"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019

 
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"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Term Four 2019

“The best teachers don’t give you the answers...
           They just point the way ...
     and let you make your own choices.”
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
2 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Your Soapbox			                                                                               4
Beyond superficial practices                                    Dr Jennifer Charteris
                                                                & Dianne Smardon              5
Classroom Word Work Ideas for Busy Teachers                     Elaine Le Sueur (MNZM)        8
Teaching Etiquette                                              John Hellner                 10
Transformational Professional Learning                          Book Review                  13
Inclusive education in ILEs: What do we need to think about? Angela Page
                                                                & Jennifer Charteris         14
Shields                                                         Adelaide Museum              17
The Power of Sports to Disrupt Disability                       C M Rubin                    18
Mad about machines at MOTAT                                     MOTAT                        22
Gender play in hunter-gatherer children                         University of Cambridge      28
Young Principal is Changing Culture, Attitudes in Magnet School Clare Bratten                30
Students prepare for their graduation                           NZ School of Dance           32
Embrace the Struggle                                            Carrie Spector               34
Stop Talking, Start Influencing                                 Book Review                  36
One dinosaur, free to a good home                               University of Oxford         37
From Bhutan – A Holistic Approach                               C M Rubin                    38
The Kiwi                                                        Book Review                  43
‘Invisible Jumpers’                                             Nefas, Ford & Laurinavicičiu 44
Peabody after-school program for local students                 Mike Cummings                50
Social media influencing young boys’ body attitudes             Professor Murray Drummond    52
Book Reviews			                                                                              54
Poetry, Science and Modern Dance                                C M Rubin                    56
Recovering a stitch at a time                                   Susan Gonzalez               60
Vice Chancellor’s address to the University... 2019             University of Cambridge      68
Interactive Installation Celebrates the Universality of Numbers Laura Staugaitis             76
Stanford Research looks at effective partnering                 Carrie Spector               82
The Gobbledegook Book                                           Book Review                  84
Mesmerizing Water Droplet Photos By A Macro Photographer Nefas & Laurinavičiu                86
In Favour of the Weird and Wonderful                            Roger’s Rant                 92

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                                                                                                    Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 3
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Your Soapbox!

   “

                                                                                               ”

                                      If you want to have YOUR SAY please email your offering to: info@goodteacher.co.nz

4 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
                                                                                          >Back to index
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Beyond superficial practices: Student
agency and assessment capability in
innovative learning environments
                                                              Dr. Jennifer Charteris
                                                         University of New England
The shift to develop innovative learning
                                                                  Dianne Smardon
environments (ILE) in Aotearoa schools,
                                                            Independent Contractor
coupled with notions of the active 21st
century learner, have resulted in student
agency emerging as a critical aspect of
schooling.
This move “is helping to change the face of
education, teaching, and learning in New
Zealand schools” (Abbiss, 2015, p. 3).
What sort of practices are involved if we
want to avoid a superficial interpretation of
student agency in ILE?
Let’s look in particular at formative focused
assessment practices that enable student
agency.
What is agency
Student agency is produced through a range of
social, spatial and material features in ILE. These
features include enactments of curriculum, the
arrangements of physical spaces, and the pro-
vision of resources (e.g. technologies, flexible
furniture). Agency is inherent in assessment
when learners take action, collaboratively and
individually to enhance their own and others’
learning. Agency can be defined broadly as the
‘socio-materially mediated capacity to act’. It
is an inherent element in classroom assessment
practices where learners draw on one another’s
strengths and share a focus and responsibility for
learning.
Agency and assessment capability
Agency and the capacity to be assessment
capable is a key dimension of pedagogy in ILE.
According to Absolum (2006), “[a] “capability has
an internal structure that includes knowledge,
cognitive skills, practical skills, attitudes,

