawatu. Key themes that emerged from the forum included: » Focus on the skills, strengths and aspirations of all learners so they can realise their potential. » The families/whānau of disabled children can help lead the partnership with teachers » Grow Boards of Trustees’ knowledge and understanding about disability so they can help young people have the right support » Teacher training and attitudes are key to helping disabled learners gazette.education.govt.nz

ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION

“The education system needs to be people-centred with a universal focus rather than a definition between students that require special needs assistance and those who don’t.” Kai and Kōrero participant “The education system needs to be peoplecentred with a universal focus rather than a definition between students that require special needs assistance and those who don’t,” one participant noted.

Focus on strengths and inclusion A focus on strengths, empowerment and a sense of belonging were considered to be crucial: with high expectations regarded as vital. As one teacher observed “Who are we (educators) to tell a young person what they can do and what their choices are?!” Ideas for making a more inclusive and connected local community in Palmerston North include setting up a regional disability advisory group, networking and using mainstream students to mentor and work alongside disabled students. More disabled people working in schools – and seen to be doing meaningful work – was also seen as a way to change attitudes towards disability. “One of the things that really struck me about these possibilities is how much of a resource disabled people, their families and networks can be teachers in schools, and for each other,” comments Paula. The Human Rights Commission and the Ministry will continue to support these networks in Palmerston North as they navigate their next steps, says Nicola Meek, Ministry of Education.

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Paula Tesoriero.

“From leading nationwide conversations (Kōrero Mātauranga) on the future of education, and inviting people to co-design services with us, we are now being invited by communities to listen to their conversations.” “We are learning what we need to do to support them to influence change and action in their own region and at the same time, embed their perspectives in policy and services.” There is potential for more Kai and Kōrero events to be held around the country to develop frameworks to empower communities to have robust conversations with decision makers or Government, she says.

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ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION

Access essential for people with disabilities Inaccessibility has been identified as a major barrier to accessing essential education, often resulting in poor academic progress and limited opportunities to make positive social connections.

Joshua Fuimaono of the Yes Disability Resource Centre attended the Kōrero Mātauranga Education Summit in 2018 and his experience there inspired him and his peers to take a similar approach in organizing the I.Lead conference, held in Wellington last September.

he conference was a forum for about 50 young people with disabilities from across Aotearoa to come together to discuss the issues and barriers they face. Their goal was to seek potential solutions to tackle these issues as well as change the way in which disability and the voices of youth with disabilities are heard. Statistics New Zealand confirms that for the quarter ending June 2019, just 25.9 percent of disabled young people between the ages of 15 -24 were in employment compared to 57.8 percent of non-disabled people. They voiced issues and concerns on several focus themes such as health, transport, housing and education. They were then tasked with presenting these findings to people from the Ministry of Education, the

New Zealand Disability Rights Commissioner and other government agencies.

Barriers to accessing education Much of the discussion about education revolved around the prevalence of physically inaccessible places in our schools and other educational facilities. Inaccessibility was seen as a major barrier to accessing essential education, often resulting in poor academic progress and limited opportunities to make positive social connections with similar peers their own age. Truancy and early drop-out of school are sadly common symptoms for children and young people with disabilities. Joshua Faumaono, Kramer Hoeflich (chair of the I.Lead organising committee) and Sam Morgan (Halberg Disability Sport).

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ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION

Youth facilitator Lavinia (22) spoke of how she had to have a lot of her NCEA classes on the first floor with students two years above her year level, because there was no access for her wheelchair to get to her original classes and friends on the second floor of her school. Tamara (19) spoke of how she wasn’t receiving any support due to staff and teachers not knowing how to cater to people on the Autism Spectrum, usually labelling her as ‘normal’ because she doesn’t outwardly look as if she has a disability at all. There were also discussions around other inaccessible aspects of school life with supports and services being either minimal or non-existent, teachers and staff not being as open-minded or educated on the needs of disabled students, and the education system itself not catering to the needs of students with diverse needs. Those who fell through the cracks of the current system found it was hard to recover, especially with a disability.

