Communities of Practice

During the term 2 break the teaching staff went and spent a night at the the Maketu Marae in Kawhia.  We learned a lot about the history of the Marae and why it is such a special place.  It is the burial place of the Tainui Waka.  The marae was situated right beside the sea which was lovely.



The night that we were there we did weaving and korowai crafts.  They were a lot of fun, and I could see  myself doing them with my class this term as part of our culture unit.  I have made another flax bracelet with paper to try it out and see it it could be done without flax and it can.  I enjoyed making the korowai and could see the children enjoying this activity.  It would be fantastic to have a real korowai in when we do this activity and explain the history and importance of it so the kids understand the purpose and significance it has.

Ted's session on communities of practice was great.  I was making connections with the communities of practice I was part of.  I also thought of the ones that my children were involved in.  It also made me think how well do I really know the communities of practice they are involved with and also their families.  It was also how they interact within these communities.  Ted spoke about boundary jumpers and that children were often the ones who were most comfortable in both communities (School and home)  So how do we utilise these boundary jumper opportunities.  How do we jump the boundaries?

Bill helped us break down the treaty which was interesting.  I was able to relate the ideas we discussed into my classroom setting and gained a better understanding of all the goings on from when the treaty was signed to today.

It was a full on two days of learning, but very beneficial and enjoyable.