>Back to index                                        Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 5
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
emotions, values, ethics and          Table 1. Three interconnected agencies associated with student assessment
motivation” (p. 22). Teacher                    capability in ILE.
assessment capability is where         Type of Agency      Definition
teachers have the knowledge and
skills to work with assessment                             Through dialogue, students provide information
data to evaluate student learning                          for themselves and their teachers on where they
and adapt and change teaching                              are at in a learning progression. They clarify their
practice. It not only includes                             own next learning steps through thinking
                                                           collectively with peers. Dialogic agency involves
curricula and pedagogical
                                       Dialogic Agency     opportunities for action, where students and
capability but also the intention
                                                           teachers collectively respond to each other’s'
to develop student assessment
                                                           voices. Students can understand their learning
capability.                                                processes, and participate in reporting processes
Student assessment capability                              where they articulate what they have learned.
While there is a lot of literature                         Agency is produced through in class dialogue, as
on self-assessment, there is less                          students provide dialogic feedback through
research in the area of student                            co-regulated learning opportunities.
assessment capability that                                 Curriculum agency is where students have an
prioritises the notion of learner                          input into curriculum so that it serves their
agency. Assessment actions                                 interests, their preferences, and it encompasses
that strengthen learner agency                             their voices. Although there is overlap with
include:                                                   dialogic agency, with students talking about their
• student learning                                         learning and using curriculum artefacts (e.g.
    conversations;                                         exemplars), curriculum agency specifically
• student use of achievement                               addresses how students are able to determine
    data to enhance their own                              curriculum directions and enactments, in order
    learning;                                              to make meaningful contributions to the
• opportunities to actively                                planned and taught curriculum to effect
    monitor and regulate one’s         Curriculum          learning. Curriculum agency can look different in
    own learning (self-regulating);    Agency              different schools with different conceptions of it
• co-regulating through                                    amongst school leaders. In some Aotearoa
    interacting with capable                               schools students are having input into
    others; and                                            timetabling, engage in collaborations and
• learning through the                                     undertake personalised programmes. They have
    provision of time (and space)                          input into what, how and where they learn.
    to think both collectively and                         Historically, students have exercised little agency
    individually.                                          over the school curriculum. With requirements
                                                           for teachers to prepare for high stakes testing
Three interconnected kinds of
                                                           and ensure curriculum coverage, it may be
agencies in ILE
                                                           difficult to conceptualise how students can enact
Students can influence the taught                          curriculum agency.
and learned curriculum in the                              Spatial agency involves both deliberate
flexibility of ILE spaces and use                          manipulations of space with consideration given
space to support their own                                 to the influence of spatial design on
learning and the learning of                               relationships. There is flexible re-design of
others. In Table 1 below we detail                         learning spaces, alongside ongoing evaluation
three specific aspects of agency       Spatial Agency      and reconsideration of curriculum, pedagogy
that are developed through                                 and assessment. There can be scope for
assessment practices in ILE.                               creativity and student decision making around
Although these aspects are                                 the use of materials, space, and types of social
interconnected they are teased                             relationships. These decisions may pertain to
apart here to make them explicit                           where and how they take opportunities to
(See Table 1).                                             move, who they work with and the different
                                                           group sizes they work in.
6 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
                                                                                      >       Back to index
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Assessment practices that enable dialogic,           in ILE and the implications of freedom and trust
curriculum, and spatial agencies                     levels for different groups of students
Dialogic, curriculum, and spatial agencies are       A last word
dynamic aspects of assessment practice that          It is important for students to develop the skills
have been present in schools for decades in          to understand where they are in a progression of
varying degrees. Agency is apparent when             learning, where to go next, and what their
students work in partnership with teachers to        ensuing steps are to close the gap between
determine the types of pedagogical activity they     where they are and where they want to go.
engage in.                                           Through co-regulation, students can clarify their
Innovative learning environments are not a           next steps to close the gap between where they
magic bullet for 21st century learning and the       are and their learning targets. These assessment
emphasis on student agency and combining             considerations are brought to the fore with
groups of students and teachers in open spaces,      moves to redesign or repurpose-build schools to
requires advanced skills in collaboration and        align with visions of 21st century learning.
classroom management that need to be carefully       We hope that the aspects of agency detailed
supported through targeted teacher professional      here offers a pathways for you to consider how
learning and development. The implementation         you can support forms of agency in schools, to
of assessment practices that enable dialogic,        help your learners think about how they can use
curriculum, and spatial agencies may require         space to advantage and extend their control over
significant changes in teaching practice, with       what and how they learn.
implications for school leadership and
professional learning.                               Acknowledgement:
The emphasis on student agency involves a shift      This article is based on a larger article:
in the relational dynamics between teachers and      Charteris, J., & Smardon, D. (2019). Dimensions
teachers and teachers and students. Through the      of agency in new generation learning spaces:
use of flexible furniture, digital technologies,     Developing assessment capability. Australian Journal
                                                     of Teacher Education, 44(7). https://ro.ecu.edu.au/
bespoke teacher professional learning (Charteris     ajte/vol44/iss7/1/
& Smardon, 2018) and purposeful pedagogy,
various forms of agency may be scaffolded,
supported and valued and students can build          If you would like to contact Jennifer Charteris and
assessment capability.                               request a copy please do so through Researchgate.
                                                     We would be happy to provide you with one.
Some considerations
                                                     https://www.researchgate.net/
There may be differences in scope for curriculum     publication/336064111_Dimensions_of_Agency_
agency across the primary and secondary              in_New_Generation_Learning_Spaces_Developing_
schooling sectors. Research is warranted into        Assessment_Capability
whether there are different ways that students in    References
these different sectors are able to enact
                                                     Abbiss, J. (2015). Future-oriented learning, innovative
curriculum agency. High stakes external                    learning environments and curriculum:
assessment for credentialing may impact on                 What’s the buzz? Curriculum Matters 11, 1-9.
what is possible with senior students.                     Retrieved from www.nzcer.org.nz/system/files/
The negotiated capacity to move beyond the                 CM201511001.pdf
immediate range of the teacher can be afforded       Absolum, M. (2006). Clarity in the classroom: Using
through both clarity in assessment for learning            formative assessment, building learning-
practice and affordances of technologies.                  focused relationships. Auckland: Hachette
                                                           Livre.
However, there may be issues with students who
do not fit this model who, for a range of reasons,   Charteris, J., & Smardon, D. (2018). Professional
may not be permitted free-range of the space               learning on steroids”: implications for teacher
                                                           learning through spatialised practice in new
(e.g. a trust license). Consideration should be
                                                           generation learning environments. Australian
given to the way that students (gender, race,              Journal of Teacher Education 43(12). Retrieved
social class) are monitored, tracked and profiled          from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss12/2

>Back to index                                                             Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 7
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Classroom Word Work Ideas for Bu

                                            A         An unusual word is chosen (either by
                                                      the teacher or the student) from the
      Differentiation has become                      dictionary or a library book. Choose
      somewhat of a buzz word in            according to ability level and interest. Use the
      education but all students should     student’s display pages as a wall display or to
      be exposed to challenge in order      create a personal reference dictionary.
      to move from where they are to a      Challenge the students to create a One Page
      higher level of understanding.        Display of the word including :
      The following activities are useful   •   Another word for the chosen word
      to increase vocabulary                    (synonym)
      knowledge.                            •   Meaning of the word
                                            •   Opposite of the word (antonym)
                                            •   Use in a sentence
                                            •   Rhymes with…
                                            Extra challenge ideas :
                                            •   Challenge students to keep a tally of the
                                                number of times the class has been able to
                                                use the word correctly in conversation over
                                                the day.
                                            •   Translate from English to other languages of
                                                students in the class and create a classroom
                                                dictionary.
                                            Interesting links to explore :
                                            https://www.learning-mind.com/
                                            interesting-words
                                            https://www.visuwords.com
                                            https://wordhippo.com
                                            https://translate.google.co.nz

8 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019                                          >Back to index
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
usy Teachers
                                                                                  Elaine Le Sueur (MNZM)

    B         Using the code A=1, B=2, C=3… Z=26
              challenge the students to find the
              highest scoring word they can find.
                                                          C        Play CLUE Words : Leader chooses a
                                                                   word and provides the following
                                                                   information…
              Record the highest scoring word and                  Number of letters in the word
    leave in view with a sign saying… Can anyone
    beat it? I start this off with a word that I have     Synonyms or antonyms for the word
    chosen and that can be easily beaten so that all      Players take turns to guess the word from the
    the students can see the possibilities for            clues provided. Solver becomes the new leader.
    themselves.                                           If a solution is not found then the leader
    For a no preparation start use word (23 + 15+ 18      identifies the word and chooses another.
    + 4 = 60)
    Extra Challenge ideas :                               Example of a student created game sheet.
    Vary the code so that all vowels are worth 5, and     (We used sticky notes to cover the answers).
    all consonants are worth 1. (Or whatever code
    you choose to use) and the challenge your
    students to find words that add up to a specific
    number. This activity could be used to support a
    vocabulary or math lesson.
    www.onlinecalculator.com
    You can download a free mystery challenge using
    the A=1 etc code from my TPT store: .
    https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/
    Hit-the-Target-2787557
    While you are there, check out other word work
    resources.

