Pam Oconnell

Background

About Pam Oconnell

Like many educators and practitioners, it is important for me to know that together we make a difference in the lives of young people and their whānau. Certainly my career as a teacher, writer, adult educator, researcher, senior/general manager, chief adviser, and now consultant, has been determined by that endeavor. The interface between research, policy and practice communities is where I learn and can contribute most, whether that is workforce strategy or adult learning design, working alongside mana whenua, whānau and practitioners to co-design improvements, exploring bias within systems, developing and implementing effective teaching practices, local curriculum development or strategic planning. My PhD in education examined the conditions that promote sustainability of professional learning and development responses. Together with co-directing a three-year iwi-led project in Whanganui, I better understand how Te Titiri o Waitangi can be embedded in learning design. There is much to do to get this right.