from 2012 conference

1. What's Happening in Elementary
Schools in New Zealand?
Presentation at the South Carolina Council for the Social StudiesAnnual Conference!
Greenville, SC September 28, 2012
Presenters from Furman University: Dr. George Lipscomb, Dr. Shirley Ritter, Whitney
Becker, Morgan Black, Sarah Beth Caldwell, Olivia LeCompte, Maria Morrison,Audrey
Neumann, Sarah Odom

2. Some Context
About 4.3 million in entire country!
Primary Schools (years 0-8)!
Focus on Literacy, Maths!
Diversity (Maori, Pacific
Islanders, etc.)!
Social Studies integrated???

3. May Experience 2012

4. Key Takeaways from Visit
Early Childhood Education!
Technology!
Reading and Literacy!
Multicultural Education!
Environmental Issues/ The Outdoors!
Morning Tea

5. New Zealand!
Early Childhood
Education

6. A “student-centered” !
approach
• A child can attend school immediately
after their 5th birthday
– Once the child turns 5 years old he/
she can enter the classroom at
anytime in the year
– Each child is allowed to occasionally
visit “their” classroom before they
turn 5 years old to meet the teacher
• Year 1: ages 5 and 6 (multi-aged
classroom)
– Most go to pre-school before age 5
• NZ School year: January- December
(four- ten week terms)
• Government pays for 20 hours per week
– If child attends school more than 20
hours, than the parents pay the
difference

7. How does it !
compare to the U.S?
• New$Zealand$approach:$
– Naturalis4c$integra4on$
of$students$(January)$
– Referred$to$as$Year$1$in$
“Primary$School”$
– Must$be$5$years$old$
– Most$aFend$preschool$
before$the$age$of$5$$
• United$States$approach:$
– All$enter$at$the$same$
4me$in$the$school$year$
(August)$$
– Referred$to$as$
“Kindergarten”$
– Must$be$of$legal$age$
• More$concerned$with$if$the$
child$is$developmentally$
ready$for$Kindergarten$$

8. Technology in the
Classroom
New$Zealand$2012$

9. Background!
• Greatest0progress0has0been0seen0in0the0lower0
decile0schools0due0to0the0Manaiakalani0Education0
Trust00
• Set0up0in0January020110
• Established0to0facilitate0the0purchase0and0
distribution0of0netbooks0to0students0in0the0
Manaiakalani0Cluster.0For0around0$450,0each0
student0can0have0a0fullIfeatured0netbook0to0take0
home0as0their0own0and0keep0after0three0years0
• Shown0to0improve0inquiry,0literacy,0and0
participation.

10. Inquiry(
Tamaki&Primary&School&in&
Auckland&&
• New(inquiry(unit(for(every(term(
that(each(year(level(focuses(on(
and(incorporates(into(the(
curriculum.((
• “How(movies(are(useful(for(
exploring(our(world”(
• Students(experimented(with(
iMovie(and(planned(their(own(
storyboards.((
• Results(showed(huge(progress(
between(ages(five(and(six(with(
improved(literacy(and(inquiry(
skills(due(to(technology((

11. Literacy)Cycle ))
Quality(teaching(of(literacy(
Creation(of(digital(learning(objects(
Publishing(in(an(online(environment(
)
)

12. Pt.$England$Primary$
School$$
• One6to6one$
technology$
• each$student$has$his$
or$her$own$netbook$
and$e6learning$is$
incorporated$into$
every$subject.$$
• Owning$a$device$and$
academic$achievement$
go$hand6in6hand.$$
• Fosters$sense$of$
independent$learning$
away$from$the$
teacher$$
$

13. Participation**
• By*having*confidence*in*the*digital*world,*
these*students*will*become*more*confident*
and*successful*in*the*real*world,*outside*of*
school**

14. Overall'Positive'Impact''
• Fosters'independence'
• Students'learn'to'
structure'their'time'
• Use'Google'calendar'
to'plan'their'day'
• Instills'confidence'
• Provides'students'with'
skill'sets'
• Can'bring'those'skill'sets'
back'to'their'home'

15. Literacy)in)Primary)
Schools)
Audrey Neumann and Sarah Odom

16. Key$Competencies$
O Required by the Ministry
of Education
O Obvious use of key
competencies
throughout the schools
O Using language, symbols
and texts

17. Self%Regulated%Learning%
- Students are given
list of assignments
they must complete
within a given period
of time
- Students determine
how long they want or
need to spend on a
given assignment
- Helps develop time
management

