LEADERS IN EDUCATION NEWS SINCE 1989
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Issue 100 Term 4 | 2013
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A World Away
Welcome to
Willow Park Though only half an hour from downtown Auckland, Willow Park is a world away from the city itself. For conferences, schools, churches, business groups, or just relaxing - all you need is right here in seven acres of park-like grounds on the edge of the beautiful Waitemata Harbour. Willow Park is a multi-purpose venue, available for a wide range of guests. Willow Park can accommodate 180 people in bunk or family style rooms with some twin rooms available. The beautiful inner harbour of the Hauraki Gulf is perfect for watersports and safe for the Willow Park canoes (8 available). Our latest addition is a multi-purpose Recreation Centre. The innovative Flotex floor is ideal for both large conferences and a wide range of sports including basketball, volleyball, indoor hockey, badminton (4 courts), or indoor soccer. • Conference areas • Sports fields • Children’s play area • Tennis courts
WILLOW
• Recreation Centre • Beach • Quiet places • Mini Golf
Willow Park Christian Camp & Convention Centre 1 Hostel Access Road, Eastern Beach, Auckland 2012. PO Box 54 098, The Marina 2144
Phone: 09 534 9640 Fax: 09 537 0930
Email: office@willowpk.org.nz Web: www.willowpk.org.nz
P
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IS THIS THE BEST AND MOST COST EFFECTIVE PET FOOD AVAILABLE IN NZ? We are certain it is and here’s why Not all dog foods are equal – in many respects Firstly not all bags of dog food are the same size, making it hard to compare costs. But most people can soon work out what the cost is per kilo. However what most people don’t have time to calculate is what it costs to feed their dog per meal, as some require a lot of food to meet the correct daily requirements, and others, not so much. The reason for this is that quality foods generally require less as they have less fillers such as corn, soy, grain etc. And it’s these fillers that are the main reason for allergies. Which can be costly if you need to visit the vet. And of course if the dog is eating less and able to digest more of the human grade ingredients
(as in Canidae) then it means there’s less “excess” on the lawn. Below is a comparison between some of the “premium” brands available in NZ. This is based on a 10kg dog, so if you have a large dog the savings will be multiplied. These guideline amounts are based on the recommended feeding requirements per day as stated by the manufacturer. They are a starting point and your dog may need more or less food depending upon age, breed, activity and climate. In order to reach optimal body condition, you may need to adjust food intake.
Grams required Cost per feed Cost per Kg
CANIDAE 96gms $1.12 Orijen 150gms $1.72
$11.73 $11.50
Nutrience
180gms
$1.43
$7.97
Purina
158gms
$1.36
$8.62
Eukanuba
140gms
$1.24
$8.88
Hills Science Diet
181gms
$1.81
$10.00
SAVE UP TO 38%
on other “leading” brands with Canidae These calculations are based on a 10kg dog. These figures are correct as at 18/2/13. We assumed an active dog, older than 1 year, that is exercised. Based on buying 15kg bags or the nearest the manufacturer had.
Goes beyond just feeding your pet The Confidential Dog Food report recently assessed over 2000 dog foods, including all the brands you’re familiar with that have huge marketing budgets and selected the best nine in the world. Canidae was one. The others aren’t available in New Zealand. Each year the Whole Dog Journal, one of the most respected dog journals in the world, generates a list of approximately 25 ‘Approved Foods’ from around the world. Once again Canidae is on this list and has been for many years. In fact here’s a quote from their publication “I’d like to quickly dismiss the idea that any of the giants – Iams and Eukanuba, Purina, Science Diet, et. al. - could possibly make dry foods that are as good as the foods that have a regular presence on WDJ’s ‘approved foods list’. The fact is, though, of course they could; they have all the resources needed to do so. They could bury most of the competition in the “natural and holistic” niche... if they followed through and used only the same high quality ingredients typically used by the smaller boutique brands. But they generally stop short – perhaps because they are unaccustomed to paying a lot for their raw materials, or marketing the products at a correspondingly high
Both of the independent studies above look at the ingredients, the manufacturing plant and most importantly the nutritional benefits to the dog. They aren’t swayed by marketing hype. At Canidae Pet Foods we are committed to providing you, our valued customer and your pets, the highest standard of excellence in product quality and customer satisfaction. If you are not completely satisfied with any of our products, please call our team for a no questions asked refund. In fact if you don’t
become a raving fan of Canidae/Felidae by the end of your first bag I would personally like to know about it. Kind regards, Gary Collins - Managing Director
sales price?”
Call now for a
FREE SAMPLE and info pack ph 0800 101 729 or www.canidae.co.nz
CONTENTS LEADERS IN EDUCATION NEWS SINCE 1989
E DIT
ION
TH Issue 100 Term 4 | 2013
www.principalstoday.co.nz
Issue 100 / Term 4, 2013
100th Anniversary Edition
8 INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE A message from the Prime Minister
Principals Today
5,234
Lifting the educational achievement of young New Zealanders
Issue 100
www.principalstoday.co.nz
9 DAYS OF CHANGE
Gary Collins
OPERATIONS MANAGER
The challenges facing this and future generations means we’ve never needed a more educated society
Di Barclay
ADMINISTRATION
Kylie Palermo ADMIN MANAGER Kelly Allen Jade Haylett Shannen Johnson
SALES & ADVERTISING
NEWSROOM
Setting the moral compass St Margaret’s College principal Gillian Simpson on education’s ever widening role
PRODUCTION
Phone: 03 961 5077 Fax: 0800 555 054 Email: production@academy.net.nz
Disclaimer: This publication is provided on the basis that A-Mark Publishing is not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the basis of information in these articles, nor for any error or omission from these articles and that the firm is not hereby engaged in rendering advice or services. A-Mark Publishing expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done, or omitted to be done, by any such a person in reliance, whether wholly or partially upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication. Advertising feature articles are classified as advertising content and as such, information contained in them is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority Codes of Practice.Contents Copyright 2012 by A-Mark Publishing (NZ) Ltd. All rights reserved. No article or advertisement may be reproduced without written permission.
ISSN 1170-4071 (Print) ISSN 2230-6358 (Online)
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21 CLOSE OR BE CLOSED Do schools have a say? 24 LEARNING THE LANGUAGE Language Perfect’s engaging, online language learning tool which tests reading, writing and listening abilities 24 HAVING TROUBLE WITH MATHS? The systematic teaching system that provides structure and confidence for teachers 25 DESIGNS WITH THE FUTURE IN MIND Hobsonville Point Primary School’s green initiative is innovative, efficient and the first school in New Zealand to be developed as a public private partnership
13 EDUCATION’S EVER INCREASING ROLE
Phone: 03 961 5098 Fax: 0800 555 054 Email: editor@academy.net.nz
Caroline Duke PRODUCTION MANAGER Carolynne Brown CO-ORDINATOR Jenna Day DESIGNERS Janelle Pike Sarah Betman Andrea Frame Luke Wattchow Jarred Shakespeare DESIGN & ONLINE
18 GROWING UP IN AOTEAROA We review a collection of stories about growing up Kiwi-style
17 ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE EFFORT The benefits of getting out and about
Is education today ready for tomorrow?
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Jonathon Taylor EDITOR Melinda Collins Davina Richards
17 THE 100 CLUB Schools marking the centenary milestone this year
Supplements
HEAD OFFICE
Bill Thew Verne Williams Evaon Watkins
6 AND THE WINNER IS… Introducing our Super Student of the Year, Megan Blackwood
22 A PAYMENT SOLUTION FOR TODAY’S WORLD Making e-commerce pay for your school
ABC circulation as at 30/06/13
Academy House 47B Birmingham Drive Middleton PO Box 1879 Christchurch
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14 THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED HER BRAIN Learning how to learn Barbara ArrowsmithYoung and her mission to demystify learning disorders
26 SAFE AND SECURE Take the guess work out of security planning 27 INSURING YOUR SCHOOL What you need to know when it comes to insuring your patch 30 WATER WISE Getting your pool ready for the swimming season
Reader rewards in this issue… • Be in to win a copy of Barbara Arrowsmith-Young’s book The Woman Who Changed her Brain on page 16 • Win a $100 voucher with Numicon on page 24 • Get free gear from Gazebo on page 29 Congratulations to… Pamapuria School and Hokitika Primary School – each winners of a ‘Happy Bloom’ provided by Edible Blooms, in our Term 3 edition
COMPETITION CONDITIONS OF ENTRY This publication is printed on papers supplied by All wood originates from sustainably managed forests or waste sources. All mills utilise the Chain of Custody system to verify fibre source End product is recyclable. All mills are ISO 14001 certified
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* CONDITIONS OF ENTRY: One entry only per person and must be sent on the official entry form or as otherwise stated. Entry is free and open to all residents of New Zealand. All entrants must be over the age of 18, proof of identity and date of birth may be requested. Employees and their immediate families of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication are ineligible to enter. Winner(s) will be notified by e-mail/phone. The judges’ decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost or misdirected mail. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered (including but not limited to direct or consequential loss) or personal injury suffered or sustained, during the course of prize winning travel or in connection with any other prizes won. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication accept no responsibility for health, luggage, insurances, travel, personal expenses and transfers other than specified. Entries remain the property of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication and cannot be returned. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication reserves the right to photograph and publish winners. Entries may be used for further marketing purposes by Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication but are not made available to any third party.
Vector’s awardwinning school programmes
Stay Safe Around Electricity (for years 3 to 6) has been delivered to thousands of schools and more than 50,000 students over the past eight years. The programme takes an hour and is an interactive, fun way for students to learn about the dangers of electricity and how to stay safe. Be Sustainable with Energy (for years 5 to 8) is a 50 minute session teaching students how energy is produced from both renewable and non-renewable sources, the future of power in New Zealand and how to be energy efficient. Discover Natural Gas (for years 5 to 8) was launched to Taranaki schools in 2012. Students in the region learn about the wonders of natural gas, the region’s special relationship with the gas industry and gas safety. Vector offers three FREE education programmes - the award-winning Auckland-based Stay Safe around Electricity and Be Sustainable with Energy plus the Taranaki-based Discover Natural Gas. Linked to the New Zealand curriculum, each programme includes student workbooks, a fun website and a dedicated educator who will present the programme to your class.
www.vectorschools.co.nz
News | Super Student of the Year
SUPER STUDENT
AND THE WINNER IS... This year’s Principals Today Super Student Award goes to Megan Blackwood from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch. Congratulations Megan!
The Future Problem Solving New Zealand (FPNZ) programme, which teaches children how to think and not what to think, engages students to explore, research and solve existing or emerging issues in a futuristic scenario.
Megan’s creative thinking to solve the topic of ‘Global Status of Women’ won her third place at the International Future Problem Solving competition in the United States.
Megan was ecstatic when she was awarded third place in the world for her division and proud mum Angela Blackwood says, “It’s something that she’s good at. She had to be analytical, then creative, then prioritise her solutions and finally go back and assess her own work.
Twelve year old Megan worked hard in preparation for the competition which took place in Bloomington, Indiana during a four day period in June this year. She was one of 2000 children from 13 different countries who took part.
“Although she’s generally an above average student this is something she wanted to work really hard for and she understood the process really well. It
Nominate a student Don’t forget schools can nominate students for the Super Students award.
