This was filmed on 27 March 2024 at the University of Auckland. It marked the launch of Aotearoa Educators Collective.
The panel looked at:
What is the real crisis in education? Hint: It's not literacy and numeracy achievement. What might research informed reform of schooling look like? Hint: It's not banning cell phones. Beyond sound bites, what might we do to improve schools for all?: Hint: It's not three hours daily of the basics taught brilliantly.
Our panel includes:
Lynda Stuart - Lynda is currently the Principal of May Road School in Mt Roskill. She took up this position in October 2006 after a number of years in senior leadership positions in a variety of schools. Over the three year period of 2017-2019 she was in the role of President of NZEI Te Riu Roa and based in Wellington. She returned to May Road at the beginning of 2020. Lynda has been extensively involved in leadership within the education sector and spoken at both national and international conferences about education in Aotearoa. She has a commitment to working with diverse communities , is passionate about providing the best possible learning environment for each child., and has a strong belief in the importance of embracing the language, culture and identity of each child and their family.
Rebecca Jesson - Rebecca began her career as a junior-school teacher, in her hometown of Otāhuhu, Auckland. Her research focusses on literacy learning and teaching in context. Her work is situated in schools and their communities in Aotearoa, New Zealand and the Pacific and explores ways of literacy learning and teaching that grow from people’s contexts, histories, literatures and places. Rebecca works in Research Practice Partnerships, collaborating to effect change with school groups and networks. Using evidence of both learning and teaching as the basis for Design-Based research, she works with teachers to investigate the relationships between the teaching, the opportunities to learn and the literacy learning outcomes.
Jodie Hunter - Dr Jodie Hunter is a Professor in Mathematics Education at the Institute of Education at Massey University, New Zealand. Previously she was a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom and a primary school teacher in New Zealand. Her research interests and expertise include mathematics education for equity and social justice, early algebra, teacher education, Pacific education, and culturally sustaining pedagogy.
Peter O'Connor - Professor Peter O’Connor is Co-Director of the Centre for Arts and Social Transformation at the University of Auckland. He has over 100 academic publications including 9 authored or edited books on education. Peter's most recent research includes multi and interdisciplinary studies on the creative pedagogies and the arts, the nature of embodied learning, and the pedagogy of surprise. He has received many awards for his lifelong contributions to drama education and social justice, including the Arts Access Creative New Zealand Community Arts Award, the President's Award by Drama New Zealand in 2020 and in 2023 a University of Auckland Research Impact Award.