Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery - Matt Parkes
2025 | Rūaumoko to Tātai Aroraki - Our place in Earth and Space
Name: Matt Parkes
School: Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery
Region: Waitaha, Canterbury
Programme: Rūaumoko to Tātai Aroraki - Our place in Earth and Space
Host organisation: University of Canterbury, Te Kura Aronukurangi School of Earth and Environment
Blog: https://matp-stlp2025a.blogspot.com/
Students at Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery value the choice, flexibility and respect that their style of education provides. The school provides a place and the resources for rangatahi and tamariki to learn what they want, in the way they want to. Students will choose to learn more about science when they see it as interesting and relevant to their lives.
By spending time in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Canterbury, Matt will gain new insights into the opportunities available to Ao Tawhiti’s students to learn from the world around them.
Ao Tawhiti has students from years 1-13, and the school is keen to explore new learning opportunities for students from all year levels and to share specialist knowledge and skills, to develop ākonga and kaiako understanding of the Nature of Science.
Matt grew up in the UK and qualified as a science teacher there in 1995. Since then, he has taught science and maths in Kenya, the UK and New Zealand. He has also taught diving in Australia and Southeast Asia, and outdoor pursuits in the USA and New Zealand. He has been a Learning Advisor at Ao Tawhiti for over 10 years, where he has created and developed the senior Earth and Space Science programme.
Matt will be based at the University of Canterbury’s School of Earth and Environment, also spending time with other departments, to investigate how earth and space science concepts and research can be applied within the school curriculum. Working primarily with volcanologist Ben Kennedy and geologist Kate Pedley, he will delve into various geological research topics, focusing on volcanic hazards and how they can be monitored and predicted, and also exploring learning opportunities that can support students to grow their love of learning in science.
Matt will explore how the Nature of Science applies to real world contexts such as hazard mapping from volcanic ballistics using drones and cannons, and making lava flows in the lab. This will involve local and regional field trips, and laboratory experiments. In addition to gaining expertise in field and laboratory techniques to effectively guide student learning, he aims to design and implement innovative, place-based earth science activities that demonstrate how the Nature of Science can be used to develop understanding of the world. Matt also intends to make connections with the University of Canterbury and other organisations that can be developed during phase two of the programme and beyond, in order to create new learning opportunities for students.