6 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
By Davina Richards
should stand her in good stead in the future to solve problems.” All the children who participated in the competition were encouraged to swap mementos with each other. Megan was provided with stickers, little hard hats and road cones from SCIRT (Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team) along with items provided by Rangi Ruru and Air New Zealand to swap with other students. The FPSNZ programme has enabled Megan to utilise her creative skills which will no doubt help her to excel in all areas of her life in the future. Well done Megan!
Super Student for 2013 Megan Blackwood from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School with her prize, a brand new iPad
At the end of the year a student will be selected and awarded the overall prize. So if your school has a student or students who are excelling in any field; be it studies, sports, arts or interesting hobbies, then we’re interested. All we need are details of their achievements in about 250 words and a high resolution photograph. Send the details to editor@academy.net.nz or by post to The Editor, Principals Today, PO Box 1879, Christchurch 8140.
100th Anniversary Special | The Future of Education In our very special 100th issue of Principals Today magazine, we’ve made a conscious decision to look ahead, instead of the traditional celebratory approach of looking at what’s been. So we bring to you a range of articles which are looking to the challenges and opportunities ahead.
s e u iss young By Melinda Collins
Investing in our future By Rt Hon John Key, Prime Minister A major focus of the National-led Government is lifting the educational achievement of young New Zealanders. The Government is concentrating on lifting the performance of the education system so that every child has the opportunity to succeed. Lifting achievement is one of the single most important things we are doing as a government, and it clearly is a major issue facing our education system. High quality education is vitally important, so young people can make the most of their lives, irrelevant of their background, and so we can raise living standards for future generations. It is an essential requirement for a skilled and creative workforce, which is in turn essential for creating a more productive and competitive economy. At the moment four out of five children are succeeding, but our plan is about getting five out of five succeeding. Having one in five students leaving school without the skills to succeed in the modern economy is not good enough, and the Government is investing heavily to turn this around. Education Minister Hekia Parata and her Associate Ministers are working very hard on this vital issue. Budget 2013, for example, provided increases in education spending for the fifth budget in a row, because we want to ensure all children leave school with the skills they need to reach their potential.
Davina Richards does a little forward thinking and looks at the hurdles facing education, at both a national and global level, and how education’s systems and those within it might have to adapt to the meet these challenges. The woman who changed her brain, Barbara Arrowsmith-Young talks about something very near to her heart she would like to see included in the curriculum of the tomorrow. Some of education’s biggest movers and shakers discuss the most pressing challenges facing schools of today,
and there’s a new book on the block Childhoods: Growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, which questions whether New Zealand is a good place to bring up children and explores solutions to our most pressing issues. When it comes to looking ahead in presidential policy and planning, it’s not hard to argue the importance of education. Fact is, the recipients of the education New Zealand delivers are the next generation to run this country. So naturally we asked John Key what he sees as the biggest issues facing education in New Zealand and how the country will have to adapt to meet its changing needs.
We have announced more funding for new schools, funded investment in the managed network for schools so they can take advantage of the opportunities provided by ultra-fast broadband, and committed $1 billion to repairing and building new schools in earthquake-damaged Christchurch. The Government has a series of Better Public Service targets, some of which are related to education. For example, our aim is for 85 percent of 18 year olds to achieve NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification in 2017. The result for 2012 was 77.2 per cent, a 2.9 percentage point increase on the 2011 achievement result. And importantly, to provide an overall picture of the education system and the progress being made, we have introduced National Standards which are reported regularly along with NCEA. This was opposed by some in the sector, but the Government doesn’t believe that collecting such information – to see where the problems are – is a threat. It is in fact the opposite – an opportunity and a vital part of the picture we need to put the resources and professional support where it’s most needed to address under-achievement. This is exactly what we did in August when Hekia Parata announced a $27 million investment in initiatives targeting priority children. The Government introduced National Standards in 2010 to identify children in Years 1-8 who were falling behind, to help parents help their children and
to help schools focus on what needs to be done. This year was only the second year that National Standards data was reported and the Government would expect the quality to improve every year. The information for 2012, released in June this year, showed: • Reported achievement against the National Standard for reading increased by 1.2 percentage points from 76.2 percent in 2011 to 77.4 percent in 2012 • Reported achievement against the National Standard for mathematics increased by 1.4 percentage points from 72.2 percent in 2011 to 73.6 percent in 2012
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8 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
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• Reported achievement against the National Standard for writing increased by 2 percentage points from 68 percent in 2011 to 70 per cent in 2012 Despite this progress, the breakdowns also showed continued disparity in the system with Māori and Pasifika children not doing as well, and boys trailing girls. We need this information to continue to target resources and programmes where they will be most effective in raising achievement. And raising achievement in education is vitally important for the future of our children and of our country.
100th Anniversary Special | The Future of Education
Days of change Is education today ready for tomorrow? With a growing list of global problems beckoning the world’s attention, we have never needed a more educated society than we do today. Our children need to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead as we look to the future generations to find solutions to issues that simply aren’t going away by themselves.
Education has taken a bit of a hit during recent years and some consider our current education system to be ineffective and out of date. Schools around the world face a variety of issues, including underachievement, education costs, challenging student behaviour, lack of teacher support, salary cuts, teacher shortages and student drop-outs, and this is arguably just the tip of the iceberg. With some countries throwing colossal amounts of money into education, only to be faced with continued declining performance, you could also argue that there are concerns about governments’ efforts, and actual ability, to tackle the string of problems educators around the world face. As with many global issues, the state of our society sits at the heart of the matter. Around the world teachers and policy makers are grappling with the problem of raising student achievement when socio-economic status has such a powerful impact on learning. Equipping schools to fight poverty by making them the centre of their communities is a very real way of addressing the achievement gap between rich and poor students PPTA president Angela Roberts says. “The shocking rate of child poverty in New Zealand, with 270,000 children living in families on less than 60 percent of the median household income, is leading to loud demands for change,” she says. Statistics New Zealand released its Consumer Price Index inflation statistics earlier this year and revealed that the cost of tertiary education rose four times as fast as the CPI for other goods and services.
Tertiary Education Union national president, Lesley Francey says the growing cost of tertiary education risks excluding students from the opportunity to learn. “Students need to borrow more and take on more debt to learn, and for some that is simply not viable.” It is not just tertiary education where the cost is becoming more prohibitive – early children education (2.5 percent), primary and secondary (4.7 percent) and other education (4.9 percent) are all also rising in cost much faster than CPI. “In every instance this is because the government is choosing to treat public education as a cost it needs to pay rather than an investment in New Zealanders,” Francey says. According to the Manukau Institute of Technology, at least one in every eight of our young people is not involved in education, employment or training. Not bad by global standards, but certainly worthy of a ‘can do better’ on the report card. The learning environment we’re familiar with has always consisted of textbooks, teachers and rows of desks. Some could argue that children are read to, talked at and have to sit down for hours on end in the traditional classroom setting. When we’re dealing with children who are born with curiosity and are more productive when kept active and engaged, does the education model that we’ve been relying on for years need to be reinvented to meet the needs of today’s children? An article posted on the US Department of Education website in 2010 titled What is the Biggest Challenge in Education Today, prompted some interesting debate.
By Davina Richards
One responder, Dina Ruth, wrote that “The biggest problem today in education is turning out students that are well balanced – mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially. “The curriculum today at schools deals more with academic studies and information than it does with being able to attain the success that everyone aspires. It takes a ‘success minded’ person to be successful. “We see many people who are successful that didn’t get a ‘good education’ and many people that did, that are not successful. Why is that? Because success is determined by character and not only by knowledge.”
The game changer Traditional learning is what we’ve always known, it’s what we’ve always done and it’s never been seriously changed until technology came along and flipped the classroom – for better and for worse – on its head. Knowledge and information can be obtained at the click of a button and can sharpen our ability to learn and grow; it’s effective, social, interactive, accessible anywhere, any time and can be used individually or in groups, and we’ve seen the positive impact it’s made in a relatively short time.
‘Be the Change’ was the message received from a youth hui held recently to unpack the topic of bullying. To assist schools in talking with their young people around emotional resilience and bullying, Youthline and Blue Light are putting together an ‘Emotional First Aid Kit’ providing useful information and workshops to support teachers.
Although it’s not front page news that technology is improving the way we learn, can we imagine a learning environment in the future without classrooms and will we even need schools or teachers at all? Sugata Mitra is a professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, England, and winner of the TED 2013 prize. In his TED talk called Build a school in the cloud he spoke about his ‘Hole in the Wall’ experiments where he installed a computer with an internet connection, displaying only in English, into a wall of a slum in India and left it there. When he came back a few months later he was astounded to discover that the children in the community had self-taught themselves how to use it and had even taught others too. They achieved a level of mastery simply through the power of curiosity and applied learning. Mitra’s research shows that even without a teacher, instructions, prior knowledge or experience, technology stimulates social activity, interaction and encourages learning.
To receive a copy of this, email chloe@youthline.co.nz
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 9
100th Anniversary Special | The Future of Education “The education system is not broken. It is wonderfully constructed. It’s just that we don’t need it anymore,” he says in his TED talk. “It’s not about making learning happen. It’s about letting it happen.” He added that we need to design a future for learning. In an interview with Forbes.com, Mitra was asked how he defines education. “Our current definition of education is to produce individuals who can fit into a bureaucratic machine. Education prepares to be one piece of a machine,” he says. “Our current education system produces spare parts for the machine. Everything falls into place and that is why everyone dresses the same way and why everyone is taught to know the same things. The result is a society that creates identical factory workers. The day of the factory is done. The west needs a fresh model.” Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognised leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources in education and in business, says the answer lies in the fact that education is a human system, not a mechanical system. “There is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools,” he says. “Governments decide they know best and they’re going to tell you what to do. The trouble is that education doesn’t go on in the committee rooms of our legislative buildings. It happens in classrooms and schools, and the people who do it are the teachers and the students. And if you remove their discretion, it stops working.” An article by Jim Taylor, Ph.D posted on psychologytoday.com called How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus says, “Thinking encompasses so many aspects of who
“
our children are and what they do, from observing, learning, remembering, questioning, and judging to innovating, arguing, deciding, and acting. “There is also little doubt that all of the new technologies, led by the Internet, are shaping the way we think in ways obvious and subtle, deliberate and unintentional, and advantageous and detrimental. “The uncertain reality is that with this new technological frontier in its infancy and developments emerging at a rapid pace, we have neither the benefit of historical hindsight nor the time to ponder or examine the value and cost of these advancements in terms of how it influences our children’s ability to think.”
Face time We rely on teachers to instill values and attitudes, and to be role models in the best sense of the word. They offer assistance in a warm environment where they encourage creative thinking, problem solving, confidence to express, stimulation and active engagement to warrant positive learning and development. There are those teachers who are about as enthusiastic as a stick and appear just as bored as their students, and those who some students instantly engage with, deriving information, motivation and inspiration from.
But the number of hats teachers are being asked to wear seems ever increasing as they are forced to assume more parenting duties in order to make classrooms functional environments where learning can occur.
These are the teachers who can really impact a student’s school life and the ones they will always remember; whether it’s because they made learning fun, had contagious positive energy, or simply put in the time and effort to listen and help. These are the teachers who will make a difference, those who care and want their students to excel - not because it’s their job, but because they want to make an impact.
But with the prospect of education becoming much more remote via technology, the loss of cultural and social benefits of the school environment, along with the lack of guidance from a faculty, could have profound effects on future generations.
