GREAT GIVEAWaYS. WIN a HoLIDAY WEEKeNd aNd MORE! become a better educator slug xxxxxxxxxx educationvol 2, No 1 summer 2011 issue date 12 top tips for new teachers the unique brain of the human baby discrimination National Standards and tamariki not so rosy across the ditch Silver Fern laura langman learning to succeed rrP $5.95 change your life in Tokelau Aotearoa 22 CoNTribuTorS Extreme short-throw projector Optional double sided dry-erase board Hear Integrated Speakers ruth mansell has been a lecturer and director at Wellington College of See education, adviser for the Teachers ActivBoard Council, and Chair of the New Zealand included Council for educational research. 14 Optional laptop shelf Contents News Opinion Award-winning freelance journalist editorials 4 Not so rosy? 42 Diana Clement specialises in writing Interact Australia’s pitfalls on personal finance and related topics 6 such as savvy spending. News Engage Motorised height-adjustable stand with control unit 8 Includes ActivInspire Industrial round up 10 Extra Professional Edition Briefs 12 technology 32 Software Digital literacy engages underachievers Teacher Pen Optional drawer Features the professionals 35 Hidden wheels for safety max starts school 14 snip-it. Top tips for “Right Click” button But standards threaten new teachers “Left Click” tip sarah Jones works at the web Silver Fern 18 reviews 38 + GST design company Boost New media Touch Student Pen school helped Best new books Just $8995 and has had previous roles in the Dual-User for kids and grown-ups e-learning Team at the ministry of functionality change your life 20 education and as e-media manager at letter from Tokelau Giveaways 40 learning media ltd. Key features babies’ brains 22 Diana Clement on the cuts Sturdy deSign High quality components built to last the show must go on 26 HeigHt adjuStable Easily raise and lower the ActivBoard for accessibility Drama and music and easy movement between rooms Support staff 28 dlP tecHnology No filter maintenance dramatically reduces costs something’s not right long lamP life Industry first 6,000 hour lamp reduces replacement cost Optional storage drawer Optional shelf with lockable Julie Ash grew up in Hawera and has can be locked for security storage holds up to 17” laptop been a journalist for the last 13 years, working for the New Zealand Herald, TvNZ and the Dominion Post. For resources, video, blogs and more www.educationaotearoa.org.nz 3K For NZeI HelP call 0800 693 443 Follow eA on Twitter: educationNZ ZZZDFWLYERDUGQ]FRP summer 2011 | editorials Consensus The true cost breakdown of standards aN HIStorIc consensus that has delivered at tHe eNd of last term, large numbers new Zealand one of the highest- of children went home with reports that performing primary education systems did not accurately reflect their learning in the world is breaking down. progress and achievement levels, according to a poll of in the post-war years, new Zealand developed an education teachers conducted by EA at the end of last year (see the Poll system led by the likes of Dr Charles Beeby at the ministry of Result, p6). education that acknowledged educationalists as professionals. Why are the reports inaccurate? the answer is simple— a working consensus operated between the ministry of national Standards. and the answer is complex—nationally education, teachers and principals (represented by nZei), consistent assessment of primary children’s achievement academics and researchers—and it was respected by the levels, if it is to be done properly, is akin to nCea for our The Big Event is a new teaching governments of the day. together, we pursued the goal of youngest students. it cannot be introduced effectively on resource built on SOLO Taxonomy. achieving the best possible education for children. it was able a political whim, as this government has tried. and it is to evolve and improve to meet new challenges, and it put us at questionable whether an nCea-style system is appropriate for It's a collection of 10 flexible the top of international rankings. primary-aged children—although it will certainly be expensive. But since the 1980s, an education reform movement driven Which begs two more questions: has the minister of education inquiries that support by a big-business agenda has gripped the english-speaking achieved what she set out to do with the standards—that is, world. it attempts to sideline the role of professionals and, not improve reporting to parents and identify underachievers? smart and safe surprisingly, where it has been tried, achievement levels have there are many ways to improve reporting to parents, declined. Up until recently, new Zealand has managed to but imposing a complex and untrialled regime on a travelling around hold off the reform movement’s worst excesses. But national successful system is not