Last Friday, Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre published updates regarding Te Mātaiaho | The Curriculum Framework as part of the NZC refresh, phase 1 of the Common Practice Model and resources for planning Teacher-Only Days. Please find key information and web links for each of these workstreams below.

Further feedback on Te Mātaiaho | The Curriculum Framework

We have made changes to Te Mātaiaho | The Curriculum Framework based on what we heard from schools at the end of last year. We have also finalised some aspects that were still in development.

Now, we’re seeking feedback on Te Mātaiaho as a completed whole. The engagement period is now open until 12 May. 

The Curriculum Refresh website – Curriculum Refresh | Education NZ is designed to be the one-stop-shop on the Refresh. Here – kaiako can be directed to an online webinar to find out more, find a PDF of the content, videos and implementation supports, and fill out feedback surveys. 

The Mathematics & Statistics and English learning areas have also been updated following engagement at the end of 2022. We expect to finalise and release these two learning areas for use by schools and kura in Term 2.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email the refresh team at [email protected]

Phase 1 of the Common Practice Model

The Common Practice Model is now available on our website: Common Practice Model – Education in New Zealand.

Phase 1 describes evidence-informed pedagogical approaches that support teaching and learning in literacy, communication, and maths through Te Whāriki: Early childhood curriculum and The New Zealand Curriculum. Broadly speaking, while the New Zealand Curriculum focuses on ‘what’ is taught, the Common Practice Model focuses on ‘how’ it is taught. The Common Practice Model is in service to The New Zealand Curriculum and the progress steps in the NZC will be integral to the Common Practice Model as we develop the practices.

Phase 2 will outline practices to help kaiako teach literacy, communication, and maths, and this will be released later in 2023.

There is a range of supporting materials on the Ministry’s website to provide additional context for the Common Practice Model, including short videos, one-pagers, illustrations, and links to Education Gazette articles.

If you have any questions, please contact the team at [email protected]

Resources for planning Teacher-Only Days

A ‘resource menu’ is now available to support Teacher-only day planning. 

Resources and focus points from across the Curriculum and Assessment Change Programme are now available on our Te Mahau website: Te Mahau | Teacher-only days 2023-2024.  

As Forest & Bird approaches its centennial celebration in 2023, the organisation is excited to showcase the incredible creativity and talent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s youth through a design competition for students across Aotearoa. The challenge, design and make a ‘special’ cake with a Aotearoa New Zealand nature theme that celebrates the country’s unique wildlife and wild places.

This competition, which is open to all primary, intermediate, and secondary school students, is an excellent opportunity for young people to showcase their artistic and culinary talents while learning about the importance of protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural heritage. Entries can be either edible or ornamental and must reflect the beauty and diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand’s flora and fauna. To support this exciting competition, the TENZ resource store offers a range of excellent resources that can help students to learn about the natural world while they plan and create their cake designs. 

By participating in this competition, students will not only have the opportunity to showcase their creative talents but also contribute to the important work of Forest & Bird in protecting and restoring Aotearoa’s wildlife and wild places. This competition is an excellent opportunity for students to engage with their local environment, learn about conservation, and celebrate the natural beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The winning entries will win one of Forest & Birds 10 mystery birthday prizes.. The competition is an excellent opportunity for students to develop their artistic and culinary skills, learn about conservation and biodiversity, and contribute to a worthy cause.

In conclusion, the Forest & Bird design competition is an excellent opportunity for students across Aotearoa to showcase their creativity and talent while learning about the importance of protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural heritage. With the support of TENZ resources, this competition promises to be a fun and engaging way for young people to learn about conservation and biodiversity while creating something truly unique and special. We encourage all students to participate in this exciting competition and help celebrate Forest & Bird’s centennial in 2023.

The following report gives feedback to assist assessors with general issues and trends that have been identified during external moderation of the internally assessed standards in 2022. It also provides further insights from moderation material viewed throughout the year and outlines the Assessor Support available for Technology, Digital Technologies, & Graphics and DVC.

Click here to read about Technology

Click here to read about Digital Technologies

Click here to read about Graphics and DVC

Assessors may access these FREE online resources at any time and at no cost using their Education Sector Logon.

Bite Sized modules
These are subject-specific, self-enrolled, self-paced modules focusing on a variety of subjects and standards. These modules are intended to be short bursts of information and activities focusing on particular aspects of Achievement Standards. The modules can take up to 60 minutes to complete, and assessors can access the materials and activities as many times as desired.

Short courses
Short Courses contain more content, and can take up to 120 minutes to complete.
Just like the Bite Sized Modules, they’re free and can be enrolled in at any time. These modules can all be paused, resumed and then completed at participant’s own pace.

Online Making Assessor Judgements
These are introductory workshops that provide assessors with support to make and justify assessment decisions confidently and reliably by examining real examples of student work.
The workshops are divided up into modules covering two or three standards, and have various activities and resources focusing on key aspects of making assessment decisions in the chosen Achievement Standards.

Transforming Assessment Praxis (TAP)
TAP is aimed at providing assessors with strategies to modify existing resources, and to explore different and valid ways of collecting evidence.
The workshop features activities, videos and professional readings, and encourages feedback from colleagues via formal and informal collaboration. The content is geared towards practical, research-based ideas and resources.
TAP is designed to use the self-reflection and discussion of participants as an important catalyst for change. This workshop allows for participants to learn and then trial assessment strategies that they can easily implement with their learners.”

See the catalogue of all of the available learning content

How to access these online resources

These resources are available on NZQA’s Learning Management System (LMS), Pūtake.

You will need to use your Education Sector Logon (ESL). The Delegated Authoriser in your school will need to assign you a NZQA LMS Teacher role for you to be able to access Pūtake, or they can invite users to enrol who are not on your current school list.

You can self-enrol, choose which resources or activities are of most relevance to you, and then work at your own pace to do as much as you need.

The Spotlight videos below show instructions for accessing Pūtake, and a tour of some of the available content.

Go to Putake

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Professor Carol Mutch, University of Auckland / Waipapa Taumata Rau
Education Commissioner for the New Zealand Commission to UNESCO

Carol Mutch has spent the last decade researching the role of schools in disaster and crisis contexts. Her work has spanned six countries: New Zealand, Australia, Japan Vanuatu, Samoa and Nepal. She has studied earthquakes, tsunami, bushfires, cyclones, floods and, most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. Her over-arching research finding is that schools play a significant role in the response and recovery phases of traumatic community and national events. While this role is often taken for granted, it is under-recognised and under-acknowledged. Schools step up quickly and are still supporting students, families and communities long after the cameras have gone – and often to the detriment of staff’s physical and mental health.

Read the full article here

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New Zealand is one of only a few island nations that could continue to produce enough food to feed its population in a nuclear winter, researchers have found.

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Read the full article here