Every child deserves a champion and an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. We’re born to make a difference
“
10 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
There’s one woman who says the role of teachers remains central to education. Rita Pierson, an American educator for 40 years says, “Every child deserves a champion and an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. We’re born to make a difference”. The Guardian online hosted the debate ‘Is teaching obsolete?’ at Salford University this year and Pamela Wright, OBE and executive head teacher, argued “… in a world now where young people are retreating more and more into virtual unreality, the teaching profession is more important than it ever was. “It is teaching that keeps it real – teaching that keeps young people alive. In short, teachers and the
profession will never die. No new models of learning can ever compromise or threaten the essence of what a teacher is, always has been and always will be.” If remote learning via technology is inevitable, can technology and relationships co-exist in education? How will the roles of teachers change? What does this mean for parents? Will it be positive and how will subjects and exams evolve? One living, breathing case study is the Khan Academy, a not for profit organisation providing free online tutorials which can be accessed by anyone, anywhere. It extracts the traditional school setting of learning and instead allows users to access a library of content online covering everything from science, math, biology, to finance, history and the French Revolution. It’s completely customisable and includes assessments, videos, interactive challenges and every users progress is recorded and monitored. “Teachers and coaches can access all of their students’ data. You can get a summary of class performance as a whole or dive into a particular student’s profile to figure out exactly which topics are problematic,” its website says. “The coach reports let coaches glance at their dashboard and quickly figure out how to best spend their time teaching.”
100th Anniversary Special | The Future of Education
Founder and executive of the academy, Salman Khan says in his TED talk Let’s use Video to Reinvent Education, “… by removing the one size fits all lecture from the classroom and letting students have a self-paced lecture at home, and then when you go to the classroom, letting them do work, having the teacher walk around, having the peers actually be able to interact with each other, these teachers have used technology to humanise the classroom. “A global, one world classroom, that’s essentially what we’re trying to build,” Salman says. Remote, online learning is already gaining momentum and perhaps sheds light on what mainstream education may well end up some time in the future. Using this model of learning we could see an education system where the educated teach the poor and the poor teach the educated. Or will the rich leave the poor behind? As with most things in life, there are pros and cons to technology, for both students and educators. We can question the safety of our children online, its effect on physical and mental health, the effect it may have on family interaction and social activities, the cost of training teachers to stay up to date with technology and have an understanding as to what technologies their students have access to and how technologies can be used in the classroom.
How are we doing? A report released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) called Education at a Glance 2013 compiles national statistics from 34 countries using data from 2010 and 2011. According to the report, New Zealand is: • Investing 7.3 percent of its GDP in education – the seventh highest in the OECD • Investing 20 percent of all public expenditure in education, which is the second highest percentage in the OECD • In the top third of countries for participation in early childhood education – 95 percent of four year olds enrolled in 2011 • In the top seven countries for the percentage of public expenditure allocated to early childhood education • In the top 10 of the OECD for the highest proportion of tertiary qualified adults, with 39 percent of 25 to 64 year olds and 47 percent of 25 to 34 year olds in New Zealand having a diploma or higher qualification • Increasing significantly the number of 15 to 19 year olds enrolled in study –81.5 percent in 2011, up from 74 per cent in 2008.
When more is less There’s a lot of talk from educators, writers, media, governments and politicians about the direction of education and how it can be reformed, but what about the students? They are the ones who are at the core of education and are supposed to be gaining the most benefit from the outcomes of these important decisions. In an article by foreignaffairs.com titled Why American Education Fails and How Lessons from Abroad Could Improve it, one comment written by a student under the username Miles French, provides an insight about the expectations of students and the severity of pressure in education by parents and teachers. “What I am passionate about are the ridiculous standards that are increasing in our education system. Here is a little example of what is expected of myself as a student. I must take advanced placement classes and balance a rigorous academic schedule, get myself to school and class on time and be prepared to work for six hours in a challenging environment, participate in multiple clubs and extra curricular activities throughout the day (to stand out on college aps and “enrich” my life), exercise for three hours after school in a school-related sport, go home and eat dinner exhausted, do my daily chores and tasks, start homework by
7:30 and finish before 10 to get enough sleep (even though each of my classes is demanding an hour’s worth of work nightly). “On top of all these things I need to study proficiently for my advancedplacement tests and SATs, hunt for colleges and complete applications, manage to find work to get some source of income while collecting service hours for school, and on top of this manage to sustain a healthy social life… I am telling you that this is not reasonable and is not possible. “You would not believe what the pressure of our education system does to students. I just want to remind parents that education is not like your generation. The standards and pressures to excel in school are far more severe and are only getting worse. I completely believe that our system needs to be reformed but I know that adding more testing and more pressure on students will not serve us anything.” If it wasn’t enough to be going through the throes of adolescence, overcoming social barriers during school years, we hear some cases of students who are pushed as far as self-harm or worse: take their own life due to utter exhaustion under the pressure to excel in all areas of school. The severity can be alarming and maybe we need to step back and ask how much is too much?
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 11
100th Anniversary Special | Viewpoints
Collaboration is the key
A blueprint for education’s future
Philip Harding is the president of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation
While there have been some advantages and efficiencies that were missing before Tomorrow’s Schools, we may have lost something even more important; namely the willingness for schools to share and collaborate. This is the thesis of Cathy Wylie, one of New Zealand’s most respected researchers, and her recent book, Vital Connections talks about some of the changes that have taken place within the educational landscape since the introduction of Tomorrow’s Schools. In years gone by teaching was a solitary affair, with practice hidden behind closed doors, apart from an accepting audience of learners. The arrival of a visitor would see the lesson grinding to a halt and children leaping to their feet to formally greet whoever walked in the door with a singsong chorus of slow unison, “Good mor....ning Mrs so-and-so...” Inspectorial visits were something that happened every three years, lasted for a day, and were prepared for weeks in advance. They were a carefully considered performance rather than a reflection of an ordinary day. The modern classroom has changed and many schools have employed a range of strategies to de-privatise and share the best of what is happening, at least within schools. There is recognition that for a teacher’s practice to change, it is simply not enough to expose staff to new ideas or approaches. There is a growing understanding that the development of a staff’s pedagogy and practice will progress more quickly when it is supported, challenged, and coached. Collaborative practice has so much to offer. Across the country the Ministry has already implemented various forms of clustering. The Learning Change Networks (LCNs) and in Canterbury, the Learning Community Clusters (LCCs), have been established. There are further successful examples including the Papakura Achievement Initiative, (PAI) and the Manaiakalani Education Trust, which are two examples of successful collaboration. What has been completely missed in these initiatives is any attempt to take the sector ‘with’ the Ministry, with any shared purpose or rationale, or indeed,
any evidence of efficacy. Indeed, the purpose of clustering has never been put to paper and shared, and schools have been expected to recognise the value on their own, and opt in, or miss out. Once the focus moves to considering the possibilities of schools working in a structured and more collaborative way, many positive opportunities emerge. Here are just a few examples: •
Shared professional learning and development
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A team approach to teacher and school inquiry
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A shared ownership of cluster achievement information
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Cross school moderation
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Shared use of facilities
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Sharing administration staff for specialised functions such as accounting, human resources, property management
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Cross school learning communities
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Broader mentoring and support at all levels
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Appraisal processes
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Opportunities for observation and professional dialogue
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Shared use of specialised and expensive equipment.
Few principals or boards will wish to see the advantages of autonomy and self-management stripped away, but perhaps this does not need to rule out more collaborative practices. The New Zealand system with its devolved approach provides huge opportunity for innovation and cutting edge practice. On the downside, it also allows other schools to ignore research based evidence which has been around for years and which should be driving change and innovation in all schools. At the same time, the Ministry’s boss, secretary Peter Hughes, is talking loud and often of a change to the Ministry’s approach with schools. He talks of working with the sector and not dealing to it. He hints at the coconstruction of critical policy, before it is announced. Imagine a sector that was always consulted early. One where data and evidence was gathered as necessary preparation to create a picture of the challenges and opportunities; where the required policy had the full support of teachers and school leaders and the Ministry. Now that would be something.
12 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Diana Anderson is the acting chief review officer at the Education Review Office
The Education Review Office has the privilege of observing good practice in schools every day, across the length and breadth of New Zealand. Through our individual school reviews and national reports we identify what’s working in schools and also what’s not going so well, with the goal of supporting schools to raise student achievement. Increasingly our role includes sharing the good practice that we see in abundance in schools of every style and in every location. This column focuses on responding to the challenges we see in our work in schools. I encourage you to read our national reports to get a much fuller view of what we are recommending to schools and, in particular, to school leaders, on specific topics. What are the challenges? We know our top performing New Zealand students are among the best in the world. And we know that students from each of our different cultural groups can succeed. But when we look at the international statistics for achievement they show that the gap between our best students and those needing extra support remains a concern. During recent years we haven’t made increases in our achievement when compared to other countries, and we haven’t been able to solve the issue of the long tail of underachievement – our priority learners. What can be done to get the gains needed? The role of school leaders in raising student achievement is pivotal. Our high trust, self-managing education system respects and relies on the professional integrity of leaders and boards to identify what is working in their schools, what they should discard and what they should extend, to make sure every student in their school is successful. Leaders can do this by building an inquiry culture in a school, where it is safe to reveal that something isn’t working.
Leaders can also challenge teachers to unpack the assumptions that sit behind habitual teaching practice and encourage them to try new practices and to experiment with new ideas in their classrooms. They do this by encouraging teachers to look into the research, trial new approaches and review whether such strategies actually made a difference and helped those students needing to make the most gains within the school. A key responsibility of leadership is to help teachers implement a curriculum that responds to students’ strengths and interests and builds on their cultural experiences and understandings. Developing a dynamic and responsive curriculum The ERO’s work in schools has consistently shown us that despite the potential inherent in the New Zealand Curriculum, there is hesitancy by some schools to develop and manage a bespoke curriculum that is rich and responsive to students’ individual interests, culture, aspirations and learning needs. In our report earlier this year about maths in Years 4 to 8, we noted that 11 percent of schools used assessment data to change their curriculum when needed. A further 50 percent of schools identified the strengths and needs of students but persisted with their current curriculum. So, in summary, ERO’s evidence confirms that good gains can be made by schools making better use of assessment data to design a curriculum or programme which is carefully tailored to each students’ needs and interests. A simple, but profound finding! I encourage you as school leaders to work with your teachers to take a close look at students’ assessment data, see what’s working and what’s not and develop programmes which will excite all students to become engaged in learning and flourish. This is not only an ethical responsibility for educators and leaders, but will also help ensure New Zealand’s children and young people are connected to successful futures through education, training and work.
100th Anniversary Special | Viewpoints
Education’s ever increasing role Gillian Simpson is the principal of St Margaret’s College
Are you happy with your students’ spelling skills?
