Minister announces trans-Tasman education project

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1823" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;10&sol;SND20-wk2-Trans&lowbar;Tasman-Hekia&lowbar;Parata&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND20-wk2-Trans Tasman-Hekia Parata" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"251" &sol;>New Zealand will partner with Australia in a trans-Tasman education project exploring how innovative learning environments can enhance teaching&comma; Education Minister Hekia Parata announced on Monday&period; <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Ministry of Education and at least six New Zealand schools will participate in the four-year Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change project&comma; led by the University of Melbourne&&num;8217&semi;s Learning Environments Applied Research Network&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The project leadership team includes Professor John Hattie&comma; former Professor of Education at Auckland University and currently Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Classrooms need to be equipped to enable 21st-century teaching practice and inspire children and young people to succeed&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Ms Parata says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;That&&num;8217&semi;s why this project is ground-breaking and timely&period; It will look at the potential for innovative learning environments to enhance teaching practice and improve student achievement&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;New Zealand has some of the most innovative teachers in the world&period; This project is a great opportunity for our education sector to work collaboratively with overseas experts to strengthen our education system&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Ministry of Education will invest &dollar;160&comma;000 over four years into the project&period; Research will begin in 2016&period;<&sol;p><&sol;p>&NewLine;