Tīrewa Ako

Te Takanga o te Wā | Webinar 3 – Tīrewa Ako

HM: Tēnā tātou e hui nei i tēnei rangi. He kaikōrero wā tātou i tēnei rangi - ko Āwhina Gray rāua ko Tony Trinick. Ka tukuna tētahi wāhi ki a kōrua, mā kōrua anō e tuku paku whakamihi, aha rānei, ki te hunga whakarongo. Tēnā koe, Āwhina.

AG: Kia ora. Tēnā koe, Hineihaea. Nō Ngāti Raukawa, nō Ngāti Wehiwehi, nō Ngāti Toa Rangatira tēnei. Ka toro atu te kāwai ki Ngāti Manawa, ki Ngāpuhi. Ko Āwhina Gray tōku ingoa, tēnā koutou. Kia ora.

HM: Ngā mihi. Tēnā koe, Tony.

TT: Tēnā koe. Tēnā anō tātou. Ko Tony Trinick ahau nō Te Whānau-a-Apanui. He roa te wā kua kawe au i tēnei kaupapa. Nō reira, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou e whakarongo mai ki a mātou.

HM: Tēnā kōrua. I tēnei huitopa, ka kōrerohia ngā Tīrewa Ako. So we’re going to be talking about Tīrewa Ako today. So, let’s start by asking you Tony, how would you describe Tīrewa Ako?

TT: If we think of a Tīrewa as a frame to hang things on, then a Tīrewa Ako is a kaupapa, is an explanation, outcomes for learning a particular kaupapa from the very early years to the end of school to support the school, teachers, whānau to identify student progress along the pathway. It identifies the key concepts, skills, dispositions, the things that we can’t leave to chance for students to learn.

HM: So, how would kura and kaiako use Tīrewa Ako? What would they do with them in their settings?

TT: They can use them to guide their planning, so their mahere ā-kura, or group planning, or syndicate planning. So, they have to contextualise these kaupapa ako in contexts relevant to their kura. They help to identify a child’s starting point and their progress along the way. They help whānau to judge and gauge how their children are progressing. And then what’s important is that the schools design what is important to them which reflects their special character.

HM: Okay, ka pai. So they’re a tool that schools can use to help their planning, that teachers can use to help plan teaching and learning programmes from. So, are they subjects, Āwhina? Are they the whāinga as we know them in the current marautanga? How do Tīrewa Ako work in terms of using them for planning? Do we still have subjects or do these replace them? How does it all fit?

AG: Te Tamaiti hei Raukura opens the opportunity to look at things differently, to look at what we teach differently and it throws open the door to possibilities, as is currently the case. You know, traditionally we’ve used subjects, but there are other ways to group learning that better reflect us as a people, as Māori. It is possible to design Tīrewa Ako based on Wāhanga Ako. For instance, Pāngarau could have its own Tīrewa Ako. Conversely, it’s also possible to design Tīrewa Ako for things that don’t necessarily, or aren’t necessarily, reflected adequately through a Wāhanga Ako approach. So, the Tīrewa Ako is not just about teaching those things that Wāhanga Ako prioritise, but also those things that we, as Māori, value. So, it could be mātauranga Māori, it could be the kinds of kaupapa that point to and contribute to He Uri Whakaheke. It could be te āhua o te tangata. So, it really does open up the possibility to focus on things that we value as a people, beyond what is currently in Wāhanga Ako.

HM: Right. So, what I’ve picked up is that Tīrewa Ako are a type of progression of learning. I think that’s what Tony was talking about and what you’re saying, Āwhina, is that these Tīrewa Ako may or may not be the progressions that we currently work with, if we think about the subjects or the wāhanga ako that are currently in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, they are a type of progression in themselves, but we might see through Tīrewa Ako other things come to the fore that kura feel are important for their settings or their local mātauranga. So, the pathway that we are going down now in refreshing or redesigning the curriculum leads us to thinking about things in different ways. I guess that’s one of the key messages that we see in this series of webinars, it’s a kind of key theme that we need to think differently about what’s important for mokopuna to learn. So, are there other ways that the Tīrewa can help kura and kaiako to do that, to think differently?

AG: Sure. The national curriculum doesn't define everything that communities think is important, and Te Tamaiti hei Raukura opens up the curriculum. It presents whānau with an opportunity to think beyond the current experience of learning and, as you say, bring to the fore the things that they aspire for their tamariki. So, Tīrewa Ako is a mechanism, if you like, that enables whānau to identify and focus, to really focus on what's important to learn and what they aspire for their tamariki, that may not necessarily be seen or presented in a way through the Wāhanga Ako. So, it's an opportunity to consider the possibilities and look at what we teach, but also what's important to learn, in different ways.

