title: Kava, traditionally influenced consumption volumes, and impacts on driver fitness

authors: Aporosa, S. 'Apo'

abstract: Introduction: Kava (Piper methysticum), a culturally significant Pacific Island beverage, produces soporific relaxant effects similar to Benzodiazepine. Traditional users typically consume this drink at volumes 20 times greater than pharmacologically recommended doses, with many then driving home. This study, funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council (19/002), assessed six key cognitive functions related to safe driving, following kava use.  
Methods:  Guided by the faikava methodology, male kava consumers (n=20) attended a six-hour kava session, each drinking 3.6 litres of kava.  Drinkers were compared to a control group (males; n=19).  At baseline (T1) all participants completed Brain Gauge testing - a somatosensory tool that measures cognitive functioning in six-areas. Re-testing was completed at three (T2) and six hours (T3).  Statistical modelling comprised Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U (MW), and Bayesian (BF) analysis.  
Results: Analysis indicated no statistically significant (p<0.05) difference to the focus, accuracy, time perception, plasticity or fatigue of the active participants when compared against control at T1, T2 or T3. Conversely, data analysis showed a significant level of impairment to the temporal order judgement (TOJ) of the active participants at T3 ([MW=0.0119; t=0.007301; BF=6.193058]) when compared with both their own and control data at T2 and T1.
Conclusions: Kava at traditional consumption volumes is shown to significantly impact TOJ. TOJ is associated with Executive Function, particularly sequencing. This new understanding suggests kava, at traditionally consumed volumes, impacts upon cognitive functioning, and therefore may compromise driver safety. This presentation expands on these findings combined with a recent kava drink-driving awareness program.
Sponsorship: The study is funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council (19/002).

text: Kava, traditionally influenced consumption volumes, and impacts on driver fitness Introduction: Kava (Piper methysticum), a culturally significant Pacific Island beverage, produces soporific relaxant effects similar to Benzodiazepine. Traditional users typically consume this drink at volumes 20 times greater than pharmacologically recommended doses, with many then driving home. This study, funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council (19/002), assessed six key cognitive functions related to safe driving, following kava use.  
Methods:  Guided by the faikava methodology, male kava consumers (n=20) attended a six-hour kava session, each drinking 3.6 litres of kava.  Drinkers were compared to a control group (males; n=19).  At baseline (T1) all participants completed Brain Gauge testing - a somatosensory tool that measures cognitive functioning in six-areas. Re-testing was completed at three (T2) and six hours (T3).  Statistical modelling comprised Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U (MW), and Bayesian (BF) analysis.  
Results: Analysis indicated no statistically significant (p<0.05) difference to the focus, accuracy, time perception, plasticity or fatigue of the active participants when compared against control at T1, T2 or T3. Conversely, data analysis showed a significant level of impairment to the temporal order judgement (TOJ) of the active participants at T3 ([MW=0.0119; t=0.007301; BF=6.193058]) when compared with both their own and control data at T2 and T1.
Conclusions: Kava at traditional consumption volumes is shown to significantly impact TOJ. TOJ is associated with Executive Function, particularly sequencing. This new understanding suggests kava, at traditionally consumed volumes, impacts upon cognitive functioning, and therefore may compromise driver safety. This presentation expands on these findings combined with a recent kava drink-driving awareness program.
Sponsorship: The study is funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council (19/002).

year: 2022

title: From Policy to Practice: How are Schools Catering for Gifted and Talented Students?

authors: Ferguson, Miriam

subjects: gifted and talented education

abstract: In 2005, the Ministry of Education in New Zealand released 'The Schooling Strategy, Making a Bigger Difference for all Students' (Ministry of Education, 2005). This is intended as a framework for ongoing effort and improvement in education for the five years from 2005 to 2010. One of the strategic priorities in this document, is to promote evidence-based practice.
With evidence-based practice, teachers combine evidence from a number of sources to inform their professional judgements and practice. This includes research evidence about effective pedagogy. Teachers, it states, need to be supported to 'base their practice on principles of  what works  from research evidence and adapting it to their classroom context' (p.39). In looking at the practices of schools in catering for gifted
and talented students, therefore, it is appropriate, to look at the findings of research. This research is useful in underpinning 'best practice'.
This study reviews the literature concerning the education of gifted and talented children from both national and international perspectives. It then looks at current New Zealand practice, based on four case-study primary schools. There are very
encouraging signs that these schools are well into the journey of catering for their gifted and talented students. Each school in this study has responded to the challenge of provision as best it can, within constraints of individual school situations. Each
school also sees the development of this provision as an ongoing process.
From Term 1, 2005, all state and state integrated schools must be able to show how they are meeting the needs of their gifted and talented learners. The main findings of this study suggest that even before the amendment to this National Administration Guideline (NAG) 1(iii)c, there were some promising and effective provisions for
gifted and talented children within schools. These included school-wide and withdrawal provisions. However, since the change to the NAG and the involvement of schools in gifted and talented professional development courses, there has been increased awareness of the need for classroom teachers to differentiate their
programmes in order to more effectively cater for this group of learners.
New Zealand primary school classrooms with a learner centred philosophy appear to be well suited to programme differentiation. There is increasingly an emphasis within general teaching practice on individualizing programmes based on assessment data which clearly shows where the child is at, and what the next learning step will be.
Current professional development contracts promoting practices such as inquiry learning, curriculum integration and thinking skills seem to have particular promise for this group of learners. It is very evident, however, that a lack of time and energy is a significant barrier for classroom teachers wishing to provide for the specific needs
of gifted and talented learners. It is also suggested that some schools, in particular low decile and small rural schools, may be unfairly disadvantaged in their ability to provide for gifted and talented learners.
The challenge for schools now, it is suggested, is to continue the journey towards a school-wide commitment to best practice in providing for this group of learners. Special consideration for this group of learners should be integrated into the context of all pre-service training and in-service professional development, as part of a differentiated programme for all learners. A vital component of this is ongoing practical support for teachers based on their expressed need, to enable them to effectively translate theory into practice, and thus implement and embed any
appropriate approach, based on research findings, effectively.

