The NZ Ministry of Education is commited to using I.T. as a means to allow parent/caregiver access to student information, and to interact with schools. Unfortunately, they have no real idea on 'how', and this isn't actually implemented anywhere.

Pasadena has long had an attitude of 'lets suck it and see' when it comes to incorporating IT into the school. This portal is set up in response to that attitude

The logistics of this 'experiment' are quite enormous, both in the required underlining technology, and also dealing with the security aspects required.

Behind the scenes we are exploring parent access to assessment data, reports and the ability to update the schools database. (Phone Nos etc ..). However there is more to this than just providing access, e.g. Ministry approval would also be required.

TASK is the generic Pasadena term we apply to the outward and visible sign of student engagement with the curriculum. What 'happens' in TASK is dependant on each class teachers pedagogy. PEDAGOGY’ is the teaching style, classroom approach and strategies used by the teacher.

We endevour to base our TASK approach around INQUIRY.There are two primary reasons for this.
The development of inquiry learning is now seen as a core capability in developing lifelong learning capability.
Inquiry learning offers teachers an opportunity to teach and engage with learners in a manner that is far more consistent with the needs of the 21st century.

Historically Pasadena has been developing this approach since the 1990's. This approach has now been mandated by the ministry of Education through the release of the new NZ schools curriculum. Now a clear trend shows an ever increasing number of N.Z. schools also moving towards their entire class programmes being based around the Inquiry approach in order to meet the intents and expectations of the new NZ curriculum.

“Inquiry-based learning” describes an educational approach that is driven more by a learner’s questions than by a teacher’s lessons" You can now remain in touch with what is happening in the current TASK, and also view the progress in your child's inquiry approach via the students interactive Inquiry Log.

The new curriculum launched at the end of 2007 introduces competencies and values, and emphasises understanding over knowing. These are cornerstone to the new curriculum. The intent is to develop self, life long learners. Reflection and self evaluation are vital components in these processes.

The Journal and Learning Log are part of a set of tools to help teachers develop and assess understanding, values and competencies. They do so within an setting that allows all those that matter to the child to provide feedback. Of all the effects on student achievement, Feedback has been proven to have the most significant effect.

The Journal contains the students reflective comments associated with their learning journey, classroom relationships, events, dreams and aspirations, and their reflective writings, which demonstrate their competencies and within those, their knowledge, values, qualities and attitudes.

The Journal also presents an excellent environment where teachers and parents/caregivers can see quite clearly the learner’s dispositions towards their learning their relationship with their friends, their teachers and their thoughts about how they see themselves, and as such provides a powerful environment for teachers/parents/caregivers to observe the learners understanding.

The Learning-Log is a learner’s reflection on their own learning and how they feel they are going in each of the tasks and subjects that they are engaged in. The Learning-Log provides an insight into the learners perception of what they see as barriers to their learning, areas that they have found interesting, areas which the like more extension and whether the work they are engaged in is at an appropriate level of difficulty and degree of interest.

How Often do students complete these?
Journals are maintained 2-3 times/week. Learning logs are maintained 2-3 times per term and/or following each unit of work, e.g. after geometry. All students maintain these. If not electrnically, then in books.

A research team from the University of Auckland in New Zealand synthesized over 500,000 studies of influences on learner achievement, and their effects on school learning outcomes. This study notes that effective feedback has the most significant “effect” of all possible influences.

[Study result] The average amount of feedback that learners received in any given school day was somewhere between one-two seconds!

Feedback from educators, the learner’s peers, parents/caregivers, adds an additional richness to the learning process and provides a greater depth of experiences and range of viewpoints ..

“ . . . . . the most powerful single moderator that enhances achievement is feedback”

" . . . . . Providing feedback to the learner is the equivalent of giving them educational vitamin C"

OLE's are an intergral part of 21st century classrooms, and provide valuable tools for use within the new NZ Curriculum. [2007]. (The previous curriculum was released in 1964, although there was an update in the 1970's). This curriculum is very new, and some teachers will require time to make the transistion

As well, using IT within a class is dependant on the teachers approach (teacher pedagogy). Some teachers prefer to stay with the traditional approach of the 70s/80s/90s

However, the reflective journals are part of school policy. Students are expected to regularly update these (2-3 times weekly). Students in classrooms with a more traditional pedagogy will have these on paper for you to view.

As with anything in IT, there are these things called 'bugs'. As people use the portal, we will find them. There are just so many variables and combination 'out there' that users use, that we can't possibly test all permentations.

We appreciate *feedback*. Should you have any problems with this site, either technically (something not working), or aesthetically (looks 'kak'), or any other queries or suggestions, **please** contact us.

How you contact the school or a teacher is your choice, and depends ... Internal messaging provides another option for you to consider

For URGENT messages requiring immediate action, we *DO NOT* recommend using internal messaging

If you phoned the school with a message for a teacher, unless urgent and needing immediate priority, your message would be passed on to the teacher via our internal messaging system, the same system you can now directly access via this portal except by passing the 'middle man' [Office]

Replies and/or responses to messages, if required, are sent to your email.

Blogging is the number one activity on the Internet. Essentially it is a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to interact with the content.
Err??
Pasablog will at times have short snipperts about 'school change'. Because it's on a blog, you could, if you wanted to, add comments, offer your opinions, ask for clarification, argue/support, or even make a posting of your own etc.

However, to interact with the blog, you will need to register (click 'register'on the blog.) or message the school asking for access .

The Pasadena Community is not large, and generally would fall into the catagory Mark Prenxky terms 'digital immigrants', i.e. not high level users of I.T./Internet, so the amount of interaction on this blog may well be quite low.

PasaSpace is an Online Social Networking site for Pasadena students.

The 'OLE' is the students online 'work' environment. PasaSpace is 'the students online 'play' environment.

Anyone can view content. However, to participate and/or to create content, students need to log on. Membership is closed, and only avaialble for Pasadena Students

I'm not sure about some of the content?

PasaSpace is not class work and students do not use PasaSpace during class. Just as during their play time, lunch breaks etc, the way they interact is going to more relaxed than in class, at 'their' level, from 'their' world

PasaSpace is monitored.. Some content types require approval before being 'published'. But - there is a far wider tolerance than what we would use for class work. The students themselves can 'flag' any content that offends them in any way. All flagged content is vetted. Inappropriate content is removed.

At times teachers discuss inappropriate playground behavior and deal with individuals, groups, classes, whole school. The same would be true for this 'online playground; should the need arose.

to view PasaSpace [click]

The world is a different place to the one parents were educated for. Education, and with this classroom pedagogy, is undergoing change. We are moving away from an educational paradigm that has been in effect for well over 50 years.

Over the previous 40 years, we (New Zealand) had become quite expert at educational delivery. Because we are all a product of that 'apporoach', adults tend to be 'experts' regarding education, and many are cautious about accepting change to what had been developod into quite a successful format.

The ministry of Education has realised the importance of instigating change, and have developed a sense of urgency for change.

The New Zealand Curriculum was launched on Tuesday 6 November 2007. The revised curriculum is the result of one of the most extensive consultation exercises ever undertaken by the Ministry of Education, and sets the direction for teaching and learning in the 21st century. (Read more? The New Zealand Curriculum Online.[click])