Wow 2022! flew by Educational reflections curriculum design, what's happening in Geography?

Well when I look back my last post was way back in 2021 January when I was going to resume blogging. Let's just say the last 2 years got significantly busy and my blogging was non existent. Below is the ramblings of such a busy year 2022, middle leadership, localised curriculum design, NCEA changes have kept me Busy. I think 2023 will be just as busy. Let's hope MoE provide necessary time resources & expertise for the changes ahead.

Where and what? 

So I'm currently a middle leader in a progressive school where we are agile, ākonga centric, mātauranga Māori and Ngā Kahungunu focused. I've been there since mid 2021 nearly 2 years already. It's been an exciting journey thus far. With at least 3 iterations of curriculum design for our entire Junior Social Sciences programe from me to embrace my school's visions.

We no longer stream on ability nor age so Year 9 and 10 work together in Hubs of interest. Like minded people working together Kaiako and Ākonga. It makes for an enriching learning environment, authentic experiences for our ākonga, we learn from each other. 

Designing local curriculum.

I profess I am no expert in Ngāti Kahungunu Histories and the last 2 years has been a learning journey. I grew up in Napier went to local schools and there was little mātauranga or Ngāti Kahungunu local Histories through out my schooling years. I am Ngāti Porou, Tūhoe, Te Atihau-a-nui Apaparangi and Ngāti Kuia decent. East Coast Histories are different and there are less iterations of them, unlike what I've found since returning to HB several years ago. 

I'm a Geographer, Social Scientist and I what I see is spaces/environments where learning in all disciplines can occur. In natural spaces, Beaches, Rivers and Mountains, cultural spaces, Cities, town, Pa Sites, Churches, monuments. This is what I see when designing curriculum. I think often outside of the Geography that can be taught in the space. 

I look at the Maths that can be applied, the Sciences, physics, biology and ecology of the environment, the history and stories to be read and written. The Technologies of the past, transportation and communication. Artworks painting and sculptures created. It is all there in every space you visit. 

One thing that has been concerning me is our local community of learning our Geography Cluster Group. A number of key people have left the region or taken on other roles, these individuals have been fantastic to work with and I will surely miss them. I'm hoping we can still have a local Cluster Group as it's an important place of learning and networking.

NCEA changes coming. 

I have been following and upskilling myself in the new NCEA changes in Geography and History and given alot of thought to next years curriculum design for Geography. I do hope there will be more resources to come when I last looked 3 of the 4 standards had been removed. As next year continues to be a pilot with 2024 full roll out. My school is focused on reducing credits in courses to encourage quality from our ākonga. I suspect this is also to coach our kaiako and ākonga into the new NCEA changes with reduced credits to 20 per subject area. 

This will be an interesting and busy time for Educators, I do hope that MoE will give us the necessary time to prepare for the new curriculum.