title: Twittering in teacher education: reflecting on practicum experiences

authors: Wright, Noeline

subjects: microblogging

abstract: Microblogging as a form of expression has gained momentum recently: a widely popular version is Twitter, which began by asking 'What are you doing?' While posts responding to this question were often inane and ephemeral, microblogging can still be harnessed for research purposes. This paper reports on a case study with eight participants during a teaching practicum, posting to Twitter from their phones or computers, examining the question 'Does microblogging help teacher education students develop self-reflective practices?' Participants later met as a focus group on campus to discuss their Twitter/phone experiences. Methodologically, the analysis extracted themes (thematic content analysis) from the tweets, examining them in relation to both the research question and the subsequent focus group feedback. Tweet categories included: pedagogy, complexity, emotions, curriculum/planning, relationships and other. An identified benefit was a sense of community. Participants appreciated reading others' tweets and receiving messages of support when they faced challenging situations. And while 140 characters were initially difficult and limiting for explaining ideas, it honed participants' reflective thinking. This was highly valued in the very individual experience of teaching practicum.

text: Twittering in teacher education: reflecting on practicum experiences Microblogging as a form of expression has gained momentum recently: a widely popular version is Twitter, which began by asking 'What are you doing?' While posts responding to this question were often inane and ephemeral, microblogging can still be harnessed for research purposes. This paper reports on a case study with eight participants during a teaching practicum, posting to Twitter from their phones or computers, examining the question 'Does microblogging help teacher education students develop self-reflective practices?' Participants later met as a focus group on campus to discuss their Twitter/phone experiences. Methodologically, the analysis extracted themes (thematic content analysis) from the tweets, examining them in relation to both the research question and the subsequent focus group feedback. Tweet categories included: pedagogy, complexity, emotions, curriculum/planning, relationships and other. An identified benefit was a sense of community. Participants appreciated reading others' tweets and receiving messages of support when they faced challenging situations. And while 140 characters were initially difficult and limiting for explaining ideas, it honed participants' reflective thinking. This was highly valued in the very individual experience of teaching practicum.

year: 2010

title: Mussel spat ropes provide passage for banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) in laboratory trials

authors: David, Bruno O.

subjects: fish passage

abstract: The use of mussel spat ropes to enable the passage of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) past perched culverts was tested under laboratory conditions. A 0.5 m high simulated perched culvert was fitted with one of two UV stabilised polypropylene rope types: “Russet Loop” and “Super Xmas Tree”. Four randomised replicate trials using each rope type were conducted to test their respective abilities to provide passage for “fresh-run” banded kokopu whitebait (migrating post-larval juveniles). There was no statistical difference in performance between the two rope types, with both performing equally well over each 3 h trial. A high proportion of fish used the ropes to successfully negotiate the structure (mean >85% individuals per trial irrespective of rope type). The high rate of successful passage over a short time period suggests that these ropes may be an effective, affordable and potentially easy retrofit to perched culverts, particularly for native species with similar climbing capabilities to banded kokopu.

text: Mussel spat ropes provide passage for banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) in laboratory trials The use of mussel spat ropes to enable the passage of banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) past perched culverts was tested under laboratory conditions. A 0.5 m high simulated perched culvert was fitted with one of two UV stabilised polypropylene rope types: “Russet Loop” and “Super Xmas Tree”. Four randomised replicate trials using each rope type were conducted to test their respective abilities to provide passage for “fresh-run” banded kokopu whitebait (migrating post-larval juveniles). There was no statistical difference in performance between the two rope types, with both performing equally well over each 3 h trial. A high proportion of fish used the ropes to successfully negotiate the structure (mean >85% individuals per trial irrespective of rope type). The high rate of successful passage over a short time period suggests that these ropes may be an effective, affordable and potentially easy retrofit to perched culverts, particularly for native species with similar climbing capabilities to banded kokopu.

