News

The latest Enabling e-Learning newsletter is out now! We have lots of useful information to support planning for next year.

Go to the Newsletters  page to:

• sign up for the newsletter – look for the heading Keep Informed, enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button. 
• view archived newsletters.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the release of an online guide, Planning an inclusive learning environment to help schools plan new builds and building modifications that meet the needs of all students.

“This is a very useful and comprehensive resource. It takes schools through all the components they need to think about when planning a new learning environment,” says Ms Parata.

“New Zealand is diverse and every child has different learning needs. Each one of them deserves to feel included and valued at school. This guide will help principals, teachers and boards of trustees to take into account the different needs of students when planning innovative and inclusive learning environments.”

More information on Enabling e-Learning »

• Teaching in innovative learning environments
• Planning an ILE – information for school leaders
• Flexible learning spaces

Education Minister Hekia Parata launched a new online curriculum design tool to improve learning experiences for children and young people in Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

The tool will enable each Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako to collaboratively design a quality curriculum that supports the unique learning pathway of every child and young person in that community.

The model will be trialled in Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako early next year, with further testing and refining throughout 2017 in response to feedback.

More information »

• Press release – Cutting edge curriculum tool goes live
• Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako  – Ministry of Education website information

The Education (Update) Amendment Bill (the Bill) proposes to recognise the impact that technology is having on education, by introducing a new mode of education delivery – online learning. Technological change makes it possible for students to learn anywhere, anytime, and at any pace.

More information »

• Establishing a regulatory framework for online learning – information from the Ministry of Education.

Anne Williams, e-Dean at Ashburton College, explains the benefits for students of online learning, particularly using NetNZ. Anne comments, "Being an online learner really does give a lot of independence to students around their learning."

It's Tokelau language week from 23-29 October. Find lots of useful online resources for including Tokelau language in your classroom curriculum on the Pasifikia Resources page .

Try out your language skills with these easy words and phrases in te gagana Tokelau.

• Fakafeiloaki: Greetings
• Mālo ni! Hello!
• Ulu tonu mai: Welcome
• E fakafeiloaki atu: We greet you
• Fakafetai: Thank you
• Te mānaia o te aho: It is a beautiful day
• Te mānaia o nā hiva faka-Tokelau: Tokelau dancing is beautiful
• Tōfā ni: Good bye

The latest Enabling e-Learning newsletter is out now! This issue contains lots of free professional learning events for you to sign-up to in Term 4.

Go to the Newsletters  page to:

• sign up for the newsletter – look for the heading Keep Informed, enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button. 
• view archived newsletters.

Each series is designed for a specific stage in students’ learning, providing supports and challenges to scaffold their growing understandings and to prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

The English-medium literacy instructional series support teaching and learning through years 1–8. They include:

• reading materials designed to support learning across the curriculum and students’ development of more complex literacy skills
• targeted materials for students who are not yet meeting literacy expectations.

Instructional series on Literacy Online »

This new online guide provides ideas, resources, and stories illustrating how NZ secondary schools use digital technologies to extend and enhance learning in the NCEA years.

Using digital technologies to support learning in a senior secondary context  has been developed by the Connected Learning Advisory. This online guide has been developed to support school leaders and teachers prepare for NZQA's extensive innovation programme for going digital, which will impact all senior secondary students. Schools need to make significant shifts in practice to respond to challenges and harness the opportunities provided by digital technologies.

This guide is one of a series produced by the Connected Learning Advisory. To find out more visit the Connected Learning Advisory page on Enabling e-Learning. 

The latest Enabling e-Learning newsletter is out now! This issue contains lots of free professional learning events for you to sign-up to in Term 3.

Go to the Newsletters  page to:

• sign up for the newsletter – look for the heading Keep Informed, enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button. 
• view archived newsletters.

We have a fresh series of free online webinars and forums to support your professional learning and development, and build your e-capability. 

Find out and share what's on with your colleagues

• Term 3 Enabling e-Learning calendar of events
• Download the Term 3 flyer to print for staff rooms
• Add events to your own calendar and share with your colleagues!

The Ministry of Education have released an App to help teachers use the learning progressions frameworks to support teaching and learning.

The App allows you to browse the frameworks and illustrations anywhere, anytime and make notes to help you in your work.

Find out more about the App, released 13 July 2016 on iTunes »

Ruaumoko: The Rumbling Voice is an interactive digital book narrated by deaf Māori students in Te Reo Turi and New Zealand Sign Language. This narration is supported by text and audio in Te Reo Māori and English.

