1. Connections & Conversations Making links for learning
November 2009
Siliva Gaugatao

2. Today’s Talanoa
Establish understanding of the BIG picture in terms of Pasifika Education in Aotearoa / NZ
Build on repertoire of tools that effective teachers of Pasifika students are exploring through connections and conversations
Key principles for teaching and learning: ‘Know the Learner’
Questions

3. Samoan in 3 minutes Talofa lava --------- (Hello -----)
O a mai oe? (How are you?)
Manuia fa’afetai (Good thanks)
Tofa Soifua (Good bye)

4. Who are Pasifika Peoples?
MOE definition:
Collective term that refers to people who identify
themselves with the islands and/or cultures of the Pacific
such as Samoa, Cook Islands,Tonga, Niue, Tokelau etc

5. “Pasifika Peoples” Problem:
Peoples from the Pacific see themselves first and foremost
as belonging to their own specific island eg Samoan,
Tongan etc, NOT Pasifika!

6. K W L H

7. True / False Activity Pasifika Education Plan 2008-2012
2. PEP Goals (20): 2 in ECE, 6 in compulsory Education, 4 inTertiary, 8 in Education Sector Wide
5. Common themes:
Strong learning foundations to ensure students participate, engage and achieve at each stage f their education, and make good transitions from one stage to the next
Literacy and numeracy
Effective teaching
Working with families and communities to ensure a joined-up approach
9. Government agencies MOE, NZQA, Tertiary Education commission, NZ Teachers Council, Education Review Office, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Career Services

8. The Bigger Picture
Literacy and numeracy achievement for Pasifika students mirrors the national picture of achievement
Accelerate Pasifika students’ qualifications achievement
Continue increasing the effectiveness of teaching and learning for Pasifika students
Strengthen students’ presence and engagement in schooling through working relationships that are focused on raising student achievement
Increase Pasifika representation and retention on school BOTs as well as boards’ understanding and management of Pasifika issues
Improve school’s responsiveness to Pasifika students’ achievement through planning and reporting
Our teaching is to be embedded within the bigger landscape of Educational goals... it is a big picture but one that has some key messages for schools and teachers. One key bigger picture when we are thinking about Pasifika achievement is the PEP.

9. Pasifika Education Plan Making links for learning
Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui kia koutou. Talofa lava, malo e lelei, kia orana, ni sa bula vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Taloha ni,
Making links for learning

10. Compulsory Education GROUP TASK 1.
Match each goal with the appropriate targets and actions

11. Compulsory Education
GROUP TASK 2. ‘Baseline Data’ - Where are we at in relation to these goals?
You will be assigned a goal. As a group, answer
these questions:
What does our school / dept have in place to support this goal?
What action(s) that I have used / could use to support this goal in the classroom?

12. Compulsory Education GROUP TASK 3. Mnemonic
Develop a mnemonic to help you learn and
remember the 6 goals

13. Making links for learning
Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui kia koutou. Talofa lava, malo e lelei, kia orana, ni sa bula vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Taloha ni,

14. Identify
Connect
Reflect

15. IDENTIFY Know the Learner Who are my Pasifika students?
What are their learning needs?
What cultural experiences and prior knowledge do they bring in to the classroom?
How can I build a bridge between what they know and the ‘new knowledge’ that I want them to learn?
Links to NZ Curriculum: Effective Pedagogies, Principles, Values, Vision etc

16. Activity Principle: Know the learner culturally and academically

17. Principle: Know the learner culturally and academically TASK: 1
Principle: Know the learner culturally and academically TASK: Pick ONE Pasifika student and then complete the chart 2. Share with colleague 3. Discuss reflection questions

18. Making links for Learning
CONNECT
Making links for Learning
Why do I need to connect first with my students?
How effective are the strategies that I am currently using to connect with my students?
Do I make connections between/among concepts we are learning clearly?

19. What do I need to change or improve on?
REFLECT
What do I need to change or improve on?
What are my beliefs and assumptions about Pasifika students?
What informs my theory about effective teaching and learning with Pasifika students?
How am I catering for the diverse learning needs of my students?
How can I design meaningful learning experiences for my Pasifika students?

