2025 Manako Workshop series

The Ako Aotearoa Manako Programme offered a wide range of courses, workshops and self-paced online learning, specifically developed to support educators working with adult learners.

Each month during 2025 we focussed on a particular theme. We shared resources, research and information around this theme alongside three or four 50-minute, online workshops.

Ako Aotearoa Educator Pathways | Free self-directed learning

You can access our free, self-directed Educator Pathways through the Pathways Awarua website.

This complementary content will allow you to explore the topic in greater depth at your own pace and in your own time, providing practical skills and knowledge.

How to register

To access the modules, visit the Pathways Awarua website and sign up as an Educator. Once registered and logged in, select the “Educator Pathways” tile to get to UDL Pathway and other educator pathways offered by Ako Aotearoa.

Pathways Awarua regularly offer free webinars for educators to familiarise themselves with the learning platform.

 

March 2025 | Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

During March 2025 the spotlight was on Universal Design for Learning. We offered four workshops, providing practical skills, strategies, and knowledge to put UDL into practice.

Read a comprehensive guide to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) on our Blog

The UDL Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to support you in creating more flexible and inclusive teaching and learning environments.

The pathway looks at what UDL is, why we need it and how to get started with UDL, provides an overview of the three principles of UDL and explores how these principles can be applied to create an inclusive learning environment. It also includes a wealth of ideas for further learning opportunities.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

April 2025 | Learner agency

During April 2025 the spotlight was on Learner Agency. We offered a series of four workshops providing essential skills, strategies, and knowledge to foster learner agency.

Read about how fostering Learner Agency can support literacy and numeracy education on our Blog

Developing Learner Agency Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to support you in fostering learner agency.

The ‘Developing Learner Agency Educator Pathway’ includes five collections: that cover Understanding learner agency, developing a framework for learner agency, Strategies to develop learner agency, Becoming a master learner, and supporting learners to solve problems.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

May 2025 | Pacific leadership principles

During May 2025 the spotlight was on Pacific Cultural Centredness, with a specific focus on Pacific leadership principles. 

The workshops introduced an understanding of tautua (service) as a cultural principle and its transformative potential in education and leadership.

Based on the intergenerational lifecycle model of ‘tautua’ (service) by Fa’aea & Enari (2021), these workshops explored the Samoan tautua lifecycle. O Le Ala I Le Pule O Le Tautua –The Pathway to Leadership is through Service. These workshops explore the three stages of servanthood: Serving to Serve, Serving to Lead, and Leading to Serve.

The workshops provided practical and reflective opportunities to understand and apply cultural aspects of service and leadership across diverse educational and organisational settings.

Explore Innovative approaches to support Pacific learners in tertiary education on our blog

The Pacific Cultural Centredness Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to support your understanding of different Pacific nation's cultures. Seven interactive modules included in this cultural pathway are based on different Pacific nations: Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Each module focuses on The core values held by each Pacific nation and gives practical tools to help you implement the values when engaging with Pacific learners.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

June 2025 | Workplace language, literacy and numeracy (LLN)

During June 2025 the spotlight was on Workplace LLN. We offered four workshops, which provided practical skills and strategies for identifying priority learning areas, using assessment results, and designing targeted instruction.

The Language, literacy and Numeracy (LLN) Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to build your understanding of evidence-based approaches to teach language, literacy and numeracy.

Language, literacy and numeracy skills are essential for building learner confidence and success across all areas of life and learning.

This Educator Pathway was designed to support educators in building a strong understanding of some of the key elements of language, literacy and numeracy. It introduces the skills that underpin these elements and describes effective approaches for teaching language, literacy and numeracy strategies.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

July 2025 | Language and literacy

During July 2025 the spotlight was on language and literacy education. We offered four workshops, which provided practical skills, strategies, and knowledge to teach and embed language and literacy in your practice. Create a toolkit for supporting learners’ language and literacy development.

The Language, literacy and Numeracy (LLN) Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to build your understanding of evidence-based approaches to teach language, literacy and numeracy.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

Kiwi Lingo WordFit

This resource was developed for learners who have English as a Second Language (ESL). It provides learners with an opportunity to explore, and check their knowledge of, New Zealand slang.

The ‘Kiwi Lingo WordFit’ includes 100 words. Each module displays a set of five words at a time. The first screen tests the learner's existing knowledge using image and audio cues. Subsequent screens provide practice through a series of interactions that help the user learn unknown words. These include activities for reading, listening to and spelling the word, finding the meaning, and using the word in sentence.

