Arts in Education

This year has seen me take up a full time teaching position as the specialist Art and Technology teacher at Sylvia Park School, Mt Wellington Auckland. The school caters for students from Years1 to 8 from a culturally diverse community. Alongside my principal Barbara 'Alaalatoa we are developing an intensive creative industries approach to teaching and shaping children's artistic abilities. These students have been hand chosen for their potential and gifting in creative thinking. Many of my students are ESOL (English as a second language) and art is being used as a medium to break down language barriers.

Students are encouraged to constantly reflect on their work, think critically beyond what they currently see, and use their findings to influence their current and future work. The projected outcomes are that this type of thinking will translate into the student's overall academic achievements and literacy and numeracy data will be positively enhanced.

You can follow our journey on my school blog http://sps-t-art.blogspot.co.nz/

Adding to my teaching repertoire I have lectured at Auckland University Faculty of Education within the Te Puna Wananga Unit. Together with a colleague from Sylvia Park School our task has been to deliver the 'Hangarau' Technology paper to first year students. This has been a new initiative to bring 'real life' classroom teachers into the Teacher's College environment and provide these students with a more hands on and authentic learning situation.