By Joy Allcock
We live in an increasingly secular and self absorbed society where moral compasses are set through the myriad of influences from the internet, where ubiquitous technology allows us to be continuously “plugged in”, always expected to be accessible and available. A place where we have learning anytime and anywhere with knowledge and information at our fingertips, where technology presents unprecedented opportunity for positive advancements and global communications and understanding, yet at the same time creates environments for negative and destructive effects on human relationships. I believe schools play a more important role than ever in setting the moral compass for each student and in producing caring and effective future citizens. Face to face positive human interaction is key to our happiness and fulfilment and therefore our survival. Children must be given opportunity to interact, to play, to experience conflict and failure and to not be wrapped in cotton wool for fear of physical and mental harm or failure. Schools face a real challenge in coping with the increasing expectations emerging from changing parenting styles. On top of the delivery of the curriculum and maintaining the high expectations of academic programmes, teachers are expected to be available, face to face, as well as at all hours online, counsellor to child and parent, coach, mentor and at times can be recipients of unwarranted expectations and blame for family failings. School governors face the very real challenge of caring for their staff in this environment, ensuring that they are supported and maintaining a work life balance. Keeping abreast of technological advances and adapting pedagogy to meet them and to accommodate the changing expectations of our digitally
wired students coming through is a challenge for teachers. Governors and principals have to balance cost and professional development needs, supporting teachers to gain confidence and embrace these changes. There is much talk about 21st century education challenges and opportunities, yet we are already 13 years into it! We have to plan and design adaptable and flexible physical spaces for teaching and learning. New Zealand schools have long been admired for the all round education of the “whole child” and our teachers have historically given hours to the extracurricular programmes in our schools. While many courses and programmes and real “learning” will be increasingly available online, and theorists say that schools of the future may not need physical addresses, I believe schools will always be needed to facilitate learning and acquisition of knowledge and to provide a physical space for young people of all ages to interact face to face - to experience and share a wide range of cultural, spiritual and sporting activities and the sense of belonging to a community. Schools need to model and promote life long learning, producing graduates who will be creative and adaptable, who will see risk taking and rising from failure as the norm in self development and success. Feeling valued and being part of a community is key to being fully human and community schools, from preschool through to year 13, are, I believe, an ideal model for community and relating to others. With the diminishing size of the family unit the big brother/sister relationships in these schools are key to feeling connected and to behaviour modification and effective role modelling. Rites of passage at clearly recognised emotional developmental points within this model are crucial and should be celebrated. Whole communities can flourish around these, schools and even rest homes on the same site would allow for opportunities for our elderly to feel connected and needed! These are challenging and exciting times and it is indeed a privilege to work with inspiring educators and watching and helping teachers and young people to blossom and grow.
Some people find it easy to spell words accurately and others do not. Some teachers are excellent spellers and others are not. Being an accurate speller yourself does not necessarily mean you will be able to help students who struggle to spell correctly. I have spent the last 13 years developing resources and running professional learning workshops that are aimed at improving the way we teach spelling. What I have found is that we need to know more than what words look like if we want to improve students’ spelling skills – we need to know why words are spelled the way they are. The English language is complex but it has a fairly reliable spelling system. Knowledge of the spelling system increases confidence and accuracy with writing as well as improving the efficiency of decoding skills, which impacts on reading comprehension. We cannot ignore the importance of teaching students to understand the spelling system that underpins written English, because of its effect on the development of literacy skills. How many teachers know about this? How can teachers teach what they don’t know themselves?
Lack of teacher knowledge about written English plays a huge part in limiting effective spelling instruction. The best way to improve this is for schools to decide on a consistent approach they will use throughout the school. Teachers need to find out what they don’t know and schools need to ensure they provide professional learning opportunities to upskill teacher knowledge. In my experience, teachers are hungry for this knowledge and more than willing to look at identifying and filling their own knowledge gaps, if it will improve outcomes for their students. After working with teachers throughout New Zealand and beyond, I have decided that having the opportunity to re-visit material is far more effective than simply attending a one-off workshop. I have put together an online training package that helps teachers become better teachers of spelling and literacy. The video clips and downloadable resources can be used to provide ongoing professional learning for individual teachers, syndicates or whole school groups. Teachers can work together to improve their own knowledge and to develop teaching strategies to meet the needs of students in their school. Collaborative learning and planning is a powerful model for improving student outcomes. For more information email sus@ ihug.co.nz or visit www.spelling.co.nz
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 13
100th Anniversary Special | Interview
The woman who changed her brain Science has told us that our brains shape us; that they make you distinctly you and me distinctly me. But according to Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, we can also shape our brains.
By Melinda Collins
Barbara had spent her life suffering from a number of learning difficulties which had stunted both her mental learning and physical development. It was part of her brain in the left hemisphere that wasn’t working. Then the work of Mark Rosenzweig gave her a solution. Mark had been working with rats. He discovered rats in an enriched and stimulating environment were better learners, then when he looked at their brains, he realised their brains had changed physiologically to support that learning. This was neuroplasticity in action; the brain’s ability to physically change. Barbara then realised she had to find a way to exercise the parts of her brain which weren’t working as they should. She has since taken that knowledge and formulated a learning programme for students with learning difficulties. The Arrowsmith Program is in more than 50 schools in Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand, with more than 4,000 students having completed the programme. Barbara has also written about her experiences in The Woman Who Changed Her Brain and she presented a popular TED Talk on the same topic.
Barbara Arrowsmith-Young
New Zealand recently about learning blocks, neuroscience and how one can transform the other.
How does the Arrowsmith Program work? “There is current research being conducted and programmes being developed that address the root causes of learning disabilities that go beneath the symptoms to address the underlying problem. These types of programmes, which I refer to as capacity based, are stimulating cognitive functions of the brain and in doing so, they change the fundamental learning capacity of the individual. Capacity based programmes have been developed from research in the field of neuroscience and are developed from an understanding of how the brain functions and utilise the principles of neuroplasticity to stimulate and enhance functioning. They do not use compensations or work-arounds, which can have some success, but which require enormous amounts of effort and which do not directly address the problem.
Yes our brains shape us, but we can also shape our brains. That, she says, is the perfect marriage between neuroscience and education.
The Arrowsmith Program is one such capacity based program - a programme of cognitive exercises that tap into the brain’s ability to change, utilising the process of neuroplasticity. The programme is designed to change the fundamental capacity of the learner to learn by strengthening weak cognitive functions that underlie learning problems. The goal of the cognitive exercises is not to learn a skill but to give the brain a mental workout in order to improve its ability to learn.
Barbara Arrowsmith-Young spoke to Principals Today when she toured
The first essential step in the programme is to identify each
Barbara believes no child should live with the ongoing struggle and pain of a learning difficulty like she did and wants to see a day where cognitive exercises become a normal part of education.
14 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
student’s cognitive profile – his or her specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses out of the 19 cognitive areas the programme can address. We do this through a detailed assessment process and this determines which cognitive exercises each student needs to work on until the weak areas function properly. I am clear that the 19 areas the programme currently addresses are just a subset of a broader range of cognitive areas, and that these tend to be the more common problem areas related to what we see in the students we work with who have learning disabilities - from auditory and visual memory, to thinking, problem solving, and reasoning, to numeracy, attention, comprehension, to nonverbal interpretation of situations, to the underlying functions related to literacy and writing, and to navigating in the world. The Arrowsmith Program is not teaching content, but changing the brain of the learner so that it can register, absorb, retain, process and use the content. We are getting the brain ready to learn by strengthening critical cognitive functions such as reasoning, thinking, planning, problem solving, visual memory for symbol patterns, auditory memory for facts and instructions, visual memory for objects such as landmarks and faces, number sense, non-verbal problem solving required for effective social interaction, spatial reasoning necessary for navigating one’s way, and learning motor plans involved in writing and reading. Once the brain is changed, learning can occur naturally and the roadblocks that previously impeded learning are removed.
Results have shown that the rate of learning improves (students who were learning at the rate of .6 of a year per year because of the interference of their learning disabilities began to learn at 1.2 to 2 years per year after the programme of cognitive exercises - effectively doubling their rate of learning) and parents, teachers and students all notice significant improvement in the student’s cognitive functioning and ability to learn. Follow up studies have shown that the gains are maintained years after the completion of the programme. Once the cognitive function has been strengthened the gains are maintained as the individual now begins to use these capacities in everyday life. An exciting development is that the Arrowsmith Program is in discussion with researchers in Canada, the US and Australia to design and implement further studies to investigate what is happening in the brain as a result of this work.”
What are some of the misconceptions of learning difficulties? “One of the main misconceptions is that the child will grow out of the learning problem. While some cognitive functions do mature at different rates, and as a result there may be gains in functioning over time as the area matures, the majority of learning problems do not disappear over time. Children may get more proficient at compensating so some of the visible signs of the learning problem are less evident however, the underlying problem remains and compensation always takes energy and is not the most efficient way to learn. “
100th Anniversary Special | Interview
“Another misconception is the belief that children with learning disabilities are not intelligent. The very definition of a learning disability presupposes that the child has, at a minimum, an average level of intellectual functioning with weaknesses in very specific areas of cognitive functioning that impede the child from utilising their intelligence in very specific aspects of learning. These children continue to be stigmatised and come to view themselves as inadequate and incompetent. In many cases there is not an open discussion with the child about their struggles and about their strengths, so these children learn early on that it is not acceptable to show that they are having difficulty and they develop strategies to hide their difficulties. They begin to feel shame and this leads to a negative selfconcept and to not seeking help. We need open dialogue with students about their struggles and to help these students understand there is no shame in having a learning disability – that it is just part of their brain that is not working as well as other parts, and that we as educators can work with these students to find solutions.”
His research led me to understand that my learning difficulties were the result of problems in the functioning of specific parts of my brain. The other line of research was that of Mark Rosenzweig, an American psychologist, who was demonstrating, in rats, the concept of neuroplasticity. I put these two lines of research together, my theory being that it should be possible to transform weak areas of the brain through repetitive and targeted cognitive exercises that stimulate and exercise the specific underlying function of that part of the brain. I created the first cognitive exercise for myself, to address my own severe learning disability and after several months of exercising the weak part of my brain, found profound changes in my ability to learn and comprehend that could only have resulted from changes in my brain’s ability to process information. We now know that it is possible to change the brain through the application of targeted cognitive exercises, which I discovered in 1978.”
How has the programme been received?
How did you develop the idea for the programme? “It was in 1977 that I came across the two lines of research that changed my life. One line of research was that of a brilliant Russian neuropsychologist, Alexander Luria, who was working with people in Russia after World War II, soldiers who had very specific head wounds as a result of the war, and he was mapping what functions different parts of the brain carried out, the jobs they performed in our intellectual functioning.
“Initially there was not wide acceptance for this work. In 1978 professionals questioned whether learning disabilities had anything to do with the brain and the concept of neuroplasticity was not accepted. The widely held belief was that the brain was fixed and hard-wired and if there was a learning problem, one had to learn to live with it. Gradually over the last 35 years, research has demonstrated that learning problems have their source in the brain and that neuroplasticity is an irrefutable process.
As the Arrowsmith Program has been implemented in an increasing number of schools, more and more teachers and administrators are observing and tracking the changes in the capacity of their students to learn. They observe students who previously lacked self-confidence and struggled with the learning process become self-directed learners with confidence based on real competence. These observations, in combination with several outcome studies showing increases in the rate of learning, positive changes on academic and cognitive measures, and improved grades in school, have contributed to the widespread positive reception for the programme.”
What do you see as being the key issues within addressing learning difficulties today? “I think a key issue is; how do we effectively translate the research coming from the field of neuroscience into practical programmes that can be implemented in the classroom by trained teachers? As with any new knowledge it takes time for it to inform other fields and practices – it is a paradigm shift in terms of how one must view the learner – as not a fixed entity into whom we instill knowledge, but as an entity that is modifiable and changeable, whose very capacity to learn can be changed.”
FOR ALL YOUR SCHOOL AND CLUB TIE NEEDS shelley@sanderties.co.nz | 06 364 6650 | Sanderties.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 15
100th Anniversary Special | Interview “This is happening gradually in the field of education and I believe in the next 10 years we will see more programmes developed that put into practice what we have learnt from this research in the field of neuroscience to benefit students struggling with learning disabilities.