HM: Thanks. It's a really important point to make, I guess, about thinking about what's really important in a local setting and what the learning is that's involved in that and that's what Tīrewa Ako allow us to do. What would your suggestions be, we'll start with you, Tony. What would you suggest that whānau or kaiako do right now? What could we do right now that would enable them to be ready for using Tīrewa Ako or for creating their own Tīrewa Ako, because I understand that that's something that's possible too, that kura are able to design their own Tīrewa Ako? What are the things that you would suggest - somebody who's listening to this, what's the next steps for them in terms of Tīrewa Ako?

TT: Wānanga with your whānau and get advice from your hapori in terms of the graduate. What is it that they can do - and you need to be quite specific, not too general - to be able to do, to know about, to contribute to your community, your hapū, your iwi? So what is it, if they go on this journey from the time they enter school to the time they graduate, what's their profile? What is it you want them to be like?

HM: Being really clear about that, so that you can identify what the learning is that's involved, so that we reach the outcomes that we're looking for. Ka pai. Āwhina, did you have something that you wanted to add to that?

AG: Sure. Undoubtedly, every kura community has a uniqueness to it and a desire to reflect that uniqueness. What makes this school different to the school up the road, for instance, or in the next rohe. So a question to ask would be, what could a kaupapa of a Tīrewa be that reflects that special characteristic, or those special characteristics of the hapori, of the kura? What would make it, what kinds of kaupapa would really show and reflect that particular characteristic, that uniqueness.

HM: Ka pai. Tēnā kōrua me ā kōrua whakamārama mō tēnei mea, te Tīrewa Ako. We hope to see Tīrewa Ako flourishing in kura and really leading learning in the direction that we've always wanted it to go, and I guess the thing that I pick up most loud and clear from what you both said is being really clear about what it is that we're trying to achieve. What is it that we want graduates of kura, each kura needs to think about what is it that they want their graduates to look like and what’s the learning pathway towards that, rather than being bound or feeling restricted or constricted by what we might currently see as subjects or Wāhanga Ako, that there are other things that are really important as well. Tēnā kōrua i ēnā whakamārama. He huarahi e wātea ana ki mua i a tātou. Ko te mea nui, kia kotahi tā tātou para i taua huarahi. Nō reira, tēnā rawa atu kōrua me ā kōrua kōrero i tēnei rā. Ngā mihi.

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Te Takanga o te Wā Webinar 3 – Tīrewa Ako

HM: Welcome to today’s webinar. We are fortunate to be joined by two speakers today, Āwhina Gray and Tony Trinick. We’ll start by giving you both some time to introduce yourselves to those that are viewing. Welcome, Āwhina.

AG: Hello. Thanks, Hineihaea. I’m from Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Wehiwehi, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. My line of descent also extends to Ngāti Manawa, to Ngāpuhi. My name is Āwhina Gray. Greetings to you all. Thanks.

HM: Thank you. Hello, Tony.

TT: Greetings everyone. My name is Tony Trinick and I’m from Te Whānau-a-Apanui. I have long been involved with this project. Welcome to everyone that is listening.

HM: Thanks to you both. In this webinar, we are going to be talking about Tīrewa Ako. So we’re going to be talking about Tīrewa Ako today. So, let’s start by asking you, Tony, how would you describe Tīrewa Ako?

TT: If we think of a tīrewa as a frame to hang things on, then a Tīrewa Ako is a subject, is an explanation, outcomes for learning a particular subject from the very early years to the end of school to support the school, teachers, school community to identify student progress along the pathway. It identifies the key concepts, skills, dispositions, the things that we can’t leave to chance for students to learn.

HM: So, how would schools and teachers use Tīrewa Ako? What would they do with them in their settings?

TT: They can use them to guide their planning, so their school-wide planning, or group planning, or syndicate planning. So, they have to contextualise these learning topics in contexts relevant to their school, they help to identify a child’s starting point and the progress along the way. They help families to judge and gauge how their children are progressing. And then what’s important is that the schools design what is important to them which reflects their special character.

