MIT 2023 - The End of the Journey

As my father always told me  "All good things must come to an end", and this MIT journey for 2023 has finally come to an end. It is a bittersweet goodbye. I walk away from this project with a tremendous sense of pride in what we have accomplished together. MIT 2023 has been one of the most significant highlights of my year and has opened up so many opportunities, discussions, conversations, reflections, and friendships that have improved my practice and my outlook on teaching; the value of the MIT project goes far beyond the tools we have created, it is an opportunity to take part in a community of learning that is equal parts fun, inspiring, and motivating.

MathVentures is just the beginning; starting my investigation into math vocabulary has inspired my next inquiry cycle; investigating how we can continue to help our students comprehend the word problems they encounter in maths, and how we can support our students to build a robust math vocabulary that will help them to better understand how maths is applied in more real-world contexts.

Check out MathVentures here!

 In a way, the end of this journey opens up a door to a whole new set of opportunities to learn and develop my practice, and in turn, improve the outcomes for my akonga. As lifelong learners I think it is so critical for us to continue to pursue these avenues as they open up to us, and while MIT has come to an end this year, it is the start of a whole new journey.

I would like to first acknowledge my fellow MIT alumni for 2023; Crystal, Michelle, Essie, Jayne, and Maiken. You guys have been a blessing to work on this project with. Without the support and encouragement from you guys, I don't know if my project would have reached the stages that it is at now. Thank you so, so much. I am so lucky to have been a part of such a cool crew, and I won't forget our adventures any time soon! That boat trip to Russell is easily one of my favourite memories. 

Secondly, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work put in by Matt Goodwin, Dorothy Burt, Justine Todd, and Jenny Oxley; the knowledge, experience, and feedback they have given us along our journey have been invaluable, and their contributions to our projects cannot be understated.

I cannot recommend this program highly enough, if you are thinking of applying, please do. You will gain invaluable insights, relationships, and confidence in your own practice that is hard to come by elsewhere.

Kia ora rawa atu,

Gabe