    These days I sell original resources online through
        https://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/
                   Thinking-Challenges

    I would love you to visit and follow my store to be
          updated as new resources are added.

   >Back to index                                                           Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 9
"The best teachers don't give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices." - Term Four 2019
Teaching Etiquette
                                            “Good manners will open door
                                               Advantages of teaching etiquette
    Etiquette means the rules indicating
                                               Etiquette and good manners can make someone
    the proper and polite way to behave,
                                               a pleasant person to be around; leave a good
    as expected in a society or culture at     impression; allow us to feel at ease and able to
    a given time.                              adapt to a range of social settings, being
    That code is devised in order to           acceptable anywhere; imply stable values and
    enable us to consider the feelings of      perhaps good upbringing and social training;
    other people, to show respect and          help build relationships and lay a foundation for
                                               successful interactions with others; send a
    make everyone feel comfortable.
                                               message of caring about others feeling; reflect
    Manners and etiquette make us the          your respect for others.
    kind of person that others can             More importantly, etiquette can help a person to
    respect and like.                          develop those often talked about and poorly
    These rules are the mortar binding us      inculcated non-cognitive skills. Being able to
    into a civil community.                    know and use good etiquette and polite manners
                                               empowers young people to enjoy the by-product
    As such, we should teach etiquette to      values hailed by every school counsellor and
    our young, giving them the                 every school charter: respect, self-esteem,
    opportunity to either use the rules or     resilience, confidence, respect for others and
    to discard the rules, as the situation     self-respect.
    demands.                                   Achieving something worthwhile develops
    If we fail to transmit our codes of        non-cognitive skills.
    conduct to the young, we eliminate
    that choice.
    Schools can support, not replace,
    parents in their task of teaching
    etiquette.
    The payoff: If you feel confident with
    your etiquette, you can feel
    comfortable in almost all social
    occasions from mixing with peers, to
    attending events, to meeting new
    people, to dining away from home.

10 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
                                                                             > Back to index
John Hellner

rs the best education cannot.”
                                             Clarence Thomas

    What etiquette to teach?
    It depends on where, when, who and why, as            The possibilities are exhaustive. The book of
    always.                                               what many children (and adults) know often
    Maybe teach small, day to day etiquette, such as      seems a very slim one.
    table setting and dining skills, chew with your       And probably one of the most fundamental
    mouth closed, elbows off the table, assembly and      basics for all rules of etiquette – respect for
    formal occasions, phones, texting, social media,      others – must be embodied in our recognition
    napkin etiquette, appropriate dress for different     of the different codes of conduct for the many
    occasions, walking and reaching across people,        diverse cultures in our classrooms. Sharing how
    “please” and “thank you”, interrupting and gaining    members of different societies interact with
    attention, being late, RSVPs, greeting and hand       each other on an individual and personal level,
    shaking, wearing hats – dos and don’ts.               is a valid curriculum objective in any social
    Maybe some standard etiquette for school and          studies lesson in any country.
    classroom (lies, rudness, cheek, interfering with     When to teach etiquette?
    others, talking, stealing, cooperating, friendly      Teaching etiquette happens on two levels.
    greeting); for home (doing chores, cleaning up        Firstly, in a passive fashion, both on an
    after yourself, sharing); for personal body manners   individual teacher level and on an institutional
    (grooming, walking, hygiene, sitting with grace,      level as well. We set examples in what we say
    bodily functions) for when in public with friends     and do in all of our interpersonal interactions
    (respecting others, politeness, bad language, seats   – teacher to teacher and teacher to student.
    on transport, queuing, litter, making fun of
    others).                                              The expectations we set and how we enforce
                                                          and re-enforce those expectations clearly send
                                                          a message about manners to those who watch
                                                          us.
                                                          The format of assembly, the speakers, the
                                                          announcements, the awards given, the charts
                                                          and posters around the school, likewise set the
                                                          tone for what is good manners and how much
                                                          value we place on those manners.
                                                          Most schools do this already to one degree or
                                                          another.
                                                          Secondly, a more positive and proactive strategy
                                                          for teaching etiquette would be to incorporate
                                                          it in the classroom and school-based
                                                          curriculum. Not as a formal subject, but rather
                                                          as a complementary insert to the existing
                                                          curriculum.

    >Back to index                                                         Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 11
Observe a couple of simple generalities about         Some schools offer etiquette as club or co-
teaching etiquette, which also happens to apply       curricular activity. Teachers might use
to a great deal of learning.                          homeroom or form class as a forum for small
Firstly, introduce the material in small, easy to     chunks of time for manners instruction.
master, skill-based chunks. The chunks should         Preparation for a big school event or occasion
lend themselves to “hands on” experiential and        might provide a great opportunity to learn
authentic learning: practical role play, simulation   etiquette, culminating in the most experiential
and outside the classroom settings.                   learning of all – attending the event.
Secondly, above all, keep it light hearted and        Teach etiquette as any skill
make it fun, or the material can lean towards         As with teaching any new skill the following
“preaching”.                                          steps can prove useful in achieving the
                                                      outcomes. Explain the value of the skill and
                                                      WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me?”). We all want to
                                                      know why we should do something. Show or
                                                      demonstrate the skill. Let the students copy
                                                      and practise the new material in different ways
                                                      or applying it in new situations. Let them hear
                                                      it, draw it, see it, do it, teach it to someone
                                                      else. Move students towards ever increasing
                                                      freedom to practise the skill independently.
                                                      Finish teaching sessions with a relevant
                                                      summary story or experience, both funny and
                                                      personal when appropriate.
                                                      Learning strategies
                                                      In the classroom, use activities to practise and
                                                      apply the new skills. Activities can include
                                                      projects or activities with etiquette as the
                                                      topic: essay on origins, value, comparisons of
                                                      etiquette; make an etiquette website or post a
                                                      YouYube video with etiquette as the topic in a
                                                      computer course; business etiquette in
                                                      business; interview and workplace manners in
                                                      careers classes; research and presentation
                                                      about manners in history or social studies
                                                      classroom.
                                                      Role play and simulation must be a big part of
                                                      learning etiquette, no matter the forum. But
                                                      making flash cards, having a morning tea party
                                                      or formal lunch with students, writing a
                                                      column for the school newsletter or
                                                      newspaper, playing charades, completing
                                                      visual worksheets, observing manners in
                                                      movies, around the school, doing a survey and
                                                      putting the data into graphs, diagrams, and
                                                      charts, can all be interesting and fun strategies
                                                      for applying the new etiquette skills.
                                                      Good for all ages and places.

