Contemporary Teaching

Considering the 'promises and perils' of the future of education and reflecting on Scott's article "The Futures of Learning: What Pedagogies for the 21st Century" (2015). Looking at this article alongside others, including Fullan's "A Rich Seam: How New Pedagogies Find Deep Learning" (2014) and the OECD's "The Nature of Learning" (2010), I noticed that developing lifelong learners was a common and key idea. This also aligned with feedback from participants in NZ's Education Conversation (2018). How we do this is an educator's opportunity and challenge. My thoughts on this are reflected in my diagram above.

Ko taku muri, taku mua - Understanding the past to guide and lead the future

Whakamana: empowering all learners to reach their highest potential by providing high-quality teaching and leadership.

Manaakitanga: creating a welcoming, caring and creative learning environment that treats everyone with respect and dignity.

Pono: showing integrity by acting in ways that are fair, honest, ethical and just.

Whanaungatanga: engaging in positive and collaborative relationships with our learners, their families and whanau, our colleagues and the wider community. (ECNZ, 2017)

These values paint a picture of an inclusive and equitable educational landscape where learners have every opportunity to fulfil their potential while being true to who they are. Yet, this is not the experience of many students from non-dominant cultures (Macfarlane, Glynn, Cavanagh & Bateman, 2007).

Culturally responsive practice from a bicultural perspective in New Zealand needs to incorporate Māori-preferred ways of learning and teaching and reflect Māori perspectives - “Māori enjoying and achieving education success as Māori” (MoE, 2013).

According to Glynn (2015), Article II of Te Tiriti, in which tino rangatiratanga (authority or self-determination) of their lands and all other taonga (treasures and resources) is guaranteed to Māori, is most relevant to educators. Taonga, in te ao Māori (Māori worldview), is considered all things that are held precious, including language and culture (NW, 2015). Glynn also includes epistemology and pedagogy as taonga - what is considered knowledge and how this is preserved and delivered. Thus, he asserts, Māori preferences for learning and teaching need to be incorporated into mainstream pedagogical practices for the principle of tino rangatiratanga to be properly acknowledged (Glynn, 2015).

My thoughts on the connections between Te Tiriti articles and principles, cultural competencies and our professional values are shown in the hexagon diagram. Elements and barriers to culturally responsive practice in my context are also shown.

Culture is central to identity, both for individuals and social groups. It is the expression of a society’s traditions, beliefs, ways of thinking, values and encompasses the arts, language, history and knowledge (UNESCO, 2006).

UNESCO has produced guidelines for intercultural education (education to create “understanding of, respect for and dialogue between different cultural groups”) based on three principles that promote the provision of culturally appropriate and responsive education, at the heart of these is respecting cultural identity (UNESCO, 2006).