TENZ Conference 2015
Venue
Organising Committee
Steve Andrew - St Johns College, Hamilton
Mike Forret, Convenor - University of Waikato
Jenny Mangan - University of Waikato
Liz Reinsfield - University of Waikato
John Williams - University of Waikato
Other team members
Chandan Boodhoo - University of Waikato
Richard Edwards - University of Waikato
Louise Milne - University of Waikato
Nhung Hong Nguyen - University of Waikato
Professor Alister Jones
Opening address, Monday 5 Oct
Professor Jones was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato in 2011 and became Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2015. He is the University’s former Dean of Education and was previously Research Professor and Director of the Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research. He has managed and directed research projects that have informed policy, curriculum, and teacher development in New Zealand and internationally. His main areas of research are curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment - particularly in science and technology education. He has acted as an international consultant in curriculum and assessment and building educational research capability. In 2000, he was awarded the New Zealand Science and Technology Medal for his significant contribution to the development of technology education both nationally and internationally.
Dr David Barlex
Keynote, Monday 5 Oct
David is an acknowledged leader in design & technology education, curriculum design and curriculum materials development. He taught in comprehensive schools for 15 years achieving head of faculty positions in science and design and technology before taking university positions in teacher education. He directed the Nuffield Design & Technology Project and was Educational Manager for Young Foresight. David is well-known for his interest and expertise in developing curriculum materials that support pupil learning from a constructivist perspective. He uses this approach to develop young peoples’ ability to understand and critique the design decisions made by professional designers and those they make themselves in design & technology lessons. This informed the Nuffield Design & Technology publications which have been widely used in the UK and emulated abroad – Russia, Sweden, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.
Duncan Mackintosh
Keynote, Tuesday 6 Oct
Duncan is CEO of WaikatoLink Ltd, responsible for industry engagement and commercialisation for the University of Waikato. In addition to traditional commercialisation he has developed a number of key initiatives including the set-up of seed funds, an international internship programme and collaborations to facilitate commercialisation and increase the impact of innovation. He has founded or co-founded a number of new technology based ventures, including; animal health and bio-plastic companies and a rural ISP. Duncan was co-founder of the Kiwi Innovation Network, a national consortium of public research institutions dedicated to a collaborative approach to increase research commercialisation. Duncan is Director of a number of technology ventures.
Duncan graduated from Massey University in 1995 with a BVSc in Veterinary Science and worked as a veterinarian for seven years, including a year on the UK FMD outbreak prior to his involvement in innovation. Outside of work Duncan enjoys fishing and diving and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Professor Marilyn Fleer
Keynote, Wednesday 7 Oct
Torn between studying psychology and education as an undergraduate, Professor Marilyn Fleer ended up choosing early childhood education, a nascent field that straddled both her areas of interest. She hasn’t looked back since. As soon as she got into early childhood education she enjoyed it, Marilyn says. “I found it intellectually stimulating, and there’s plenty of scope for making a difference with my research.”
She is now studying the early stages of concept formation – and how playtime can help promote children’s imagination, and the more ‘rational’ thinking later on as adults.
“Imagination, creativity, and games are really important for development. Think of a child at home: they can take an ordinary stick, pretend that it’s a horse, and ‘ride’ on it. What they’ve done is change the meaning of the stick – they’ve used their imagination to think abstractly. It’s one step away from the same child turning the ‘stick’ into a ruler by measuring something with it at school. By using their imagination, they’ve learned to think more abstractly – and therefore become a more successful learner.”
With the push for greater outcomes from very young children, particularly in literacy and numeracy, Marilyn’s field of research is gaining public and international interest.
On Monday evening of the conference, delegates were invited to an evening tour and dinner at Hobbiton. Set on the most picturesque farmland you can visit, the Hobbiton Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies in a fascinating guided tour. The set has been completely rebuilt for The Hobbit and will remain as it was seen in these films.
After transport to Hobbiton guests were escorted to the movie set a tour guide who shared the story of Hobbiton, how it was built and a few tricks of the trade from the film industry. Throughout the set there are forty four complete Hobbit Holes, The Mill, Double Arch Stoned Bridge and The Green Dragon Inn kept as they were during filming.
The tour concluded at the fully themed and masterfully recreated Green Dragon Inn where delegates relaxed with a complimentary refreshment from the exclusive Southfarthing™ range. After pre-dinner drinks, a meal was served.
To conclude the night, guests made make their way back through the movie set where the trails were lit by path lighting and each guest will received an handheld lantern to light their way. This journey under moonlight traveled through the beautifully lit village with Hobbit hole chimney’s smoking and lanterns glowing against the darkness.
Robert Bosch (Australia) Pty Ltd
Suppliers of Dremel 3D printeers.
Metro Group
New Zealand’s major metropolitan institutes of technology
OnGuard Safety Training
An established eLearning safety training resource provider to the education sector
GrowingNZ
The brand representing the primary industries in New Zealand.
Machinery and Power Tool Centre Mount Maunganui
Specialists in power tool and machinery.
