title: Calculating for creativity: Maths joins the circus

authors: Coleman, Claire

abstract: Following recent increases in the diversity of students, technologies, pedagogies and environments, New Zealand classrooms are sites of growing complexity. Tasked with covering a broad range of disciplines within each school day, opportunities for subject integration are of increasing value to busy teachers. Developing upon a previous piece of research (Coleman &amp; Davies, 2018), this project sought to gain student engagement in mathematics through a dramatic framework. A key factor in developing adaptable, responsive and capable learners, creativity is an area of intense educational interest and yet substantial confusion (Jefferson &amp; Anderson, 2017). Focusing upon the activation of students’ creative capacities through drama, this project offers suggestions for future praxis and the development of classrooms that invite creativity. 
We began by establishing a fictional pre-text closely related to their earlier studies of insects. Recruited to assist Professor Lee—a flea circus owner, with the redesign of her circus, this pretext deliberately offered opportunities for mathematics integration. When planning we predicted the need for students to engage with numbers and measurement, yet remained responsive to opportunities arising from the drama or instigated by the students themselves. Over the five drama-maths sessions, we collaborated with students both in and out of role, to design, plan and prepare a new cockroach circus extravaganza. We generated data for the research through reflective journal entries, student work, drama based research and focus groups. Our findings indicate an enthusiasm for the use of drama to engage students and make mathematics meaningful and highlight the vital elements for collaboration and creativity. Three distinct elements appear crucial to engaging in an effective drama-maths unit: a sense of unity in pursuing a common goal, the value of the affective and embodied elements associated with drama, and cultivation of skills for collaboration. While this project bolsters existing rhetoric surrounding STEAM integration, it advocates for further development around existing notions of collaboration for 21st century learning.

text: Calculating for creativity: Maths joins the circus Following recent increases in the diversity of students, technologies, pedagogies and environments, New Zealand classrooms are sites of growing complexity. Tasked with covering a broad range of disciplines within each school day, opportunities for subject integration are of increasing value to busy teachers. Developing upon a previous piece of research (Coleman &amp; Davies, 2018), this project sought to gain student engagement in mathematics through a dramatic framework. A key factor in developing adaptable, responsive and capable learners, creativity is an area of intense educational interest and yet substantial confusion (Jefferson &amp; Anderson, 2017). Focusing upon the activation of students’ creative capacities through drama, this project offers suggestions for future praxis and the development of classrooms that invite creativity. 
We began by establishing a fictional pre-text closely related to their earlier studies of insects. Recruited to assist Professor Lee—a flea circus owner, with the redesign of her circus, this pretext deliberately offered opportunities for mathematics integration. When planning we predicted the need for students to engage with numbers and measurement, yet remained responsive to opportunities arising from the drama or instigated by the students themselves. Over the five drama-maths sessions, we collaborated with students both in and out of role, to design, plan and prepare a new cockroach circus extravaganza. We generated data for the research through reflective journal entries, student work, drama based research and focus groups. Our findings indicate an enthusiasm for the use of drama to engage students and make mathematics meaningful and highlight the vital elements for collaboration and creativity. Three distinct elements appear crucial to engaging in an effective drama-maths unit: a sense of unity in pursuing a common goal, the value of the affective and embodied elements associated with drama, and cultivation of skills for collaboration. While this project bolsters existing rhetoric surrounding STEAM integration, it advocates for further development around existing notions of collaboration for 21st century learning.

year: 2020

title: The impact of individual differences and group diversity on group interaction climate and satisfaction: A test of the effective intercultural workgroup communication theory

authors: Oetzel, John G.

subjects: intercultural teams/workgroups

abstract: This study examined individual- and group-level effects of culture and cultural diversity on group interaction climate and satisfaction. Employees from 41 workgroups completed self-construal, face concern, interaction climate, and satisfaction questionnaires. Though analysis of ethnic diversity indicated that group diversity was positively related to perceptions of interaction climate, and had no association with satisfaction, multi-level analysis indicated that as ethnic diversity of the group increased, members of majority and minority ethnic groups had different perceptions of interaction climate and satisfaction. Results demonstrate the importance of considering individual-level manifestations of culture, group-level diversity, and the multi-level combination for workgroup analysis.

