Te Mātaiaho & The Science of Learning

There is a lot of talk and buzz about Te Mātaiaho and the Science of Learning. At a recent teacher-only day, I was asked to summarise some of the key themes within the Science of Learning. With the help of Gemini Canvas, I created an interactive PLD resource for kaiako to further learn about the Science of Learning. As with many “new” ideas or programs for schools to engage with, much of what is recommended within the Science of Learning ties back to good, effective pedagogy, adapted for the 21st-Century classroom.

Talking of Cognitive Overload, the situation for NZ teachers can feel overwhelming right now. The volume and speed of change in Curriculum Design, Content, and Delivery are huge. This is not helped by the delivery system of endless PDF documents and websites, and advisory/support resources. At least the NZC from 2007 was relatively easy to read and understand!

Although it’s all too easy to become distracted and overwhelmed with Content and Assessment, it can be more effective to focus on Learning First. For example, a good chef would focus on technique, customer preferences and creativity first, before considering menus and reviews. The good news is that we can use AI tools like Notebook LM to interrogate, summarise and access much of the tsunami of content from MoE around Te Mātaiaho. For example, here’s a 2-page summary of how we should be teaching, within the context of the refreshed curriculum.

In short, the following 5 strategies underpin all of these docs:

• Regular, formative feedback that is Fast, Multi-modal and Actioned (by the learner).

• Student needs are quickly identified and prioritised with diagnostic data.

• This data is then used for the creation of bespoke learning experiences that match the capabilities of all students in a classroom, thus avoiding cognitive overload and ensuring autonomous completion by all students.

• Scaffolding and Differentiation of tasks to support the less confident and extend the more confident students.

• Design tasks and materials that avoid cognitive overload for all students and provide appropriate “stretch” and challenge.

The really good news is that much of the above can be achieved by using smart tools in smart ways. Feel free to contact me to learn more about this.