year: 2009

title: Tīhei Mauri Ora: Negotiating primary school teachers' personal and professional identities as Māori

authors: Gilgen, Renée

subjects: Professional Learning and Development for teachers

abstract: Colonial attitudes that positioned Māori language, knowledge and pedagogy as inferior and deficient continue to impact on 21st century primary school contexts in Aotearoa/New Zealand. They continue to impact particularly on the personal and professional identities and experiences of Māori teachers in contemporary English-medium schools. Just as, historically, Māori students were expected to leave their language and culture at the 19th century colonial school gates, so too are many contemporary Māori teachers in mainstream schools expected to set aside their language and culture and engage with the curriculum and pedagogy of the school where they work. Ironically, at the same time, these teachers are often expected to guide and assist their school to meet its requirements under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi to ensure that its Māori students will succeed as Māori.

This thesis sought to understand how a small cohort of experienced Māori teachers, positioned within 21st century English-medium primary schools, perceived and negotiated the challenges to their personal and professional identities as Māori, and as Māori teachers. The thesis employed a qualitative participant narrative methodology, framed with kaupapa Māori theory. The teachers participated in individual interviews and in a series of hui kōrero (focused conversations) that assisted them to reflect critically on sociohistorical and educational factors that influenced the formation and maintenance of their identities as Māori.

The teachers’ narratives that emerged from individual and collaborative hui kōrero revealed that (1) being raised within urban environments and being themselves educated in monocultural schools during the 1960s and 1970s strongly impacted on how their Māori identities were shaped and, (2) their teaching experiences within English-medium primary schools and classrooms were culturally isolating and destructive, and largely unsupportive of the diverse realities that exists for some Māori teachers.

I offer two key strategic responses to these findings. Firstly, I offer a self-identity continuum that seeks to respect and affirm Māori identity by taking into account the different levels and contexts of experience some Māori teachers may have with Māori cultural concepts and practices. Secondly, I assert the need for a culturally located and relational space within English-medium school contexts for Māori teachers to engage with, and draw on the support of other Māori teachers in order to affirm their varying personal and professional identities as Māori. Meeting this need is understood as a Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty-honouring response, required of all schools.

text: Tīhei Mauri Ora: Negotiating primary school teachers' personal and professional identities as Māori Colonial attitudes that positioned Māori language, knowledge and pedagogy as inferior and deficient continue to impact on 21st century primary school contexts in Aotearoa/New Zealand. They continue to impact particularly on the personal and professional identities and experiences of Māori teachers in contemporary English-medium schools. Just as, historically, Māori students were expected to leave their language and culture at the 19th century colonial school gates, so too are many contemporary Māori teachers in mainstream schools expected to set aside their language and culture and engage with the curriculum and pedagogy of the school where they work. Ironically, at the same time, these teachers are often expected to guide and assist their school to meet its requirements under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi to ensure that its Māori students will succeed as Māori.

This thesis sought to understand how a small cohort of experienced Māori teachers, positioned within 21st century English-medium primary schools, perceived and negotiated the challenges to their personal and professional identities as Māori, and as Māori teachers. The thesis employed a qualitative participant narrative methodology, framed with kaupapa Māori theory. The teachers participated in individual interviews and in a series of hui kōrero (focused conversations) that assisted them to reflect critically on sociohistorical and educational factors that influenced the formation and maintenance of their identities as Māori.

The teachers’ narratives that emerged from individual and collaborative hui kōrero revealed that (1) being raised within urban environments and being themselves educated in monocultural schools during the 1960s and 1970s strongly impacted on how their Māori identities were shaped and, (2) their teaching experiences within English-medium primary schools and classrooms were culturally isolating and destructive, and largely unsupportive of the diverse realities that exists for some Māori teachers.

I offer two key strategic responses to these findings. Firstly, I offer a self-identity continuum that seeks to respect and affirm Māori identity by taking into account the different levels and contexts of experience some Māori teachers may have with Māori cultural concepts and practices. Secondly, I assert the need for a culturally located and relational space within English-medium school contexts for Māori teachers to engage with, and draw on the support of other Māori teachers in order to affirm their varying personal and professional identities as Māori. Meeting this need is understood as a Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty-honouring response, required of all schools.

year: 2016