A framework for using He Reo Kōmanawa
The general framework outlined here is intended to give teachers a structure on which to base student-centred lessons encompassing all six modes of language use. The framework is based on the assumption that teachers’ practice is guided by the principles and understandings about effective language teaching and learning that are outlined in the Te Aho Arataki Marau mō te Ako i Te Reo Māori - Kura Auraki/Curriculum Guidelines for Teaching and Learning Te Reo Māori in English-medium Schools: Years 1-13. This includes the assumption that teachers will foster caring and inclusive learning communities where they and their students collaborate to work towards learning outcomes that are shared and understood. Teachers base these learning outcomes on the achievement objectives in the guidelines. They share them with their students early in each teaching and learning sequence, and they and their students construct success criteria that enable the students to monitor and discuss their progress. The productive relationships that are created between the teacher and students and between the students themselves empower each member of the learning community to learn with and from each other.
The key outcome for teaching and learning te reo Māori is meaningful communication in te reo Māori. The guidelines describe a communicative approach to language teaching, which includes the following understandings:
- If students are to progress in te reo Māori, it is essential that they can comprehend the meaning of most of the language they hear or read. They can then use and refine their language learning strategies as they work out the meanings of the words they do not understand.
- Students need to interact with and in te reo Māori in order to develop confidence in using vocabulary and newly encountered sentence patterns.
- In order to support the development of sound language-learning strategies, it is best that explanations of new vocabulary and sentence patterns occur after students have had the opportunity to meet and explore the vocabulary and sentence patterns in meaningful contexts.
- Each new word or phrase will need to be repeated many times, in context, in order to become fully operational in a student’s te reo Māori repertoire.
The guidelines emphasise the importance of combining learning about te reo Māori with learning about tikanga Māori. This is called “intercultural communicative language teaching”. It is an approach that complements communicative language teaching but clarifies the essential role of culture in language.
The ten steps
There are ten steps in the general framework.
4. Teacher-led clarification and explanation of new language items
5. Pair or group interactive tasks
6. Group mind mapping of discussion points
8. Further development of group mind maps
9. Oral presentation of information
1. Viewing of image
Initial viewing of the image provides students with both visual information and stimulus for participation.
2. Pre-reading discussion
The purpose of this discussion is to activate students’ prior knowledge, both of the topic and of relevant vocabulary and phrases.
3. Short te reo Māori text
Reading this text provides students with input in te reo Māori that they are able to comprehend and that relates to the image. The students’ interactions with each other and the teacher enable them to practise the new vocabulary and sentence patterns throughout the teaching and learning sequence.
4. Teacher-led clarification and explanation of new language items
By delaying explanations until after the students have had opportunities to read and discuss the te reo Māori text, teachers support their students’ development of language-learning strategies, such as guessing from context and combining information from the text, the image, and their prior knowledge.
5. Pair or group interactive tasks
Teachers encourage pairs or groups of students to explore the text by facilitating discussion and focusing greater attention on vocabulary, grammar, and content. Pair or group tasks included in the accompanying examples of teaching and learning sequences include:
- True/false statements. These statements encourage students to explore and discuss surface and deeper levels of meaning emerging from the combined input from the image and text. They also encourage students to skim and scan the text for required information. The need to correct erroneous statements gives students a purpose for using new vocabulary and sentence patterns in a realistic context, while also providing them with support for learning new vocabulary and grammar. In addition, correcting the false statements involves repetition of vocabulary and sentence patterns, which requires both the speaker and the listener to pay attention to any new forms. (See Samples 1, 2, 3, and 5.)
- Grammar dictation is used to focus students’ attention on the grammar and vocabulary of a short text or part of a text (no more than 4–5 sentences). The teacher reads the text twice, clearly and at normal speed. The first time the text is read, the students listen carefully, pens on desks, to try and grasp the gist of the information. The second time, they listen and write keywords only. Working in groups of four, the students then share and discuss the words they recorded and everything they remember about the text that was read to them. They then work together to reconstruct the text. They endeavour to include all the information from the text and to write in grammatically accurate sentences, but they do not need to write in exactly the same words as the text. Next, each group writes their reconstructed text, sentence by sentence on the board. The class compares all the versions, and discusses the differences. The students then compare their texts with the original and discuss whether all the essential information was included in each group’s version. (See Sample 4.)
- In split information tasks, the text is divided into two (or more) parts, which are equal in length and have equally important information. For a two-part text (as used in the accompanying teaching and learning samples) half the class is given a copy of Part 1 and the other half is given Part 2. For the initial reading, students are seated with others who have the same part of the text. They read silently, but are free to discuss, within same-text groups, any areas of difficulty. Each student makes a mind map summarising key information from his or her part of the text. When the students in both groups have finished reading and mind mapping, each student pairs up with a student with the other part of the text. They then take turns to tell each other the information they have just read, using their mind maps as speaking notes. It is important that they do not read from the text or look at their partner’s paper, but it is quite acceptable for partners to ask for information to be repeated or rephrased. After they have shared the information, all students have all the key information from the text, and further pair or group work continues. (See Samples 6, 7, and 9.)
- Three-level guides scaffold the exploration of text at literal, interpretive, and applied levels (that is, on the lines, between the lines, and beyond the lines). The third level requires a synthesis of ideas from the text with student ideas emerging from their discussion of the text and the connections they make with their prior knowledge. (See Samples 8 and 10.)
6. Group mind mapping of discussion points
Group mind mapping fosters co-operation between students and provides opportunities for them to develop their skills in analysing and summarising. The process of selecting and writing keywords provides a real purpose for more repetition of new vocabulary. The mind map that is produced also has a real purpose in that it will act as speaking notes (for speakers) and visual support (for listeners), at the presentation stage.
