• Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui December 2024

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    Our students and teachers share their festive greetings along with some reo Māori to practice over the summer break. Listen to our Virtual Christmas Card with images by, and voices of our talented ākonga. Check out the designs that were sent in vying for a place on our 2024 card. Ka rawe! We are really proud of the efforts and achievements of our learners this year. You can see examples of this in our recent pānui, Celebrating Student Mahi.

    It is with great sadness we acknowledged the passing of Nikki Kaye recently. Nikki was a future focused leader who realised the potential of educational technology to make a difference in the lives of young people. Without her championing our mahi we wouldn’t be here today, we owe Nikki an enormous debt of gratitude. Moe mai ra wahine toa!

    The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned has just released its first report and its recommendations for the schooling sector make interesting reading. How can schools be better equipped to meet the challenges and uncertainties of future disruptive events?

    Congratulations to our senior students who gained recognition for their achievements and commitment to their online learning. Special mention to Papakura High School student, Hine Fungavaka, who received an Overall Academic Excellence award for online learning. Our enrolments for 2025 are now in full swing, find out more about our secondary programmes and how to participate.

    Our primary programmes are also underway, our team is keen for you to get your interest in early and have stumped up an NZSL clock as a prize draw for schools who register before the end of the school year. Find all the information you need for getting started with Primary online programmes in 2025.

    Kōtuitui our PLD Network of Expertise had a busy and productive year, catch up with the activities of our eteacher professional network with our 2024 Snapshot.

    Wishing you all a Meri Kirihimete me Hari Tau Hou! 

    Ngā mihi maioha

    Rachel, Amanda and the Kōtui Ako VLN team

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  • Celebrating student mahi 2024

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    We’re coming to the end of another successful year of learning at Kōtui Ako. To celebrate the success of our ākonga from across the motu we have compiled some examples of the awesome mahi taking place in our schools.

    • Aotearoa Histories – overcoming the pedagogical challenge of a wide age range in a whole class setting.

    • Digital Tech – collaboratively designing future schools.

    • Songwriting – teaching ‘just-in-time’ for personalised and relevant feed-forward.

    • Physics – hands-on real-life experiments of student choice.

    With the senior students, read about one of our students who has focused her online learning around sustainability, and see the spectacular images from learners in NCEA photography L2.

    See also Education Gazette Tukutuku Kōrero articles:

    How te reo Māori is thriving in virtual classrooms across Aotearoa

    Setting ākonga up for success – Numeracy programmes

    Thanks to the following primary schools whose ākonga are highlighted in this mahi: Balfour, Colville, Haast, Halfmoon Bay, Ladbrookes, Lake Rerewhakaaitu, St Joseph’s Waihi, Tapora, Te Rerenga, Toko, Whataroa, Waipahi-a-Tia; also Ashburton College, Bream Bay College, Orewa College, Selwyn College and William Colenso College.

    Check out our programmes for 2025:

    Primary & Secondary

    Ngā mihinui ki a koutou katoa.

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui October 2024

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    Its time to plan for 2025! Our team have been busy behind the scenes preparing our programmes for next year.

    Registrations are now open for our Primary programmes. Check out what’s available, discuss with your learners and whānau and register their choices. The sooner the better helps with our planning for the year ahead and helps you secure your registrations. Check out our student work from 2023 and 2022 for examples of what our ākonga are learning in their online classes. Want to know more? Join one of our intro sessions next month.

    2025 Secondary courses are available too. Imagine introducing 35+ new subjects to your school across all NCEA levels, all taught by experienced teachers from our own school network. Find out how you can give your students this awesome advantage by joining Kōtui Ako.

    The kaupapa of reciprocity is the magic that enables the learning opportunities we bring to our schools. Any school, and any learner can participate in Kōtui Ako VLN. By contributing a teacher or resourcing a programme your ākonga can choose from a wide range of learning opportunities shared through our network. Our job is to lead and coordinate this kaupapa – yours is to participate and contribute. Understanding and supporting the kaupapa provides benefits for all our schools and learners.

    Try your hand at eteaching – opportunities to teach with us come up from time to time, register your interest with us and we’ll be in touch if there is an opening.

    Our team looks forward to hearing from schools in preparation for the 2025 year ahead. Please share the kaupapa by passing this newsletter on to schools in your network.