12 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
                                                                                      >Back to index
Boo k Review
                                                   others and address the never ending search for
                                                   effective ongoing learning, both individual, team,
                                                   school, country and internationally. She covers
                                                   the various aspects currently available and looks
                                                   to suggestions for the future offering insights
                                                   based on her personal experiences.
                                                   To quote from Andy Hargreaves introduction:
                                                   ‘This book is something else though. As a
                                                   synthesis of the field of professional learning and
                                                   a critical exploration of its less fashionable and
                                                   more unusual aspects - like self directed learning,
                                                   or attending courses - I can recall scarcely any
Transformational Professional Learning             better ones in the academic community itself.
                                                   Unlike many researchers who collate all the
Deborah M. Netolicky                               evidence before them and draw circumspect
Forward by Andy Hargreaves                         conclusions out what it all means, Deborah
                                                   Netolicky goes further and, in her own voice, as
Published by Routledge
                                                   both academic and practitioner, she expresses it
ISBN 97803673417749                                all from a constructively critical and also
‘We need to work towards a shared and deep         professionally candid perspective.’
understanding of terms, not merely pay lip         This book is not just aimed at school leaders, it is
service to the latest craze or popular approach.   a ‘must read’ for any educators who are serious
We need to asked questions of system leaders,      about ensuring that professional learning needs
school leavers and those touting professional      are met.
learning products and services. This book is an
attempt to tease out and explain in some detail
approaches to professional learning that can
make a difference in schools.’
With its forward by Andy Hargreaves setting the
scene for the intelligent research and
commentary to follow this book by a self titled
‘Pracademic’ (easily understood) is an
encompassing look into the world of professional
learning both as it is readily and lightly
understood… while stretching out to what could
and possibly should be understood into the
future.
With her long background in education both as a
teacher and school leader, Deborah Netolicky
has called on her experiences and challenges to
research, engage and challenge thinking with

>Back to index                                                        Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 13
Inclusive education in ILEs: What do we n

                                           Background
  Much has been said about
  mainstream students in innovative        In 2010, the Ministry of Education (MOE)
                                           developed a policy to promote the presence of
  learning environments (ILE).
                                           students in every mainstream school, where “an
  Much less has been said about how        education that fits” informs current MOE views
  inclusive education can be addressed     of inclusive education where all learners are
  in ILE (Page & Davis, 2016) and in       welcome (Moran, 2014). Students enrolled in
  particular the issues associated with    special schools are referred as students with high
  incorporating satellite buildings        or very high needs, consistent with the criteria
  within new ILE builds.                   used in Aotearoa to access the resourcing
                                           scheme (Ministry of Education, 2019a). While
  For us ‘inclusion in education’ refers   the MOE allows provision for special schools to
  to how students learn together           continue to exist, there are also satellite units
  within the same educational              being built as specialist classes within
  environment, regardless of their         mainstream or host settings. These provide
  ability.                                 primary social inclusion while students remain
                                           on a special school role.
  The investment in ILE with the
  requirement for all schools to           The recent educational policy on the redesign of
  address principles of flexible design    educational space (Ministry of Education, 2019b)
                                           brings together inclusive principles to
  has implications for inclusive
                                           incorporate the view that “sensitivity to
  education in Aotearoa (New               individual differences and learner variability
  Zealand).                                must be a driver for decisions relating to
  We touch on the complexities of          pedagogy, practice, and design of flexible
  teaching students with high and very     spaces” (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d., para. 1). It is
  high educational needs and the need      timely to look closely at how inclusive practice in
  to consider these when planning for      ILE is seen by Aotearoa practitioners.
  ILE design, and professional learning    Inclusion in ILE
  and development for those who work       The notion of inclusion in ILE is complex.
  with these students in ILE settings.     Structural and social aspects that support
                                           inclusion include:
                                           •   rich technological resources,
                                           •   co-teaching practices involving multiple
                                               teachers who collaborate in responsive prac-
                                               tice,
                                           •   the flexible use of support staff,
                                           •   and a physical layout that can support easy
                                               movement for students with physical disabili-
                                               ties (Page & Davis, 2016).

14 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
                                                                            >Back to index
need to think about?
                                     Angela Page                          Jennifer Charteris
                                     School of Education, 		              School of Education,
                                     University of Newcastle, 		          University of New England,
                                     Newcastle, Australia;                Armidale, Australia

