A New Chapter - DTTA President

A New Chapter - DTTA President

It's official! I'm pleased to say that I am the new President of DTTA - Digital Technologies Teachers Aotearoa. This marks a new chapter for me personally and professionally as I am passionate about the subject I teach and passionate about providing quality learning at Primary and Intermediate level. It also marks a new chapter as DTTA hopes to continue to support teachers by strengthening Professional Development and growing our offering of Digital Technologies we have to offer schools across the motu.

I am happy with the way DTTA has evolved to be a strong subject association, especially at NCEA level. However, from my perspective, I see that we have a challenge ahead. Looking at the Primary, Intermediate and Māori Medium sector, there is so much more to do in providing better support. We certainly have a need to share the existing expertise that we as an association can bring to the wider community of teachers starting their journey into teaching DTHM. These sectors has begun to make inroads into the start of their journeys of incorporating DTHM into their curriculum. So using the wealth of knowledge currently within the association, my vision would be to see all of these sectors grow and develop as they need to and at their own pace.

I also see that we need to stand beside those schools that do not necessarily have ‘early adopters’ to guide them on their way to full integration of DTHM within their kura. Part of this challenge is getting to schools that have little or no support from others. Through no fault of their own, they simply ‘do not know what they do not know’.

Another part of our challenge is how we address inequities caused by the 'Digital Divide'. The last two years of our schools and kura moving through the effects of the pandemic has only highlighted for me how being connected to home and school as well as having the expertise and knowledge on hand can support our students to develop their critical thinking and expand their grasp of the DTHM curriculum is important. I would like to see DTTA be the support and the means for change so that this situation can be resolved for all of our kura within the next few years.

We have a strong association and taking on this presidency role will be an absolute honour. I have some big shoes to fill and I am looking forward to the challenges our association will have ahead and the ideas we will bring to the table. 

To round of this post, I will leave you with this whakatauki: 

Ehara tāku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.
I am an individual, but I have always wanted to 'share the love' of DTHM through the infectious fun I have with my students and my passion for all things DigiTech. I have faith that as a collective, the DTTA whānau and our vision and values as an association can only get stronger in the future. 
Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa.

Posted: Thursday 12 May 2022