text: From Policy to Practice: How are Schools Catering for Gifted and Talented Students? In 2005, the Ministry of Education in New Zealand released 'The Schooling Strategy, Making a Bigger Difference for all Students' (Ministry of Education, 2005). This is intended as a framework for ongoing effort and improvement in education for the five years from 2005 to 2010. One of the strategic priorities in this document, is to promote evidence-based practice.
With evidence-based practice, teachers combine evidence from a number of sources to inform their professional judgements and practice. This includes research evidence about effective pedagogy. Teachers, it states, need to be supported to 'base their practice on principles of  what works  from research evidence and adapting it to their classroom context' (p.39). In looking at the practices of schools in catering for gifted
and talented students, therefore, it is appropriate, to look at the findings of research. This research is useful in underpinning 'best practice'.
This study reviews the literature concerning the education of gifted and talented children from both national and international perspectives. It then looks at current New Zealand practice, based on four case-study primary schools. There are very
encouraging signs that these schools are well into the journey of catering for their gifted and talented students. Each school in this study has responded to the challenge of provision as best it can, within constraints of individual school situations. Each
school also sees the development of this provision as an ongoing process.
From Term 1, 2005, all state and state integrated schools must be able to show how they are meeting the needs of their gifted and talented learners. The main findings of this study suggest that even before the amendment to this National Administration Guideline (NAG) 1(iii)c, there were some promising and effective provisions for
gifted and talented children within schools. These included school-wide and withdrawal provisions. However, since the change to the NAG and the involvement of schools in gifted and talented professional development courses, there has been increased awareness of the need for classroom teachers to differentiate their
programmes in order to more effectively cater for this group of learners.
New Zealand primary school classrooms with a learner centred philosophy appear to be well suited to programme differentiation. There is increasingly an emphasis within general teaching practice on individualizing programmes based on assessment data which clearly shows where the child is at, and what the next learning step will be.
Current professional development contracts promoting practices such as inquiry learning, curriculum integration and thinking skills seem to have particular promise for this group of learners. It is very evident, however, that a lack of time and energy is a significant barrier for classroom teachers wishing to provide for the specific needs
of gifted and talented learners. It is also suggested that some schools, in particular low decile and small rural schools, may be unfairly disadvantaged in their ability to provide for gifted and talented learners.
The challenge for schools now, it is suggested, is to continue the journey towards a school-wide commitment to best practice in providing for this group of learners. Special consideration for this group of learners should be integrated into the context of all pre-service training and in-service professional development, as part of a differentiated programme for all learners. A vital component of this is ongoing practical support for teachers based on their expressed need, to enable them to effectively translate theory into practice, and thus implement and embed any
appropriate approach, based on research findings, effectively.

year: 2007

title: Māori and bicultural positions: Professional development programme for Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour

authors: Glynn, Ted

subjects: Maori

abstract: The Ministry of Education has introduced a new and far-reaching policy initiative,
Special Education 2000. One component of this policy is the provision of
professional development for approximately 700 Resource Teachers [Learning and
Behaviour (RTLB)]. These resource teachers will help schools to meet the needs
of students experiencing mild to moderate learning and behavioural difficulties.
An important aim of the professional development programme is to prepare RTLB
to improve the quality of support to teachers of Māori students in conventional and
Māori medium classes. The programme consists of four courses, one introducing
key concepts, one focussed on class-wide interventions, one focussed on school
and community, and the fourth being a professional practice folio. This paper
describes the Māori and bicultural content of the first two courses within the RTLB
programme. It assesses the extent to which the programme addresses critical
questions (Bishop, 1994; Bishop, 1996) relating to the ownership and control of
Māori content included in the first two courses.

text: Māori and bicultural positions: Professional development programme for Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour The Ministry of Education has introduced a new and far-reaching policy initiative,
Special Education 2000. One component of this policy is the provision of
professional development for approximately 700 Resource Teachers [Learning and
Behaviour (RTLB)]. These resource teachers will help schools to meet the needs
of students experiencing mild to moderate learning and behavioural difficulties.
An important aim of the professional development programme is to prepare RTLB
to improve the quality of support to teachers of Māori students in conventional and
Māori medium classes. The programme consists of four courses, one introducing
key concepts, one focussed on class-wide interventions, one focussed on school
and community, and the fourth being a professional practice folio. This paper
describes the Māori and bicultural content of the first two courses within the RTLB
programme. It assesses the extent to which the programme addresses critical
questions (Bishop, 1994; Bishop, 1996) relating to the ownership and control of
Māori content included in the first two courses.

year: 2003