Kia ora , 

It was an exciting start to October with our announcement of this year's Te Whatu Kairangi | Aotearoa Tertiary Educator awardees. There's lots more going on besides - enjoy!

• This month's pick of free teaching and learning resources
• Te Whatu Kairangi awardees
• "The Code" - Pastoral Care Code PLD modules and feedback
• TERNZ 2024 - 25-27 November
• Tūwhitia Symposium 2024
• Investigating an Neurodiversity-Friendly Quality Mark
• ITENZ Conference - awardees and reflections
• Celebrating organisations achieving DFQM and Tapatoru in 2024
• Upcoming PLD workshops

Noho ora mai,

The Ako Aotearoa team

Website pick of free resources

What is neurodiversity? 

Here's a new space on our website exploring neurodiversity and neurodivergence with links to support websites, resources and workshops. 

Join our Manako and Neurodiversity Communities of Practice to ask questions, access tips and attend exclusive webinars.

Employment-ready capabilities

Otago Polytechnic's co-funded project with Ako Aotearoa created a method for learners to gain and share evidence of their transferable, employment-ready capabilities alongside their academic qualifications.

Download the summary report.

Connecting with our community

Te Whatu Kairangi | Aotearoa Tertiary Educator Awards

Get to know more about the 2024 awardees. Throughout October we are featuring them on our Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin pages. 

The Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills, Hon Penny Simmonds, will present the awards, and announce the Prime Minister's Educator of the Year award on 4 November at the ceremony at Parliament.

"The Code" - free online pastoral care

modules and resources

You may have seen the Te Pūkenga launch last month of their suite of online modules and resources relating to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Ākonga) Code of Practice 2021. We are pleased to share details again here with some initial feedback received by "The Code" team (Diana Law, Lyn Williams and Shannon Nearey). The suite includes:

1. A repository of PLD Resources, a curated hub developed by the code team for vocational educators hosted on Edulink
2. E-learning modules specific to "The Code":
   1. Cracking the Code: A comprehensive introduction to the Code
   2. Supporting Ākonga mental health and Wellbeing
   3. Supporting Ākonga with dyslexia
   4. More than just a room - Student Accommodation

Complete the modules individually, as a team, or as part of training for learner-facing staff.

Feedback overall has been very positive, with comments such as:

• "Content engaging, relevant and useful for all kaimahi"  (Cracking the Code)
• "Easy way to learn the code without tons of reading" (Cracking the Code)
• "Excellent resource for kaimahi..." (Mental health and wellbeing)

Explore the modules and resources, and post feedback through the Edulink Hub.

Upcoming conference

Register now for TERNZ Conference 2024

25 - 27 November

Wellington (In-person)

We are pleased to sponsor the Tertiary Education Research New Zealand (TERNZ) Conference. The event focuses on facilitating research- and practice-based exchange in a supportive atmosphere.

Theme: Learning in higher education: our learning, our students' learning,

our colleagues' learning. 

Ākonga success - Designing for the future

Ako Aotearoa is pleased to support the Tūwhitia Symposium on 21-22 November, hosted by Unitec.

This event is for senior decision makers within tertiary education and training organisations. Note that spaces for this event are restricted to two attendees per organisation. Find out more on the Symposium website.

Survey - a Neurodiverse-Friendly Quality Mark?

Inspired by the success of our Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark (DFQM) programme, we are investigating the feasibility of developing a Neurodiverse-Friendly Quality Mark for the Workplace (NFQM). 

We’ve developed a quick survey (5-10 mins) to gauge the need for, and interest in a Neurodiverse-Friendly Quality Mark.

We'd love to hear what you think -

have your say by 4 November 2024.  

ITENZ Conference 2024

PHOTO: Sue West from Literacy Waitakere (left) with our Sector Services Manager Ruth Peterson at the Ako Aotearoa stand.  

Congratulations to Wayne Dyer and the ITENZ team for a very successful Conference last month. We were delighted to contribute to the Awards -  Mission Ready HQ  took away Provider of the Year and the Supreme Award. Read about all the ITENZ 2024 Awardees.

Our contributions to the programme were well received - a presentation from our Board Co-Chair Derek McCormack, and the official launch of the completed AARIA project – Beyond Tuakana Teina, with researcher Dr Joshua Kalan, and Jayden Thompson from Tāwherau homes, supported by our own Dr Mei Winitana.

More Ako Aotearoa news

Save the dates, we have two upcoming award celebrations

Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award ceremony

Date: Thursday 7 November 2024

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Register free here 

Join this online ceremony to celebrate the organisations that have achieved the Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award over the past year. 

Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark (DFQM) ceremony

Date: Thursday 28 November 2024

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Register free here

Celebrate the organisations who have achieved the Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark (DFQM) in 2024. 

November - online professional development

Applying Equity in Tertiary Education 

8 November

Explore approaches to addressing equity issues in the tertiary education sector and create a personal strategy for addressing an equity issue. One x 3.5-hour session (9:00 am - 12:30 pm)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi - a Visual History (non-Māori)

15 November

This course provides a brief visual history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for beginners. The content includes an overview of events leading up to the signing in 1840, what the Tiriti says, the consequences of colonisation, and Tiriti-related policy in the tertiary education sector today. One x half-day session (9:00 am - 1:00 pm).

Click here to update your interests.