   Inclusive Education in Aotearoa                         requirements of students with very high needs.
   Aotearoa is still grappling with what it is to be       Different perceptions
   inclusive. The MOE allows for a broad
                                                           Satellite and mainstream staff had different
   interpretation of inclusive practice which can be
                                                           perceptions. Satellite unit teaching staff were
   used to argue for separate special education
                                                           concerned that common ILE design
   provision for example, satellite units that are by
                                                           characteristics were not favourable for teaching
   virtue of their location exclusionary by design.
                                                           students with very high needs. Concerns were
   The MOE links new building designs with ILE and
                                                           raised around sound, colour, light movement,
   inclusivity with a view to remove the distinction
                                                           ownership of spaces, and distractibility. There
   between special and mainstream schools and to
                                                           were student safety concerns. “We need walls”
   provide an education for all students despite
                                                           was a common trope. The mainstream staff
   their level of disability, at their local school. The
                                                           interviewed also recognised the value of
   difficulty with this initiative is that MOE plans for
                                                           environmental considerations, such as break out
   new buildings are premised on designing ILE for
                                                           spaces, although they considered that their
   ‘all students’, thus there is ambiguity in how the
                                                           students’ needs were adequately met in ILEs.
   ILE model fits with current special school
   practices.                                              Improved education opportunities for students
                                                           with disabilities in ILE
   In our research 15 teachers and 3 school leaders,
   from a total of 6 schools with ILE were asked           The staff who taught students with disabilities in
   about their experiences of inclusive education.         mainstream contexts reported that ILE spaces
   Our results indicate that there is a belief that the    improved their students’ learning. Levels of
   MOE view of inclusion in ILE is utopian. There          challenging behaviour also reduced, which
   were also differences in perceptions between            further enhanced their students’ ability to
   staff in satellite units and those in the               engage productively in their learning. This
   mainstream where staff reported that ILE spaces         positive behaviour change was suggested to be
   improved their students’ engagement and                 the result of student-directed learning which was
   learning. Although some teachers in satellite           individualised to meet the student’s learning
   units reported reservations, other satellite unit       abilities. Students’ ability to make decisions for
   teachers stated that they could see teaching and        themselves was also considered relevant in
   learning opportunities for themselves and their         reducing unproductive behaviours. The flexibility
   students.                                               associated with ILE pedagogy meant that
                                                           students with disabilities could find spaces to
   A utopian view of inclusion
                                                           meet their sensory needs independently or with
   The teaching staff interviewed in the satellite         assistance.
   units perceived that the MOE were idealistic in
                                                           Does ILE pedagogy and design support students
   their utopian view of inclusion for all. Satellite
                                                           with very high needs?
   staff participants, who supported the special
   school as a stand-alone institution, articulated a      A range of spaces can be designed to support
   mismatch between MOE ILE policy and the                 inclusion in ILE, for instance, safe places for
   reality of teaching students with very high needs.      students on the autism spectrum, breakout
   These staff described a necessity to match the          spaces for teachers and students, quiet spaces
   features of an environment with the sensory             for students, and noise management though

   >Back to index                                                            Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 15
teacher collaboration and the deliberate use of        effectively teach of students with high and very
noise reducing materials. However, ILE designs         high needs. It is important to maximises the
can exclude students with higher needs. Our            affordances of the spaces available.
research suggests that more could be done to           Although we acknowledge the complexity of the
design spaces that can better accommodate              issue associate with inclusivity in ILE, we view
these students. Bright colour and lots of light,       that there can be increased seamlessness with
movement, and sound may not support the                movement of children and staff across schooling
individual needs of students with very high            spaces. On the basis of our findings to date, we
needs. In our experience we have seen that             suggest that there may be benefit in teachers to
students with sight impairments who need a             embracing the ethos of the pedagogical shifts
consistent layout may not benefit from a               which are associated with inclusive education in
changing environment and flexible furniture.           ILE.
What do we need to think about in regard to            References
inclusion in ILE?
                                                       Ministry of Education (2019a). Ongoing
There are different practices of inclusion within           resourcing scheme. Retrieved from https://
Aotearoa ILE, and staff working in special schools          www.education.govt.nz/school/student-
and satellite units report that there are                   support/special-education/ors/
mismatches in the material provision of a
suitable learning environment for students with        Ministry of Education. (2019b). Designing
very high needs.                                            learning environments. Retrieved from
                                                            https://www.education.govt.nz/school/
There are different perceptions between staff
                                                            property-and-transport/projects-and-
working in the different locations. Students with
                                                            design/design/designing-learning-
very high learning needs in satellite units were
                                                            environments/
considered by their teachers to have very
different issues to students with disabilities in      Moran, P. (2014). No learner left behind: Is
the mainstream. Single-cell designs were seen to           New Zealand meeting its obligations
better meet the sensory, safety and dignity                under Article 24 of the United Nations
requirements of students with complex                      Convention on the Rights of Persons
disabilities. Teachers who taught students with            with Disabilities? Public Interest Law
disabilities in the mainstream, reported that ILE          Journal of New Zealand, Retrieved
spaces were beneficial for learning and                    from: http://www.nzlii.org/nz/journals/
behaviour with spaces providing for their                  NZPubIntLawJl/2014/1.html
students’ different environmental requirements.        Page, A., & Davis, A. (2016). The alignment of
Our research suggests that there can be                      innovative learning environments and
improved education opportunities for students                inclusive education: How effective is the
with disabilities in ILEs. Attention should be given         new learning environment in meeting the
to the needs of students over the philosophical              needs of special education learners? New
principles of flexibility and openness in ILE. The           Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 13(2),
educational environment should be a bespoke                  81-98.
design and developed for the students rather           Te Kete Ipurangi, (n.d.). Guide to ILEs. Retrieved
than requiring teachers and students to                from https://www.inclusive.tki.org.nz/guides/
accommodate to the ILE conditions.                     planning-innovative-learning-environments-iles/
Consideration should be given to the complexity
of creating appropriate educational spaces for
supporting students with very high needs.
Professional learning and development for
inclusive educators, could be provided to look at
how pedagogies developed in inclusive
education settings in ILE can be used to

16 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
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Shields
Aboriginal shields were defensive weapons,   But shields were used for more than defence, in
shielding their owners against attack from   many parts of Australia shields also proclaimed
clubs, boomerangs or spears.                 an owners identity. they were carves or painted
                                             with totemic designs which varied from region to
Shields gave vital and momentary             region, but carried the same essential message
protection, enabling defenders to become     - the symbolic link to totemic ancestors in the
attackers.                                   Dreaming

>Back to index                                                Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 17
The Power of Sports to Disrupt Disa

                  “I hope Special Olympics will inspire others with developmental disabilities to
                    have confidence in themselves. Often, these people feel marginalized and
                      unworthy and there is no longer a need for us to hide in the shadows.”
                  								 – Billy Seide

Raising awareness about the potential of               Professor William P. Alford is Lead Director and
people with intellectual disabilities has been         Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of
a primary focus of the Special Olympics.               Directors of Special Olympics International,
                                                       which serves individuals with intellectual
Billy Seide has been participating in the              disabilities in more than 170 jurisdictions around
Special Olympics since 1999.                           the world. In 2004, Alford helped found the
In 2007, he went to Shanghai in China for              Harvard Law School Project on Disability (HPOD).
the Special Olympics world summer games                He describes the organization’s goals, noting they
                                                       are “to be of assistance as the UN drafted the
in softball, and his team earned 3rd place.
                                                       Convention on the Rights of Persons with
In 2016, he switched to The Sound Shore                Disabilities” and to be “a resource about
Stars because it was closer to where                   disability law and policy both in nations that have
he lived.                                              ratified the Convention and beyond.”
Currently he helps out and participates in    The Global Search for Education welcomed
floor hockey, basketball, swimming, unified   Professor William Alford and Billy Seide to talk
bowling, track and field, and the pentathlon. about the power of sports to disrupt disability.

