title: Changing hearts and minds: Investigating transformative praxis from participating in the Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning

authors: Maisey, Carma

subjects: Poutama Pounamu

abstract: The Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning offers a unique bicultural opportunity to critically examine ourselves within the fabric of our society. This metaphoric fabric includes an inequitable education system which was shaped by, and designed to support, an oppressive colonial agenda. Within this education system, which has methodically assimilated and underserved its indigenous Māori children, holding a mirror up to ourselves as teachers to examine our own beliefs, values and practices is absolutely critical but very rarely done. The Blended Learning’s carefully considered underpinnings of Critical and Kaupapa Māori theories provide the tools to raise consciousness. A conscientised educator can recognise, understand and deconstruct prejudice, bias and racism when it reveals itself. This process is achieved by resisting systems and practices that perpetuate the marginalisation of Māori in favour of power-balancing transformative praxis which works to value language, culture and identity as assets in education.
This thesis describes the enduring implications of participating in the Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning by focusing on a number of educators in English-Medium state schools - the very context where our Māori children struggle the most to fit in and prove their potential. These educators suggest that this is an indigenised, evidence based, transformative education reform programme which has changed their lives and the lives of many others who have participated within this project. It has empowered and liberated Māori, Pākehā and Tauiwi participants alike by modelling the nurturing and liberating cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy that all students in Aotearoa should be experiencing. This is a pedagogy which can open hearts and minds and nurture a mauri ora pathway to educational freedom and success.

text: Changing hearts and minds: Investigating transformative praxis from participating in the Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning The Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning offers a unique bicultural opportunity to critically examine ourselves within the fabric of our society. This metaphoric fabric includes an inequitable education system which was shaped by, and designed to support, an oppressive colonial agenda. Within this education system, which has methodically assimilated and underserved its indigenous Māori children, holding a mirror up to ourselves as teachers to examine our own beliefs, values and practices is absolutely critical but very rarely done. The Blended Learning’s carefully considered underpinnings of Critical and Kaupapa Māori theories provide the tools to raise consciousness. A conscientised educator can recognise, understand and deconstruct prejudice, bias and racism when it reveals itself. This process is achieved by resisting systems and practices that perpetuate the marginalisation of Māori in favour of power-balancing transformative praxis which works to value language, culture and identity as assets in education.
This thesis describes the enduring implications of participating in the Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning by focusing on a number of educators in English-Medium state schools - the very context where our Māori children struggle the most to fit in and prove their potential. These educators suggest that this is an indigenised, evidence based, transformative education reform programme which has changed their lives and the lives of many others who have participated within this project. It has empowered and liberated Māori, Pākehā and Tauiwi participants alike by modelling the nurturing and liberating cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy that all students in Aotearoa should be experiencing. This is a pedagogy which can open hearts and minds and nurture a mauri ora pathway to educational freedom and success.

year: 2022

title: Evidence of swarm intelligence in collective cultures: Identifying the use of the swarm goal directive of productivity in Pacific organisation systems as well as getween genders

authors: Arun, Natalie M.

subjects: Maori

abstract: Intrigued by the existence of societies outside that of the human population, scientists have ventured to study social aggregations within insects to seek insights on effective colonizing. The most popular of these social aggregations are colonies of ants and bees. In studying these groups of social insects researchers have developed algorithms loosely termed swarm intelligence that increase work efficiency within businesses and other social organizations (Bonabeau & Meyer, 2001). A subsequent proliferation of research in surrounding fields has allowed for investigation of key variables that improve work on a global scale (Bonabeau & Meyer, 2001). James Kennedy (1999), an initiator of swarm research, has suggested that there is a high correlation between systems that rely on each other for information and greater task accomplishment.

text: Evidence of swarm intelligence in collective cultures: Identifying the use of the swarm goal directive of productivity in Pacific organisation systems as well as getween genders Intrigued by the existence of societies outside that of the human population, scientists have ventured to study social aggregations within insects to seek insights on effective colonizing. The most popular of these social aggregations are colonies of ants and bees. In studying these groups of social insects researchers have developed algorithms loosely termed swarm intelligence that increase work efficiency within businesses and other social organizations (Bonabeau & Meyer, 2001). A subsequent proliferation of research in surrounding fields has allowed for investigation of key variables that improve work on a global scale (Bonabeau & Meyer, 2001). James Kennedy (1999), an initiator of swarm research, has suggested that there is a high correlation between systems that rely on each other for information and greater task accomplishment.

