WSLT Hui Term 3 2023

Our Term 3, 2023 Hui was focussed on WHAT MAKES EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION?

We began by comparing co-operation and collaboration. We discussed the following quotes in order to unpack this a little more.

Cooperation vs Collaboration

Cooperation is a deliberate act by one school to engage with, but manage, its relations with others, so that it retains autonomy. The essence of each school's values, behaviours, practices and purpose do not alter as a consequence of cooperation.

Collaboration is active participation in a shared endeavour. It occurs when individuals and organisations give up some of their own goals and priorities to adopt a collectively generated shared strategy or goal to solve a challenge that they accept they can't solve alone......"

From:  A report by the New Appointments National Panel October 2021

           Collaborative practice emerging across Kāhui Ako: Ten trends 

Origins of WĀNANGA 

Rangiātea is considered to be the first whare wānanga, a building in the 12th heaven where the baskets of knowledge were suspended. Tane received these baskets of knowledge as a gift from Io (the supreme being). Within English language construction the word wānanga can be a noun, a verb, an adjective and a metaphor. 

As a noun, wānanga is still considered to be a place of higher learning. As a verb, wānanga is about engaging in the process of sharing and reflecting upon current understandings that leads to decision-making for future success and the creation of new knowledge. As an adjective, for example in whare wānanga, it describes the house as a house of learning. As a metaphor, wānanga helps describe the feeling that learning in such a way evokes - one of equity, shared visions and ako, where knowledge is co-created.   Wānanga is a safe space, one where decisions and pathways are determined through participation and engagement of all, with heart and head. 

Charles Royal talks about the purpose of the wānanga process as enabling the creative mind or ‘mahara’ (conscious awareness) to emerge.

From Kia Eke Panuku and Poutama Pounamu and University of Waikato -  "Secondary schools give life to Ka Hikitia and address the aspirations of Māori communities by supporting Māori students to pursue their potential."   

We then looked at an authentic collaboration which is already operating successfully in our Kāhui Ako and pulled out the aspects of the collaboration which have made it effective, using  Backwards Mapping.

Dean Stanley talked us through the process of establishing the Boat and Beachwise Trust, and building  the Rūnā programme.