    Ngā mihinui,

    Rachel, Amanda

    Hikina a tātou ākonga kia haere kōtui tātou ki tua

    Walk hand-in-hand with us to uplift our learners and safeguard the future

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui September 2024

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    🌸Spring is in the air! 🌸 With the promise of warmer days ahead and a well earned break at the end of the week, I invite you to take time to catch up with the activities of our learners and kaiako teaching and learning online through Kōtui Ako VLN.

    Netsafety Week earlier in the term was a timely reminder to consider how we support our tamariki and rangatahi to thrive in the digital world. Our case study from Ngamatapouri School illustrates what it takes to become a great online learner. We provide links to Netsafe NZ resources for schools to help manage digital incidents.

    The draft Secondary course list for 2025 is available now! Amanda outlines what is involved for schools and learners and the benefits of being able to access a wide range of curriculum for our senior students.

    He taonga te pepeha was a professional learning focus for us during Te Wiki o te reo Māori. Thanks to Tewai for leading us in this PLD and sharing resources about researching and creating our pepeha and mihimihi. Did you see the recent article in NZ Education Gazette that profiled our Māori programmes? How te reo Māori is thriving in virtual classrooms across Aotearoa

    你好 nǐ hǎo! To celebrate NZ Chinese Language Week this year, we are sharing free digital resources and details of our online classes.

    We introduce two of our talented teachers: Suzy Carnachan, Photography e-teacher and HOD from Orewa College and Malcolm Belton Economics e-teacher from Thames High School. Their reflections provide useful insights into the pedogogies and practice of teaching online. We recognise Malcolm for his many years of teaching service and curriculum leadership (NZCETA) as he retires after 48 years in education.

    ‘Professional development for teachers in virtual environments: evolving online practice’ was a paper presented by Lucie and Rachel at the FLANZ conference at Waipapa Taumata Rau / University of Auckland on their work with the NEX Kōtuitui online teacher network.

    Our primary age learners recently shared feedback about their online classes. This helps inform our Professional Growth Cycle and learner support processes.

    Our team wishes you and your whānau a safe and restful term break.

    Ngā mihinui

    Rachel & Amanda

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui August 2024

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    Did you spot our article in the Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero during Maths Week? Thanks to our schools, teachers and students who responded at short notice to share pictures and content that helped tell our story.

    Now is the time for our Secondary Schools to prepare to participate in Kōtui Ako VLN for 2025. Find out about the benefits for your learners, the wide range of curriculum on offer and how to participate in our schools’ learning network. Please share with your school networks and encourage them to join us.

    Anna Pallerès eteacher extraordinare, demonstrates the depth of talent and expertise we have available in Kōtui Ako VLN. Ka rawe Anna for sharing your story.

    We are very excited about the potential of Te Rito to support learner pathways through the schooling system and enable Kōtui Ako VLN to work seamlessly with learners across many schools. Please come along to an upcoming Kōtuitui webinar with the MoE Te Rito team to find out more. We encourage our schools to get onboard so we can begin to collaborate with you through Te Rito.

    Toitū te reo, toitū te kupu Sustain the language, sustain the culture! our new competition opens today. Designed for students of all ages it is a celebration of te reo Māori and its place in Aotearoa. Find out how to get your learners involved AND pick up some resources for learning te reo Māori.

    This term we intitiated Te Whare Rūmaki o Kōtui Ako to support kura meet the needs of ākonga fluent in te reo Māori. If you have learners that would benefit from interacting in an immersion Maori environment, contact Tewaiehu to find out more.

    Ngā mihinui

    Rachel, Amanda and the Kōtui Ako VLN team

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui June 2024

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    ✨️Mānawatia a Matariki ✨️

    Matariki is a time to remember the past; to celebrate with loved ones; and plan for the future. We lead our newsletter sharing recent professional learning with Tewaiehu, Kaiarahi Mātauranga Māori. If you don’t know the purakau or whakapapa of Matariki, or the meaning behind each of the Matariki stars, this is recommended viewing over Matariki weekend.

    “Through listening comes awareness,
    Through awareness comes understanding,
    Through understanding comes knowledge,
    Through knowledge comes life and well-being.” 

    We are seeking interest from schools with students in Years 5-8 who are fluent in reo Māori. Te Whare Rūmaki o Kōtui Ako is open to schools without their own rumaki or access to specialist Māori support. We welcome expressions of interest from schools with ākonga who may be keen to participate.

