Professional Profile
In 2017 Richard joined the Ministry of Education as Chief Adviser (Iwi and Maori Education Relationships). This required designing a system that allowed Iwi to report back to the Ministry with achievement data that was succinct, accurate and meaningful. Richard has returned to teaching part-time, teaching pangarau (maths) at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kawakawa mai Tawhiti.
In 1993-94 Richard was seconded for a year, to manage the Audio–Graphic Pilot Project based at Ngata College. The project included managing sites in many of the schools throughout the Tairawhiti Region. The emphasis for this project was to provide access to broader range courses and expertise in our rural isolated communities using this new technology. Between 2001 and 2005 Richard was Education Manager for Te Runanga o te Whanau (a Apanui). He helped establish the Cyberwaka Cisco Academy, which incidentally was the first indigenous Cisco academy in the world. Richard also helped to develop a Cyberwaka IT support arm to service many of the schools as well as other educational and iwi organisations in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti. This included designing networks and cabling schools. On returning to the classroom in 2008 Richard started looking for new online learning resources and came across the Mathletics programme to support junior maths classes. In 2016 Richard helped establish the Mindlab Postgraduate course in Ruatoria. This was a huge commitment from most of the staff at Te Waha o Rerekohu, Kawakawa mai Tawhiti, Te Waiu o Ngati Porou and Ngata College.
Capabilities
Ākonga Māori, Māori Success, Māori Communities
Tikanga Māaori
Pāngarau
Digital Technology