Finding a way forward Recommendations about education, employment, housing, health, the media and sport and recreation were presented to senior officials from government agencies. These aim to not only remedy past gaps pitfalls and inconsistencies, but also future-proof education and other systems so they continue to remain accessible and inclusive for future generations of disabled and non-disabled alike. One of the propositions the young people put forward was to implement a national youth advisory group consisting of disabled young people from across the country, to work in conjunction with the Ministry of Education to help implement the recommendations presented at the conference.

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Statistics New Zealand confirms that for the quarter ending June 2019, just 25.9 percent of disabled young people between the ages of 15 -24 were in employment compared with 57.8 percent of non-disabled people. Recommendations for a more accessible Aotearoa We expect the kōrero from the conference will help inform changes in education as well as inform many official documents and reports aligning with the United Nations Convention. This was not only a platform for our young people’s voices, but for the emergence of new leaders in our communities and around the world who are passionate about making change I.Lead was a co-creative concept formed by a group of young people with disabilities from YES Disability Resource Centre, and supported by the Minister of Disability Hon. Carmel Sepuloni and Office of Disability Issues and supported by the Ministry of Education and other agencies.

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DISABILITY SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

Callum Kidd spends three days a week developing his business making calendars.

Enabling Good Lives Tailored support is at the heart of successful transition for all school leavers but most particularly for disabled students. It’s all part of the transformation of the disability system, a new approach to supporting people to live good lives.

nabling Good Lives (EGL) is a an approach to understanding how best to support disabled people, underpinned by a clear vision and principles to improve the life of disabled people and their families. This approach is a partnership between the disability sector and government agencies (led by the Ministry of Health) aimed at long-term transformation of how disabled people and families are supported to live everyday lives. The aim of Enabling Good Lives is for disabled people to be supported to live self-determined lives, with support designed to match their specific needs. It has been developed in

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response to calls from disabled people and their families for change from a system that is deeply fragmented where people are required to “fit in” to predetermined programmes rather than have supports designed to meet their needs.

Connectors walk alongside For students transitioning out of school, this will mean working with a ‘connector’, who will walk alongside the disabled person and their family to identify how they’d like their life to be and how to link with the appropriate supports to build that life. Connectors join the young person and their whānau on their journey

into adulthood, helping them to navigate the bumps and turns. Callum Kidd, 21, and his whānau have been working with a connector, Lisa Hortin, since late-2018 when he was a student at Allenvale Special School. Lisa is part of the Christchurch EGL team who has been working alongside school leavers with ORS funding since 2013. The team’s work demonstrates how this principles-based approach can be used to make it easier for people to live good lives of their own choosing, in communities that truly value who they are and what they have to offer. gazette.education.govt.nz

DISABILITY SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

Enabling Good Lives across the country Led by the Ministry of Health, Enabling Good Lives is beginning to take shape across the country, with three initiatives now in place in Christchurch – with a particular focus on school leavers; in Waikato, supporting people who are seeking change in their lives; and in the Mid Central area where the Enabling Good Lives approach has now replaced the old needs assessment (NASC) system. In the Mid Central EGL prototype, called Mana Whaikaha, people of all ages are welcomed into the disability system in multiple ways including self-referral, then they can be linked with a ‘connector’, an ally for the disabled person and their whānau as they identify a vision for the ‘good life’ and steps towards building that.

Alongside of the transition teachers at Allenvale, Lisa has worked with Callum and his family to identify what a ‘good life’ would look like for him and to map out a pathway that will take him towards that good life. Lisa first met with Callum’s mother, Veronica, then met the Kidd whānau at their home. “It’s very much about what works for the whole family,” says Veronica.

This includes: » building a trusting relationship with the young person and their whānau » connecting with others who are involved such as wider family, school, agencies, and the wider community » helping the young person and their family to dream big and plan for that great life » helping with access to funding and supports as needed » support in accessing employment and working with government agencies. Within Mana Whaikaha, through the emerging interface with education, and building upon partnerships and relationships that are developing, we are beginning to see some powerful examples of how having a connector working alongside a disabled child or young person and their families is making a positive difference. These examples include improving pathways into further study and employment and enabling flexible approaches to re-engage or to strengthen engagement of young people in education.