    Learning Languages Week has passed and we celebrated everything special about learning second languages, especially our wonderful e-teachers who make the magic happen for our learners. You can look back on the week’s celebration on our Facebook page. We are proud to share the story of e-teacher Gayleen and her lifetime of learning and teaching languages.

    Experienced e-teacher, Morgan Scott, shares a little about himself and his passion for “all things geo”.

    Meet Darcy McCully, a student devoted to her passion; protecting the environment!

    Attending NZEI Rural Teaching Principals was a highlight for Rachel Whalley (Primary ePrincipal). It was wonderful to meet many of our Kōtui Ako member school Principals in person and connect faces with names.

    Lucie and Rachel were invited to speak at a FLANZ (Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand) webinar on our work in New Zealand schools. Find out more about the Kōtui Ako VLN story and our work with ākonga across Aotearoa.

    Finally, our Annual Reports for 2023 are now available. We look back into the year that was, celebrate today and plan for the future!

    Mānawatia a Matariki ✨️

    Rachel, Amanda and the Kōtui Ako VLN team

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui May 2024

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    As winter approaches and Matariki nears, our team is getting ready to transition our Primary programs for Semester 2. This is our fresh start during the year when we invite schools to join us  and register their learners in our online primary programmes. Current schools are invited to renew their commitment for the second half of the year and communicate any changes. All schools, please follow the instructions in the newsletter and register early. New and returning schools are welcome to join us. Registrations are open now and close on June 24th.

    Our latest case study focuses on rural schools and features Ngamatapouri School ākonga and their teaching Principal Tracy Wizgell. They talk about their engagement with Kōtui Ako VLN, the benefits it provides both learners and teachers and share their tips for learners success.

    We are very excited to share our new website! Thanks to our team for their collaborative mahi in bringing it together, our schools for the beautiful original images, and Digital Journey for creating it. Make sure you visit our new website, and engage with our social media and you could be in the draw for some Zoom merchandise, courtesy of ConnectNZ.

    We showcase the work of ākonga in our Level 2 Photography course. They have just completed their first photography shoot for the year with exceptional photographs being presented.

    Members of our team recently attended leadership PLD hui with Networks of Expertise. This was a valuable opportunity for us to make connections across the sector and grow our skills in supporting teachers through NEX Kōtuitui. 

    Ngā mihinui

    Rachel, Amanda and the Kōtui Ako VLN team

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui March 2024

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    It’s great to see our students’ learning come to life as it did for Valerie from South Westland Area School. Her artistic talents were recognised in postage stamps that she (and we) received earlier this year. Too good to use, they will be framed for our wall of fame!

    We are promoting several learning opportunities this month (suitable for both Primary and Secondary learners):

    We have spaces available in our Gifted programmes due to start next term. These are suitable for learners up to Year 10. 

    Our partnership with the Korean Education Centre enables us to bring you Korean classes at no cost. This is a great opportunity to get involved in online learning at your school AND learn about the popular Korean language and culture.

    We have a great NZSL resource in our talented eTeacher Janine. We would like to hear from you about how Janine can work with you across our schools network with NZSL language support and support for learners. Find out more about NZSL opportunities and give us your feedback.

    Canadian researcher Dr Michael Barbour begins his study tour in Aotearoa. Michael has a long relationship with educational practitioners and research experience with virtual and distance learning in New Zealand and internationally. Kōtui Ako VLN has  operated for nearly 30 years in a policy and resourcing vacuum. Michael’s work will be important to inform the sector and advocate for sustainable support for online learning opportunities.

    I was privileged to join Taranaki Kāhui Ako PLD day recently. If you would like us to share the Kōtui Ako VLN kaupapa with your Kāhui Ako, LSC / RTLB, school or principals’ network, please invite us to participate in your upcoming hui.

    Finally we share the first notice of our upcoming AGM. We expect all member schools to attend, so please Save the Date!

    Its been a busy term in schools as it has for us here too. I know you are all looking forward to a well deserved break over Easter. 

    Ngā mihinui o te Aranga

    Rachel, Amanda and the Kōtui Ako VLN team

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  • Celebrating Ākonga 2023

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kura Tuatahi – Akonga Aka Mariko

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    We’re coming to the end of another successful year of learning at Kōtui Ako VLN. To celebrate the success of ākonga from across the motu we have compiled some highlights of the awesome mahi taking place in our schools.

    Read, look and listen to some of the highlights shared by several of our eTeachers, from both primary and secondary, who bring ākonga together for a range of interesting and challenging online programmes. 

    Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa

    Kōtui Ako VLN eteachers and leadership team

    This is our first year as Kōtui Ako Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa (formerly VLN Primary and OLC) and its been a busy one! Kōtui Ako VLN is a nation-wide schools-based network (Years 0 -13) that enables equity of access to the curriculum for all New Zealand learners.
    If you want to know more about Secondary programmes contact [email protected].
    Registrations are open now for Primary programmes contact [email protected] for more information

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  • Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa Pānui December 2023

    Nau mai, haere mai ki te Kōtui Ako | Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa

    Kia ora koutou katoa, Kia orāna, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Nĭ hăo 你好, Annyoung haseyo 안녕하세요, Namaste, Assalām alaikum, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo!

    In our final pānui of the year we reflect on the successes of our ākonga and acknowledge their efforts and achievements.  It was super exciting to hear that several of our Visual Arts students received awards in the TENZ, Forest & Bird, and New Zealand Post stamp competition. Ka rawe! Check out the celebration of  learning shared in our last pānui.

    Congratulations to the many primary and secondary award winners who were nominated by their teachers for their effort, attitude, engagement and achievements. Primary special award winners were entered into a prize draw with one lucky student winning a Chrome book. Three secondary students achieved overall excellence in NCEA level 1, 2 and 3.

    We farewell two longstanding Kōtui Ako VLN team leaders, Sara Field, former Volcanics e-Principal and Jan Collier, former Coronet e-Principal and Volcanics Assistant e-Principal, who are moving on to the next phase of their careers and lives. Thank you for your many years of service to our schools and your advocacy for the VLN kaupapa.

    Kōtuitui Networks of Expertise recently held a hybrid hui in Rotorua and Auckland, and online. This was an awesome opportunity for online teachers and support staff to meet face to face and online and share professional conversations about online teaching and learning. Thank you to Kōtui Ako VLN leadership, especially Lucie Lindsay, who organised and facilitated this PLD event. 

    Did you know that any school, and any learner can participate in Kōtui Ako VLN? By contributing a teacher or resourcing a programme your ākonga can choose from a wide range of learning opportunities shared through our network. The kaupapa of reciprocity underpins how schools can work together with Kōtui Ako VLN to provide a wide range or learning opportunities for our ākonga. 

    Find out more on how to participate in Secondary Kōtui Ako VLN programmes, check out the wide range of secondary VLN programmes available, and how to enrol. 

    Primary programmes are open for enrolment now and close early in February. All the details on how to register, timeline for getting started, support information and introductory sessions are here. Find out about the wide range of programmes available, including our Mentoring programme returning next year. If you are interested in eteaching with us next year, get in touch.

    Thank you to our learners, teachers and school leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand who have participated, contributed and achieved in Kōtui Ako VLN classes this year.

    We wish you all a Meri Kirihimete me Hari Tau Hou! 

    Ngā mihi maioha

    Rachel, Amanda and the Kōtui Ako VLN team

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  • Design a Meri Kirihimete card!

    Design a Meri Kirihimete card!

  • Registrations for 2025 Primary programmes are open!

    Registrations for 2025 Primary programmes are open!

  • Secondary Enrolment – 2025

    Secondary Enrolment – 2025

  • Webinar – Te Rito: Know Me Before You Teach Me

    Webinar – Te Rito: Know Me Before You Teach Me

  • Toitū te kupu, toitū te reo Māori

    Toitū te kupu, toitū te reo Māori

  • Growing good digital citizens

    Growing good digital citizens

  • Te Whare Rumaki o Kōtui Ako – tūhono mai e te whānau

    Te Whare Rumaki o Kōtui Ako – tūhono mai e te whānau

  • Registrations for Semester 2 primary programmes are open now

    Registrations for Semester 2 primary programmes are open now

  • Rural Schools – a case study with Ngamatapouri School

    Rural Schools – a case study with Ngamatapouri School

  • TDA Summit – Leadership for Networks of Expertise

    TDA Summit – Leadership for Networks of Expertise

  • Showcasing: NCEA Photography Level 2

    Showcasing: NCEA Photography Level 2

  • NZSL – communicate across Aotearoa

    NZSL – communicate across Aotearoa

  • uLearn23

    uLearn23

  • Te Hapori Matihiko Awards

    Te Hapori Matihiko Awards

  • Carrie VanderZwaag

    Carrie VanderZwaag