Transformative learning is one taking on a new experience, one could look at life through a new lens and is open for this experience to occur once again. One’s previous experiences create assumptions of how they look at the world (Neerstrom, 2014). Teachers can provide this new experience for students in the classroom, students can compare their previous experiences to what you present to them.

Transformative learning can happen in the classroom with the help of effective teamwork between student to teacher and student to student. Creating an inclusive classroom environment we’re rules are set out for students, to understand what they can and can’t do. Students work together to obey these rules. This could be seen in the Te Reo Maori department during my practicum experience. Where students have been told about what to do around Tikanga in the classroom. My Assistant teacher explained to me that it is up to the teacher to set out what the rules are. These same rules are not just classroom rules but are rules of Maori Tikanga. That without your instruction education students will not know what is acceptable in what is not during these times. When students stand for Karakia they must be educated that this is a time of Tapu, where there is strictly no talking, standing still paying respect. This can be seen before every lesson and in tutor class. Everyone stands quietly before a Karakia, a series of whai korero three students stand to do Mihimihi, straight after Waiata are sung, one student stands and begins the leading for the waiata. Students then sit and listen as the teacher continues with the lesson. Students are taught to work as a team to complete this task, all participating as active team members all doing their certain role.

Learning for Maori should involve first hand experience of Marae protocol, Maori should be exposed to these different Maori environment. Schools should create learning environments that help lead to students towards their families vision and aspirations (Aotearoa Curriculum). The same rules being taught are the same Tikanga rules that apply for the Marae and other relevant environments. They are learning the the different roles that are distributed on the mare, as men play the role of Kai Korero on the mare, waiata are done at the end of Korero, Te Reo Maori is the main language spoken (Keane, 2019). Students can compare this new experience to their previous experience, they may have experience on the Marae. Students could have seen Tikanga Maori on Marae such as Whai Korero, they will compare this to the whaikorero happening in the classroom. Teachers will take students through a transformative learning process where students will learn new skills that they can use in the future, new experiences that they can apply to their previous. Students will be able to return to the Marae and be able to look through a different lens, different to their previous lens identifying new aspects, such as a teacher educating students to identify dialects of different speakers on the Marae during Whai Korero.

Teachers can implement effective teamwork to this transformative learning. This is through teaching the relationship between Maori values and teamwork. Whanaungatanga is locating a sense of belonging, where people get to know one and other through common relationships to people, land, cultural knowledge. This can bee implemented in the classroom by practicing pepeha where students explain their origins which create their identity, team work is being practiced here as the class work as a team standing one after another to explain their identity, (Kokiri Hauorae, 2019). Teachers can get students to participate in Whaikorero and establish Whakawhanaungatanga.
Students will work as a team sharing knowledge of their origins, creating links between the speakers. Whai means to follow or persue, support (Maori Dictionary), here students will work as a team to follow the subject of conversation being spoken between the different speakers.

Transformative learning happens here as students help perfect the previous experience of working in a team environment perfecting their skills around practicing whakawhaungatanga. When they next go back to the Marae they will be able to look through a new lens identifying how they can work as an effective team member on the paepae during a whaikorero situation.

References

Kokiri Hauora , 2019 Rangatahi Turangatira Tikanga Maori Values retrieved
https://www.r2r.org.nz/maori-health/tikanga-maori-values.html

Basil Keane, 2019 ‘Marae protocol – te kawa o te marae’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, retrived
https://teara.govt.nz/en/marae-protocol-te-kawa-o-te-marae/print

TheTranslationDocumentof Te Marautanga o Aotearoa curriculum 3, 2007, Pg 11 “BTI Coarse reading,

Nerstrom, N , 2014, An Emerging Model for Transformative Learning,Kansas State University Libraries New Prairie Press, 2014 Conference Proceedings (Harrisburg, PA). Adult Education Research Conference Retrieved

http://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3329&context=aerc

I have built effective relationships in various classes while teaching during my personal practicum experience. One specific example was taking part in a learning activity in the Te Re Maori Department. This game was called Whiua, where everyone stands in a circle. There are various actions and voice commands that students have to use in order to pass on the challenge to another person. It is a fun interacting game with plenty of laughter enjoyment. The same students that I have seen in other classes that present themselves as staunch individuals who don’t talk much, or act in a positive way, I have seen them open up and interact positively with everyone, positive connections are being made between each student and the teacher, me and my assistant teacher took part in this activity and shared the positive experience with these students.  Studies have proven that when teachers have a positive relationship with students, there learning can increase. Student relationships should be in high priority for teachers (Ministry of Education).