one of them. and we can already New Zealand. Standards, and associated measures, have breached the walls. identify the underachievers—the net data collected at age Primary education has become political and polarised. six does it with accuracy. in the US, the reform movement has reached ludicrous i heard a teacher from a lower-decile school tell a forum proportions. a billionaire philanthropist recently announced recently that she had identified six six-year-olds in her class he would make a $US100m donation to a state’s education as needing Reading Recovery—her judgment was backed by Teachers can use large events as an authentic department—but only on the proviso that it changed certain the net data. But there were only two places funded for these context for each resource, which connect education policies. the US spends far more on education than children, and they would not be available for some months. with most learning areas in the New Zealand we do, and achieves far less—yet this is where we are heading. expensive patch-ups to fix the problems unfolding from education will be an election issue this year. let’s national Standards are coming at a cost to today’s children. Curriculum. They are freely available, get the facts out there. downloadable and editable. Paul Goulter Ian leckie National secretary National President NZeI Te riu roa Te manukura WWW.education.nzta.govt.nz Managing editor stephanie mills To advertise: call maree selak, 09 589 1054, Editor Jane Blaikie www.hawkhurst.co.nz, or email [email protected] viSit Design and production Alice Bell, Tangible media To subscribe, email: [email protected] Cover photo michael Bradley To contribute, email: [email protected] www.education.nzta.govt.nz Disclaimer: The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those All rights reserved. Address: 12th Floor, education House, of NZeI Te riu roa or its members. education Aotearoa is New Zealand’s to access neW curriculum resources for 2011. West Building, 178 Willis st, Wellington 6140 foremost publication dedicated to celebrating and informing educators working Website: www.educationaotearoa.org.nz or www.nzei.org.nz in early childhood and primary education. For NZeI HelP call 0800 693 443 ISSN 1176-5062 | eDucatioN AoTeAroA summer 2011 | Travelling Safely - EdAotearoa Jan2011.indd 1 27/12/2010 2:18:36 p.m. the poll results* interact If your school sent home reports to parents at the end of last year that stated against in my life. i’m of their children were well and bi-lingualism is a major What a shame that our Letters to the editor Samoan descent and i have below, below, at or above the contributor to the overall minister fails to recognise Support staff need only the teachers need to worked very hard to get National standards, were academic success of Pasifika that these qualities have these reports an accurate decent pay upskill in computer use—they where i am; fighting against reflection of the children’s students in our schools. always enabled us to make i am a computer technician are going to have to give all of those teachers who learning progress and the Government’s recent pertinent overall teacher with over 13 years’ experience, decent pay and conditions for thought all i could do was play achievement levels? decision to halt production of judgements that improve and have been in my current support staff who maintain sport or the guitar; working Yes the tUPU Pasifika language learning outcomes for job maintaining a secondary computers and networks. against the store detectives 43% series will penalise Pasifika children without the need for school’s computers for the Tim Funnell, who still follow me around No students and undermines the national Standards. last 10. For the first seven Opotiki the shops, assuming i am 37% value of bi-lingual education. and who are we kidding years at the school i was paid another “brown” thief in their Somewhat taking away a resource that we will achieve “national this issue’s from the administrative pay winning letter midst; being stopped by the 20% that makes a difference Standards”? Based on the scale, grade a, which i see as police because i was told i fit and spending millions on many conversations i have had * Results from a phone survey of 80 nothing more than an office a “profile”; being one of only randomly selected NZeI teachers implementing unproven with colleagues from other - junior. it was only after i was return of the old boy a handful of maori/Pasifika read more on National national Standards does not schools, we are all frustrated offered a job in the private i’ve been stewing. i’ve been students at high school, standards on pp 14-17 make sense. about exactly how to make the sector that i was moved to simmering in a bad tasting university and teacher’s Karl Vasau, necessary decisions to be able grade B.