Ka Mau te Wehi (English medium multimedia reo Māori resource for year 7-8 teachers and students

Project dates: 
Nov-2004 to Jun-2007
Description of the project: 

This project involved the development of a multimedia resource (aligned to the Māori language curriculum guidelines), for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in Years 7-8.

The resource comprised:

  1. A printed folder (as a guide for teachers) containing 20 units of work aligned to the curriculum
  2. A DVD showing:

- scenarios with a group of 5 friends in different settings

- explanations of culture and Māori grammar

  1. An audio CD of relevant waiata.
My involvement: 

As senior policy adviser at the Ministry of Education, with responsibility for Māori language in schools, my role was to:

  • conceptualise and write the specifications for prospective tenderers
  • manage the tender process
  • write the selection criteria and facilitate the selection process
  • project-manage the creation of the multimedia resource, developed conjointly by CWA and Huia publishers
  • launch the new resource, alongside the Māori Language Commissioner.
Key skills used: 

In managing this multimedia project over 18 months, I needed to draw on my:

  • Comprehensive understanding of the Māori language curriculum guidelines, Te Aho Arataki Marau, to ensure alignment
  • Relationship management skills e.g. managing the expectations of the Ministry and the two co-developers of the resource; understanding the different (and sometimes competing) priorities of print and Web
  • Project management skills, to ensure a quality product (with a WOW factor to engage students), aligned to the curriculum, and at the same time delivered within budget and on time
  • Proofreading and editing skills (in English and Māori), to provide quality assurance for the developers
  • Previous experience as a primary school teacher
  • Familiarisation with the prevailing research on the interests of pre-adolescent children (to  inform the content and contexts of the multimedia resource)
  • Facility in Māori language
  • Masterate research in the teaching of te reo Māori using a communicative approach
  • Background in teaching Māori as a second language in schools
  • Public speaking ability e.g. to invited guests at the launch of the resource; to teachers, trainee teachers, and school advisers about how to maximise the resource
  • Writing ability eg communications articles, to disseminate information about the resource and facilitate uptake.
Outcomes: 

The final product was received very positively in schools – due to it being a multimedia package. The teachers were particularly pleased with the user-friendly teachers’ guide and support material. The students were captivated by the ‘soap-opera’ approach taken in the video clips – which simulated real-life situations for young teenagers e.g. sport, kapa haka, school, marae, home, romance, shopping.

Project URL: 
http://tereomaori.tki.org.nz/Reo-Maori-resources/Ka-Mau-te-Wehi