18 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
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ability
                                                                                                 C. M. Rubin

                “The skills and competencies that I have acquired with Special Olympics help
              prepare me to meet with other athletes whom I wouldn’t otherwise get to know.
                    With the coach’s guidance, I learn how to speak in front of others.”
              									 – Billy Seide

    Billy, what has being part of the Special            Prof Alford, please share your best examples of
    Olympics meant to you?                               where HPOD Disability strategies have
    The skills and competencies that I have acquired     promoted the inclusion of persons with
    with Special Olympics help prepare me to             disabilities in classrooms and in the work place,
    meet with other athletes whom I wouldn’t             both internationally and at home in the U.S.
    otherwise get to know. With the coach’s              What are you focused on next?
    guidance, I learn how to speak in front of others.   To date, we have worked extensively in more
    All of this helps me to gain pride and confidence    than a dozen nations while advising in more than
    along with a belief that I actually have something   30 others of the 177 nations that have ratified
    to offer to others.                                  the Convention. The United States, has not
    What would you call your most significant            ratified – which is unfortunate, since the
    achievement so far?                                  Convention is modelled in important part after
                                                         our own Americans with Disabilities Act, would
    My most significant achievement as a special         not impose unwanted obligations on us, and
    olympic athlete is being a member of “The            already is helping improve the situation for
    Athletes Congress”. This is an important role.       Americans with disabilities working or travelling
    Here I meet with other individuals across New        abroad, not to mention hundreds of millions of
    York state and we discuss how to be leaders          other nationals.
    within this special community.

    >Back to index                                                         Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 19
The work our Harvard Law School Project on
Disability does varies enormously from setting to
setting, as we think it critical that our approach
in any country be shaped by history and context,
and take serious account of the views of the local
partners, even as we draw upon comparative law
in providing a range of approaches. As a
consequence, in addition to our own scholarly                           “I would hope that we can expand our e
research, we have advised on the drafting of                            ingenuity, the determination, the humo
education, employment, health, anti-                                                         much more that ou
discrimination law and more; assisted in the
formulation of state policy; collaborated on
impact litigation; helped develop texts and
teaching materials introducing disability law into    The Special Olympics has sent a powerful
university curricula; taught persons with             message of hope to the world about persons
disabilities how to advocate for themselves with      with disabilities. What do you believe should
educators and officials; formed family support        be the next important goals for this program?
groups; trained personnel in disabled persons         Special Olympics is now celebrating its 50th
organizations; and produced an array of               anniversary. It was founded in the summer of
materials– including simplified introductions to      1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the President’s
the CRPD for persons with intellectual disabilities   sister, out of the conviction that everyone
in a half dozen major languages; print and            deserves to be treated with dignity and that
internet profiles of both the accomplishments of      sports can provide a powerful engine for
persons with disabilities as well as the on-going     promoting that end, while also having many
challenges they face; and a Chinese language          ancillary benefits. The movement, as we like to
manual, using examples from both domestic and         call it, has grown enormously since then, owing
foreign companies, illustrating advantages of         to the inspired leadership of Dr. Timothy Shriver,
employing persons with disabilities. Our efforts      an extraordinary team of dedicated
encompass all types of disability.                    professionals, thousands of volunteers generous
We are delighted that many of our students at         with their time and financial assistance, and,
Harvard have chosen to join us in this work and       most importantly, the passionate engagement of
also that we have been able to bring to the           more than 6,000,000 athletes around the world
school many individuals with disabilities who         including more than 5,000,000 of whom are
have generously shared with our students their        persons with an intellectual or developmental
life experience.                                      disability.

20 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
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what our athletes can do (rather than what they
                                                                can’t do) and also how they contribute valuably
                                                                to the world.  Second, I would love for us to be
                                                                even more inclusive – to share our programs
                                                                further with individuals from disadvantaged
                                                                communities. And third, to expand our efforts in
                                                                developing nations.
efforts to show the world the courage, the                      Billy, Looking ahead to the future – what do you
or, the comradeship, the musical gifts, and                     predict or hope the Special Olympics will do for
ur athletes manifest.”                                          other kids or adults with disabilities?
         – William P. Alford                                    I hope Special Olympics will inspire others
                                                                with developmental disabilities to have
           Today, Special Olympics has programs in over         confidence in themselves. Often, these people
           170 nations across the world. Literally, every day   feel marginalized and unworthy and there is no
           there are hundreds of sporting events occurring      longer a need for us to hide in the shadows. We
           globally under its auspices. But alongside our       definitely have something to contribute. The
           sports programming, Special Olympics also now        next way Special Olympics can innovate this
           offers health programs, promotes research            important work is by educating the public.
           regarding intellectual disability, fosters unified   Generally, they are misinformed and fearful
           school programs that bring together persons          of these athletes, as though a developmental
           with and without an intellectual disability to       disability is easily transmitted to others, and
           study and play together, and works assiduously       something to be pitied. These beliefs are based
           to end stigma, to educate the world about the        solely on ignorance.
           talents of our athletes, and to foster genuine
           inclusion for the good of all of us.
           As the Lead Director of the Special Olympics
           international board (though I am speaking now
           in my personal capacity only, rather than for the
           organization), I would love to see a couple of
           things. First, I would hope that we can expand
           our efforts to show the world the courage, the
           ingenuity, the determination, the humor, the               C. M. Rubin, William Alford, Billy Seide
           comradeship, the musical gifts, and much more
                                                                (David Wine contributed to this Article. All photos are
           that our athletes manifest. That demonstrates
                                                                courtesy of Special Olympics)
                                                                                    Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 21
           >Back to index
Mad about machines at M

22 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
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MOTAT
                         This summer MOTAT is
                      turning up the volume on
                                     the wedge,
                                          screw,
                                         wheel,
                                 inclined plane,
                               pulley and lever:
                     those six simple machines
                   that keep our world moving.