year: 2008

title: An Investigation of Catania's Concept of the Operant

authors: Cotton, Maree Louise

subjects: Response class

abstract: Catania (1973), in discussing the concept of the operant suggested responses should not be classified based on arbitrary criteria such as response function or topography alone, and rather should focus on the continuous distribution of responding. Catania (1973) hypothesised that response distributions would resemble a normal curve, even when reinforcement was provided for only those responses that occurred between two limits. Six domestic hens were used in a series of experiments in order to investigate Catania’s (1973) suggestion. In the first experiment the hens pecked at a flat screen with an infra-red device was mounted in front the screen to detect response location. Pecks in defined regions of the screen resulted in 3-s access to wheat. Over conditions, different quadrants of the screen were active. The whole screen remained white throughout each session except when the reinforcement was being delivered. The hens responded on a fixed-ration 5 schedule for 40 reinforcers per session. Over sessions the distribution of the locations of responses shifted to being centred over the active quadrant. Proportions of correct responses increased across sessions but incorrect responses persisted throughout. In Experiment 2 the screen was divided into ten 30-mm regions of which one was active in each condition while the whole screen remained white. The active region was moved in steps from the left to the right and from the right to the left of the screen over eleven conditions with eight sessions in each conditions and a fixed-ratio 5 schedule. In general, in each condition the proportion of correct responses increased to around 0.4. In each condition the distribution of response location shifted to being centred over the active region, resembling a normal distribution. In most cases, response rates on the active region were higher than for the inactive regions, hens usually responded on several regions at a moderate rate. In Condition 12 the active region was coloured red and this resulted in a narrower distribution of response locations, and higher proportions of correct response that other conditions for most hens. A large number of incorrect response persisted throughout this condition. These findings provide some evidence that supports Catania’s (1973) hypothetical response distributions. The argument is made that Catania’s (1973) concept of the operant could be a way to organise responses into a class and also that is provides a means of classifying response while maintaining the continuity of behaviour and, therefore, avoids the use of arbitrary criterion.

text: An Investigation of Catania's Concept of the Operant Catania (1973), in discussing the concept of the operant suggested responses should not be classified based on arbitrary criteria such as response function or topography alone, and rather should focus on the continuous distribution of responding. Catania (1973) hypothesised that response distributions would resemble a normal curve, even when reinforcement was provided for only those responses that occurred between two limits. Six domestic hens were used in a series of experiments in order to investigate Catania’s (1973) suggestion. In the first experiment the hens pecked at a flat screen with an infra-red device was mounted in front the screen to detect response location. Pecks in defined regions of the screen resulted in 3-s access to wheat. Over conditions, different quadrants of the screen were active. The whole screen remained white throughout each session except when the reinforcement was being delivered. The hens responded on a fixed-ration 5 schedule for 40 reinforcers per session. Over sessions the distribution of the locations of responses shifted to being centred over the active quadrant. Proportions of correct responses increased across sessions but incorrect responses persisted throughout. In Experiment 2 the screen was divided into ten 30-mm regions of which one was active in each condition while the whole screen remained white. The active region was moved in steps from the left to the right and from the right to the left of the screen over eleven conditions with eight sessions in each conditions and a fixed-ratio 5 schedule. In general, in each condition the proportion of correct responses increased to around 0.4. In each condition the distribution of response location shifted to being centred over the active region, resembling a normal distribution. In most cases, response rates on the active region were higher than for the inactive regions, hens usually responded on several regions at a moderate rate. In Condition 12 the active region was coloured red and this resulted in a narrower distribution of response locations, and higher proportions of correct response that other conditions for most hens. A large number of incorrect response persisted throughout this condition. These findings provide some evidence that supports Catania’s (1973) hypothetical response distributions. The argument is made that Catania’s (1973) concept of the operant could be a way to organise responses into a class and also that is provides a means of classifying response while maintaining the continuity of behaviour and, therefore, avoids the use of arbitrary criterion.

year: 2012