text: The impact of individual differences and group diversity on group interaction climate and satisfaction: A test of the effective intercultural workgroup communication theory This study examined individual- and group-level effects of culture and cultural diversity on group interaction climate and satisfaction. Employees from 41 workgroups completed self-construal, face concern, interaction climate, and satisfaction questionnaires. Though analysis of ethnic diversity indicated that group diversity was positively related to perceptions of interaction climate, and had no association with satisfaction, multi-level analysis indicated that as ethnic diversity of the group increased, members of majority and minority ethnic groups had different perceptions of interaction climate and satisfaction. Results demonstrate the importance of considering individual-level manifestations of culture, group-level diversity, and the multi-level combination for workgroup analysis.

year: 2011

title: Te Whare o Te Kahikatoa: He Kura nui, he Kura roa, he Kura Parawhakawai

authors: Rangihau, Ngatai

subjects: Kahikatoa

abstract: “Te Whare o te Kahikatoa,
Te Iho o te Maire,
Te Pōkaitāniwhaniwha o te Kohu”
(TKPOT, 2010-2016).¹

Ka hoki nei kia Te Maunga rāua ko Hinepukohurangi, ki te taetanga mai hoki o Mataatua waka², ko ngā kura o tawhito, kura wānanga, kura parawhakawai o te iwi o Tūhoe ngā tino whare whakapakari pōkaitāniwhaniwha mō roto i te whare o te kahikatoa. Īnā te rahi o ngā toataumatarau i puta ngā ihu, ka tū rātau hai toa rangatira ārahi i te iwi. Ki te kore ēneki kura o te nehenehe kāre he oranga, kāre e eke te iwi ngā whakairinga tūmanako e wawatatia ana e rātau.
 
Waihoki, ko te kaupapa e rangahau ana i tēnei tuhinga he whakapono, he whakapae, kai konei tonu tēnei hua o te wānanga. He kura hai whakapakari rangatira mō āpōpō. Ahakoa tēnei ao hurihuri koinei tonu tētahi huarahi nā te Māori, nā Tūhoe hai whakaohooho mā ngā uri whakaheke, e mau pū ai a Ngāi Tūhoe ki ōna kura tapu o nehe.

text: Te Whare o Te Kahikatoa: He Kura nui, he Kura roa, he Kura Parawhakawai “Te Whare o te Kahikatoa,
Te Iho o te Maire,
Te Pōkaitāniwhaniwha o te Kohu”
(TKPOT, 2010-2016).¹

Ka hoki nei kia Te Maunga rāua ko Hinepukohurangi, ki te taetanga mai hoki o Mataatua waka², ko ngā kura o tawhito, kura wānanga, kura parawhakawai o te iwi o Tūhoe ngā tino whare whakapakari pōkaitāniwhaniwha mō roto i te whare o te kahikatoa. Īnā te rahi o ngā toataumatarau i puta ngā ihu, ka tū rātau hai toa rangatira ārahi i te iwi. Ki te kore ēneki kura o te nehenehe kāre he oranga, kāre e eke te iwi ngā whakairinga tūmanako e wawatatia ana e rātau.
 
Waihoki, ko te kaupapa e rangahau ana i tēnei tuhinga he whakapono, he whakapae, kai konei tonu tēnei hua o te wānanga. He kura hai whakapakari rangatira mō āpōpō. Ahakoa tēnei ao hurihuri koinei tonu tētahi huarahi nā te Māori, nā Tūhoe hai whakaohooho mā ngā uri whakaheke, e mau pū ai a Ngāi Tūhoe ki ōna kura tapu o nehe.

year: 2017