“We talked about Callum’s main interest being calendars – he’s memorised dates back as far as 1917 – and how he loves taking photographs. We decided we’d like to see him set up with a small business making calendars.” Lisa and Allenvale teachers organised for Callum to attend a digital technology course while he was still at school and supported him to secure funding for a computer and other tools to get his business started. He left school in December 2019 and now spends three days a week developing his business alongside his support workers Anna Clare and Helen Garden. On the fourth day he works at AJ’s, where he enjoys structured work such as packing aprons and making traffic signs, and on Fridays he meets up with friends at Youth Space, a life skills programme. Callum says he likes it at AJ’s and Youth Space, but his favourite pastime is “at my own home, working in the office”. “I’m taking lots of good photos of birds – brown seagulls, fantails, tui, kereru – and I’m making a business. I’m making cards and calendars.” “All I want is for him to be happy,” says Veronica. “A lot of families want their child to be employed but that would cause massive stress for Callum – and us. The way I see it, he’s out there in nature making connections through his camera and he can share his perspective through his photographs. “I think there’s real potential for him to do very well in business with the right supports wrapped around him.”

A sense of belonging Veronica credits teachers and the parent community at Allenvale for helping her son and family gain a sense of belonging that had previously eluded them. “Everything changed for Callum – and us – when he started at Allenvale. For the first time he had real friends. For his entire time at the school he was with the same group of boys, and with the same teacher for half that time.” Even though Callum has left school, Allenvale has not left him. The school offers opportunities for students to gain work experience by working alongside Callum in his calendar business “The school has been amazing for connecting with other families. The boys are so close now, like brothers really, and like other young people their age they are keen to look at how they might try flatting together as their first experience in leaving home,” says Veronica. gazette.education.govt.nz

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TE REO MĀORI

Making time for te reo Wellington College has tweaked its timetable to allow all Year 9 students to learn te reo Māori.

curriculum review at Wellington College in 2017 and 2018 saw the introduction of a te reo Māori course for all Year 9 students.

Principal Gregor Fountain said there was widespread support for a timetable change which meant that students didn’t have to choose between te reo and another language.  “Our students now study te reo Māori for three hours a week for half of the school year and another language of their choice for the other half of the year.” The change was one of a range of actions the school has taken in the past few years to grow a more bicultural and inclusive school culture, says Gregor. “There was an overwhelmingly positive response from the Year 9 whānau throughout the school when we signalled this move.”

Qualified teachers Gregor says they were delighted to be able to appoint an experienced full-time teacher to join their existing te reo Māori teaching team. The appointment means that all of Wellington College’s te reo classes from Years 9 to 13 are being taught by qualified teachers with excellent language skills.  “We have also been able to allocate some teaching hours in the department to support the development of staff skills in te reo Māori.” There is a beginners’ course for staff after school every Wednesday and a before-school class on Tuesdays for those at a more advanced level. Approximately 40 staff members are involved in one of the two courses.  Although the school doesn’t intend to extend compulsory te reo beyond Year 9 at this stage, it does insist that all students study a language in Year 10.  “We are confident that the Year 9 course will encourage a larger group of students to continue te reo into Year 10 and beyond,” says Gregor.

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Māori Language Week 14–20 September 2020 The Māori Language Commission marked Waitangi Day by formally announcing the dates and theme for Māori Language Week 2020. September 14 marks the day in 1972 when the petition for te reo Māori was presented to parliament. “The Treaty was first written in te reo Māori, first debated in te reo Māori and first explained in te reo Māori. The Waitangi Tribunal paved the way for the first and later Māori language laws establishing a partnership between the Crown and hapū and iwi for the revitalisation of te reo Māori,” said Ngahiwi Apanui, Commission chief executive. “Waitangi Day is like every day – a Māori language day. With just 244 sleeps until Māori Language Week starting on 14 September 2020, Waitangi Day is a great day for all to plan celebrations of New Zealand’s first language. The theme remains ‘Kia Kaha te reo Māori!’”