Now, so many years after my ‘brain change’ I feel normal.
Neuroscience has demonstrated that not only do our brains shape us, but has provided us with clear and hopeful evidence of the corollary - we can shape our brains.
When I first saw the results of doing this mental exercise – being able to understand text as I read it, grasp conversations as they unfolded in real time, see points of logic in mathematics, follow reasoned arguments, all things that with the best effort in the world, I had never been able to do before, I knew something fundamentally had changed in my brain to allow me to grasp and process relationships.
Another key issue is accurate identification through the development of measures that can assess the strengths and weaknesses in the cognitive functions of students struggling with the learning process. Any programme, to be effective, must first begin with a differential diagnosis so that we know which cognitive components require intervention. We also must measure the degree of severity of the cognitive impairment, so we know how to calibrate the level of difficulty of the cognitive exercise to engage the brain to best drive neuroplastic change through effortful processing.” You have had your own struggle with learning difficulties, how has developing this programme changed your life? “I remember vividly the pain, the isolation, the feeling of never fitting in, never understanding what was going on in the world around me. Studying for exams was a gruelling experience that I likened to swimming through quicksand. I could not tell time, understand logic, grasp concepts. My world was one of overwhelming confusion, effort and anxiety. In addition to not comprehending my world, I could not navigate in space, would constantly get lost and was uncoordinated and accident prone. I could not excel academically, socially or athletically.
At the time and for several years afterwards it was exhilarating. I could now comprehend my world – no more sitting on the sidelines isolated and clued out.
The fundamental change in my brain allowed me to understand and fully participate in my world. And this spurred me on to create cognitive programmes to address my other problem areas and with these improvements it meant I no longer got lost, I could translate diagrams into three dimensional objects, construct and interpret maps, and no longer was I a danger to myself from my lack of co-ordination.”
What difference will a programme like this make to someone who has had difficulties with learning? “So many times I have heard adults with learning disabilities talk about the road not taken, the dreams not realised - they ended up taking a path that they did not choose for themselves but one that was chosen for them because of their cognitive difficulties. What this work does, through strengthening cognitive functions, is allow the learning process to unfold with ease and pleasure, to open a world of possibilities for these individuals so that they can make different choices and have a different future.”
What is one of the common learning problems your programme addresses? “Many students have problems learning to read and spell. The underlying cognitive problem in many of these cases is what I call symbol recognition. This has been called the brain’s letterbox by researchers and has also been commonly referred to as word blindness. It is a key component of dyslexia. These students struggle to recognise or retain the symbol patterns that make up words, and depending on the degree of severity of this cognitive deficit, reading is impossible or very difficult. The student spends time every day studying unfamiliar symbols with the goal of strengthening his or her visual memory for symbol patterns, which translates into an improved ability to remember symbol patterns necessary for reading and spelling. At the end of working the brain’s capacity for remembering visual symbols, the student can remember word patterns and spelling patterns and is able to learn how to read. Research has demonstrated that as a result of this cognitive programme scores on standardised tests of word
recognition, spelling and visual memory all improve.”
What is your vision for education for children struggling with learning problems? “That schools can investigate cognitive or capacity based programmes and implement them within the traditional school system beginning in the early grades. This way school becomes a place where children go to work their brains, to improve cognitive functioning and also to acquire knowledge and content. It is to me what schools should be doing as we now have the knowledge that the brain can change and we need to be applying that knowledge to address learning disabilities. Within this model, children’s learning problems would be addressed at the outset of their school career and all of the emotional trauma that builds over time as these students experience frustration and failure in trying to learn within the delivery model of traditional educational curriculum would not occur, as their learning problems would be addressed at the beginning of their schooling.”
WIN! We have four copies of the book ‘The Woman Who Changed Her Brain’ to give away!
Science has told us that our brains shape us; that they make you distinctly you and me distinctly me. But according to Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, we can also shape our brains. Thanks to the lovely folks at HarperCollins, we have four copies of ‘The Woman Who Changed Her Brain’ to give away. Just email your name and address to melinda@academy.net.nz with the subject line ‘Brains’ and the first four entries will receive a copy of this inspiring story.
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16 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
News | LEOTC
News | Celebrations
Absolutely worth the effort The 100 club It is well established that outdoor education programmes promote active learning through direct personal experience and offer excitement, fun and adventure within a framework of safety. As the director of the Kiwi Adventure Trust I am in a privileged position to witness great growth in the young people who participate in our outdoor education programmes and events. Research has shown that challenging experiences outdoors impacts powerfully upon a young person’s intellectual, physical, spiritual, social and moral development. The use of the outdoors makes a major contribution to physical and environmental education and enhances many other curriculum areas. It contributes to personal growth and social awareness and develops skills for life and the world of work. Qualities such as a sense of responsibility and a purpose in life are nurtured by well run outdoor education (OE) programmes. There is also a great deal of intrinsic enjoyment and satisfaction to be experienced from participation in outdoor activities. Outdoor education programmes and events also create memories and stories that are important. I would bet that you can remember the camps that you took part in as a kid. You may remember the feeling of being ‘on the edge’, the discoveries that you made, or even cooking a meal in an open fire. For each of us it is different, but these lessons add so much to who we are. I think we also get something out of the programmes that we are involved
in as educators, as it allows us to create incubators for growth that we could never do in a classroom. One such example was in 2007 when a group of students from a Decile 1 school had the opportunity to take part in the GO-4-12 Youth Adventure Race (which also doubles as the New Zealand Secondary Schools Adventure Racing Championships). The deputy head of the school told me before the event that there was one student that he thought would struggle to complete the 12 hour event, due to his lack of mental toughness. But this kid proved us wrong and I was ecstatic when I read a newspaper article where this boy stated, “I have learnt that I can do anything that I set my mind to”. This is a realisation and a confidence that few adults have. I was told by a visitor to the school that when the team described their time at the event at a school assembly, you could hear a pin drop and everyone was on the edge of their seat and those students became heroes and role models to many younger students. We have had many teams from that school in the event and every year those kids come back better than when they started out. That is because challenging experiences impact powerfully upon a young person’s intellectual, physical, spiritual, social and moral development. The use of the outdoors makes a major contribution to physical and environmental education and enhances many other curriculum areas. So what is the real and relevant value of outdoor education to your students? I would venture to say there is a huge amount of value. David Tait, by director of the Kiwi Adventure Trust. For more information visit: www.kiwi-adventure.co.nz
As this is our 100th Anniversary issue, we thought it’d be rude not to mention the schools who also pass the centenary mark this year. Te Kura o Matipihi School The wild weather did not stop the celebrations or dampen the spirits of the 170 people who came to celebrate 100 years of Te Kura o Matapihi on the 16th of June. Past students and teachers from as far back as 1913 gathered at the kura to share stories, find old friends and to reminisce on their school years. All of the speakers spoke fondly of their time at the kura and each placed great value on the discipline and hard work, saying it set them up well for the rest of their lives. The anniversary was the first of the school’s centennial celebrations this year. On August 17 a sports and cultural day for younger ex-pupils took place at the school, and on October 26 it celebrated with a dinner and dance, coinciding with the release of a centennial book and a digital storybook. Te Kura o Matipihi School made significant changes to staffing and appointed a new principal in Term 3, 2008. Since then the school has strengthened teachers’ professional skills and knowledge about effective classroom practice and improving levels of student engagement with learning. Its last ERO Reviews in 2009 and 2012 have both been very positive.
Other schools celebrating their centenary this year: Tasman School Sitting just north of Nelson, Tasman School was established 1913 and was originally known as Aporo School due to the apples grown in the region. Tasman School is a vibrant, caring, family orientated school of about 75 students. The principal and staff are passionate about academic achievement, the environment, the arts, physical activity and are focused on the technologies of the future. It has a long and proud history and looks forward to sharing some of its stories and successes at the 2013 centennial celebrations. For more information, go to www.tasman.school.nz
Mount Maunganui Primary School A Decile 7 school for Year 0 - 6 learners living within the school zone, Mount Maunganui Primary School is proud to maintain a strong positive partnership with its school community. The school is licensed to enrol international students and have hosted students from Japan, China, Korea, Spain, the USA and England. The students add a unique perspective to the school and is another part of what makes Mount Maunganui Primary a special place. To find out more, go to www.mtprimary.school.nz
Our Lady of the Snows Established in Methven, Our Lady of the Snows School has a long history of providing a quality Catholic education to generations of mid-Canterbury locals. It provides an education from new entrant to Year 8 and is focused on covering all areas of the New Zealand Curriculum with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The school celebrated their centennial on October 19th where a photographer took full class photos, family photos and individual photos. To find out more about the school and its celebrations, go to www.ladysnow.school.nz
Monte Cecilia Catholic School Set in the heart of Auckland’s premier Monte Cecilia park, the school is an urban school with a rural setting. Overlooking the fabulous Manukau Harbour and adjacent to the historic Pah Homestead, there has been a school on the site for more than 100 years. On August 26, 1913 the Sisters of Mercy purchased the property and moved in the orphans from Star of the Sea in Howick which had been damaged by fire, thus establishing the long Mercy tradition at Monte Cecilia School. For more information, go to www.montececilia.school.nz
Te Papapa Primary School Te Papapa Primary School is a learning community that nurtures enthusiastic, confident and responsible learners, where diversity is valued and success is celebrated. For more information go to www.facebook.com/tepapapaschoo
“It may be the GO-4-12 Youth Adventure Race, Triple Peaks Challenge, Kayaking, ABL, Caving, Climbing, Unit Standards, Journeys or Tramping... The bottom line is, we grow kids through adventure” - David Tait Director 480 Gloucester St, Taradale, Napier | 06 845 9336 xt 732 | kiwi-adventure.co.nz
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 17
News | Review
BOOK REVIEW Childhoods Reviewed by Melinda Collins Author: Various Publisher: Otago University Press RRP: $50
Nestled comfortably in the backwaters of the South Pacific, New Zealand has long been lauded a clean, green childhood dream; a great place to live and an even better place to raise our littlies. In reality New Zealand has some of the worst levels of child poverty, poor health and child suicide rates in the OECD. As much as 25 percent of our children – about 270,000 – currently live in poverty. That’s one in every four children. For them that New Zealand
If anything, this book will make you realise improving the conditions for childhoods in New Zealand go above and beyond a black and white issue of more money equals a better childhood. Whatever we take from it, it should certainly be ways to improve the lives of our children, according to University of Otago emeritus professor of education Keith Ballard in his foreword to the book. “From this book we can see that there are adults and children who do care about fairness and justice and, from the stories told here, we might identify ways in which all of our lives could be better.
image really is a childhood dream – an unattainable one. Childhood: Growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand brings together the essays of leading researchers from several disciplines. It seeks to highlight issues which need to be addressed in order for children to participate positively in a socially just society which considers their voices and perspectives, co-editor Dr Nancy Higgins explains. “Questions are being asked about current changes in children and young people’s lives: decreasing independence, greater pressure to succeed and perform, enhanced parental expectations and increasing problems of poverty, abuse and poor health. This book will inform those working with children and young people, as well as the wider community about the diverse nature of childhoods in New Zealand today,” she says. Childhood: Growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand is as diverse as the childhoods it encounters. Some chapters examine the socio-political contexts in which the children’s lives
18 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
are embedded, others illustrate how children experience their homes, classrooms and communities, how they read and interpret their relationships with adults and with one another, and what is good and not so good in their interactions with people and places. This diversity lends to the book a holistic view of growing up in New Zealand. It identifies areas of policy and practice which are failing our children and offers economic, social and environmental issues which require urgent attention to rectify the situation.
