Ngā Matapakinga | Discussion
I came across this blogpost from @edK8R yesterday evening on Twitter. There have been lots of posts recently from a range of great educators who have shared their thoughts and experiences. These have been very interesting and informative and I have found much in them that has caused me to reflect.
This one, however, really spoke to me. I don't know if it's because it started with a story - a story that educators from Aoteraoa know so well - the story of Tāne collecting the kete of knowledge and then discovering what was in them. I think of how all the baskets together provide us with a way of teaching and learning that will nurture all of us and enable us to thrive.
We were discussing in our hui this week about how this crisis has exposed those schools who hadn't already put measures and approaches in place to prepare their students for '21st Century Learning", those schools who haven't embraced technology or who have devices but haven't developed an effective pedagogy that makes the most of them and the potential they have aligned with a collaborative, creative learning approach to support learners to be independent and self-motivated.
We also acknowledged the many schools and individual teachers who have gone the extra mile to upskill very quickly, who have searched in their own kete for creative ways to connect with their whānau and their ākonga and support them with wrap-around care.
But what @edK8R does is talk about the inequities which are much harder to address and which have really come to the surface as a result of COVID19 - not just for schools but across society. In the CLA we have heard plenty about this over the last few weeks. We have had phone calls from parents which are heart-rending and make us feel so helpless.
@edK8R provides some suggestions of what we can fill our kete with that might help to fill the empty social, emotional and educational kete of those families in need around Aoteraoa. She talks about working together to support each other with aroha. I would strengthen her argument by adding that we listen hard and patiently to those facing inequities. Find out what they bring in terms of their cultural and philosophical knowledge, and recognise it as valuable rather than assuming we know best and imposing solutions that aren't fit for purpose
Her final challenge;
"We have the knowledge to move forward. I really believe that. We also need to remember that our amazing capability to turn a blind eye to what's uncomfortable is part of the reason why we are at this junction. What will be telling in the months to come is how we come together to create the change we need."
I agree. This is not a time to turn a blind eye. We cannot, as educators be bystanders.
Over in another land of online conversation and contemplation, there's a growing pool of reflection and whakaaro around what we can takeaway from COVID-19 and keep, tweak, lose or improve going forward @ Covid-19 Lessons learned going forward. A big huge thank you to @markmaddren for sharing your blog connections as well.
Image source: Covid Image by FrankundFrei from Pixabay
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Very powerful, thanks for sharing Anne, I tautoko what you and Phoebe and I'd go one step further and say the inequities go beyond education. We have some basic human needs that are not being met, so how will some of our taiohi be able to focus on learning when there are more urgent needs?
Interesting to read the NZ Covid-19 response has been led by Science and empathy, something the rest of the world is in envy of. As we exit Covid-19 restrictions we're going to need a lot of empathy and understanding and a wholistic approach to how we see a treaty-led future in Aotearoa. Here's some mighty inspiration.
This is the foreword from, Kia Puta ki Rangiātea: Reaching New Futures, a series of potential future scenarios post COVID-19 released by Tokona Te Raki.
Image source: Wikipedia Commons
So true, Phebs. So important to ask what people want, acknowledge the mana they have and the knowledge they have and work together. So much gold is already there, so how best can it be used for the benefit of those who really need it.
Wow!!! tautoko Anne COVID19 has certainly highligted so much good and bad Equity is a huge issue. Im confronted with it daily in my community with my people. For us the reality has been how much the sytsem is broken for many Māori as your blogger says.this moment is our opportunity to mend it with gold." Ask us what the gold could look like for our people.
Nei ra te mihi
Phebs