Te Wiki o te reo Māori 2020: 14–20 Mahuru 2020 Kua whakatauria e Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori ko te rā o Waitangi te rā e pānuitia ai te rā me te kaupapa o Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2020. “I tuhia, i tautohea, ā, i whakamāramatia Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te reo Māori i mua i tōna hainatanga. Nā te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi te huarahi i para mō Te Ture Reo Māori 1987 me te Ture Reo Māori ‘o nāianei mahi ngātahi ai Te Karauna, ngā hapū me ngā iwi ki te whakarauora i te reo Māori,” Ngahiwi Apanui, tumuaki. “He rite te rā o Waitangi ki ngā rangi katoa – he rangi reo Māori. E 244 ngā moe e toe ana ki te Te Wiki o te Reo Māori ā te 14-20 o Mahuru 2020. He tino rangi nui tēnei ki whakamahere i ngā kaupapa whakanui i te reo o Aotearoa ake. Ko ‘Kia Kaha te reo Māori!’ anō te kaupapa i tēnei tau.” (Āe, e mōhio ana mātou he kaupapa motuhake anō hei taua wiki!) gazette.education.govt.nz

MĀORI DEAF YOUTH

Opinion: Beyond listening –

Ensuring parity for Māori D/deaf* youth Dr Anne Hynds, a senior researcher with Ihi Research, says the obstacles that prevent Ngāti Turi rangatahi (Māori D/deaf youth) fully participating in te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā need to be identified and removed.

ost of my work involves trying to understand ‘what counts’ as culturally responsive, sustaining and inclusive pedagogy. Many years ago, I was privileged to be invited to participate in a collaborative research project involving Ngāti Turi rangatahi.1

about the need to identify and remove the many obstacles that prevent their full participation in te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā. These young people wanted things to change and improve for the benefit of others.

Tuhoi Henry was one of the Ngāti Turi who took part in Ko Wai Au? He wrote:

My name is Tuhoi. I was born deaf and Noted social justice there is deafness in my whānau. I received advocate Nancy Fraser my first introduction to Māori culture in argues ‘the most general Visit the online version The project, called Ko wai au? a kura up north. But at that stage I didn’t meaning of justice, is of this article to Who am I? See my voice?, have many people who communicated parity of participation’. This watch: Ko Wai Au? involved a group of young with me at school. I didn’t think that necessitates that all are able Who Am I? See people taking photos and to contribute meaningfully my father was proud of me until after my voice? writing accompanying narratives in the social institutions they he passed away. Then, I learned my dad about what was important to inhabit. had told others he was very proud of me them in terms of their culture, identity and language. These became part of a She states that ‘overcoming injustice means because I studied hard at school. photograph exhibition that was displayed dismantling institutionalised obstacles that I feel really right to be Māori and Deaf. throughout Aotearoa. prevent some people from participating on It doesn’t matter if I am half or whatever. a par with others, as full partners in The exhibition was sponsored by the I am still Māori and Deaf. social interaction’.2 Ministry of Education and displayed at the Ministry’s head ofﬁce as part of This means that hearing Māori Language Week in 2013. It was also teachers and educational developed into a short film, which is a policymakers need to go wonderful showcase for the stories. beyond simply listening, Visit the online version to a process that ensures Although the rangatahi were proud of who of this article to see Ngāti Turi are actively they were as both Māori and D/deaf, the Tuhoi performing with participating in their threat to their cultural identities was always Tiki Taane for NZ education in ways that present, forged from a denial of their basic Sign Language develop and sustain their human rights, in particular, their rights to Week. dual identities (Māori and D/ communicate and participate with hearing deaf) and reach their goals and people. aspirations. New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and te *The use of D/deaf indicates different reo Māori are both vulnerable languages, understandings of D/deaf people, who may despite being official languages of Aotearoa. identify as members of a linguistic and Access to, and participation in te ao Māori cultural group (Deaf) or in terms of medical is compounded by the severe shortage of models of disability (deaf). (NZSL) expertise. This is not just a problem of people not listening to Māori D/deaf youth but is also

Addressing parity toolbox

REFERENCES

» Ensure Māori D/deaf tamariki and rangatahi and others learn about and have access to Māori D/deaf role models such as the late Patrick Thompson (QSM) and Michael Wi have dedicated their lives for the betterment of Ngāti Turi.

1. Faircloth, S. C., Hynds, A., Jacob, H., Green, C., & Thompson, P. (2016). Ko wai au? Who am I? Examining the multiple identities of Māori youth. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education,29(3), 359–380.