This learning activity also improves the relationship of student to student. My assistant teacher explained to me that she had used this learning activity to help build up a positive relationship with her students, she explained that it is always a good one to begin with but these learning activities are apart of a wider plan implemented to help create positive relationships in the classroom environment. My assistant teacher explained, the first four weeks of the year are the most important for building a positive relationship. Here a teacher creates this initial relationship, she explained to me that while I am on practical experience training, it will be very different for me, as I do not have a relationship built, she had a relationship built from the beginning of the year, a positive relationship was slowly created, to what it is now.

She told me that I should use this leaning activity and not worry so much about teaching a unit plans so quickly but spend more time to get to know students as individuals, talking to them and letting them open up and participate in certain activities with me. It takes time to build an inclusive community in your classroom and teachers should work towards this over a whole year (Shevin, 2008). Moving forward in my teaching practice I will incorporate these aspects as they confirm what my assistant teacher has said about building effective relationships and how it will take time to do so. Active social skills towards making positive connections should be implemented. A teacher should show their own ability to learn at the same time where they struggle themselves in the learning, educating students that it is accepted in this environment. Provide opportunities for students to work together in the classroom (Shevin, 2008). These aspects can all be identified in the learning activity that I was taking part in, I believe it was be a vital teaching method which I will use regularly in my teaching practice. 

References

Mara Sapon-Shevin, 2008 Capelila University Education Learning In An Inclusive Community, Shaping Leaders P-12 

Ministry of Education, 2017, Putting student relationships first https://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-resources/NZC-Online-blog/Putting-student-relationships-first

What do you consider to be the place of ‘grace’ in wise teaching and how do you envision it could be outworked in practice?

Students learn from being passionate about what they are learning, they can find grace in working towards achieving a goal. A teacher should work around motivating a student to find grace in the classroom. As students are created by God, teachers should value them as if they were God. (Van Brummelen, 2009). Grace helps create a path for students to follow in order to achieve (Robertson and Sextus, 2015). We should implement strategies around grace that will help student progress. 

The main Karakia that I have always used in the classroom to end a lesson is the Karakia Kia Tau Ki a Tatou Katoa. It has been taught to me while I was a student. It can translate too, may the grace of god be with you and guide you (University of Otago). Grace in the class room environment can be found in the New Zealand Curriculum. This can be found under teaching pedagogy which helps effect student achievement, through teachers creating good relationships through interacting with students and whanau, where they can create a supporting learning environment, make connections with prior student knowledge. These factors can help students to achieve more, feeling the grace of god. This is how you can give value to these students and feel grace in the classroom (Ministry of Education , 2018). Teaching is a gift from God, its is the duty of a teacher to give this grace to students. Grace in the classroom is an environment where students well being is being looked after. Where the character of each student is valued (Grace-Filled).

Being culturally responsive you can also show your grace, this could be done by valuing students with different cultural identities, by letting them know they are acknowledged in your classroom because of their cultural difference. Tapasa is a framework guide for non pacific teaching staff to engage positively to Pacific Island students (Ministry of Education , 2018). Its aim is to help create a better understanding of the Pacific Island language, culture, identity and to create a positive connection with Pacific Island students. Here teachers can find a positive connection to with students and create a way which includes them (Ministry of Education , 2018). This could be done as a teacher could create class work that looks into the pro values of a pacific culture, here a teacher could educate their class on why this culture is so important. From doing this pacific island students could feel a sense of pride, they may feel included in the topic, teachers can get students to teach other students the information they know. 

As explained earlier grace can be found in the curriculum under teaching pedagogy as teachers are creating supporting learning environment, make connections with prior student knowledge.

References

Van Brummelen, H. (2009). How to Prepare For Meaningful Learning?  

Van Brummelen, H (3rd ed.) Walking with God in the classroom: Christian approaches to teaching and learning. (p.95-133.). Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design Publications.

Ministry of Education , Te Kete Ipurangi

https://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Inclusive-practices/Implementing-an-inclusive-curriculum/Effective-pedagogy-for-all-students/Teacher-actions-that-promote-student-learning

University of Otago , Karakia Prayers

https://www.otago.ac.nz/maori/world/te-reo-maori/karakia-prayers/index.html

Sextus, N. & Robinson, W (2015). The Wise Teacher Bridge Model. Retrieved from   https://thewiseteacher2015.wikispaces.com/Models+of+Wise+Teachinghttps://574958834498041819.weebly.com/destination-5–grace/the-place-of-grace-in-the-classroom-and-it-outworked

Grace-Filled

What is a grace-filled classroom?

There are various methods how teachers can respond effectively to student learning needs in the classroom, one is applying the concept of Ako Tuakana Teina which helps create a positive learning community in your classroom. While on my practicum experience at Rotorua Boys High School “RBHS” I taught a Year nine main stream Te Reo Maori class a Unit in discovering new information about the school Pepeha. There was one individual that was much more experienced in Maori cultural knowledge, because of his experience he was always able to complete the work much faster, and would not learn as much as he was all ready knowledgable. I had to think how can I make him learn more. I decided that I would get him to  help teach everyone, this was giving him the role of Tuakana in the classroom setting, where I would take roles as student. I done this so he would learn how to take a leadership role. 