HM: Okay, good. So they’re a tool that schools can use to help their planning, that teachers can use to help plan teaching and learning programmes from. So are they subjects, Āwhina? Are they the achievement objectives as we know them in the current curriculum? How do Tīrewa Ako work in terms of using them for planning? Do we still have subjects or do these replace them? How does it all fit?

AG: Te Tamaiti hei Raukura opens the opportunity to look at things differently, to look at what we teach differently and it throws open the door to possibilities, as is currently the case. You know, traditionally we’ve used subjects. But there are other ways to group learning that better reflect us as a people, as Māori. It is possible to design Tīrewa Ako based on Learning Areas. For instance, Pāngarau could have its own Tīrewa Ako. Conversely, it’s also possible to design Tīrewa Ako for things that don’t necessarily or aren’t necessarily reflected adequately through a learning area approach. So, the Tīrewa Ako approach is not just about teaching the things that learning areas prioritise, but also those things that we, as Māori, value. So it could be Māori knowledge, it could be the kinds of subjects that point to and contribute to He Uri Whakaheke. It could be human dispositions. So, it really does open up the possibility to focus on things that we value as a people, beyond what is currently in the learning areas.

HM: Right. So, what I’ve picked up is that Tīrewa Ako are a type of progression of learning, I think that’s what Tony was talking about, and what you’re saying Āwhina is that these Tīrewa Ako may or may not be the progressions that we currently work with, if we think about the subjects or the learning areas that are currently in the mārautanga o Aotearoa, they are a type of progression in themselves, but we might see through Tīrewa Ako other things come to the fore that schools feel are important for their settings or their local knowledge. So, the pathway that we are going down now in refreshing or redesigning the curriculum leads us to thinking about things in different ways. I guess that’s one of the key messages that we see in this series of webinars, it’s a kind of key theme that we need to think differently about what’s important for children to learn. So, are there other ways that the Tīrewa can help schools and teachers to do that, to think differently?

AG: Sure. The national curriculum doesn't define everything that communities think is important, and Te Tamaiti hei Raukura opens up the curriculum. It presents school communities with an opportunity to think beyond the current experience of learning and, as you say, bring to the fore the things that they aspire for their children. So, Tīrewa Ako is a mechanism, if you like, that enables school commuities to identify and focus, to really focus on what's important to learn and what they aspire for their children, that may not necessarily be seen or presented in a way through the learning areas. So, it's an opportunity to consider the possibilities and look at what we teach, but also what's important to learn, in different ways.

HM: Thanks. It's a really important point to make, I guess, about thinking about what's really important in a local setting and what the learning is that's involved in that and that's what Tīrewa Ako allow us to do. What would your suggestions be, we'll start with you, Tony. What would you suggest that school communities or teachers do right now? What could we do right now that would enable them to be ready for using Tīrewa Ako or for creating their own Tīrewa Ako, because I understand that that's something that's possible too, that schools are able to design their own Tīrewa Ako? What are the things that you would suggest - somebody who's listening to this, what's the next steps for them in terms of Tīrewa Ako?

TT: Discuss things with your school community and get advice from your community in terms of the graduate. What is it that they can do - and you need to be quite specific, not too general - to be able to do, to know about, to contribute to your community, your sub-tribe, your tribe? So what is it, if they go on this journey from the time they enter school to the time they graduate, what's their profile? What is it you want them to be like?

HM: Being really clear about that, so that you can identify what the learning is that's involved, so that we reach the outcomes that we're looking for. Good. Āwhina, did you have something that you wanted to add to that?

AG: Sure. Undoubtedly, every school community has a uniqueness to it and a desire to reflect that uniqueness. What makes the school different to the school up the road, for instance, or in the next suburb. So a question to ask would be, what could a subject of a Tīrewa be that reflects that special characteristic, or those special characteristics of the community, of the school? What would make it, what kinds of topics would really show and reflect that particular characteristic, that uniqueness.

HM: Great. Thank you both for your explanations about Tīrewa Ako. We hope to see Tīrewa Ako flourishing in schools and really leading learning in the direction that we've always wanted it to go, and, I guess, the thing that I pick up most loud and clear from what you both said is being really clear about what it is that we're trying to achieve. What is it that we want graduates of schools, each school needs to think about what is it that they want their graduates to look like and what’s the learning pathway towards that, rather than being bound or feeling restricted or constricted by what we might currently see as subjects or learning areas, that there are other things that are really important as well. Thanks to you both for those explanations. There is a pathway forward ahead of us. What matters most is that we come together in our clearing of that path. So, I thank you both for what you have shared today. Thank you.