Friday 27 August 2021
Is Kapa Haka good for us?
A very large chunk of our identity as Kiwi’s, is Māori culture because it derives from this very land we call home, Aotearoa New Zealand. One of the elements of Māori culture is Kapa Haka and in my opinion probably one of the most enjoyable elements because it’s so inclusive, adaptable and educational. Therefore, I think it is good for us.
Kapa Haka is more than just performing. It tells stories of Māori history and legends through song and dance. At school, we haka about our local iwi so it’s a great way to learn about my surroundings and connect with my community, especially because I’m not from around here. It’s an opportunity to also learn te reo Māori and to incorporate new kupu into our everyday conversations to form a deeper connection into our identity as Kiwi’s. If you think about it, English is an official language worldwide but no other country in the world speaks te reo Māori so it’s cool to have something that just belongs to us Kiwi’s.
While feeding the mind with knowledge of Māori culture through performing Kapa Haka, you can squeeze a bit of cardio in, and get a full body workout with the physicality aspect of the performance. Some say it’s a fun form of exercise to maintain your stamina and fitness. You can even level up your workout and gain coordination skills, by adding props such as poi and taiaha. A good sign of a haka well done is hand prints over your body and breathlessness.
Now that we have fed the mind (hinengaro) and excercised the body (tinana), how does Kapa Haka benefit the soul (wairua)? Personally, this is the aspect of Kapa Haka that I benefit from the most as a kid. When I’m up on that stage with my group, I feel so incredibly empowered, so tremendously supported and such immense aroha from my Kapa Haka team, my kaiako, my tūpuna and whānau that I represent. My confidence grows from their energy and wairua. I love the feeling of unity I get when I’m with my Kapa Haka group because I know that I can count on the people around me to carry me through the performance. And finally, when it’s all done, an insane feeling of accomplishment washes over me and it’s proud moments like this that help build up my mana. It is with the confidence that I gain from leading a haka and being part of a team, that has boosted and strengthened my leadership skills and encouraged me to to apply that into other aspects of my learning journey.
On the whole, Kapa Haka provides positive attributes regarding the three main aspects of our wellbeing - mind, body and spirit. Therefore, Kapa Haka is good for us.
T3W5 Distance Learning - Cultrural Significance
Wednesday 25 August 2021
T3W4 - Minecraft
Friday 20 August 2021
T3W4 - Reading - Distance learning
T3W4 - Writing - Distance learning
Are video games good for learning at school?
I can feel the eye-rolls of some parents out there when ‘video games’ are mentioned but when the words ‘learning’ and ‘school’ are used in the same sentence I can also feel their disbelief. Fear not as I will tell you why video games are proven to be good tools for learning at school.
Some studies show that just an hour a week of playing video games can benefit a child’s development. But first let’s start with the obvious. When kids hear the words “video games” their brain immediately starts to fizz with excitement and staight away you have their full attention and they are completely engaged from the get go. Some parents say that’s half the battle. I say that’s a successful beginning towards achieving.
Now that we have your child’s attention, let’s achieve some learning. There are tonnes of puzzle games out there and chances are you’ve played one called Candy Crush or similar. But did you know that games like this involving strategy, encourage players to consider their decisions and focus on remembering the games mechanics promoting problem solving and memory strength. Other games need quick reaction and decision making and can require players to read, think and act according to the game and develop their concentration skills. Multiplayer games stimulate team building, communication and co-operation. You can take on the role of a leader and learn how to manage a team or negotiate ways to win as part of a group. Either way, the shared experience is a great way to collaborate and learn from each other to build confidence.
What about their physical health? Video games these days are more than just a controller paired to a screen. There are sensor technology that allow interactive activity like Ninetendo Wii Sports and Xbox Kinect that use the players bodies as the controller. Augemented Reallity games can be more physical than ever before and children can escape the classroom for a bit and step into the world of discovery through headsets.
That is why I believe that the benefits of using video games as a learning tool at school outweigh the bad especially when closely monitored by teachers. I also agree with Dr Pujol when he said that “video gaming per se is neither good nor bad but its level of use makes it so.”
