Teaching & Learning Programme

Some thoughts for your teaching and learning programme as you get into the kai project

In previous research into how to support students to be action competent the following ideas were important – and they are prioritised

1.       From the outset and throughout teaching and learning keep the overall focus of taking action or doing something to make a difference as an outcome that is referred to regularly (i.e. at least 2-3 times a week).

2.       Experiences in and about the environment are crucial to enable students to understand concepts, ideas and develop new knowledge – only if though they are processed using a range of reflection strategies and foci including:

a.       What did we learn (knowledge, understandings and how to learn)?

b.      How did we respond (what’s going on with the heart or emotions?)

c.       How will it help us to take action?

3.       Experiences are vital in unlocking what are quite often abstract concepts and outcomes via a progression of ideas from concrete or tangible things in the environment. For example food miles is a pretty big idea. If students have experienced growing, harvesting, cooking and eating some part of a meal it gives them a greater understanding of the effort, energy and requirements to have an on-going source of food.

To sum up – at this early stage of exploration of our kaupapa with students content rich experiences in the environment that are processed through critical reflection (in the classroom and in the environment) are highly valuable in supporting students to become action competent.

Comments, questions welcome!!

Sustainable Community Through Kai Enthusiasts

Kia ora Sustainable Community Through Kai Enthusiasts

I guess as always the year has started with a hiss and roar for you all – hope that some of the joys of summer persist. I have spent countless hours in the garden, it’s all such a mixed bag. Lynda Hallinan one of the editors of the NZ Gardener magazine always has a top and flop crop for the month – well I can relate to that. Top crop – strawberries yet again, I know the Waikato does good strawberries but I seem to just keep on getting big beautiful tasty strawberries, what a dilemma! Flop crop – carrots! I can’t believe it my goal is to try and produce enough staples (spuds, onions, carrots) for us year round and this year I planted some fancy heritage carrots and they have been a disaster. My advice – stick to good old Manchester Table for a reliable and great producing carrot! Please feel free to comment on your top and flop crops!

Thank you so much once again for picking up the whero of this project and being so open to having your ideas and thinking challenged by us. Both your Enviroschools Facilitator and I are available to support you in whatever what we can. However, I would say my strengths are in connecting (dreaming up) key learning experiences for the contexts you are working with, with the wider view of supporting students to take action. Your facilitators – well hopefully you know their strengths by now but there is nothing like throwing a challenge their way also as part of this kaupapa.

Seriously, please do not hesitate to contact any of us in the project for support. Below is an updated timeline as a reminder of where we are at and where we need to get to in this project. Please add comments to the blog and we will continue to add content here and then email you to advise there is new stuff.

Ka kite Faye

Timeline	Project action		Where are we up to?
Sept 2012	Invitation to participate sent out to schools to read, discuss and pass on to teachers		COMPLETED Sent out
By Fri 28 Sept	Schools Register interest to be part of the project.		Great response from schools
Oct 15th-19th Week 1 term 4	Follow-up with schools and further information provided. Selection process and successful participants notified		11 Fantastic Schools YAY
2 Nov 2012	1-day hui to further explore the project, share and clarify thinking and set a planning process for teaching in learning in 2013 in place		COMPLETED Great day at the Botanic Gardens in Hamilton, thanks for your participation
Dec 2012	An afternoon sharing time with all project participants – what is the plan for 2013?		COMPLETED Fantastic afternoon, hosted by one of our research schools with the most amazing afternoon tea, ka rawe!
2013 Term 1 and 2	Undertake kai projects. Enviroschools facilitator working with classes using the Pūnaha Akoako /Action Learning Cycle and keeping a record of what happens		TO DO This is where we are at! Please be making the teaching and learning happen – with an action and learning project to have been undertaken by the end of term 2! Ka pai!
Term 2	One day hui to share experiences. Research data gathering surveys		TO DO This might be a visit from Faye and your facilitator during term 1 with a networking hui either at the end of term 2 of early in term 3 (depending on funding)
Term 3	Data collected		TO DO
Term 4	Final evaluation, sharing and celebration of learning and considering the findings		TO DO