“If we get it right with everyone’s kids-if they are healthy, well educated, and ready to give something back to the world-then we get it right with everything.'”  Peter Rugg

ELF17 had a strong strand relevant to the new Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki.  It was also highly relevant to learners at all levels, including the highly gifted, in terms of unlocking their potential.

As well as developmental themes, ELF17 picked up on the fast changing environment, especially in terms of rapidly evolving learning places and work spaces, and the implications for educators in terms of enhancing teaching and learning and strengthening connections with parents, employers and communities.

Speakers from different sectors were asked to explain how “we together” can help influence the choice of individual learner pathways for the better and how we can draw on support networks if intervention is needed at different stages in life and family development, particularly in the dimensions of health and social development.

While early childhood years are crucial for facilitating the development of healthy and engaged adults who become lifelong learners there are other key life passages, not the least of which is adolescence, where timely intervention can make a huge difference.  This can come from the personal coaching of an interested and inspiring teacher or the support of another sympathetic adult, often outside the immediate family circle.

Environmental Factors 
“Scientists are increasingly realising that intelligence is less about sheer genetic luck than we tend to think. According to the latest review of the evidence, around 40% of what distinguishes the brainiacs from the blockheads in adulthood is environmental. “
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170612-what-you-can-learn-from-einsteins-quirky-habits    14/06/17

Whether we like it or not, our daily habits have a powerful impact on our brains, shaping their structures and changing the way we think, as demonstrated by a growing body of evidence in respect to neural plasticity. In terms of learning by creating and developing new neural pathways through regular stimulation and practice, we may prefer to use the term  “ regular reinforcement”  rather than the pejorative “rote” learning  and use analogies like learning the piano.  We may also be more open to reflect on the importance of the home environment and the key role of an interested adult(s) in encouraging good learning practices.

Better learning and earning trajectories
“Hope is necessary. It is a necessary concept. What do you give your kids if you can’t give them hope?”  Michele Obama

It is important to give children hope, as demonstrated in Dr Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology work. Better learning trajectories and better work pathways, based on the appreciation of individual talents and passions,  and helping learners set personalised goals add up to better life choices and outcomes and help to break the cycle of material and cultural poverty.