“Progress toward a better world for children would involve rejecting the neo-liberal values of selfishness, inequality and consumerism and supporting more co-operative ideas and actions for the social good.” So is New Zealand a good place to raise a family? “New Zealand is considered ‘a good place to bring up children’ but the reality is that many children and young people do not experience it as a good place,” Dr Nancy Higgins says. “We have the resources and potential to provide fantastic childhood experience; the challenge is how to realise this potential for all children.” Guess you’ll have to pick up a copy of the book to decide for yourself.
Changes to child restraint laws
On November 1 child restraint laws changed to improve the safety of children travelling on our roads. The changes will affect parents and caregivers but may also affect schools transporting children. From 1 November the mandatory use of child restraints in vehicles was extended by two years. This means that all children are required to be correctly secured in an ‘approved’ restraint until their seventh birthday – previously their fifth. Parents and caregivers must continue to secure any children aged seven in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle, and if not, in any child restraint or safety belt that is available.
What are approved child restraints?
These changes have been made by the Government to help reduce preventable deaths and serious injuries to child passengers travelling in vehicles on our roads.
• Restraints for older babies, toddlers and preschool children (such as convertible or forward-facing car seats)
Seats and safety belts installed in vehicles are designed and manufactured to most effectively protect an average sized adult in the event of a crash. Children, because they are smaller and have a different body shape to adults, need additional seating equipment to keep them as safe as adults in a car. How will the new rules apply to schools? How the new rules apply to schools will depend on a number of factors such as the type of vehicle and number of seats, and the age of the children being transported. One of the main ways to determine how the new rules apply is if your vehicle is defined as a Passenger Service Vehicle – if so certain exemptions may apply. Organisations running a passenger service will have applied for a transport service licence, meaning that they have to meet certain legal standards and requirements to get a licence and operate a passenger service – so if your vehicle falls into this category, you should know. You can find information to help you assess what, if any, changes will be required by your school in the Q&A document at www.nzta.govt. nz/child restraints.
Approved child restraints are ones that meet approved standards so you can be sure that they have been designed and tested to provide an acceptable level of safety. Approved child restraints include: • Infant restraints for young babies (such as baby capsules or rear-facing convertible car seats)
• Booster seats for preschool and school-aged children. These position children in the seat so they can safely use the adult safety belt • Child safety harnesses (used with or without a booster seat) for preschool and school-aged children. The most suitable type of child restraint required to keep a child safe will vary depending on the child’s size. Also if families have multiple children and child restraints, it’s important to find out the best combination for their children and their vehicle. So it’s important to seek expert advice and ideally have the restraints fitted to the vehicle. Using a booster seat lifts a child to the correct height/dimensions to best fit the adult safety belt, which reduces the potential trauma suffered by a child in the event of a crash. When a child is large enough to sit in a booster seat, parents and caregivers need to ensure they’re seated at the correct height for the safety belt to protect them in a crash. More information is available at www.nzta.govt. nz/childrestraints including resources that can be shared with parents and caregivers. This includes leaflets in different languages which can be ordered and posters which can be downloaded.
What are the rules from November 1, 2013?
CHILD AGE
THE LAW SAYS YOU MUST:
Until their 7th birthday
Correctly secure your child in an approved child restraint
THE LAW SAYS YOU MUST: From their 7th to their 8th birthday
Correctly secure your child in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle (and if not, in any child restraint or safety belt that is available)
Issue | School Closures
Closed or be closed - do schools have a say Personal experience of the confusion and upheaval of school closures led Massey University’s Claire Hills to investigate whether communities can fight back.
protests that kept it open, and the 2009 Bush District Community-initiated education plan.
The Masterton teacher wrote her thesis titled Closed or be closed: to what extent can school closures and mergers be contested and negotiated, for her PhD research at Massey University.
Her research shows that communities who value their schools as cultural treasures are prepared to fight hard for them, but there are also lessons for the Ministry of Education to observe.
Her interest in the topic came from her experience as both a teacher and a parent when in 1978 St Bride’s College and St Joseph’s College merged, leaving a “painful legacy”. The mother of eight drew on the case for her master’s thesis, and then took a broader view for her doctorate, examining closures and mergers in a post-Tomorrow’s Schools context.
“People who make policies in the cities need to have a far higher and grounded awareness of the critical importance of schools in rural areas as essential social capital,” she says. “Yes, they are providers of education, but their role has gone beyond that into becoming the basic social glue that holds the community together.
She explored three different cases; the 2003 Masterton District Review that led to the closure and merger of several schools, the 2008 Makoura College closure decision and the community
Claire, who is head of English at Chanel College, says the title of her thesis set the tone. “I wanted to explore; was it as black and white as had been suggested? Or was there room for communities to protest and contest school closures and mergers? And I found in certain contexts there was.”
“If as a nation our rural towns are such an important part of our economy and society, then we need to be prepared to accept there are going to be smaller schools that need to be supported so communities can live in these places.”
Claire was encouraged to pursue her PhD by her late husband Peter. “When I was graduating with my masters, my husband looked at some of the interesting academic gowns around, pointed to a doctoral gown and said ‘I’d like to see you wearing one of those’. “After he died I needed to explore new pathways in my life and his challenge to me came back into mind, and I thought that would be a personal Mount Everest and keep me out of mischief at the same time.” Institute of Education professor Roger Openshaw says school mergers and closures have long been contentious, and Claire’s thesis significantly deepens our understanding of the impact of educational decision making on communities. Claire studied for her PhD part time for five years while working fulltime and graduates in November. While the Christchurch school closures and mergers were not examined in her research, she says that given the result in the Aorangi School case, she will watch the judicial review proceedings taken by the Philipstown School board of trustees against the ministry with particular interest.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 21
News | Ideas
A payment solution for today’s world A few clicks of the mouse and a new trip is displayed on the e-commerce website belonging to Stonefields School; ready and waiting for parents to pay online from home or work - any time that suits them. Office wizard Ellie Kinley will simply cut and paste the link into the next school e-newsletter and parents will be able to pay for the trip within seconds of reading about it.
“I prefer to pay for as much as I can with my credit card to earn points. I’ve really enjoy using the system; it’s very logical.”
Does this strike you as too good to be true? It may sound that way, but according to Ellie, managing payments through their new website couldn’t be easier. The school introduced the online payment option to parents in Term 1 this year and already 60 percent of families are registered as users.
Fundraising benefits
At the end of 2012, Stonefields School principal, Sarah Martin was invited to trial Kindo, the software behind the new online school ‘shop’. Sarah had the confidence to give it a go because Stonefields already had hands-on experience using a sister product – the software that powers online school lunch service, ezlunch. Both ‘software as a service’ products were developed by New Zealand company, The Growth Collective. Ezlunch is now used by more than 40 New Zealand schools and Kindo was officially launched at last month’s New Zealand Principals Federation Conference.
First hand experience “Quite simply, it works,” Sarah Martin says. “The system is easily administered. It allows us to charge families for activities as the fees are incurred, rather than rolling all the payments into one lump sum due at the beginning of the year. “It offers a more transparent pay as you go option for families. We had also received 95 percent of our budgeted school donations by the end of June this year – almost 20 percent paid through Kindo. “The beauty of Kindo is that it allows schools to focus on their core function of teaching without the distraction of admin headaches.” Parents seem to agree. Angela Cosford is the mother of two Stonefields School students in year zero and year three. She switched to paying for everything her children needed using the e-commerce software as soon as she heard about the option.
As a member of the PTA, Angela has been most impressed by the difference Kindo has made when it comes to gathering fundraising dollars. “We ran a quiz night fundraiser last year and I remember spending the week before the event trying to drum up ticket sales so that we could get a full house. This year the tickets were sold through the office and online. A link to the website was posted in the school newsletter. We sold out a week ahead of time. I think that being able to pay online immediately made a huge difference to our sales.”
Ease of use Recently, two Year 7/8 pupils were unable to attend their school camp at the last minute due to illness, so the school needed to arrange payment refunds. One family had paid by cash or cheque. Office staff had to contact the parents to find out the date of payment and which payment method they had used. Then they needed to check back through the student management system to reconcile the payment with the information from the parents. Finally staff were able to organise the refund. The other family had paid online through Kindo, leaving a clear audit trail. The school was able to repay the money quickly and easily with no need to seek further information. Needless to say, it took longer for the second family to receive their refund and tied up much more administrative time in the process.
Flexibility for working parents Part of the system’s appeal can be explained by the fact that the school is seeing an increasing number of families with two working parents. This makes it much more difficult for parents to take time out to visit the school office.
22 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Stonefields currently offers online payment for trips, ICAS exam payments, camp, Mathletics, Maths Whizz, swimming, fundraising events and school donations through Kindo. Online is one of several payment options at Stonefields School. Office administrators currently accept payments by cheque, cash and direct debit as well as through the website. However the school does not have eftpos or credit card payment available at the school office.
Stonefields School principal Sarah Martin: “Schools can focus on their core function of teaching without the distraction of admin headaches.”
Payment pros and cons Weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of each type of payment, Kindo comes out on top in terms of time saving, Ellie says. “The weekly reports from the website are very transparent. We don’t have to rely on parents referencing payments correctly with the child’s name and what they are for – the website cart process ensures that this is all done automatically. We never have to chase for more details. “With other payment methods we often find costs rolled together or mislabelled and we have to do some detective work to figure out which family and event to code them to in our student management and financial systems.
‘Office wizard’ Ellie Kinley “getting in money faster since we started using Kindo.”
“Handling cash and cheques through the office means time spent writing reports and dealing with the transactions themselves – mostly during the really busy periods immediately before and after school. We then need to code and double enter the information into our other systems. “Kindo will completely rule out any human error, manual reconciliations and data entry. It would take away a huge chunk of our admin work,” Ellie confirmed. “Kindo has no set up cost, it’s up and running within a day and it’s so easy to manage. I really can’t see why any school wouldn’t give it a go.”
The use of icons makes it quick and easy for admin staff to set up events and services.
Tools | Language Perfect/Numicon
Learning the language By Davina Richards
Confidence has been restored to thousands of students around the world thanks to Language Perfect – an engaging, online language learning tool which tests reading, writing and listening abilities. The program already helps 200,000 students from 1,000 schools in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the UK, with students answering more than one million questions each day. As numbers soar students have cause to believe things are looking up. While many students were still thinking about what they want to be when they grow up, Craig Smith, founder and CEO of Language Perfect, knew his calling when he thought of the idea while in high school. The 24 year old entrepreneur, who describes the programme as relevant, online, accessible and fun, was the winner of the Audacious 40k Business Plan competition 2007, the Computer World Excellence Award, Young ICT Talent Category 2008 and named Young New Zealander of the Year semifinalist in 2012. Following the success of Language Perfect, the team behind the revolution are taking on the entire school curriculum with its latest release Education Perfect. The idea for the education revolution was set in motion seven years ago when Craig Smith was at Saint Kentigern College learning French and Japanese for his NCEA exams. It was here that he found languages, particularly vocabulary, difficult and time consuming to learn and built a computer program to test himself.
