“The New Zealand government has begun the biggest overhaul of the schooling sector in nearly 30 years. Many of the changes they are proposing are contained in the Education (Update) Amendment Bill. While the Bill contains much that is positive, the plan to introduce Communities of Online Learning (COOLs) has come out of nowhere and must be stopped in its tracks.” PPTA October 2016
To the Education and Science Select Committee,
Submission to the Education (Update) Amendment Bill 2016
This is a submission to the Select Committee of Parliament regarding the Education (Update) Amendment Bill, Part 3A Communities of online learning. I would like to submit that this part of the Bill be removed for the reasons stated below.
Online learning, myself and starting with the positives
First, I need to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a Mathematics teacher at Waimea College in Richmond, Nelson. I have been teaching here since 2005 when I moved from the US with my family. My wife is also a teacher and our two children go to our local schools.
I have been a big fan of online learning since 2011. In 2013 I started making instructional videos to help students with their maths skills with an emphasis on NCEA and posting them on KZitem. It needs to be noted that this government has provided me (and others) with excellent opportunities to further my profession as an educator, specifically in this field.
In 2015 and 2016 I was awarded a Study Grant to investigate a project where students use “a blended e-learning environment to learn Mathematics at their own pace”. Nothing in my career has helped me more with my vision of all students achieving in maths than these grants. As I finish the second year of the project, the grants have allowed me to develop new skills and try innovative practices in the classroom. Students who have previously not found success in maths were now motivated. It has been a major success to say the least.
For the rest of 2016 and through to 2018 I have been awarded a Teacher Led Innovation Fund (TLIF) with a team of teachers at our school. This is yet another fantastic scheme that this government has provided for educators. Our inquiry question is “Does a blended e-learning environment foster a growth mindset among students?” Our research and work on this has already begun and it is quite exciting as it is a first for the school.
These government schemes have been stated for one important reason. These Study Grants and Innovation Funds give the power to the educator. They are empowering schemes that allow teachers to try innovative ideas, connect with the school community and learn new skills. The outcome, or goal of these is to help engage students and to raise achievement of all learners in New Zealand. And most importantly, they work.
Reasons to withdraw COOL from the Education (Update) Amendment Bill
1. In the beginning of Part 3A, Section 35T (1) the Bill states that “a body corporate” may apply to the Minister for provisional accreditation as a full community of online learning. This does not benefit schools, teachers or learners because an outside provider is in control of the delivery of instruction. Why is this a problem? Students learn best when they have strong relationships with their peers and their teachers. Maria Tibble, a Maori Medium Facilitator from Rotorua, says that, “the who is more important than the what”. Will these “body corporates” know the students’ caregivers, whanau or iwi? Will they be able to connect with the community to build relationships with the learners?
2. When it comes to online learning, teachers need to be behind the wheel, not outside providers. Teachers in New Zealand have come up with many innovative and effective ways of using online tools to engage students and raise achievement. We know what tools are best for the students that we see. I have recently seen an abundance of teachers who have truly mastered student agency through online methods. Jacqui Sharp, from Auckland, is just one example.
3. Students actually want to come to school. I have discussed the concepts of COOL with my own students. They have overwhelmingly showed shock and disbelief that learning would be better if they were alone, online and at home all the time. According to them school is more than just learning. It is about building social bonds, making friends, working together and all of these other roles that make for a healthy community. Schools should no longer be “siloed from the rest of the community”. And it seems that COOLs will further isolate the learner (who in this case is a child or young adult) from the rest of his or her community.
Thank you for considering my submission about removing Part 3A, Communities of online learning, from the Education (Update) Amendment Bill. I would like to speak to the Select Committee about my submission.
Andrew Ricciardi
Waimea College
PPTA Chairperson
Mathematical Video Engineer
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