Teaching the Mana Model—A Māori framework for reconceptualising student success and thriving. Melinda Webber (2024)
Professional reading. In groups, discuss and unpack the following key themes:
From a Māori perspective, all students possess mana; inherent capabilities that enable them to positively transform the world around them.
The Mana Model proposes that schools are an influential space to harness and transform students’ motivation, knowledge, skills, capabilities, and interests.
Students thrive at school when they are connected to their culture, feel a sense of belonging at school, and experience a synergy between their family, community, and school lives.
Increasing student self-efficacy, embedded achievement, and resilience has positive implications for student learning and wellbeing.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Improvements in well-being
Support for ākonga as Māori
Working with special populations among the gifted with particular reference to gender, culture, locality, socio-economic circumstances, and ākonga with learning, behavioural, and physical challenges.
Rangatahi Māori: Indicators of success
Melinda Webber (2015) The eight qualities of successful intelligence in gifted Māori students.
Read the person profiles (page 5 & 6).
In eight groups unpack each of the Rangatahi Māori: Indicators of success (chart on p7) and summarise
Create examples from your own school.
What ways would ākonga or whānau describe their aspirations for each indicator? Make some examples of whānau or ākonga voice.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Whānau empowerment
Concepts of giftedness, for ākonga.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Webber, Melinda. "Gifted and proud: On being exceptional and Māori." Ka tangi te tītī: Permission to speak: Successful schooling for Māori students in the 21st century: Issues, challenges and alternatives (2011): 227-241.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Programme options and curriculum differentiation.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Bright, Nicola & Webber, Melinda. (2024). Poipoia ngā tamariki, How whānau and teachers support tamariki Māori to be successful in learning and education-COMPASS. 10.18296/rep.0054.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Programme options and curriculum differentiation.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Highfield, C., Webber, M., & Rachel Woods. (2023). Te Pā Harakeke: Māori and non-Māori parent (whānau) support of culturally responsive teaching pedagogies . The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 52(1).
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and Pasifika gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Programme options and curriculum differentiation.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Timu Niwa: Awapuni Primary School Research
“Māori students with special abilities” in Apex : the New Zealand journal of gifted education, 1998/1999; n.11/12:p.3-8
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and Pasifika gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Embracing Māori Giftedness: The Dynamics of Power, Culture, and Visability. Jenkins, Moltsen and Macfarlane (2004)
This article presents a recent case study undertaken in one non traditional state school in Manukau City, Aotearoa-New Zealand. The study suggests that increasing the visibility of Māori giftedness within mainstream environments is not simply a matter of incorporating a "Māori dimension" into existing constructs of giftedness and/or existing classroom/school practice. Rather, it is about critically unpacking and collaboratively redefining the very essence of the system itself.
This article examines some of the ways one school has reconstructed relationships of power and control within its home-school-community dynamic to create a culturally relevant educational experience for Māori, within which Māori giftedness is authentically embraced.
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Māpura Pātaka Rauemi: Research - Māori
Teaching the Mana Model—A Māori framework for reconceptualising student success and thriving. Melinda Webber (2024)
Professional reading. In groups, discuss and unpack the following key themes:
From a Māori perspective, all students possess mana; inherent capabilities that enable them to positively transform the world around them.
The Mana Model proposes that schools are an influential space to harness and transform students’ motivation, knowledge, skills, capabilities, and interests.
Students thrive at school when they are connected to their culture, feel a sense of belonging at school, and experience a synergy between their family, community, and school lives.
Increasing student self-efficacy, embedded achievement, and resilience has positive implications for student learning and wellbeing.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Improvements in well-being
Support for ākonga as Māori
Working with special populations among the gifted with particular reference to gender, culture, locality, socio-economic circumstances, and ākonga with learning, behavioural, and physical challenges.
Rangatahi Māori: Indicators of success
Melinda Webber (2015) The eight qualities of successful intelligence in gifted Māori students.
Read the person profiles (page 5 & 6).
In eight groups unpack each of the Rangatahi Māori: Indicators of success (chart on p7) and summarise
Create examples from your own school.
What ways would ākonga or whānau describe their aspirations for each indicator? Make some examples of whānau or ākonga voice.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Whānau empowerment
Concepts of giftedness, for ākonga.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Webber, Melinda. "Gifted and proud: On being exceptional and Māori." Ka tangi te tītī: Permission to speak: Successful schooling for Māori students in the 21st century: Issues, challenges and alternatives (2011): 227-241.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Programme options and curriculum differentiation.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Bright, Nicola & Webber, Melinda. (2024). Poipoia ngā tamariki, How whānau and teachers support tamariki Māori to be successful in learning and education-COMPASS. 10.18296/rep.0054.
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Programme options and curriculum differentiation.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Highfield, C., Webber, M., & Rachel Woods. (2023). Te Pā Harakeke: Māori and non-Māori parent (whānau) support of culturally responsive teaching pedagogies . The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 52(1).
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and Pasifika gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Programme options and curriculum differentiation.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Timu Niwa: Awapuni Primary School Research
“Māori students with special abilities” in Apex : the New Zealand journal of gifted education, 1998/1999; n.11/12:p.3-8
Learning objectives and PLD intentions:
Tools and planning resources
Understanding Māori and Pasifika gifted learners.
Identification methods for ākonga.
Teaching methods and materials for ākonga.
Professional Reading
Embracing Māori Giftedness: The Dynamics of Power, Culture, and Visability. Jenkins, Moltsen and Macfarlane (2004)
This article presents a recent case study undertaken in one non traditional state school in Manukau City, Aotearoa-New Zealand. The study suggests that increasing the visibility of Māori giftedness within mainstream environments is not simply a matter of incorporating a "Māori dimension" into existing constructs of giftedness and/or existing classroom/school practice. Rather, it is about critically unpacking and collaboratively redefining the very essence of the system itself.
This article examines some of the ways one school has reconstructed relationships of power and control within its home-school-community dynamic to create a culturally relevant educational experience for Māori, within which Māori giftedness is authentically embraced.
