title: Development of formative assessment tool for a primary, technology classroom

authors: Swathi, RR

abstract: Teachers and students' interactions in the classroom include a large number of questions, some of which are a key part of formative assessment. Questions can lead to an extended dialogue between the teacher and the student, potentially facilitating a better understanding of the students' conceptions and providing teachers with information to guide student learning. Technology Observation and Conversation Framework (TOCF) was identified as a framework of questions specially designed for a technology classroom. In this qualitative, design-based research, the TOCF was modified for alignment with the New Zealand curriculum and provided to two primary teachers teaching ages 9-10. The version of TOCF reported in this article was developed through an iterative process in an authentic environment. The teachers were interviewed periodically, and modifications were made to the format of the framework. The findings in this paper focus on the outputs of the iterative process and the feedback given by the teachers on the TOCF. While teachers in the study found the questions crucial to deepen student thinking in technology, they faced some constraints in using the TOCF in the classroom. The findings suggest that any introduction of a new resource should proceed slowly in the classroom and time needs to be given for increasing familiarity with the new resource. It is also possible that inexperienced teachers could find adoption of questioning practice quite tricky and would need to be supported extensively to change their practice.

text: Development of formative assessment tool for a primary, technology classroom Teachers and students' interactions in the classroom include a large number of questions, some of which are a key part of formative assessment. Questions can lead to an extended dialogue between the teacher and the student, potentially facilitating a better understanding of the students' conceptions and providing teachers with information to guide student learning. Technology Observation and Conversation Framework (TOCF) was identified as a framework of questions specially designed for a technology classroom. In this qualitative, design-based research, the TOCF was modified for alignment with the New Zealand curriculum and provided to two primary teachers teaching ages 9-10. The version of TOCF reported in this article was developed through an iterative process in an authentic environment. The teachers were interviewed periodically, and modifications were made to the format of the framework. The findings in this paper focus on the outputs of the iterative process and the feedback given by the teachers on the TOCF. While teachers in the study found the questions crucial to deepen student thinking in technology, they faced some constraints in using the TOCF in the classroom. The findings suggest that any introduction of a new resource should proceed slowly in the classroom and time needs to be given for increasing familiarity with the new resource. It is also possible that inexperienced teachers could find adoption of questioning practice quite tricky and would need to be supported extensively to change their practice.

year: 2020

title: Active Tephra in Kyushu 2010: International field conference

authors: Holt, Katherine A.

abstract: In May of 2010 the inter-congress meeting of the INQUA International Focus Group on Tephrochronology and Volcanism (INTAV) was held in Kirishima City, Japan. INTAV was formed in 2007 at the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) congress held in Cairns. It replaced SCOTAV (Sub-commission on tephrochronology and volcanism), COT (Commission on tephrochronology), and earlier groups dating back to the 1960s. 
76 participants from 11 countries attended the INTAV-J meeting (Figure 1). The venue of the meeting was the Kokobu Civic Centre, which was very generously provided essentially free of charge by the Kirishima City authorities (in return for the delivery of two public lectures, one by David Lowe and the other by tephra/ volcano guru of Japan, Hiroshi Machida, on Sunday 9 May). Participants were treated to a personal welcome by the Mayor of Kirishima City, Shuji Maeda, followed by what appeared to be a very special (and delicious) banquet. However, this spread turned out to be standard lunch and dinner fare provided by the Civic Centre cafeteria and was enjoyed by participants on several occasions during the meeting. Mayor Maeda graciously invited the entire conference group to his personal residence for another spectacular banquet on Monday evening which included the use of dining ‘rooms’ in caves cut into the c. 30 cal. ka Ito ignimbrite. Traditional Kagoshima fare was put on, accompanied by the local alcohol ‘sho-chu’, which is made from fermented sweet potato and is not altogether unlike its Russian cousin vodka