  >Back to index                 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 23
24 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
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MOTAT’s brand new exhibition will open in
                   time for the Christmas Holidays and will
                            run throughout Term 1 of 2020.
                  Book your Term 1 school trip to MOTAT and
                   discover the mechanical building blocks at
                             the heart of all great inventions.
                      The exhibition will be a truly immersive
                      experience. Students can discover these
                    vital engineering principles first-hand on
                          giant interactive machines. Easy-to-
                     understand explanations and real-world
                    objects from MOTAT’s collection will help
                                         cement the concepts.
                      Imagine taking a spin in a human sized
                  ‘hamster wheel’! What better way to drive
                    home the relentless power of this mighty
                                            simple machine?
                        After discovering the secrets of all six
                          simple machines, let your students’
                        creativity spark as they unleash their
                    new-found knowledge in the engineering
                    lab where they will work collaborative to
                            “Invent-a-Machine” of their own.
                              Design thinking, collaboration,
                     communication, resilience and problem-
                       solving… these skills and more will be
                              called on to complete the task.

                                Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 25
> Back to index
26 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019   >Back to index
Careful consideration has been
                        made to ensure MOTAT’s next
                 summer exhibition compliments the
                  museum’s own “Invent-a-Machine”
                           and “Simple Mechanisms”
                    education modules which, on the
                 day of your visit, will be expertly run
                      by MOTAT’s team of educators.
                         MOTAT’s strength as an LEOTC
                      provider is in its ability to create
                  learning experiences that stimulate
                    critical soft skills while reinforcing
                   the fundamental basics of Science,
                     Technology, Engineering, the Arts
                                       and Mathematics.
                  An excursion to MOTAT in term 1 of
                  next year will help launch countless
                     other opportunities for learning
                               within your classroom.
                 Get in touch with MOTAT to enquire
                 about this new Machine experience
                         and give your 2020 a rev up.
                 Contact: bookings@motat.org.nz or
                            visit motat.org.nz/learn

>Back to index              Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 27
Gender play in hunter-gatherer chi
                                           Gender play in hunter-gatherer children    Based on observations of more than one
                                           strongly influenced by community           hundred children in two different hunter-
                                           demographics                               gatherer communities in sub-Saharan Africa, an
                                                                                      international team, led by researchers from the
                                           The gendered play of children from two     University of Cambridge, found that younger
                                           hunter-gatherer societies is strongly      children were generally more likely to play in
                                           influenced by the demographics of their    mixed-gender groups. In small communities,
                                           communities and the gender roles           however, boys and girls were more likely to play
                                           modelled by the adults around them, a      together, likely due to a lack of playmates of the
                                           new study finds.                           same gender.
                                           We all tend to make a lot of assumptions   As children get older, they begin to imitate the
                                           about the development of gender roles,     adults around them and learn culturally-specific
                                           mostly through a Western lens              gender roles through play. The results, reported
                                                                                      in the journal Child Development, demonstrate
                                                                                      the similarities with and differences from
                                                                                      Western societies, and the importance of context
                                                                                      when studying how children acquire various
                                                                                      gendered behaviours.
Photo courtesy University of Cambridge

                                         28 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019                                         >Back to index
ildren
   Play is a universal feature of human childhood,     “However, very few studies have been done on
   and contributes to children’s cultural learning,    gender roles in hunter-gatherer communities,
   including gender roles. Studies have shown that     whose organisation is distinct from other
   children are more likely to play in same-gender     societies.”
   groups, with boys more likely to participate in     The two hunter-gatherer communities in the
   vigorous ‘rough-and-tumble’ play, and girls more    study, the Hadza of Tanzania and the BaYaka of
   likely to pretend in pretense, or imaginary, play   Congo, typically live in mobile groups averaging
   such as doll play.                                  25-45 individuals and have multiple residences.
   However, as most studies on the development of      Labour is generally divided along gender lines,
   gender focus on children from Western societies,    with men responsible for animal products and
   it is difficult to determine whether observed       women responsible for plant products, although
   gender differences are culturally-specific or       they are relatively egalitarian.
   represent broader developmental trends.             Earlier studies of play in hunter-gatherer children
   “We all tend to make a lot of assumptions about     have found that children overwhelmingly play in
   the development of gender roles, mostly through     mixed-gender groups, which is less common in
   a Western lens,” said the paper’s first author      Western children over the age of three. The
   Sheina Lew-Levy, who recently completed her         team in the current study, which included
   PhD in Cambridge’s Department of Psychology.        researchers from the University of Nevada, Las
                                                       Vegas, Washington State University and Duke
                                                       University, found that children in smaller hunter-
                                                       gatherer camps were more likely to play in
                                                       mixed-gender groups than those in larger camps,
                                                       most likely due to a lack of playmates of the
                                                       same gender.
                                                       Younger boys and girls spend similar amounts of
                                                       time engaged in play, and they both spent times
                                                       in games, exercise and object play. Typically, girls
                                                       and boys engage in gender roles through play. In
                                                       the BaYaka community, for example, fathers are
                                                       highly involved in childcare. The researchers
                                                       found that BaYaka children’s doll play reflected
                                                       adult child caretaking, with no strong differences
                                                       in BaYaka boys’ and girls’ play with dolls.
                                                       “Context explains many, although not all, gender
                                                       differences in play,” said Lew-Levy. “We need a
                                                       more inclusive understanding of child
                                                       development, including children’s gendered play,
                                                       across the world’s diverse societies.”
                                                       Reference:
                                                       Sheina Lew-Levy et al. ‘Gender-typed and gen-
                                                       der-segregated play among Tanzanian Hadza
                                                       and Congolese BaYaka hunter-gatherer children
                                                       and adolescents.’ Child Development (2019).
                                                       DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13306

   >Back to index                                                         Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 29
Young Principal is Changing Culture
Every morning, middle school students at
John Early Museum Magnet school are                 “The question can be as simple as what
asked to talk back to their teachers.               are the things that we can do to be the
It’s a deliberate part of a teaching strategy       most successful school in North Nashville?
that uses the “Socratic method” (from the           Or how do we reduce violence?
Greek philosopher Socrates) where a
                                                    Or how do we change our neighborhood?
teacher poses an open-ended question to
get students to think through problems.             We try to make sure the question is
                                                    meaningful…something they are living or
Getting student opinions on solutions to
                                                    need to address in their daily life,” said
some pretty tough problems is all part of the
                                                    Dr. Mason.
school culture introduced by a dynamic
young principal, Dr. Darwin L. Mason, Jr.  

