DF1 Day 1 Manaiakalani - True, large-scale collaboration

When I say I work at a 'Manaiakalani' School, I am often asked what that means. I have to admit I did not have a very good answer. Link to the Manaiakalani story.

Manaiakalani Where did the name come from?

The local Kaūmatua was asked to gift a name to the Trust. When the purpose of the Trust was explained to him, after some time he returned with a Hawaiian word Manaiakalani. Manaiakalani is the name of a star line, translated "The Hook from Heaven" and the name of the demi-god Māui Tikiti a Taranga’s fishhook, which he used to pull up a giant fish at the bottom of the ocean – a metaphor for the discovery of new islands at the bottom of the earth. It’s also a perfect metaphor for our journey of discovery using digital learning tools as a hook and a guide to deliver the knowledge our children need to be successful citizens of the 21st century.

The Hawaiians used the Manaiakalani Star line to navigate to NZ and back from Hawaii. This idea of supporting our students to navigate also speaks to me.

In 2007 a group of educators in Tamaki created a Trust with the following shared outcome statement: (I have highlighted some areas that spoke to me).

1. To conduct a 4 year curriculum development project to raise student achievement outcomes and improve student engagement by linking key learnings from Schooling Improvement with developing practices from the national e-Learning Action Plan.
2. To see teachers develop more effective practice using the direct instruction and micro- teaching pedagogy of Schooling Improvement followed by student practice using the media and technologies of e-Learning.
3. To measurably raise student achievement outcomes in Speaking & Listening, Reading & Writing and to measurably raise student engagement. To carry out robust and effective research and evaluation in collaboration with the Tamaki Achievement Pathway Schooling Improvement Initiative.
4. To empower our students with an evidence based belief that their personal voice is valuable, powerful and can be heard around the planet from right here in this decile 1A community and that success need not be defined by the ability to leave.
5. Engage students in the use of technologies that allow them to practice, produce, present and publish in something other than the media of historic failure.
6. To continue to develop effective school practice through further growth, participation and collaboration in the professional learning community comprised by this cluster of schools and through collaboration with other clusters.
7. To build capacity in the Tamaki Community by involving parents/whanau/aiga in the learning process.

So initially Manaiakalani was focused on supporting the literacy cycles of reading, writing. speaking listening, thinking and viewing. 

Manaiakalani Goals:

                        

                                        Manaiakalani Pedagogy: 

Our pedagogy ‘Learn, Create, Share’ puts our young people at the very centre of their learning.

Teaching and learning is clearly the umbrella mechanism to activate and sustain the pedagogy, which is essential for learning, whānau engagement and device readiness. There is an expectation that participants will constantly reflect on how well they are doing in relation to the Learn Create Share pedagogy. This pedagogy drives toward visible and ubiquitous learning, strong learner agency and connectedness to grow knowledge. http://www.manaiakalani.org/our-story/learn-create-share

My Reflection: My trust of, and belief in the Manaiakalani pedagogy LEARN, CREATE, SHARE are strongly based on the following:

• The robust research and evaluation with Woolf Fisher.
• Results showing achievement gains in writing.
• Personal experience, and proven evidence of increased student and whānau engagement.
• The pedagogy and original 'thinking' of the Trust have stood the test of time.
• Transparency and active sharing of ideas and resources with and between education staff - true, large scale collaboration.