Describes New Zealand's program for beginning teacher induction, in which new primary teachers (K-8) receive weekly release time for the purpose of staff development. Argues that using this model would help combat the impending teacher shortage in the United States. (SR)

Presents a unit on volcanoes and experiences with volcanoes that helps students develop geography skills. Focuses on four volcanoes: (1) Rangitoto Island; (2) Lake Pupuke; (3) Mount Smart; and (4) One Tree Hill. Includes an answer sheet and resources to use with the unit. (CMK)

Accountability has become synonymous with standardized testing in many Western countries such as Canada, the United States, Great Britain and New Zealand. Schools and districts are increasingly ranked based on their students' performance on standardized tests. Unfortunately, standardized testing measures possess a number of limitations that…

The author became familiar with the work of Paulo Freire while studying at university in the 1980s in Aotearoa/New Zealand. At the time she was involved in a community development project where groups of solo mothers were brought together to be politicised. She then became involved in the anti-racism movement and in international aid and…

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) is yet to feature in major government initiatives in New Zealand. Many opportunities for deriving maximum benefit from the DESD, however, may be noted. These opportunities are based around four key areas: (1) government policy and national reports; (2) formal education initiatives; (3)…

This paper presents an overview of events in Aotearoa/New Zealand mathematics education over the past decade or so. We begin with the curriculum reforms of the 1990s that led to the development of the current mathematics curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1992), and document developments in policy, resources and approaches to teaching. There has…

University-industry research and development links are commonplace. They offer many mutual benefits and have led to the development of significant outcomes. In the main, such linkages are in fields such as science and technology, not in research and development in workplace literacy. This article reports on a collaboration between university…

Recognition of the importance of the early childhood years in the development of numeracy is a significant characteristic of the New Zealand Numeracy Development Project, the Victorian Early Numeracy Research Project and the Count Me In Too program in New South Wales, Australia. This article outlines the background, key components and major…

"The New Zealand Curriculum: Draft for Consultation" (Ministry of Education, 2006) aims to first "set the direction for learning for all students while at school and will ensure that when they leave, they are equipped for lifelong learning and for living in a world where continual change is the norm" (p. 7), and second, to…

This article tells the story of policies relevant to education, ageism and older adults between 1999 and 2005. It follows an article published in a previous "New Zealand Journal of Adult Learning" that described and critiqued policy developments between the 1980s and 2001. The story is located in the context of ongoing historical…

This practice article explores the relationship between practice and professional learning. Are these two distinctly separate activities, competing for the time of a staff member, or are practice and learning linked? If so, what is the nature of this link and how can we best align professional learning with practice outcomes? Using an example from…

The Ministry of Education (2000) handbook, "Gifted and talented students: Meeting their needs in New Zealand Schools" requires each school to show they are identifying and catering for their gifted and talented students. The terms "gifted" and "talented" represent a range of diverse special abilities rather than…

Learning stories, a form of narrative assessment, were used by teams surrounding two New Zealand children with high and complex needs. Learning stories are currently used by New Zealand early childhood teachers and highlight strengths- and interest-based learning in natural settings. This contrasts with specialists' assessments, which highlight…

This paper takes a sociocultural approach to exploring the factors that enhance young children's bilingual development. The language excerpts presented were gathered as part of a three-year Early Childhood Centre of Innovation project funded by the New Zealand government. Data gathered in this project challenge Krashen's (1981) position that young…

A longitudinal study described variations and changes in New Zealand children's cognitive, social, communicative, and problem-solving competencies from school entry at age 5 years and examined the impact of early childhood education experiences, family resources, home activities, and school resources on those competencies. This report, the third…