Taonga Puoro allows our students to think about their Hauora and Mauri and gives the opportunity to make musical instruments in our classrooms. In this Professional Development opportunity, we will focus on how we can make music more inclusive and allow our classrooms to resonate towards Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
We will focus on making Taonga Puoro and how our student can create soundscape pieces in the morning, and in the afternoon we will have a look at the Taonga Puoro Unit Standards and look at them as alternatives to the Achievement Standards in Music. There will also be an opportunity to discuss Music at Secondary Level in the afternoon.
Ben Lau is the Head of Music at Newlands College. He believes in an inclusive classroom where students are at the centre of their learning. Recently he has been developing his skills in creating Taonga Puoro and teaching them to his ākonga with success at Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11.