It has been a tremendous honor to visit many different schools in Aotearoa New Zealand to observe, learn, and also share my own work. In the secondary schools I visited, I spoke with teachers and administrators who have a strong interest in pedagogies and practices that can make school more meaningful for students. Many schools I worked with are in the midst of a process of curriculum review and are seeking to make classes more creative and engaging.
Throughout my time in Aotearoa New Zealand, I was given the opportunity to lead workshops for multiple staffs and faculties (what we call departments in the US,) who were eager to think about new possibilities for their students. My goals have been to provide teachers with models and ideas that can help them find their own path to designing culturally relevant, meaningful learning experiences for students. My presentations have been participatory in order to model the type of classroom learning I believe in. I tried to communicate the different ways my students produce work that has meaning in the world, beyond the walls of school. I also tried to model and explain the some of the different roles I play as a teacher in an inquiry and project-based classroom where there is an emphasis on student voice and student creations.
Most recently I worked with a group of professors and teachers-in-training at Victoria University. Click on the image below to view the slide deck, along with resources, from the presentation:
Below are the main ideas from the presentation, each of which is accompanied by examples from my own practice:
- Designing Learning That Matters
- Prioritizing Student Voices
- Student Choice
- Creating Work for Authentic Audiences
- Students As Creators
- The Importance of Reflection
Note: This is a personal blog. All views and information presented herein are my own and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program or the US Department of State.
Mr J Block 
Joshua,
Thanks for sharing your presentation; I also enjoyed your “New Zealand Inquiry Project” post. I very much agree that we need to focus on relationships, especially in the context of eduction and community.
With your new perspective of how school is implemented in NZ, do you think it is desirable to re-align US public schools in the same vein (teacher + student agency, inquiry-based, project-based, moving away from compliance, more focus on creation, etc)? Beyond desirable, is it practical and feasible? It seems to me that these ideals are more commonly the purview of charter schools, Montessori and private schools, which typically cater to the more affluent. I often wonder if Dr. Maria Montessori rolls over in her grave when we leave everyone else to fend for the crumbs.
Thanks for your comment, Charles! Yes, as you guessed, I do believe that education is more meaningful, regardless of the school context, when learning is relevant to students’ lives. I appreciate the ways you summarized my education philosophy!