Gateway

Gateway is a limited programme which all Year 12 and 13 students can apply for. Students are selected based on specific criteria. Gateway students need to be:

> interested in a particular industry or career direction

> motivated to learn in the workplace, reliable and honest

> able to manage independent learning

Selected students complete a work placement, in line with their current career aspirations. This requires up to 10 days in the workplace. This is usually undertaken one school day a week for 10 weeks.They are also required to complete approximately 20 work-related credits which count towards their NCEA qualification. It is useful if Gateway students take Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) as a subject. However, this is not always required.

There is no cost to the student and any work gear and transport costs are met by the Gateway programme. Entry is by application and interview. 

Contact Person: Tanique Deacon - deacont@waihekehigh.school.nz 

Kōtui Ako 

What is Kōtui Ako?

Waiheke High School joined Kōtui Ako (Online Learning Community, previously known as HarbourNet), in order to increase the number of subjects that are available for our students to study. Kōtui Ako is a community of fourteen schools within the greater Auckland region, which provides eLearning opportunities for students.

The Kōtui Ako community is a member of the wider Virtual Learning Network Community (VLNC) of New Zealand, which consists of several eLearning communities located around the country. Each community provides a series of eLearning courses in which students from all over the country are able to apply to enrol.

How does Kōtui Ako work at WHS?

Kōtui Ako and the rest of the eLearning communities use a range of technologies to facilitate online learning and provide eLearning opportunities to meet the needs of eStudents. There is an hour-long online lesson each week, which is delivered either via video-conference (VC) or via Google Hangout. Each eTeacher provides an online classroom (like a website) where eStudents work for a further 3-4 hours each week. eTeachers may hold extra tutorials through Skype or Google Hangout or other Web 2 tools. eStudents are expected to communicate regularly with their eTeacher, and their eTeacher will choose from a variety of options for communication: emails, online forums, online chats, news forums, blogs, discussions boards, Web 2 tools, Skype and/or text messages.

Senior Kōtui Ako eStudents have four to five timetabled periods each week of independent study for their eLearning course. The one hour online lesson may or may not take place during one of these five timetabled periods, depending on the online timetable for the wider VLNC. If the one-hour lesson does not coincide with one of their timetabled Kōtui Ako periods, students will miss part of a lesson for another subject each week. It is the student’s responsibility to catch up on any work missed from that lesson.

eStudents who are enrolled in an eLearning course delivered by an eTeacher who is based in the Kōtui Ako region will meet their eTeacher, along with other Auckland-based eStudents on their course, at a “Tutorial eDay” which takes place in the first half of the year.

Which students are eligible to apply for enrolment in a Kōtui Ako course?

Due to the independent nature of eLearning, Kōtui Ako courses are designed primarily for senior students of NCEA, who are in Years 12 and 13. There may be special exceptions made for students in Year 11 who are able to show that, due to special circumstances, they are suitable candidates for a Kōtui Ako eLearning courses.

NB: Not available for International Students.

What is the application process?

Kōtui Ako is not open for all students to select on the Subject Selection form. Instead, students must meet with Mr Godbout (WHS eDean) to discuss potential courses and suitability. 

They will need to demonstrate that they meet all aspects of the following Kōtui Ako Student Specification, including:

• Self-motivated independent learner

• Very well-organised

• Excellent attendance record

• Excellent record of submitting work in full and on time (not just NCEA assessments, but ALL learning activities)

• Capable and responsible user of new technology

• Ability to work with less direct teacher supervision than would normally be the case in a face to face class

• Meets the published pre-requisites for the eLearning course that he/she has applied for

NOTE: Kōtui Ako students do NOT need to be top academic students. They need to be students who work hard and “do the right thing” with regards to their studies.

If the interview is successful, the student’s course application will be forwarded to Kōtui Ako. Students who are not able to demonstrate that they meet all aspects of the Kōtui Ako Student Specification will be unsuccessful in their application to study a Kōtui Ako course.

Some important information:

1. Students will need to meet the pre-requisites of the eLearning course. This is not negotiable.

2. Acceptance into eLearning courses will also be determined by a recommendation from the school that the student is sufficiently self-motivated, has an excellent attendance record, and has the ability to work with less direct teacher supervision than would normally be the case in a face-to-face class.

3. There is an enrolment limit for Kōtui Ako eLearning courses. This potentially means that for some over-subscribed courses, some students may not be awarded a place on the course. This may also mean that students are placed on a waiting list for the course for a short time. Students will be contacted if this is the case for their course application.

4. Kōtui Ako e-students must provide their own device for their eLearning course. This device must be a laptop or tablet. An iPhone/iPod, or similar, is not an acceptable device for an eLearning course of study. Students will need access during school time to their device, and the internet, so that they can work independently in their online environment/online classroom. It is highly recommended that students also be able to access the Internet at home.