The story follows the whakapapa of Te Kore, Rangi and Papa and their separation, Ruaumoko, and the battle of his brothers where he sent earthquakes to signal his feelings about the separation. The narrator explains the connection with the deaf community and their identification with the way Ruaumoko sends vibrations through the ground to gain the attention of others. The story familiarises the deaf students with their whakapapa and gives them the sense they are associated with one of Nga Atua Māori, demonstrating they are powerful and valued.

The digital book is available from:

• iTunes (apple)  
• Google Play (android) . 

Digital technology is to be formally integrated into the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today at the NZTech Advance Education Technology Summit in Auckland.

The decision is an outcome of the Government’s Science and Society Strategic Plan – A Nation of Curious Minds: Te Whenua Hihiri i te Mahara .

"Digital technology will be included as a strand of the Technology learning area in the New Zealand Curriculum, and as a whenu within the Hangarau Wāhanga Ako of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa," says Ms Parata.

From now until the end of 2017, the Government will consult with stakeholders, design new curriculum content, and develop achievement objectives across the whole learner pathway. It will be fully integrated into the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa in 2018.

Education Services has a new website explaining how professional learning and development (PLD) is being changed from 2017. The new website explains what PLD is focussed on, who delivers it, and how schools, kura and, Communities of Learning can access it.

Education Services are working with a wide range of sector representatives to implement the new approach to PLD.

The Professional Learning and Development site will have the most up-to-date information about the changes.

The latest Enabling e-Learning newsletter is out now! This issue contains lots of new school stories, resources, and information from the Enabling e-Learning website. Find out what's coming up in Enabling e-Learning community. 

Go to the Newsletters  page to:

• sign up for the newsletter – look for the heading Keep Informed, enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button. 
• view archived newsletters.

NetSafe has been appointed as the Approved Agency under the harmful digital communications act to manage and assist Internet users with cases of online harassment under a new civil enforcement scheme.

The Approved Agency’s role includes advising on steps people can take to resolve a problem, investigating and attempting to resolve complaints where harm has been caused, and providing education and advice about online safety and conduct.

Budget 2016 included $16.4 million of new funding to support the Harmful Digital Communications Act including operation of the Approved Agency.

It’s expected NetSafe will start as the Approved Agency in November 2016.

More information on NetSafe's website – NetSafe appointed as approved agency .

If you have been using technology in a way that is innovative, or you have a brand new idea you would like to trial, the Grass Roots Ideas Initiative wants to hear from you!

The Grass Roots Ideas Initiative aims to help schools around New Zealand better understand how to use digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning.

The Ministry of Education wants to work with teachers and school leaders to identify, test, and share teaching and learning ideas that take advantage of the Internet, digital devices, digital resources and/or digital tools.

The Ministry will support successful applicants by funding release time for the person or people leading the change in practice. The release time will cover their involvement in setting up and implementing the change, analysing the results and writing them up. The Grass Roots Ideas advisor will provide mentoring support throughout the application process and idea investigation.

More information »

• Grass Roots Ideas Initiative
• email: delta.info@education.govt.nz

Another 350 schools will be able to access wireless technology, thanks to a funding increase for the Ministry of Education’s Wireless School Network Upgrade Project (WSNUP), Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

There are 475 schools already in the process of having wireless retrofitted, and today’s announcement will see this increase to about 825 schools throughout the country.

More information »

Register now for free webinars and participate in our planned forum discussions to support your professional learning. 

Term 2 Events in the Enabling e-Learning community »

The Student Management System (SMS) initiative has been renamed SISI – the Student Information Sharing Initiative.

To date, the SISI team have undertaken a detailed assessment of the types of systems currently used in schools. They are working towards a solution, which will allow teachers and school leaders the flexibility to continue using systems that work for their particular schools.

A new roadmap

A draft "roadmap" for the SISI project, which is the result of consultation between the Ministry, and interested teachers, school leaders and vendors, is now available for feedback.

• More information about the roadmap »  

Workshops

As the SISI team investigated the different SMSs around the country, it was found that data recording practices varied widely across schools, and that a number of schools were not using their systems to the best effect. 

SMS "Good Practice" workshops for school leaders have been developed in partnership with the Connected Learning Advisory (CLA). These workshops are being planned for delivery in Term 2.

Workshops are:

• useful to senior leaders in all schools and kura, regardless of the SMS you use
• free of charge
• held in 30 regional locations.
• Register for a workshop in your area »

Joining the discussion

email: delta.info@education.govt.nz  if you would like to:

• be part of the ongoing discussion. Request to be added to the dedicated online forum. 
• would like to give some one-off feedback about the proposals. The Ministry will collate feedback received, and post updates to the draft proposals online.