title: English teaching in New Zealand: The current play of the state

authors: Locke, Terry

subjects: curriculum

abstract: Curriculum, assessment and qualifications reforms in New Zealand have wrought significant changes in the construction of English as a subject and in the practices of English teachers. While the content of the new English curriculum suggests continuities with past syllabuses, its structural parameters indicate a different discursive agenda. Reforms in senior secondary school qualifications have also acted to construct English in ways that need to be contested and which may be making the subject less responsive to changes in textual practice resulting from the rise in digital technologisation. In a variety of ways, the reforms are also serving to reshape the everyday classroom practices of English teachers, both overtly and covertly through a process of discursive colonisation. Because the reforms have been highly centralised, state initiated and state managed, they have posed a huge challenge to teacher professionalism and identity. Through all of this, the hegemonic status of English as the vehicle through which literature is studied remains unchallenged. The article concludes by listing five challenges to English teachers.

text: English teaching in New Zealand: The current play of the state Curriculum, assessment and qualifications reforms in New Zealand have wrought significant changes in the construction of English as a subject and in the practices of English teachers. While the content of the new English curriculum suggests continuities with past syllabuses, its structural parameters indicate a different discursive agenda. Reforms in senior secondary school qualifications have also acted to construct English in ways that need to be contested and which may be making the subject less responsive to changes in textual practice resulting from the rise in digital technologisation. In a variety of ways, the reforms are also serving to reshape the everyday classroom practices of English teachers, both overtly and covertly through a process of discursive colonisation. Because the reforms have been highly centralised, state initiated and state managed, they have posed a huge challenge to teacher professionalism and identity. Through all of this, the hegemonic status of English as the vehicle through which literature is studied remains unchallenged. The article concludes by listing five challenges to English teachers.

year: 2002

title: Strategies to improve engineering retention

authors: Carnegie, Dale A.

subjects: Diagnostics

abstract: Victoria University of Wellington in partnership with the regional polytechnic, WelTec, undertook a major exercise to identify, and where possible, resolve, barriers to recruitment and retention in the digital engineering specializations. This paper focuses on the retention aspects of this research. Informed by student surveys, focus groups and secondary school academic achievement data, we identified contributing issues of academic preparation, student expectation and cultural influencers. In response we developed an engineering preparation course, a mathematics based diagnostic tool, Peer-Assisted learning support, engineering cultural activities, and redeveloped our core first year engineering course. Although in the early stages of delivery, these initiatives have been well received by the students. We are closely monitoring the results of these initiatives with the expectation that fewer students will abandon their studies and a greater portion of the marginal students will attain passing grades.

text: Strategies to improve engineering retention Victoria University of Wellington in partnership with the regional polytechnic, WelTec, undertook a major exercise to identify, and where possible, resolve, barriers to recruitment and retention in the digital engineering specializations. This paper focuses on the retention aspects of this research. Informed by student surveys, focus groups and secondary school academic achievement data, we identified contributing issues of academic preparation, student expectation and cultural influencers. In response we developed an engineering preparation course, a mathematics based diagnostic tool, Peer-Assisted learning support, engineering cultural activities, and redeveloped our core first year engineering course. Although in the early stages of delivery, these initiatives have been well received by the students. We are closely monitoring the results of these initiatives with the expectation that fewer students will abandon their studies and a greater portion of the marginal students will attain passing grades.

year: 2012

title: Turning a negative into a positive: Aquatic weed harvesting Lake Rotoehu

authors: Mallinson, Richard

abstract: The submerged aquatic weed hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) has become widespread through Lake Rotoehu since its establishment in the lake around 2000. This exotic pest plant is surface reaching in large parts of this shallow lake making it a perfect candidate for mechanical harvesting.
As part of the Te Arawa - Rotorua Lakes Programme the Lake Rotoehu Action Plan sets out nutrient reduction targets for nitrogen and phosphorus. Realising these targets is integral if lake water quality is to be restored to the trophic level index (TLI) target for Lake
Rotoehu. Restoration measures have included land use management efforts to arrest nutrient inputs, phosphorus locking through alum dosing, floating wetlands, and most recently the deployment of two aerators. To date the most successful in-lake nutrient reduction method has been mechanical harvest of hornwort.
Aquatic weed harvesting has resulted in reaching a significant portion of the annual nutrient target for the lake catchment. Attaining this level of nutrient removal has manifested in tangible water quality gains in the past few years. Most noticeable is the reduction in cyanobacterial (blue-green) algal blooms which had been prevalent in the lake in summer months. We discuss the practicalities and problems of submerged lake weed harvesting, disposal options, and impacts of this activity on the lake.

text: Turning a negative into a positive: Aquatic weed harvesting Lake Rotoehu The submerged aquatic weed hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) has become widespread through Lake Rotoehu since its establishment in the lake around 2000. This exotic pest plant is surface reaching in large parts of this shallow lake making it a perfect candidate for mechanical harvesting.
As part of the Te Arawa - Rotorua Lakes Programme the Lake Rotoehu Action Plan sets out nutrient reduction targets for nitrogen and phosphorus. Realising these targets is integral if lake water quality is to be restored to the trophic level index (TLI) target for Lake
Rotoehu. Restoration measures have included land use management efforts to arrest nutrient inputs, phosphorus locking through alum dosing, floating wetlands, and most recently the deployment of two aerators. To date the most successful in-lake nutrient reduction method has been mechanical harvest of hornwort.
Aquatic weed harvesting has resulted in reaching a significant portion of the annual nutrient target for the lake catchment. Attaining this level of nutrient removal has manifested in tangible water quality gains in the past few years. Most noticeable is the reduction in cyanobacterial (blue-green) algal blooms which had been prevalent in the lake in summer months. We discuss the practicalities and problems of submerged lake weed harvesting, disposal options, and impacts of this activity on the lake.

year: 2015