      Students work with faculty and school principal Dr. Darwin Mason, Jr. on a new museum
                   installation shown here among the collections the school owns.
   Standing l-r; Da’Mantez Garner, Dr. Darwin Mason, Jr., Anna Beltran, Kenyon Blackman, Terry
                                     Smith and Ashlea Washington;
                  Front row l-r; Eric Ochoa, Janiya Starnes and Breanna Washington

30 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
e, Attitudes in Magnet School
                                                                                                Clare Bratten

   Some of Dr. Mason’s ideas such as community             A flexible class period called personal learning time
   meals with students and teachers came from his          at the end of the day lets students pursue music or
   observations and experience teaching at a local         other subjects such as coding, tumbling, dance, or
   private school for four years after working as a        get remediation.  An organization called “Fly Girls”
   music and history teacher in Metro Nashville Public     does a dance program for girls. “We make sure we
   Schools (MNPS). He then returned to the MNPS            expose our students to everything they can in the
   system.                                                 arts, in addition to coding, and STEM, because
   “We do a community lunch so our teachers eat            sometimes that is your intellect – in the arts.”
   with our students. They can hear conversations at       The school also started a program to address social
   lunch to find out what students are dealing with.       emotional learning – You Only Live Life in Excellence
   And we try to find solutions. It allows us to be        for young men. Sugar and Spice is a program for
   proactive. We even learn some manners and               female students led by a social worker works with a
   protocols. In my home growing up, we learned a lot      group for the whole four years students are in
   over the dinner table.” The system means the same       school.
   student/teacher ratio is maintained which               “There are a number of things we do to make sure
   eliminates large masses of students in lunch rooms      our students are whole.” The school includes some
   or playgrounds with relatively little supervision.      children of mothers in a nearby women’s shelter so
   “We don’t have cafeteria fights. We don’t have          the educators have some challenges. “When our
   disruption.”                                            student is upset, we walk in as a therapist – we
   A museum inside the school is part of what makes        want to know why. [we ask] ‘What’s going on’
   it unique.                                              versus ‘what’s wrong with you?’ So much of middle
   “We are the only school in North America with an        school is impulsivity so we get them to slow down
   accredited museum inside of it,” says Dr. Mason.        and think. We even have that conversation with our
   “We carry over 10,000 pieces [artifacts/art/crafts]     parents.” A program for parents reviews
   and our students do all of our exhibits. They do the    developmental stages their children will experience
   research and then we put them up for public view.       and what behaviors they can realistically expect.
   Right now we have an exhibit on women’s                 The school has a dress code requiring blue, black or
   suffrage.” One class of students is working with        khaki pants and button-down shirts. The
   their teacher Lynn Edmondson on a new exhibit           administrators keep a closet of clothes if a student
   opening September 22nd.                                 shows up in jeans, for example. “The Mom calls and
    “We use a lot of project based, hands-on learning.     says the washing machine is broken. We can’t
   The design is for students to really engage in their    spend time arguing about jeans. Let’s find him
   learning process and explore from a critical thinking   some pants. Or allow him to be in jeans and
   process,” said Dr. Mason.                               continue the learning. This limits the conversation
   In addition to coding and STEM programs, Mason          between have and have-nots.“
   sees music as a way to help students learn. He          Dr. Mason earned a Masters Degree from
   graduated from Fisk as a music vocal performance        Tennessee State University and a doctorate from
   major where he was a member of the Fisk Jubilee         Lipscomb University. Dr. Mason’s father also was a
   Singers, so he has a passion for music as a part of     school principal and he now volunteers at the
   the school’s program.  In fact, he used music to help   school so the students know both Dr. Masons–Sr.
   him pass his own teaching certification exam by         and Jr. “We feel like our students in fifth grade are
   setting concepts he would be tested on to music.        still very impressionable, and if there is a chance
   “We have collaborated with Pearl Cohn High              that they are not on the right path, we can turn
   School. Their band director comes over twice a          that. We care for them, love them, protect them,”
   week and works with our eighth graders.”                said Dr. Mason, Jr.

                                                                              Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019 31
Students prepare for their graduati
The New Zealand School of Dance students are
preparing for Graduation Season
And the School is pleased to play host to a group
of acclaimed choreographers and teachers in the
run-up to the performances.
David Fernandez, creator of Five Variations on a
Theme and Betsy Erickson, Ballet Master at San
Francisco Ballet, have been on-site for two
weeks.
David is working with Classical Majors on a solo piece
from his work Five Variations on a Theme. This work
was created for Joaquin De Luz - Principal Dancer of
the New York City Ballet. The work premiered as part
of the celebrated Kings of the Dance world tour. It
was performed to acclaim in New York City, Los
Angeles, London, Paris, Rome, Qatar, Moscow, Kiev,
and Odessa.
Betsy is working with NZSD students on Handel – A
Celebration.  It is an ensemble work created for the
San Franscisco Ballet by SFB Creative Director Helgi
Tomasson. Set to various Handel selections, it is a
neo-Classical showcase that puts individual dancers in
relief. There is something joyful about seeing so many
dancers looking happy onstage. The ballet’s mood is
governed by the splendour of the music. There is a
sense of lightness, intricacy of design and a passionate
sense of lyricism.

                                                            David Fernandez, Betsy Erickson and
                                                            Laura Murray of the US Embassy at the
                                                            performance of the two works earlier
                                                            this month

                                                           Images: Julia Forsyth of Joyful Dance Photography

32 Good Teacher Magazine Term 4 2019
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