title: 'Tis better to be seen.

authors: Saunders, Rachel

subjects: education

abstract: The article presents the author's experience related to leisure activities. He says as, "The sound of my Adidas sprigs scratching and clawing at the concrete as I sprint down Wendywood Lane towards the school draws attention and interested looks, not to mention amusement, from the early morning gardeners and people shuffling out to collect the paper. With lungs nearly bursting and my breath heaving painfully in my chest, the picket fences and hydrangeas blur beside me as I eventually round the corner to the back of the school fields. I scan the horizon for my school colors. I can just make out the yellow and blue strip of my hockey team as they gather together by the dug outs. Parents are starting to gather on the sideline and joust for the position closest to the coach. I search along the line for a glimpse of my father. Not there yet. I know that he'll be there soon."

text: 'Tis better to be seen. The article presents the author's experience related to leisure activities. He says as, "The sound of my Adidas sprigs scratching and clawing at the concrete as I sprint down Wendywood Lane towards the school draws attention and interested looks, not to mention amusement, from the early morning gardeners and people shuffling out to collect the paper. With lungs nearly bursting and my breath heaving painfully in my chest, the picket fences and hydrangeas blur beside me as I eventually round the corner to the back of the school fields. I scan the horizon for my school colors. I can just make out the yellow and blue strip of my hockey team as they gather together by the dug outs. Parents are starting to gather on the sideline and joust for the position closest to the coach. I search along the line for a glimpse of my father. Not there yet. I know that he'll be there soon."

year: 2004

title: What do we mean by social in relation to learning and the role of teachers?

authors: Earl Rinehart, (Suzanne) Kerry

abstract: The word social is often used as a modifying adjective to describe behaviour of a group, collective, community, society or organisation. There are social actions and we have social problems. We also understand that   human beings are social animals. We require   interaction with others, so we seek relationship/association/affiliation/cooperation with others and we gather in communities. According to Wikipedia, the etymology of the word social comes from “the Latin word socii (‘allies  ’) referring to allied states of the Roman Republic”. We might take from this that to be social is to be in a positive relationship with others as individuals or groups. During the   COVID-19 health crisis our   connections are  virtual through social media   . Other terms we are familiar with are social security, social studies, sociology, social skills, social work.     Social    may also be a description for temporary behaviour—being social   —during a specific period of time.

text: What do we mean by social in relation to learning and the role of teachers? The word social is often used as a modifying adjective to describe behaviour of a group, collective, community, society or organisation. There are social actions and we have social problems. We also understand that   human beings are social animals. We require   interaction with others, so we seek relationship/association/affiliation/cooperation with others and we gather in communities. According to Wikipedia, the etymology of the word social comes from “the Latin word socii (‘allies  ’) referring to allied states of the Roman Republic”. We might take from this that to be social is to be in a positive relationship with others as individuals or groups. During the   COVID-19 health crisis our   connections are  virtual through social media   . Other terms we are familiar with are social security, social studies, sociology, social skills, social work.     Social    may also be a description for temporary behaviour—being social   —during a specific period of time.

year: 2020

title: Desirable attributes for medical graduates: The health aspirations and needs of Maaori living in Te Rohe Pootae

authors: Maikuku, Victoria Louisa Wikitoria

abstract: Health disparities for Maaori, the tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, are prevalent when compared to the health of European New Zealanders, and even more so in remote and rural communities where access to health-care services is limited. Moreover, Maaori are underrepresented in the medical workforce in which there is a serious and escalating shortage of doctors and nurses.

In the context of the University of Waikato’s proposal to establish a Graduate Entry Medical School, Te Huataki Waiora School of Health has identified the need for a collaborative approach to ‘growing’ a fit-for-purpose health workforce with the skills and commitment to care for and work with Maaori (and Pacific peoples) living in remote and rural communities. This study thus explores the health perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Maaori living in and around the King Country rural service towns of Te Kuiti and OOtorohanga. Conducted by a Ngaati Maniapoto tribal member, the location for the study is known by Maaori as Te Rohe Pootae - the lands of Rereahu/Maniapoto, to which the Waikato people sort refuge after the invasion and confiscation of their lands in the 1860s. The perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Pacific peoples living in these communities have been explored in a ‘sister’ Masters study conducted by Janina Galewski.