19. What%is%the%Literacy%Cycle?%
O Quality teaching of the “traditional” concepts
of literacy
O Reading, writing, etc.
O Creation of digital learning objects from the
outcomes of literacy
O Publishing the digital learning objects in a
Web 2.0 environment

20. Literacy)Cycle)at)Pt.)
England)School,)
Auckland)NZ)
- Data collected has shown that
this process has improved
students’ ability to read and write
Literacy
Cycle

21. Multiculturalism in New
Zealand Schools!
By Whitney Becker!

22. What is multiculturalism?!
• Multiculturalism is the
preservation of different
cultures or cultural identities
within a unified society, as a
state or
nation. (Dictionary.com)!
• New Zealand has high
populations of Maori and Pacific
Islanders!
• Teachers attempt to
incorporate all the different
cultures found there, particularly
the Maori culture.!
• Kura Kaupapa is a type of
primary school where they
teach only in Maori!

23. Background
Information!
• The New Zealand Curriculum reflects the
bicultural and multicultural nature of New
Zealand society!
• Approximately 23% of students are English
Language Learners from 163 different ethnic
groups speaking 115 different first languages.
The largest cultural groups represented in New
Zealand are Samoan (22%) and Tongan
(12%)!

24. Examples of
Multiculturalism in schools!
• Queenstown Primary!
• represents 31 different
cultures throughout its
560 student body!
• St. Pius X!
• 100% Pacific Islander student
body which creates learning
issues due to language,
poverty, and access to
learning!

25. More Examples!
• Weymouth Primary!
• greeted with songs and dances!
• High levels of Maori and Pacific Islander
populations out of 464 student body!

26. • Weymouth Primary School Welcome

27. Finlayson Park!
• Finlayson Park is comprised of fifty-three percent Maori students and is a language
immersion school; greeted through a special Maori welcoming ceremony. !
• Language units in which the students are taught half of their lessons in English and
the other half in the language of their choice !
• allows students to celebrate their backgrounds and personal beliefs!
• allows students to the path that is best for them.!
• Choose from Tongan, Maori or Samoan.!
• Unit dedicated to fluent Maori learning, where the students do not speak English in
class until the age of ten, and an English/Maori unit, where both languages are
spoken from Year 1. (Must attend Maori preschool to get into the Maori unit)!
• Tongan and Samoan units did not have fluent counterparts, but were similarly
conducted.!
• The goal is for students to be strong in both languages when they leave.!

28. • Finlayson Park Welcome

29. OUTDOORS
IM
PORTANCE
B
Y
M
A
R
I A
M
O
R
R
I S
O
N

31. OUTDOORS IN NEW ZEALAND EDUCATION
• Maori tradition
• Whole World class room
• Educating the whole person
• Recess
• PAL’s
• Sports

32. MAORI TRADITION STILL PRESENT
• No shoes, closer to the earth
• middle school
• Physically connecting to nature
• Kinesthetic learners
• Almost every where requires them to start wearing shoes
in Learn better if have done activity
• Learn better by doing it first hand
• Respect for nature and surroundings
• Customs and rituals

33. Child walking
without shoes on
to play sports
with his class.

34. “MAKING THE WHOLE WORLD
THE CLASS ROOM”
• Want wireless internet everywhere
• Can study outside if weather is nice or negative
household
• Science
• Life cycle
• Environmental studies
• Teaches Responsibility

36. RECESS
• Give an hour for lunch and recess
• Child decides how much time is spent on which
• Freedom
• Children do what they please
• Play grounds
• Student designed
• Large
• Fields
• Large spaces to do activities
• Scheduled runs after recess
• Get energy out, boost attention level

39. PAL’S
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEADERS
• Run by the children
• Elected
• Job to make sure everyone is active and exercising
at recess
• Look for lonely kids and invite them to join
• Promotes leadership and confidence in children
• Gives them a role
• Wear hats with “P” on them
• Stands out
• Makes them feel important

40. SPORTS
• Everyone participates in them
• Regardless of level
• Different levels
• House competitions
• Serious sports outside of school
• All children play

41. Children rugby players with the Professionals at Forsyth Barr Stadium

42. Morning Tea
Our favorite pastime
Text

43. What is it?
During the school day, staff, teachers, and students receive a
morning break which they call “morning tea.” !
The teachers and staff gather together for tea, coffee, and tons of
yummy treats. The students are also welcome to have snacks
during this time or just go outside and play during the break.

44. Why it is essential?
A distinct part of NZ
culture, each school
provided us with some
form of a “tea”!
benefits: community,
comfort, and cookies!

45. Questions???
For more information, please
contact Dr. George Lipscomb
at
george.lipscomb@furman.edu