2012 keynote speaker line-up
Dr Liz Brooker
Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, Institute of Education, University of London
Liz's teaching and research revolves around an interest in young children's learning in their home and community environments; their transitions into preschool and school settings; and their development of a complex cultural identity and sense of belonging through early relationships and activities. Read more.
Abstracts and full biography available soon.
Dr Sally Peters
Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Waikato
Dr Sally Peters is an Associate Professor at the University of Waikato, Hamilton. She has a background in early childhood education and a particular interest in young children's learning and development. This broad interest includes several main research threads, including transitions, key competencies, working theories and young children's mathematical thinking. These threads overlap and interweave, to provide a central focus on the ways in which learning can be fostered within and across settings, and some of the dilemmas associated with this. Sally has been involved in a range of research projects, including several Teaching Learning Research Initiative [TLRI] projects and a Centre of Innovation project, all of which involved working collaboratively with teachers. Currently she is co-leading a 3-year project (2011-2013) exploring children's learning journeys from early childhood into school.
Hon Hekia Parata MP
Minister of Education
Hekia grew up in a Ruatoria and is of Ngati Porou and Ngai Tahu descent.
Hekia attended Manutahi Primary School, Ngata Memorial College and Gisborne Girls High School before completing a MA at Waikato University, where she was also President of the Waikato Students Union.
Hekia has lived and worked in Wellington for most of the past 30 years during which time she has worked in both the public and private sector, holding senior policy and management positions and running a successful consultancy company with her husband Sir Wira Gardiner, advising clients in New Zealand and internationally.
She has represented New Zealand at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, DC, and at a number of multinational forums including the South Pacific Forum, the United Nations Forum, the World Bank Forum and a number of international indigenous forums.
Hekia came to Parliament after the General Election in November 2008.
Paulette Tamati-Elliffe
Ngai Tahu
Paulette is our mana whenua speaker from Ngai Tahu and will be giving the opening keynote address.
Bruce Maden
Chief Executive Officer, Te Aroha Noa Community Services
Te Aroha Noa Community Services offers a wide range of community based programmes, from early childhood development and learning to counselling and family/whānau services. Over the past 20 years, Bruce Maden has taken a small state house that assisted the work of a health nurse by providing counselling and family help and turned it into a large community centre. The community centre has become a safe place and place for growth and development for many people. The centre provides counselling, early childhood care, family development services, adult education and community events. Bruce has been a passionate visionary for the people of Palmerston North and in particular the community of Highbury.
Transitions and community hubs panel
Dr Sally Peters (University of Waikato), Gary Roberts (Hornby Primary School), Lisa Foster (Little Citizens) and Carol Hartley (Mangere Bridge Kindergarten) will come together on stage to discuss the importance of community connections, how to achieve great transitions and how to connect services in your community.