How it works Language Perfect is available in more than 10 languages and the content is fully customised to each school’s curriculum. Annual licences provide full
access and most schools enrol all their language students. The program can be accessed from any computer with internet and can be utilised in school and at home – which means teachers can set students homework through the system. “Languages can be a very difficult subject for students, yet it’s an increasingly important skill for a global citizen. Language Perfect is a powerful resource to aid teachers and provide students with a personalised vocabulary tutor both in and out of the classroom,” Craig says. “Firstly, it’s delivered through a medium which is accessible to students. Students can hear the pronunciation of words as they are learning which is really useful. They receive a tailored learning experience as the software identifies words they are struggling with. It’s a nonthreatening environment where they are comfortable to make mistakes and learn. “
Trouble BE INTO WIN! with Be in to win a $100 voucher maths? to use on your purchase of Numicon.
Well help is at hand with Numicon. There are hundreds of ideas with Numicon… in fact, make that hundreds of hundreds of ideas. Look at the 100-based baseboard and baseboard template. You can teach percentage, decimals, money and fractions with this in an easy and simple manner. You can teach areas, regions and perimeters.
Education Perfect Education Perfect is an extension of Language Perfect. With one login, schools have access to all learning data for their students across maths, science, English, history and other key subjects. Early feedback is positive, with more than 700 schools trialling the system in the 21 days since launch. “Behind the scenes we’ve spent the last year building Education Perfect – a framework which can be used by most of the core subjects in Year 7 - Year 13. “We released a beta version of Education Perfect to our Language Perfect subscribers at the start of May for free. We’ve been blown away with the response. Over 500,000 questions have been answered in the last three weeks from 700 schools,” he says. Like when starting any business, company growth is vital to move business forward and add value to a product or service. It’s something Craig has already thought about. His five year goal is to have 2,000 schools using Education Perfect. This equates to educating around two million students and answering an estimated 20 billion questions a year.
We’re looking for 100 schools to run 3 month extended trials for Education Perfect To get in touch email support@educationperfect.com for more information! www.educationperfect.com Phone 03 669 0311
24 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Simply email info@ numicon.co.nz before Friday, November 29. Write ‘Numicon voucher’ in the subject line and go in the draw to win the voucher. This will be your first purchase of Numic
No more kids failing maths - even if they have dyscalculia Numicon was written as a result of teachers alarmed with continuing failure of bright children in the UK under the Numeracy Strategy, which was based on counting and using mental strategies. They realised that many children were not able to work entirely in their heads and needed to see and work with concrete structures that would give a picture of mathematical concepts. Since then teachers and schools have found that all children love using the equipment, especially those having trouble with maths.
Numicon illustrates the relationship of numbers clearly to all children. The systematic teaching of Numicon provides structure and confidence for teachers. Numicon gives students a rich experience of thinking mathematically and really enjoying their experiences of maths learning. The equipment is used from early childhood through to high school.
There are many factors to consider when a pupil or student is not succeeding in learning mathematics, such as a weak memory, poor organisation, a mismatch between teaching and learning styles, or a curriculum that leaves the pupil behind. Dyscalculia can be described as having one or a number of these difficulties: language of maths, symbols, problem solving, memory, communicating mathematically, unable to see differences, comprehending concepts, working in the sequences of numbers and calculations. But how do you identify the causes and decide what intervention to use? Well the Numicon Intervention Programme has all the answers. Numicon, because of the multisensory and structured approach, is an effective support for learning and understanding the world of numbers.
Property
Sustainability
Hobsonville Point’s design Why choose the Burgess Wetpour system? with the future in mind The reasons, purpose and benefits of a Burgess Wetpour system are varied! This great playground surface enables your matting to be installed as a continuous installation, flowing around equipment and poles, leaving no gaps, rolling over mounds and following contoured surfaces.
Some of the key features for using this system are: • Continuous installation, flowing around equipment and poles, leaving no gaps, rolling over mounds and following contoured surfaces • Fabulous coloured options and you can join these with a pattern or design of your choice and you have your own unique playground • 100 percent recycled rubber • Impact Pads for areas where a softer landing is needed, scuff pads, DIY modular long run and tiles, deck and ramp matting are also BMS specialties • Make it non slip and safe • Avoid tile joins
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Burgess
Matting offers a free, no obligation
and quote.
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measure
• Wetpour requires minimal maintenance – forget the days of topping up bark • Will last for many years as it’s very durable • Base preparation prior to the matting installation is of the utmost importance and can add years to your playground surface • NZS5828:2004 compliant and comes with a five year warranty. Burgess Matting offers a free, no obligation measure and quote. A sales representative can meet with you to discuss the matting systems which are suitable for your requirements. Invest in BMS Wetpour Playground Matting, provide your children with a safe and enjoyable environment and give yourself the benefit of reduced maintenance. Burgess Matting T 0800 80 85 70 E admin@burgessmatting.co.nz www.burgessmatting.co.nz
Safety Matting for Playgrounds, Decks, Steps & Ramps, Impact Pads below Slides & Swings, Ramps & Mats for Wheelchair Access, Flooring & Gym Tiles. Cricket Wicket Matting.
— Advertising Feature
Recently awarded a 5 Green Star rating for both design and construction, Hobsonville Point Primary School is innovative, efficient, and the first school in New Zealand to be developed as a public private partnership (PPP). The De Havilland Drive school sits on the former Hobsonville Air Base in the heart of the newly developed Hobsonville Point area and caters for primary school students from years one to eight. The project to design and build the school, which opened in February this year, embraced Green Star from the outset. Under the Ministry of Education’s new PPP model the private consortium brought together to design and build the school will maintain the building for the next 25 years. The consortium is led by Hawkins Construction and includes Programme Facilities Maintenance which will manage the building, and was involved from the start of the 18-month PPP design and build process. Hawkins Construction design manager, Craig Watkins says the sustainability features included as part of Green Star, combined with the PPP approach, made this project unique. The PPP process ensured that all parties were actively involved with the development of the sustainable initiatives and that these not only complemented the building, but met the growing needs of teachers and students alike in New Zealand. “We’ve focused on sustainability and Green Star from the outset and the result is a hugely energy efficient building with an environment that is built to encourage modern teaching methods,” he says. Key sustainability features include rainwater harvesting to provide the school with all its grey water requirements. All heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting is automatically controlled through a building management system that responds to levels of daylight and occupancy in different parts of the building.
“We’ve incorporated as much natural daylight into the building as possible by clear glazing 45 percent of the roof area with daylight strips to provide and distribute natural light whilst minimising glare. The full extent of this means that over 74 percent of the usable floor area exceeds the 2.5 percent daylight factor required,” Watkins says. “The project had many complex challenges, such as matching energy efficiency needs with learning needs, including acoustic requirements.” The school has acoustic insulation which not only cuts out any outside noise, but ensures there is minimal noise leakage from one open learning area to another. As an added bonus for the school, many of its sustainability features double as learning resources for the students who can view and study the likes of rain water harvesting, daylight and energy efficiency in action. Watkins says Hawkins Construction advise clients, where possible, to use Green Star to achieve their objectives, because the rating ensures they will reap a significant return on the up front investment during the life of the building. The Hobsonville School project achieved its 5 Green Star built rating by ‘streamlining’ 63 percent of its Green Star design points. The streamlining process, in place since 2012, allows Green Star design projects to achieve faster and easier built ratings when the construction adheres closely to the sustainability features of the design. School principal Daniel Birch is delighted with his new education building and the benefits of the Green Star sustainability features. “It’s not only the significant cost savings from energy efficiency, but also the quality of the environment,” he says. “The school is purpose built for 21st century learning and teaching and we’re already seeing students and teachers thriving in the new environment.” Under the PPP model the consortium is responsible for all building and property maintenance, freeing up the Board of Trustees, principal and staff to focus on learning and school leadership. An adjacent secondary school is being built to complete the Hobsonville Point schools development, and is scheduled for completion at the end of the year. This project is also targeting a Green Star rating.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 25
Security
Take the guesswork out of your school’s security Technology empowers students in almost any learning environment, to be actively engaged in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. But it also means there’s more capital just sitting in our classrooms at any given time, making security a vital measure within school planning. The Ministry of Education has a number of guidelines and measures set to take the guess work out of security planning.
School security policy Good security can help to: • Reduce vandalism and theft • Reduce the cost of fixing vandalism and theft • Keep your school looking good to increase pride in your school and foster positive perceptions in the community • Provide a secure environment where staff and students feel safe.
Ministry school security policy Security systems are required in new schools and new buildings costing more than $200,000. All new schools and new buildings and renovation projects in excess
of 1,000 square metres must have a security design report. The security design report will identify local security issues and outline the design responses, including the use of Ministry of Justice Crime Prevention through Environmental Design concepts.
Security audits A formal security audit is a good idea before upgrading or adding to school security. The aim of the audit is to identify and prioritise the actions schools need to take to be less attractive to vandals and thieves. The Ministry can provide tailored security assessments for schools that fall into the vandalism E-band and schools that have applied for vandalism top-up grants for three consecutive years. The Ministry can also fund a formal security audit for schools suffering catastrophic loss from arson.
26 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Schools should apply through their School Property Advisor (SPA).
Funding the recommendations from a Ministry security audit A school that undergoes a Ministryfunded security audit may be eligible for a Five Year Agreement (5YA) budget top-up. The top-up aims to meet half the cost of security improvements except that: • The minimum contribution by the school (from their 5YA budget) will be 10% of their 5YA budget • The maximum contribution 50% of their 5YA budget. The security assessment recommendations are considered non-discretionary. They are, therefore, covered by the Budget Plus policy under urgent health and safety work.
Security guards and patrols The Ministry will fund short term security guard and patrol services in response to spates of vandalism or serious one-off security incidents. Schools should apply to their SPA for assistance. Schools are responsible for managing and funding permanent security patrol services.
Vandalism banding Schools that have received vandalism grant top-ups for three consecutive years will be moved into a higher vandalism grant band. This gives a more realistic picture of each school’s risk profile. It also signals to the school that they may need to increase the priority they give to vandalism prevention. Information kindly supplied by the Ministry of Education: visit www.minedu.govt.nz
Insurance
Insuring your school The Ministry of Education has a Catastrophic Loss policy for damage to New Zealand state-owned school buildings. The policy funds damage caused by the following types of event: • • • •
Earthquakes Fire (accidental and arson) Loss or theft of school keys Extreme weather events (such as heavy snow, high winds and lightening strikes).
The Catastrophic Loss policy pays for: • Repairing damaged school buildings • Replacing actual net square metres lost up to the School Property Guide (SPG) entitlement • Contracts work under $50,000 (a minimum excess of $1,000 applies) • Demolition of buildings not eligible for replacement. Even though replacement of square metres is calculated on net area lost, the replacement budget allows for ancillary gross areas that need rebuilding due to the damage, such as corridors, reception areas, cleaners’ cupboards, toilets, switch rooms and computer network spaces.
Before starting any repair work, you must contact your local Ministry office. If you get the work done without first putting in a claim, your application will be declined; refer to Making Claims under the Catastrophic Loss policy.
What is not paid for out of the Catastrophic Loss policy • Claims under $2,500 • Damage to the over-SPG entitlement area of a school • Non Ministry-funded property (including the board owned portion of joint Ministry-board owned property) • Vandalism e.g. graffiti, leaving taps on, broken windows • Damage which only occurs because property has been inadequately maintained. The level of funding awarded to the school will be based on how much the repair costs would have been if the property had been properly maintained. When in doubt, this will be decided by a loss adjuster • Replacing or repairing surplus buildings.
