Professional Development for Educators of Children with Additional Needs (SENCO)

Educators of Children with Additional Needs 

The Hub

Tony Hassan from Learning Support, Kaitaia spoke to the seminar. There has been recent consultation in the Far North around the Ministry of Education's Learning Support Hub and in particular the co-designing of the Learning Support service delivery in Tai Tokerau.  The Hub in the Hokianga Initiative is promoted online with the dates the team of RTLBs and MoE's Learning Support will be visiting the schools of the area. The Hub is made up of  the Ministry of Education agencies such as speech language, oral language help, and early intervention etc. Parents/ whanau can call into the Hub to seek help for their child or attend sessions that assist the child such as speech training. Tony said the rate of new referrals had increased 1400% since the commencement of the Hub. The most referral cases have been for communication. Future additions to the Hub may be the inclusion of health services.

Learning Support Action Plan

Priorities for action
1. Learning Support Co-ordinators
2. Screening and early identification of learning support needs
3. Strengthening early intervention
4. Flexible supports for neurodiverse children and young people
5. Meeting the learning needs of gifted children and young people
6. Improving education for children and young people at risk of disengaging

Mindfulness from an Indigenous Perspective      Joni Gordon

Joni's PHD study hypothesis: Do the spiritual practices of Kura Kaupapa have a mindfulness effect?

Conceptualising Maori mindfulness: the tensions and opportunities when reconciling mindfulness.and kaupapa Moari

Matauranga Maori and Mindfulness

• Whakapapa-genealogy
• Nga Atua Maori-The pantheon of Maori godds
• Spiritual practices: karakia (prayer), tohi , takutaku (chants)
• Environment
• Manawa/ Mauri- negotiating their interaction

Influences:

• European ethnographers
• Literature, veers towards the male lens
• Mana wahine-reclamation of ancient wisdom and making space
• The politics of indignity

Be present

• Ritual time
• The collapsing of time into space
• Time in relation to environment
• Reading the stars

Mauritau/ Manawaora- how these concepts interact

Reconciling heart and mind

Examples of mindfulness practices:

Deeply considering a taonga.
Deeply reflecting on a poem etc in Maori and English (and sharing what was experienced ) 

Massey University have an online collaborative network, the"Learning Support Network".        Mandia Mentis (Massey)

This website consists of

• A wealth of resources for the special education teaching community, in particular for SENCos
• Networking and connecting of SENCos nationwide through calendars of events
• Live webinar every Thursday evening
• Online professional development modules to complete for teachers
• Digital badges can be earned that can cross credit to a short course, a Post Graduate Qualification into Learning Support
• Helps SENCos integrate their learning into our practice
• Alignment with the 6 teacher standards
• Supports SENCo inquiry

So what did today's seminar mean for my role as SENCo?

• Connect to the Learning Support Network website with one other person in the school
• Participate in weekly webinars online as often as possible, to gain digital badges towards a Post Graduate in Learning Support
• Incorporate mindfulness practices into my class (in a way that aligns with who I am) as well as  for high anxiety students
• Investigate the new Learning Support  Coordinator role and Action Plan.