For examples of mind maps, click on this link.
For more information about mind mapping, teachers can search Te Kete Ipurangi using the keyword “mind map”. Teachers could also refer to Russell.
7. Inquiry
Opportunities for inquiry consolidate students’ learning, encourage deeper exploration of the topic, and extend students’ ideas and language beyond what is offered by the image and the short te reo Māori text. They also encourage students to use libraries and information technology and, if kaumātua are interviewed, they enhance their active listening skills.
8. Further development of group mind maps
The opportunity to further develop their group mind maps fosters further co-operation and the purposeful use of te reo Māori as students collaborate to synthesise, prioritise, and organise their information. Students can practise the vocabulary they encountered in Steps 2 and 3, as well as the new vocabulary that emerged from their inquiry. The expansion of mind maps involves deeper thinking processes as information is converted from running text to keywords supported by visual cues such as symbols and graphics. Knowing that the mind map will be used at the presentation stage provides groups with an incentive to produce a mind map that is original, clear, interesting, legible, and attractively set out.
It may be helpful for students to discuss and understand the criteria for developing mind maps that are effective in conveying key information. These include ensuring that:
- the keywords and phrases are in te reo Māori only;
- they include graphics as well as words;
- they are colourful;
- the writing and graphics are large enough to be read from at least 2–3 metres away.
9. Oral presentation of information
Groups of students can share their information by presenting it either formally or informally. This process provides further practice in listening and speaking, reading, viewing, and presenting. There are many ways in which students might make their presentations, including:
1. Revolving readers/viewers
Mind maps are blue-tacked around the classroom walls, allowing enough space for small groups of students to gather by each mind map. At first, each group stands by its own mind map. The teacher then directs all groups to move, in a clockwise direction, to the next group’s mind map. The students are then given three minutes to read and discuss that mind map, paying special attention to any information that they didn’t include on their own mind map. When the time is up, the teacher gives the signal to move on, again in a clockwise direction, to the next mind map and again three minutes are allowed for reading and discussion. (Three minutes is usually enough, but teachers will use their own discretion as to the appropriate length of time for their students.) This process continues until the groups have done a complete circuit of the room, reading all of the mind maps.
2. Revolving listeners/viewers
This presentation mode begins as for 1 above, with mind maps blue-tacked around the classroom walls and each group of students gathered by their mind map. The teacher then directs two students from each group to stay with their own mind map as speakers, while the other two will be listeners, who will do a circuit of the room, listening to pairs of speakers from other groups explaining their mind maps.
At a signal from the teacher, the listeners move, in a clockwise direction, to the next group’s mind map. The speakers are given two minutes to decide who will speak first and which aspects of the information each will cover. While they discuss this, the listeners browse the mind map and think of any questions they may want to ask. The teacher then gives the signal to start and sets the timer for an allocated time. (Three minutes is usually enough but again, teachers will use their own discretion to judge this.) The speakers then present their information to the listeners, using their mind maps as speaking notes and speaking te reo Māori to the full extent of their ability. The teacher encourages the listeners to ask questions for clarification and to make comments that support the speakers to continue.
When the allocated time has passed, the teacher directs the listeners to move on, in a clockwise direction, to the next mind map and listen to the next pair of speakers explain their information for the allocated number of minutes. The process continutes until the listeners have done a complete circuit of the room. Speakers and listeners then change places and roles. The new speakers explain their mind maps to the new listeners, who also do a complete circuit of the room, listening to a brief presentation from each of the speakers. The mind maps are left on the walls for further reference.
3. Revolving taggers
This method proceeds as for 1 above (revolving readers/viewers), but groups of students discuss each mind map or poster and agree on constructive suggestions or comments. They write these in pencil on the other group’s mind map, using te reo Māori. The teacher asks them to keep their comments brief and very specific – not just “ka pai”. When the groups have completed the full circuit of the room, they read and discuss the comments on their own mind map.
4. Revolving mind maps
In this method, the students remain seated and the mind maps are passed around the groups. A given number of minutes is specified for the students to read and discuss the neighbouring group’s mind map, and they pay special attention to any information that was not on their own mind map. At the signal, the mind maps are then passed on to the next group. This pattern continues until all the groups have read all the mind maps.
5. Revolving speakers/presenters
This method proceeds as for 4 above (revolving mind maps), except that each group sends a speaker with their mind map to present the information to the next group. When time is called, the speakers return to their own groups and a different speaker from each group takes the mind map on to another group. This continues until all the students have had a turn to present their information to a different group.
10. Reflection
Reflection takes place throughout the teaching and learning sequence, as teacher and students monitor student progress towards the intended learning outcomes and the related success criteria. Students also need opportunities to reflect on their personal learning at the end of each sequence of learning and to write a brief record of this. Teachers will make their own decisions about what they want from their students by way of reflection. In addition to checking progress against the learning outcomes and success criteria, teachers may ask their students to list new vocabulary and briefly summarise one new item of information gleaned from the student’s own inquiry and/or information learned from a classmate. Other ideas for reflection could be noting new sentence patterns, commenting on personal or peer achievement, and recording new theories or ideas emerging from discussions.
A simple template for recording reflections is provided below to support students at the beginner levels. From level 3 upwards, students can be required to write brief reflections in their own words, in te reo Māori.
Students should retain all their written reflections as an ongoing record of their learning. The reflections may be used by students for the purpose of ongoing revision and self-assessment and by teachers for individual conferencing or for informal assessment.
Reflection template for levels 1–2 |
He kupu hou ki ahau:
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He whakaaro hou ki ahau:
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Translation
He kupu hou ki ahau – Words that are new to me.
He whakaaro hou ki ahau – Ideas that are new to me.