Ako is a pedagogy where the power sharing role changes between student and teacher, where the student can be both the teacher and able to share their own cultural knowledge to the class (Bishop & Glynn , 1999). In this community students take on a new range of roles such as being the teacher, they learn a new way of learning and how to communicate to others (Sewell, 2016). 

This is the creation of a community in the classroom through shared learning, students and teacher take turns being the educator.

In this case I planned to create an environment in my class where students will participate through knowledge sharing between each other. Here students could participate and contribute by researching in groups to find information, creating a community that work towards the main learning intension gaining history behind different aspects.  An experienced teacher can create a climate where students have a common relationship through participation in gaining information, where it is welcome to be right or wrong, where it is accepted that learning is what everyone should be doing. Teachers can do this by forming trust between student to student, student to teacher, where both teacher and student take part in the learning process. In this climate there are ups and downs via learning that are accepted by everyone, where making error is accepted (Hattie, 2012).

Here this knowledgable student is able to grow his skills as a competent teacher without been criticised, with no judgement of being right or wrong, where all students not just this individual can step to the challenge and take turns as Tuakana and Teina as it is welcome in this community. After creating this situation for the specific students I saw various students step to the challenge and also become Tuakana, by the end our time going over this unit plan, I had other students feel just as confident to stand and teach the class.

Bishop, R., & Glynn, T. (1999). Culture counts: Changing power relations in education. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Dunmore Press.

Ministry of Education. (2011). Tātaiako: Cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media 

Sewell,A.,St George, A. (2016). Developing a community of learners. In Frazer, D., & Hill, M. (Eds.), (pp240 – 257). The professional practice of teaching in New Zealand (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers. Maximizing impact on learning. Abingdon, England: Routledge.

How could you engage the use of learning theories and styles in your main
subject area?

Socio cultural theory in the classroom is creating a learning relationship with teacher, student and the work being taught. Where there is more involvement, interaction with the students cultural story. This can be done by creating different environments in the classroom, such as a learner centred environment that creates space for them to connect to their cultural story (Lee, 2015). There are various methods in which you can implement socio-cultural theory into your main subject area.

Students can create a link between them and the local area they live in, which creates a space for them to connect to, adding their own story and knowledge. My department decided to do this as there are students who do not have their own pepeha, some students do not have families, some students parents do not know a pepeha, others are from overseas, these students do not have a cultural identity linked to the environment they are living in. The department wanted these students to be able to create their own identity within the community. Here there is a relationship created between students and the environment, for example, students learn information about Maunga, Awa and what they mean for the community. 

An educator will make sure involvement and interaction is happening from those students who are culturally competent, in this case those with a strong knowledge of their own Pepeha and Te Reo Maori. An educator can do this through implementing Ako, Tuakana, Teina. Here both teacher and students can find a relationship where they learn off these more skilled Maori students (Ministry of Education). Whanaungatanga is the relationship created through shared experiences where students work together to make a sense of belonging (Whakawhanaungatanga in the classroom). Those students who are culturally immerse can create a relationship with new students through sharing their knowledge of Pepeha, once both students are aware of the information they both can share a sense of belonging to that area through Pepeha. 

Implementing socio-cultural theory is utilising participation in a certain community (Learning Theories), this was done in this year 9 class, as we formed a group in a circle practicing the Pepeha one by one, actions were implemented, here all student performed together, students felt welcome in this group, slowly students gained confidence because of everyone being involved in the same activity. An educator’s role when implementing socio cultural theory, is to form an environment where conversation and participation can occur (Learning Theories). When students in the future explain their knowledge of the area to somebody else, conversation can occur and participation in knowledge sharing of the different areas. 

Sociocultural theory can effectively be engaged using a range of differentiated learning styles. For example the presentation of Pepeha creates an auditory  environment for these learners to participate, these learners will excel at reciting this information listening to them selves and others (Nakano, 2016). This can easily be done as students learn Pepeha off by heart by taking turns presenting and learning off others. Here the Maori concept of Ako, Tuakana and Teina can be utilised, as these auditory learners could be the Teina who listen to the correct pronunciation of the Tuakana, or they are the Tuakana who can deliver a Pepeha competently

References

Chelsi Nakano, 2016, The Four Different Types of Learners, And What They Mean to Your Presentations retrieved from https://blog.prezi.com/the-four-differenttypes-of-learners-and-what-they-mean-to-your-presentations-infographic/

Michele S. Lee, 2015 SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement Volume 1 | Issue 1 Article 6 Implementing the Sociocultural Theory While Teaching ESL

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