New Zealand
This field school was a two-week experiential learning exchange with students engaged in classroom lectures and workshops focused on New Zealand Early Childhood Education and the culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Throughout the field school, students worked alongside New Zealand ECE kaiako (teachers) in te reo Māori learning centres. This included Ngā puna reo (language spring) and Kōhanga reo (language nests). Students gained firsthand experience of how indigenous knowledge is preserved in the ECE settings and environments.
Objectives
Understand Māori language and customs and share cultural practices
- Reflect the bi-cultural heritage of New Zealand and encourage students to learn some basic Māori phrases and customs to use in their work in ECE services. This is a topic where we see potential for students from Canada and New Zealand to share stories, songs and games to use with children in ECE services in both countries.
- Learn about the contextual history of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Experience the Marae
- On the marae, experience a deep sense of community, culture and tradition. The pōwhiri, or formal welcoming ceremony, sets the tone, with speeches, waiata (songs) and the hongi (traditional greeting), where noses and foreheads touch. Students will feel the wairua (spiritual connection) as they engage with the whenua (land) and people, gaining insights into Māori customs and values.
- The marae is a place of learning, respect and belonging, where visitors become part of the extended whānau (family) through shared meals, stories and ceremonies. It’s an immersive cultural experience, rich in history and spirituality.