Priority learners
The New Zealand Curriculum and Ministry goals
The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa set out a vision for all of our young people to become confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners. The information and resources on the Enabling e-Learning website demonstrate ways in which e-learning supports this vision with New Zealand's priority learners in mind.
Priority learners are groups of students who have been identified as historically not experiencing success in the New Zealand schooling system. These include Māori and Pacific learners, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and students with special education needs.
ERO encourages schools to develop systems, processes and connections that:
- shift the focus to student-centred learning
- knowledgeably implement a responsive and rich curriculum
- use assessment information to know about, and plan for, students' learning.
The Ministry of Education's Four Year Plan 2016-2020 setting out key elements of how the Ministry will contribute to the delivery of Government themes and ministerial priorities for education, the actions that will be taken to achieve those outcomes and budgets for the year.
Priority learners and e-learning
The importance of knowing your akonga/students, and making connections with parents/whānau to enable them to support their children’s learning right from the start is acknowledged in both Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success: The Māori Education Strategy 20013–2017 and the Pasifika Education Plan 2013–2017 . When learning and communication needs are identified specific technologies can be employed to transform opportunities for akonga, teachers, whānau, and the wider school community.
“The potential of new technologies to transform teaching and learning is heavily dependent on educators’ abilities to see the affordances and capacities of ICT in relation to the underpinning themes for learning for the 21st century. It is further dependent on schools having the infrastructure, inspiration, capability and opportunities for innovation to achieve these kinds of teaching and learning.”
The e-Learning Planning Framework (eLPF) provides schools and teachers with a self-review tool for schools to:
- gather evidence about ako (practice in the classroom, and beyond the classroom)
- evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning programmes in meeting the needs of priority learners
- identify the resources and services needed to build capability to meet the needs of priority learners
- plan strategically to develop whanaugatanga (relationships with students and the school community), and personalised learning and teaching opportunities to meet the needs of all students.
Filter by: English Primary Self-regulated learning Writing UDL Dyspraxia Inclusion Accessibility Literacy Storybird Boys writing MASAM Secondary Collaborative tools Video conferencing Pasifika Learning beyond the classroom ESOL Cultural responsiveness
Partnership with peers supports effective access to learning
Matt is a Year 13 student at Wairarapa College. He describes how, with technology and the help of friends, he accesses and participates in the curriculum.
Inclusion in the classroom
Students at Houghton Valley School made a book using digital photos with simple captions to help prepare a student needing extra support for their first school camp experience.
Developing the e-learning teacher inquiry process
Deputy Principal, Vicki Trainor explains why teacher inquiry was used as a method of professional development at Holy Cross School following the development of their e-learning strategic plan.
1:1 Netbooks – Allowing excellence in the classroom
Tyler, a year 6 student with dyspraxia, uses a netbook to help him write creatively instead of being inhibited by the speed of his handwriting or his ability to form letters.
Netbooks – an "onramp" to success in literacy
Using a netbook, Google docs, and blogging has increased engagement and improved learning outcomes for student Kieren.
Supporting a learner with ADHD
Teacher, Kate Friedwald explains how information and feedback presented visually and orally in her digital classroom are designed to meet the learning needs of a student with ADHD.
Supporting a learner with Aspergers syndrome
Teacher, Kate Friedwald and parent, Denise Fuller, explain how Mitchell, a student with Aspergers syndrome, uses Facetime on an iPad to support his learning needs and develop friendships.
Enabling student ownership of learning by providing a differentiated programme for a learner with ADHD
Daniel, who has ADHD and his teacher talk about how having a must-do/can-do list and an ipad enable him to have ownership and control over his learning.
Using an iPad to support independent writing for a student with ADHD
Daniel, a student with ADHD, and his teacher explain how he uses apps on his ipad to support his reading and comprehension.
Needs based groups in an inclusive classroom
Kate Friedwald a teacher at Wairakei School and Daniel, a student with ADHD, talk about how needs-based rather than ability-based grouping has helped him to be a successful learner.
Making friends using facetime
Denise Fuller, describes the difference using Facetime to connect with others has made to the confidence, self-esteem, and overall happiness of her son who has Asperger's syndrome.