Minimising the risk of damage from a catastrophic event 1. Good maintenance Properly maintained buildings and fixtures are more likely to withstand the effects of natural disasters and extreme weather events. Regularly clean out guttering (and/or install gutter guards), trim trees and remove dead or unsafe trees, lag pipes in frost-prone areas and take other precautions against expected weather conditions. 2. Minimise flooding risks When the school is closed, turn off water supply to urinals and ensure all taps are turned off (and not leaking). Radiators, boilers and water pipes which are not properly maintained also add to the risk of flooding. Ensure drains and sinks are left unblocked. 3. Minimise fire risks Reduce the risk of arson and accidental fire by moving rubbish bins and other receptacles away from school walls and fences. Get rid of flammable substances. During holiday periods,
consider locking rubbish bins away from school buildings and placing mats inside buildings (as these make a good base for fires). 4. School keys Reduce the risk of losing the school’s master key, or of having it stolen, by keeping it in a secure place and not within public view. Don’t label keys with the school’s name. Also, minimise the number of locks that require replacement if the master key is lost or stolen, e.g. have a master key that allows access to a keypad system which can then be used to unlock the rest of the school. This provides a double layer of protection to the school and means that if the master key is lost, only one lock requires replacement. Electronic swipe card systems are even more effective because a swipe card that is stolen or lost can be deactivated without the need to alter, or replace the rest of the system or change any locks. Information kindly supplied by the Ministry of Education: visit www.minedu.govt.nz
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 4, 2013 | 27
School Trips
Taking classes out of the classroom Set yourself up for success Students are more likely to learn when relevant concepts are highlighted in both the school and at the site they are visiting. After such visits students: • Showed high levels of curiosity and interest • Often took responsibility for their own learning • Liked working in small groups • Were able to describe what they had learned
The old saying that ‘diversity is the spice of life’ couldn’t be more apt when it comes to education.
In fact, it is imperative children learn to use their greatest tool - their imagination - because without it, they’ll miss out on experiencing the creative liberation adults spend their lives trying to hold on to.
And an excellent way to deliver diversity is with excursions beyond the classroom. Heading for the hills (so to speak) not only reinforces what’s learned in the classroom, but in today’s digital world it can be an educational experience all in itself.
It is said the greatest thing you can give your kids is time and if you’ve got that, Mother Nature can provide you with everything else you need to show your kids the ropes. It doesn’t matter if your wealth is great or small, you and your children have unlimited access to an area rich with outdoor education opportunities.
In an age where many kids live in cyberspace or the realm of digital media more than they do in the world of bricks and mortar, it’s important for them to stop and smell the roses - in the flesh. When we look around at a market superfluous with technological temptation, it feels as though the days of building forts, rollerblading, kayaking, camping and childhood creativity died with the dinosaurs. But in actuality, teachers, parents, the government and New Zealand’s leisure-loving patriots are inspiring a recreational renaissance. The expression ‘kids need to get their hands dirty,’ is not just a tongue and cheek analogy. As part of their spiritual, emotional and educational growth, children need stimulation beyond the classroom or the hypnotic medium that is the television.
It’s New Zealand’s native backyard; where the beach is no further than the snow-capped mountains and the potential for children to learn is only limited by imagination. If they are introduced to new environments with unique elements, their minds and senses will mature. The environment itself is like an open-air classroom, which offers stories and facts that cannot be found in traditional learning institutions. And while traditional education certainly provides a sound base for knowledge building, outside activities offer challenges which encourage children to develop and exercise their lateral thinking skills and strategic abilities.
MT TARANAKI GUIDED TOURS
• Demonstrated learning by using new vocabulary and showing an understanding of new concepts and ideas • Liked pre-visit activities because this helped them understand the purpose of the visit • Learned from education officers who were enthusiastic.
Put a plan in action One year before camp 1. Select the camp location. Useful resources include the Directory of Residential Camps and the CCNZ web page: www.cci.org.nz. 2. Take a tour of the camp facility before booking. Camps always have staff available to meet with camp coordinators and go over their plans. Any difficulties can be discussed and other options can be presented at this point. Careful planning at this stage eliminates confusion and worries later. 3. Sign a booking contract. Be aware of financial penalties and minimum charges should you have to cancel. 4. Place the camp dates on the school calendar.
2. Consider all the costs and work out a camp budget. Remember camp fees, camp activity charges, bus cost, costs of visiting out-of-camp venues, special costs like hireage of equipment, prizes etc. 3. Consider fund raising activities if necessary. Three months before camp 1. Send letters out requesting fees and permission slips. Mention it in the school newsletter. 2. Consider arrangements for parent help and include in permission notice. Arrange this if it is needed. 3. Start to plan out the camp programme activities (possibly with students on a ‘camp committee’) and create a detailed camp schedule. 4. Touch base with the camp to make sure all plans are confirmed. Discuss activities with camp staff. (Some camps need to arrange extra instructors or have more than one group in at a time, so the earlier you are on to this, the better). 5. Request risk management sheets from camp or outdoor provider. 6. If you haven’t visited the camp, do it now. One month before camp 1. Get aggressive on gathering permission slips and payment for camp. Ask about special needs, diets etc. 2. Finalise the programme, including some contingencies for bad weather. Forward the programme to camp staff. 3. Create a detailed ‘requirements’ checklists. 4. Develop your camp workbook for students.
Six months before camp 1. Carefully think through the ultimate goal or purpose of your camp.
One week before camp 1 Finalise details with camp staff, e.g. final numbers, special diets. 2. Gather up materials, prizes, games, musical instruments, sound gear, food etc. On Camp 1. Enjoy the experience with your children. 2. Delegate whatever you can to reliable parent helpers and responsible students.
Guided Tours in the Egmont National Park: • Mt Taranaki- Pouakai Crossing Trekking Tour-1 Day • Mangorei Track- Pouakai Tarns Trekking Tour- 1Day • Pouakai Circuit - Trekking Tour- 2 or 3 Days • Waingongoro Circuit Tour- 1 Day • Mt Taranaki Mountain Summit Experience Tour - 1 Day • Plus other activities.
PHONE: 0274417042 EMAIL: mttaranakiguidedtours@gmail.com www.mttaranakiguidedtours.co.nz
28 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
3. Arrange a night roster for adults settling children after lights out. The teacher does not need to be up late every night! (The first night is usually the latest.)
Swimming Pools
Is your pool ready for the swimming season? By law schools are required across New Zealand and the world. The laboratories adhere to the strictest to test their pool water quality assurance programmes to ensure that it is safe and are accredited under the IANZ accreditation system. With premises to swim in. This is not in the North and South Islands (and something that should Japan) Hill Laboratories employs more than 280 people with a passion for be left to amateur hands science and technology. – you need expert advice Water testing is one of Hill Laboratories specialist areas and testing is done for to ensure the correct a wide range of different contaminants procedures are followed. in water. Hill Laboratories (known Swimming Pool water should by many long term be tested for: customers simply as “Hills”) • Standard Plate Count (SPC) to ensure it is less than 200 per ml. High levels has a specific test kit for may indicate that the disinfection swimming pool system is not in good working order water available. • Faecal Coliforms or Escherichia coli
Hills has three major divisions: Agriculture, Environmental and Food & Bioanalytical, which broadly reflects the kind of analytical testing that is done.
(E.coli) to ensure it is less than 1 per 100ml. Levels above this are an indication of faecal contamination • Staphylococcus aureus to ensure it is less than 100 per 100ml. This bacteria can cause skin irritations or sickness if swallowed • Pseudomonas aeruginosa to ensure it is less than 10 per 100ml. This is a bacteria associated with eye and ear infections.
The company supplies testing to a large and diverse range of clients, ranging from internationally recognised global corporations to private individuals from
To arrange swimming pool water test or to find out more information call 07 858 2000 in the North Island or 03 377 7176 in the South Island
The company’s track record speaks for itself. Hills was established in 1984 by Roger and Anne Hill. Since then it has grown into the largest independent analytical laboratory in New Zealand.
Water safety tips We’re all aware of the potential hazards of water – all it takes is a moment’s inattention and disaster can strike. Fact is, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children in New Zealand. The good news is that drowning is preventable if parents and caregivers are aware of the simple things they can do to help keep their children safe from drowning. Be within sight and reach of young children, be aware of all potential water hazards, put appropriate safety precautions in place and be prepared. One point to remember is experts advise that swimming lessons don’t make children safe, only safer. So don’t over-estimate your child’s ability to cope in the open water environment even if they know how to swim. • Learn swimming and water safety survival skills – and CPR, be ready to respond in an emergency
30 | Term 4, 2013 www.principalstoday.co.nz
• Choose to swim at patrolled beaches and swim between the flags – if there are no patrols learn how to recognise dangers such as rips and avoid them • Actively supervise children near water – that means adult supervision within arm’s reach, focused on the child, not reading or texting • Wear a lifejacket when rock fishing or in small boats – it’s the one thing that could save your life if you fall in to the water • Check the latest marine forecast and tides before heading out on the water, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, and carry at least two forms of communication on your person – so you can call for assistance • Don’t add alcohol to the mix - never when supervising children in and around water • Know your responsibilities around home pools and spas, including inflatable or portable pools. For more water safety advice visit www.watersafe.org.nz
SCHOOL FUNDRASING
OPPORTUNITY ORGANO GOLD’S MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH, WEALTH, AND BALANCE IN PEOPLE’S DAILY LIVES BY SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE OF A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO REGULAR COFFEE.
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I couldn’t imagine drinking “sachet” coffee after drinking brewed coffee for years, but OG coffee changed my views on that! After a couple of cups I was completely hooked!
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Organo Gold coffee is the only coffee that I will now drink. I take some everywhere I go.
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MINIMAL CAPITAL INVESTMENT FOR THE FUNDRAISING GROUP (Purchases ordered and paid for online – delivered direct to customers)
MINIMAL INVESTMENT IN STOCK/PRODUCT ( A few samples for free tasting sessions)
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I hope everyone tries these products for the taste AND the health benefits – not to mention the opportunity to raise funds for my kid’s school.
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NO DEBTORS (No chasing up payments etc – payment made at time of purchase, online)
NO CREDITORS (Payment made at time of purchase, online)
MINIMAL OVERHEADS
NO SPECIAL STAFF TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
(Whatever a bit of internal promotion might cost)
(Just promotion to staff and parents)
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR SCHOOL www.nzcoffeeshop.organogold.com | coffee@academy.net.nz
POMPOMS
PAINT Spotlight is your home for Craft Supplies for School Projects
All sorts of supplies including Decofoam, Felt, Glue, Pom poms, Hobby Fill, Paint Supplies and more!
Example of use
100’S OF GREAT CRAFTY PRODUCTS FOR YOUR SCHOOL
DECOFOAM
YARN
HOBBY FILL GLUE FELT
Up to
40
colours
TOP POP POPLIN
112cm wide. 80% Polyester, 20% Cotton
CALICO Check out our popular Top Pop Poplin & Calico Fabric – Great for school projects!
Various width. Available in natural, black, seeded & bleach white colour.
Spotlight School Accounts:
Spotlight takes an active role in the school community and offers the customer account facility to schools and other government departments. Credit account applications are available through our Auckland Support Office. Please contact Stephanie Kemble on 09 2625090 for further information. Spotlight are also nationally committed to large charities such as the Cancer Society and Starship Children’s Hospital.
www.spotlight.co.nz