text: Active Tephra in Kyushu 2010: International field conference In May of 2010 the inter-congress meeting of the INQUA International Focus Group on Tephrochronology and Volcanism (INTAV) was held in Kirishima City, Japan. INTAV was formed in 2007 at the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) congress held in Cairns. It replaced SCOTAV (Sub-commission on tephrochronology and volcanism), COT (Commission on tephrochronology), and earlier groups dating back to the 1960s. 
76 participants from 11 countries attended the INTAV-J meeting (Figure 1). The venue of the meeting was the Kokobu Civic Centre, which was very generously provided essentially free of charge by the Kirishima City authorities (in return for the delivery of two public lectures, one by David Lowe and the other by tephra/ volcano guru of Japan, Hiroshi Machida, on Sunday 9 May). Participants were treated to a personal welcome by the Mayor of Kirishima City, Shuji Maeda, followed by what appeared to be a very special (and delicious) banquet. However, this spread turned out to be standard lunch and dinner fare provided by the Civic Centre cafeteria and was enjoyed by participants on several occasions during the meeting. Mayor Maeda graciously invited the entire conference group to his personal residence for another spectacular banquet on Monday evening which included the use of dining ‘rooms’ in caves cut into the c. 30 cal. ka Ito ignimbrite. Traditional Kagoshima fare was put on, accompanied by the local alcohol ‘sho-chu’, which is made from fermented sweet potato and is not altogether unlike its Russian cousin vodka

year: 2010

title: The relationship between Māori cultural identity loss & rangatahi Māori suicide

authors: Graham, Shaquille

subjects: Māori

abstract: This research explores the relationship between Māori cultural identity loss and rangatahi Māori suicide in Aotearoa. The McLachlan et al. (in press) Whiti Te Rā model of cultural identity was employed to frame the investigation with specific analysis into the six critical cultural ara of Whakapapa, Reo Māori, Taiao, Mahi-a-toi, Take pū whānau and Wairuatanga. A Kaupapa Māori research approach was utilised for cultural applicability and the promotion of Tino Rangatiratanga. Qualitative methodology guided data collection and analysis. Data collection involved (i) literature reviews and (ii) interviews with whānau members of rangatahi lost to suicide, seeking to understand the āhuatanga of the six cultural ara within the case studies (n=5). Interviews were governed by a semi-structured technique that looked to understand (i) the factors influencing the strength or weakness of each cultural ara; (ii) the state of health within each cultural ara; (iii) and identify causal relationships between cultural ara and wellbeing outcome. Reflexive thematic analysis showed that geographical location, generational knowledge transmission, and individual and whānau engagement were the global themes influencing either the diminishing or strengthening of cultural identity. Ngā Ara Wairua and Take pū whānau were also portrayed as the most compromised. The research suggests that optimal access to the three global themes potentiates rangatahi Māori to cultural flourishing and Mauri Ora; proposed as the most significant deterrent for suicidality. Contrastingly, suboptimal access to the three global themes is proposed as diminishing cultural ara as expressed in a state of Mauri Moe, where rangatahi Māori wellbeing is most vulnerable, and where suicidality has the greatest potentiation.

text: The relationship between Māori cultural identity loss & rangatahi Māori suicide This research explores the relationship between Māori cultural identity loss and rangatahi Māori suicide in Aotearoa. The McLachlan et al. (in press) Whiti Te Rā model of cultural identity was employed to frame the investigation with specific analysis into the six critical cultural ara of Whakapapa, Reo Māori, Taiao, Mahi-a-toi, Take pū whānau and Wairuatanga. A Kaupapa Māori research approach was utilised for cultural applicability and the promotion of Tino Rangatiratanga. Qualitative methodology guided data collection and analysis. Data collection involved (i) literature reviews and (ii) interviews with whānau members of rangatahi lost to suicide, seeking to understand the āhuatanga of the six cultural ara within the case studies (n=5). Interviews were governed by a semi-structured technique that looked to understand (i) the factors influencing the strength or weakness of each cultural ara; (ii) the state of health within each cultural ara; (iii) and identify causal relationships between cultural ara and wellbeing outcome. Reflexive thematic analysis showed that geographical location, generational knowledge transmission, and individual and whānau engagement were the global themes influencing either the diminishing or strengthening of cultural identity. Ngā Ara Wairua and Take pū whānau were also portrayed as the most compromised. The research suggests that optimal access to the three global themes potentiates rangatahi Māori to cultural flourishing and Mauri Ora; proposed as the most significant deterrent for suicidality. Contrastingly, suboptimal access to the three global themes is proposed as diminishing cultural ara as expressed in a state of Mauri Moe, where rangatahi Māori wellbeing is most vulnerable, and where suicidality has the greatest potentiation.

year: 2021