Improving student writing with digital stories
Bridget Harrison at Kimi Ora Community School shares how her students are using digital stories to scaffold the writing process.
Using video conferencing to expand learning options
Southern Cross Campus student Shona Unasa takes economics via video conference.
Customising access to learning at high school
Matt is a Year 13 student at Wairarapa College. He has low vision. He reflects on his use of technology, effective partnerships with teachers, and the need for self-advocacy skills and a sense of humour.
Using Storybird to improve literacy skills
Susan Lee, teacher at Te Kura o Kutarere shares how using Storybird in her classroom has made a significant impact on the literacy development of her students
Supporting a learner with dyslexia
Teacher, Kate Friedwald explains how careful and consistent presentation of visual information and classroom organisation supported by technology is designed to foster independent learning in a student with dyslexia.
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Online discussions
Join the groups on the VLN to discuss improving learning outcomes for priority learners.
Blended e-learning for Māori and Pasifika learners – Ko ā mātou whāinga: is to share ideas, discuss practice and pedagogy, share resources, and provide support in order to engage and inspire our Māori and Pasifika learners so that they may achieve educational success whilst maintaining their cultural integrity.
MoToMa MaP – discussions about engaging and improving achievement for Māori and Pasifika learners.
Universal design for learning – Universal Design for Learning is about creating learning options that cater for everyone, planning for the diverse needs from the outset.
Research and readings
Accelerating the progress of priority learners in primary schools
Education Review Office, May 2013 – National report
Evaluation at a glance: Priority learners in New Zealand schools
Education Review Office, August 2012 – National report
Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching – A New Zealand perspective
This NZCER report discusses some emerging principles for future learning, how these are currently expressed in New Zealand educational thinking and practice, and what they could look like in future practice.
Websites
This community on the TKI website provides links to resources, research, and other materials for teachers and school leaders to support the achievement of Pasifika learners.
Students with special education needs
This section on the Ministry of Education site provides information about funding, services, support, and initiatives for children with special education needs.
Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development programme that supports teachers, school leaders, and the wider school community to improve Māori students' learning and achievement, enabling teachers to create a culturally responsive context for learning. This community on TKI provides videos telling school stories, teacher stories, interviews, and research reports.
Ruia – Teacher appraisal for Māori learners
A resource for principals and other school leaders who want appraisal that leads to deep learning for teachers and to educational success for Māori students.
A resource explaining the progression of competencies teachers need to develop so they can help Māori learners achieve educationally as Māori.
A resource for English-medium schools. It is a portal to stories, reports, statistics, and reviews from across TKI and other sites that reflect effective practices to support Māori learners to achieve education success as Māori. Te Mangōroa contains practical illustrations of what Ka Hikitia – Managing for success means for teaching and learning.
Te reo Māori in English-medium schools
This community on TKI provides information and resources relevant to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in English-medium schools.
Resources on Enabling e-Learning
Government goals and priorities
Towards digital fluency (December 2015)
The range of Government initiatives for digital technologies in education to ensure all New Zealand schools are equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, teachers get the support and resources they need to be digitally fluent, and every student benefits from the advantages of digital technologies for learning.
Four year plan and statements of intent
This section Ministry of Education website provides access to our Four Year Plan 2016-2020 and previous statement of intent publications, setting out key elements of how the Ministry of Education will contribute to the delivery of Government themes and ministerial priorities for education, the actions that will be taken to achieve those outcomes and budgets for the year.
Ka Hikitia – Accelerating success: The Māori Education Strategy 2013–2017
The Government strategy to rapidly change how the education system performs so that all Māori students gain the skills, qualifications and knowledge they need to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori.
Pasifika Education Plan 2013–2017
The Pasifika Education Plan: 2013–2017 (PEP) is aimed at raising Pasifika learners’ participation, engagement, and achievement from early learning through to tertiary education.
Success for all – Every school, every child
Success for All supports the goal of all schools the education demonstrating inclusive practices by 2014.
e-Learning community discussions
Join these groups to participate in discussions with other teachers/educators about the content here, or that is relevant for you.
Enabling e-Learning
e-Learning: Leadership
e-Learning: Teaching
e-Learning: Technologies
e-Learning: Professional Learning
e-Learning: Beyond the classroom
Using the e-Learning Planning Frameworks
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