» Actively advocate for parity of participation for Māori D/deaf on school governance boards and involvement in development of localised curriculum. » Ensure a strengths-based approach to working with Māori D/deaf Ngāti Turi; consider developing a photo-voice, community-based project similar to ‘Ko wai au?’ » Enrol in NZSL classes and demand more NZSL resources in schools.

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2. Fraser, N. (2009). Scales of justice: Reimagining political space in a globalizing world. New York: Columbia University Press.

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DIVERSITY

Book challenges stereotypes of disability The publishers of a book featuring work by known and emerging women writers who live with disability, hope it will provide more nuanced portrayals and celebrate the richness and diversity of humanity.

ere we are, read us: Women, disability and writing features eight well-known and emerging women writers including Tusiata Avia, Michele Leggott, Trish Harris, Te Awhina Arahanga and Robin Hyde. Trish Harris, co-founder of Crip the Lit, which published the book, says it’s critical that disability is represented and celebrated as part of the richness and diversity of humanity in all genres of literature, and in visual media.

Shifting perceptions of disability “It’s important for students who live with a disability themselves to have role models, and for students who enjoy writing to see their peers who are doing it. For students who don’t have disabilities, it’s about broadening the way disability is talked about.

Conversation starter Here we are, read us: Women, disability and writing features novelists, poets, essayists, playwrights, memoirists and bloggers. All share the lived experience of disability, whether it be mobility and vision impairments, epilepsy, mental illness, autism or other visible or invisible disabilities.

Trish says while the book is slim, it contains a lot of material which could stimulate classroom Crip the Lit was conversations such as the symbols or metaphors formed in 2016 by which each woman was asked to choose for Trish Harris and Robyn herself. These symbols were incorporated into Hunt as a way for Deaf and an illustrated portrait by Adele Jackson.

disabled writers to have their “This [symbol] says something to them about unique voices, perspectives the intersection between writing and disability and stories included and and is a more creative way of beginning to talk valued in mainstream about the experience. It could be an interesting writing in exercise in a classroom – ‘what symbol do you New Zealand.

“A big part of the book is that we want it to shift something in people’s heads. When you’re writing about disability from the inside of the experience, it’s far more nuanced and interesting than the normal tropes of disabled people being victims or heroes,” says Trish.

Writing for all

Crip the Lit co-founder Robyn Hunt says: “Many of us have grown up without seeing ourselves and our lives realistically reflected in the books and media surrounding us. But we have lots to say, and we know there are voices to be heard and people who want to hear them.

Crip the Lit has participated in Wellington’s Lit Crawl for the past four years. Last year, Trish interviewed young adult author LJ Ritchie (Like Nobody’s Watching, Monsters of Virtue). He was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2002 and is currently writing a novel featuring autistic characters.

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choose?’ Once you use a metaphor, you get to a deeper place – heart to heart,” says Trish.

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DIVERSITY

Visit the online version of this article for reviews and more.

Here we are, read us:

Women, disability and writing Here we are, read us: Women, disability and writing is free and available in a variety of accessible formats: hard copy including large print, online as an audio book, an e-book with accessible downloadable files, and braille from the Blind Foundation library. Audio book and e-book (epub and mobi): Arts Access Advocates’ website Braille/ DAISY audio: Blind Foundation Library Pocket and large print version, email: cripthelit@gmail.com There is a small charge for postage for the print copy.

“The feedback we’ve had from writers who are disabled is that they’re really keen to connect up with others who share their experiences. We plan to publish an occasional newsletter and have informal get-togethers of Deaf and disabled writers in Wellington. It’ll be this wider group that decides what Crip the Lit does next,” says Trish.

Sense of community In her review of the book, author and New Zealand Society of Authors’ President Mandy Hager applauded the authors for ‘coming out’ and wrote: “Thank you for making me feel less alone. Less invisible. Less afraid. Thank you for making me feel part of your exceptional community.”

“When you’re writing about disability from the inside of the experience, it’s far more nuanced and interesting than the normal tropes of disabled people being victims or heroes.” Trish Harris

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Samoan poet, performer and children’s book writer Tusiata Avia wrote about her symbol – a wild dog closely connected to the spirits – and how epilepsy has shaped her as a person and a writer.

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