The present exploratory study incorporates a co-design research process underpinned by an Indigenous health framework with Kaupapa Maaori values. Kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 community members, 11 males and 19 females aged 18 years and over. The data analysis included a combination of values, verses and holistic, and provisional coding methods (focused, thematic, descriptive) (Saldana, 2021).

The findings reveal that these community members view themselves as either rural or remote based on distance, access to services, and geographic isolation, but not population numbers. In terms of services, they want a mobile health workforce including clinics, carers, doctors, nurses; mental health workers who are equipped with the resources and time needed to reach and serve their patients; and better access to dialysis and related services. The research also identifies three healthcare strategies. When ill or injured, one-third of the group go directly to their GP; one-third try other things before seeking medical assistance, including going home to their parents and/or to their marae for comfort and advice, ‘going bush’ to (re)connect with nature, and forms of pure (cleansing rituals); and although the remaining third are registered with medical centres they do everything they can to avoid seeing a doctor at all. Instead, they rely on rongoaa and other ‘complementary and alternative’ treatments such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and other healers. 

Adopting and adapting a table created by Woolley et al. (2013), the findings also revealed three sets of desirable attributes for medical graduates (and other healthcare professionals): Skill-based attributes include quality care and communication skills, knowledge-based attributes include medical knowledge and culturally appropriate knowledge, while attitude-based attributes include personality and community engagement. This framework can be used to inform a medical education curriculum, with a specific emphasis on the health needs and aspirations of Maaori living in rural and remote communities.

text: Desirable attributes for medical graduates: The health aspirations and needs of Maaori living in Te Rohe Pootae Health disparities for Maaori, the tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, are prevalent when compared to the health of European New Zealanders, and even more so in remote and rural communities where access to health-care services is limited. Moreover, Maaori are underrepresented in the medical workforce in which there is a serious and escalating shortage of doctors and nurses.

In the context of the University of Waikato’s proposal to establish a Graduate Entry Medical School, Te Huataki Waiora School of Health has identified the need for a collaborative approach to ‘growing’ a fit-for-purpose health workforce with the skills and commitment to care for and work with Maaori (and Pacific peoples) living in remote and rural communities. This study thus explores the health perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Maaori living in and around the King Country rural service towns of Te Kuiti and OOtorohanga. Conducted by a Ngaati Maniapoto tribal member, the location for the study is known by Maaori as Te Rohe Pootae - the lands of Rereahu/Maniapoto, to which the Waikato people sort refuge after the invasion and confiscation of their lands in the 1860s. The perspectives, needs, and aspirations of Pacific peoples living in these communities have been explored in a ‘sister’ Masters study conducted by Janina Galewski.

The present exploratory study incorporates a co-design research process underpinned by an Indigenous health framework with Kaupapa Maaori values. Kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 community members, 11 males and 19 females aged 18 years and over. The data analysis included a combination of values, verses and holistic, and provisional coding methods (focused, thematic, descriptive) (Saldana, 2021).

The findings reveal that these community members view themselves as either rural or remote based on distance, access to services, and geographic isolation, but not population numbers. In terms of services, they want a mobile health workforce including clinics, carers, doctors, nurses; mental health workers who are equipped with the resources and time needed to reach and serve their patients; and better access to dialysis and related services. The research also identifies three healthcare strategies. When ill or injured, one-third of the group go directly to their GP; one-third try other things before seeking medical assistance, including going home to their parents and/or to their marae for comfort and advice, ‘going bush’ to (re)connect with nature, and forms of pure (cleansing rituals); and although the remaining third are registered with medical centres they do everything they can to avoid seeing a doctor at all. Instead, they rely on rongoaa and other ‘complementary and alternative’ treatments such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and other healers. 

Adopting and adapting a table created by Woolley et al. (2013), the findings also revealed three sets of desirable attributes for medical graduates (and other healthcare professionals): Skill-based attributes include quality care and communication skills, knowledge-based attributes include medical knowledge and culturally appropriate knowledge, while attitude-based attributes include personality and community engagement. This framework can be used to inform a medical education curriculum, with a specific emphasis on the health needs and aspirations of Maaori living in rural and remote communities.

year: 2022