To access the WordFit resource, visit the Pathways Awarua website and sign up as an Educator. Once registered and logged in, select the ‘Learner Pathways’ tile, and then the ‘WordFit’ tile.

 

August 2025 | Neurodiversity

During August 2025 the spotlight was on Neurodiversity. We offered four workshops, which provided practical skills, strategies, and knowledge to support neurodivergent learners.

Learn more about neurodiversity and neurodivergence, the challenges it can pose for learners, and how to put support in place.

Read a call to action for Educators and Policymakers to support Neurodivergent Learners in Tertiary Education on our blog

The Neurodiversity Educator Pathway

Understanding and embracing neurodiversity—the natural variation in how people think, learn, and process information—is essential for educators who want to create more inclusive learning environments. Many learners experience the world through a neurodivergent lens. These learners often face challenges not because of their differences, but due to systems and environments that are not designed with their needs in mind.

This Educator Pathway was designed for educators to support them in building their understanding of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. It explores cultural worldviews of neurodiversity and describes practical strategies for supporting neurodivergent learners.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

September 2025 | Māori cultural capability

During September 2025 the spotlight was on Māori cultural capability. We shared resources, and offered four workshops, which provided practical skills, strategies, and knowledge to embed te reo Māori and Māori values in your practice. 

The Māori Cultural Capability Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to support you in embedding te reo Māori and Māori values in your practice.

The Māori Cultural Capability Pathway comprises four interactive modules, designed to increase cultural awareness of Māori knowledge and values. 

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

October 2025 | Numeracy

During October 2025 the spotlight was on Numeracy. We shared resources and research, and offered four workshops, which provided practical skills, strategies, and knowledge to support learners’ numeracy development. Practical skills and strategies for teaching and embedding numeracy.

The Language, literacy and Numeracy (LLN) Educator Pathway

Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to build your understanding of evidence-based approaches to teach language, literacy and numeracy.

This Educator Pathway was designed to support educators in building a strong understanding of some of the key elements of language, literacy and numeracy. It introduces the skills that underpin these elements and describes effective approaches for teaching language, literacy and numeracy strategies.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

 

The Talanoa Numeracy Educator Pathway

The Talanoa Numeracy Educator Pathway is designed to infuse Pacific flair, wisdom, and energy into the teaching and learning of numeracy.

The lessons in this Educator Pathway will make teaching numeracy easier by focusing on engaging learners in rich numeracy discussions. This is the perfect place to find fun, engaging numeracy activities and a model to introduce them effectively.

Talanoa is the Pacific art of storytelling and discussion that leads to consensus and decision-making. Storytelling and discussion are powerful tools for educators and learners to make sense of and apply numeracy. Storytelling places numeracy in meaningful contexts, while discussion facilitates learning and understanding.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

November 2025 | Digital literacy

During November 2025 the spotlight was on Digital Literacy, with a special focus on cyber security. We shared resources, research and information around this theme. We will also offered four workshops, which provided practical skills and knowledge to enhance digital security and support learners in developing protection strategies.

Take charge of your digital security – build stronger defences and ensure a safer online environment for both you and your learners!

The Digital Literacy Educator Pathway

The key objective of this Pathway is to assist educators in supporting learners’ digital literacy development to promote digital inclusion and digital equity. This includes critical and creative thinking skills and the development of digital skills, i.e., the ability to navigate in digital environments and use digital tools.

Visit the Pathways Awarua website to sign up

Digital Literacy WordFit

The ‘Digital Literacy WordFit’ includes 100 words. Each module displays a set of five words at a time. The first screen tests the learner's existing knowledge using image and audio cues. Subsequent screens provide practice through a series of interactions that help the user learn unknown words.

These include activities for reading, listening to and spelling the word, finding the meaning, and using the word in sentence.

To access the WordFit resource, visit the Pathways Awarua website and sign up as an Educator. Once registered and logged in, select the ‘Learner Pathways’ tile, and then the ‘WordFit’ tile.

 

Tapatoru

The Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award is a values-based professional development programme focused on fostering inclusive and effective learning environments and elevating the practice of tertiary educators and trainers.

• Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award – a facilitated, in-house, whole-organisation professional development programme aimed at building staff capability in professional practice, knowledge and values.
• Tapatoru Educator Pathway - Independent learning on Pathways Awarua, designed to support you in fostering inclusive and effective learning environments and elevating your teaching practice.