title: An exploration of ways in which Waikato primary school principals address the multiple learning requirements of children with special educational needs

authors: Symes, Rosemary

subjects: special needs

abstract: Based on research evidence from New Zealand, England and the USA, it is likely that there could be an increasing number of students with special needs enrolling in New Zealand schools.  This trend reinforces the need for an additional aspect to the usual leadership practices in New Zealand primary schools.

This research project focuses on the need for effective leadership that is socially just and equitable in addressing the requirements of learners with special needs.  The thesis reports on a small scale research project that explored the responses of a number of primary school principals to the issues inherent in providing viable and equitable learning opportunities for students with special needs.  The study identifies seven main themes which could aid school leaders in identifying learners with special needs and providing an equitable education.

These key themes include:

Fluidity of student need and a reluctance to categorise and label students; addressing special needs as a specific element of effective leadership; building capacity for change and development; data collection systems are essential for informing decisions; moral purpose and social justice are key drivers in special education; the best learning environment for student with special needs - withdrawal or full inclusion; and limited resourcing requires focused decision making.

text: An exploration of ways in which Waikato primary school principals address the multiple learning requirements of children with special educational needs Based on research evidence from New Zealand, England and the USA, it is likely that there could be an increasing number of students with special needs enrolling in New Zealand schools.  This trend reinforces the need for an additional aspect to the usual leadership practices in New Zealand primary schools.

This research project focuses on the need for effective leadership that is socially just and equitable in addressing the requirements of learners with special needs.  The thesis reports on a small scale research project that explored the responses of a number of primary school principals to the issues inherent in providing viable and equitable learning opportunities for students with special needs.  The study identifies seven main themes which could aid school leaders in identifying learners with special needs and providing an equitable education.

These key themes include:

Fluidity of student need and a reluctance to categorise and label students; addressing special needs as a specific element of effective leadership; building capacity for change and development; data collection systems are essential for informing decisions; moral purpose and social justice are key drivers in special education; the best learning environment for student with special needs - withdrawal or full inclusion; and limited resourcing requires focused decision making.

year: 2014

title: A soil-landscape model for Mahurangi Forest, Northland, New Zealand

authors: Jones, Hayden S.

abstract: Exotic plantation forestry is an important land use of both economic and environmental significance in Northland and elsewhere in New Zealand. It is therefore of considerable importance that forestlands be managed sustainably by employing approaches such as site-specific management. The establishment of site-specific forest management practices requires information regarding the distribution of key soil properties (Turvey and Poutsma, 1980). Quantitative modelling to predict key soil properties from landscape features may be an effective approach to mapping forestlands. A study investigating the efficacy of such an approach is being conducted within Mahurangi Forest, Northland, New Zealand. As a pilot to the study, a detailed qualitative soil-landscape model was developed in order to gain a greater understanding of the soil-landscape relationships and soil pattern of the area. The qualitative soil-landscape model developed in the pilot study is presented here.

text: A soil-landscape model for Mahurangi Forest, Northland, New Zealand Exotic plantation forestry is an important land use of both economic and environmental significance in Northland and elsewhere in New Zealand. It is therefore of considerable importance that forestlands be managed sustainably by employing approaches such as site-specific management. The establishment of site-specific forest management practices requires information regarding the distribution of key soil properties (Turvey and Poutsma, 1980). Quantitative modelling to predict key soil properties from landscape features may be an effective approach to mapping forestlands. A study investigating the efficacy of such an approach is being conducted within Mahurangi Forest, Northland, New Zealand. As a pilot to the study, a detailed qualitative soil-landscape model was developed in order to gain a greater understanding of the soil-landscape relationships and soil pattern of the area. The qualitative soil-landscape model developed in the pilot study is presented here.

year: 2000-12-03

title: Analysis of multibeam sonar data for benthic habitat characterization of the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand.

authors: Boulay, Sebastien O. C.

subjects: Tauranga

abstract: Tauranga Harbour is a mesotidal lagoon located within the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is subject to an ongoing maintenance dredging program to remove mud deposits coming from various sources in the catchment. At the southern end of the commercial port, the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built adjacent to the bridge causeway, with 500 floating concrete berths, enclosed by concrete floating breakwaters. It is proposed to convert these floating breakwaters into solid ones to stop waves entering the marina. This is expected to influence tidal circulation around the Tauranga bridge causeway, and potentially affect sedimentation and marine habitats. The region is an important source of "kai moana" (seafood) for local iwi, and is a source of juvenile shellfish for the large beds located on the flood tidal delta and surrounding channels.

This study investigates the impact of the successive harbour constructions on the local sedimentology. The overall goal of the mapping part of this project is to identify and locate the different seabed facies and features within the study site, which may be affected by the sediment transport potentially resulting from the past and future harbour developments. 

To investigate the impacts of the harbour modifications, a habitat-mapping survey using acoustic mapping techniques was undertaken in July and August 2011. The hydrographic survey was simultaneously performed using a multibeam echosounder (Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000) and a Starfish 452F sidescan sonar. The backscatter/imagery data from both systems was then used for habitat mapping, using a combination of Angular Response Analysis and image-based segmentation. An underwater camera survey and seabed sampling were also performed to ground-truth the morphologies identified from the acoustic backscatter analysis. The most recent habitat map was then compared to the previous studies to identify changes in response to the different modifications of the estuary.

text: Analysis of multibeam sonar data for benthic habitat characterization of the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. Tauranga Harbour is a mesotidal lagoon located within the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is subject to an ongoing maintenance dredging program to remove mud deposits coming from various sources in the catchment. At the southern end of the commercial port, the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built adjacent to the bridge causeway, with 500 floating concrete berths, enclosed by concrete floating breakwaters. It is proposed to convert these floating breakwaters into solid ones to stop waves entering the marina. This is expected to influence tidal circulation around the Tauranga bridge causeway, and potentially affect sedimentation and marine habitats. The region is an important source of "kai moana" (seafood) for local iwi, and is a source of juvenile shellfish for the large beds located on the flood tidal delta and surrounding channels.

This study investigates the impact of the successive harbour constructions on the local sedimentology. The overall goal of the mapping part of this project is to identify and locate the different seabed facies and features within the study site, which may be affected by the sediment transport potentially resulting from the past and future harbour developments. 

To investigate the impacts of the harbour modifications, a habitat-mapping survey using acoustic mapping techniques was undertaken in July and August 2011. The hydrographic survey was simultaneously performed using a multibeam echosounder (Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000) and a Starfish 452F sidescan sonar. The backscatter/imagery data from both systems was then used for habitat mapping, using a combination of Angular Response Analysis and image-based segmentation. An underwater camera survey and seabed sampling were also performed to ground-truth the morphologies identified from the acoustic backscatter analysis. The most recent habitat map was then compared to the previous studies to identify changes in response to the different modifications of the estuary.

year: 2012