20. Principle: Know the learner culturally and academically TASK: Group work 1. Pick ONE principle from the chart 2. Work through the row 3. Share

21. Key Messages: 1. Know and connect with your learners 2
Key Messages: 1. Know and connect with your learners 2. Don’t lose sight of the Big picture 3. Disaggregate your ‘Pasifika data’ 4. Use key principles, research, data, and relevant information from experience to make informed decisions

22. Questions:

23. For more information, please check out: http://www. tki. org
For more information, please check out: Fa’afetai lava

24. Key Teacher Qualities that help Learning and Achievement (Hawk&Hill)
High levels of subject and pedagogical knowledge
Commitment to preparing well for lessons
Respect and treating them as individuals
Ability to relate to cultures other than their own
Ability to relate to them as young adults
Showing kindness and caring
Maintaining confidentiality
A sense of humour

25. Teacher Barriers to Achievement (Hawk&Hill)
Lack of commitment or being unprepared for lessons
Negativity - teachers who are grumpy and impatient
Anger - those unable to control themselves
Put downs - mocking and humiliating students
Racism/Inverse racism - afraid of being culturally insensitive
Favouring certain students eg girls over boys
Lecturing
Getting students to copy and do worksheets for most of the lessons
Making assumptions that students have understood

26. The Cultural Panorama Visible Features etc Invisible Features etc
Education
Dance
Language
Dress
Food
Literature
Myths & Legends
Art
Drama
Music
Celebrations
Family Networks
Festivals
Chants
Stories
Song
Visible Features
Surface
Invisible Features
Deeper
The visible features are the things that we see: the surface features: but a tree is sustained by its roots. The values and beliefs need to be agreed on by the whole community. E.g. Honesty and respect: what does it look like? How do you show respect? There are certain ways of showing respect in Pasifika cultures that we will look at in a minute.
What about this deeper feature of logic and validity? In western logic: thinking is often linear: point by point to the main argument.
In Pasifika logic it can often be spiral: a walk around the main point until it is finally reached collaboratively. This spiral walk is about building trust with you: Will they trust this interaction? Pasifika people are relational: relationships are important.
etc
Gender roles
Leadership
Eye behaviour
Descent
Adolescence
Decision making
social interaction
Eye contact
past & future
courtship practices
concepts of justice
Emotion
Ordering time
Relationships
age/gender
nature of friendship
concepts of beauty
rules of descent
body language
Status

27. The Cultural Panorama Use of silence Respect No eye contact
Visible Features
Surface
No eye contact
Not questioning
Use of silence
Invisible Features
Deeper
Here we have one deeper feature: respect; how is respect represented in western or palagi culture? Often through intent listening, engaging in conversation, contributing to dialogue, expression of appreciation. Western people have words: words for everything. Pasifika have words too, but sometimes if I am in an unequal power relationship: it’s more about being non-verbal.
Why no eye contact? It is related to the deeper feature of respect: looking in your eyes mean that I am equal to you: but in Pasifika culture: I am not equal to you if I am your student and you are my teacher.
Pasifika values placed on relationships mean that I will always ask about your family and your connections to me when I meet you.
Respect

28. KEY ideas - Developing effective relationships with Pasifika students
Establishing effective learning relationship is a pre requisite for some students to learn.
Teacher needs to model the attitudes and behaviours they want and expect from students.
Students don’t care about how much you know unless they know that you CARE and BELIEVE in them.

29. Respectful Pedagogy
Identify
Reflect
Connect

30. Effective Pedagogy
In your work with Pasifika students, what teaching approaches produce a significant (positive) impact on their learning?

31. Pasifika Diversity

32. Our culture is like a window It can provide a frame through which
we view the world
(our world view)
A set of values and beliefs inform that view
Conversations & Connections (MOE) Page 8

33. Questions to consider
What kinds of activities and commitments your Pasifika students are involved in at home and in their communities, across their different worlds?
Where and at what points can the curriculum you teach be linked to the life experiences, prior knowledge and world views of your students?
Where may there be mismatches between the cultural capital of Pasifika families / communities and the school?