Strengthening connectivity to power creative learning at Mana College

Step into the smart new technology block at Mana College and you’ll find a vibrant hub of modern learning.

In one corner, ākonga might be fine-tuning architectural designs using computer-aided design (CAD) software. In another, a 3D printer hums to life, turning a digital blueprint into a physical model. Nearby, young creators may be busy with photography, laser cutters, and building design.

For the kaiako at this Porirua school, which has been serving its community since 1957, these tools are helping bring creative and future-focused learning to life. To make sure all ākonga could access those opportunities, however, the school first needed to address connectivity issues with support from Network for Learning (N4L).

Connectivity challenges

Mana College has a diverse student body. While the school embraced a bring-your-own-device model several years ago, internet connectivity was presenting a challenge for principal Jeff Chapman and his teaching staff.

“Some of the areas of the school weren’t getting reliable Wi-Fi, mainly in our marae space, as that’s an older part of the school,” says Jeff. “So, the kids in E Tipu E Rea, our special immersion space in the school, were missing out on technology.”

This lack of reliable connection was placing an administrative burden on the school’s leadership team.

Deputy principal Joanne Te Morenga was often finding herself troubleshooting technical glitches, rather than focusing on learning outcomes. Issues like occasional digital dropouts were also having a tangible impact on student engagement, particularly in creative subjects.

“Our graphic design students use [digital art and illustration app] Procreate and this became really difficult when things were lagging or dropping out, and we even had some students losing their work,” says Joanne.

Ākonga at Mana College enjoy a suite of digital technology resources and tools, supported by strong network infrastructure.

Strengthening the digital foundations

Reliable connectivity is increasingly important in a school where digital tools are embedded across multiple learning areas. N4L worked with Mana College to understand the issues they were experiencing and support improvements to the school's network infrastructure.

By upgrading Mana College’s Wi-Fi as part of the Equipment Replacement phase of the Ministry of Education’s Te Mana Tūhono programme, N4L helped Mana College resolve their coverage issues in the older parts of the campus and provide new network equipment for their brand-new building block.

“With bringing in new devices, bringing in new technology, making sure that all works, it’s exciting, but there’s a lot of stuff that comes in behind that,” says Jeff.

“Having staff on board who are able to facilitate, and having IT providers that can communicate really well, is really important. With N4L, they’ve been fantastic to work with and are really helpful in trying to work through different connectivity problems.”

Equity at the heart of learning

With a reliable network foundation in place, the school has closed the digital divide and is supporting their E Tipu E Rea ākonga to have access to the same technical opportunities as others.

“Equity for our students here is really important to us,” says Joanne. “If we can give them the opportunities to use more technology, I think we could have some pretty cool Māori and Pasifika innovators in the future.

“Having the network work better now, they’re also able to receive the same connectivity as the rest of the school. That’s been important for them to feel valued.”

The robust connection has allowed the school to expand its curriculum and invest in new learning tools with confidence. The school has also introduced a Toi Māori design option, purchasing iPads and Apple Pencils for ākonga to use in their creative work.

Busy young creatives at Mana College

A transformed classroom experience

Today, the frustrations of dropped connections and lost work are a thing of the past, allowing kaiako and ākonga at Mana College to focus on what’s most important: teaching and learning.

“Now we’ve got our technology block up and running, we’ve got lots of different, exciting things that are happening in there – creative design, particularly using the iPads all the time and the 3D printers,” says Jeff. “But that’s also happening in our building schools; they’re using technology to do that, using iPads. It’s a digital world, so we still need to develop our kids in that space.”

The stability of their Wi-Fi connections has also allowed the school to reintroduce junior digital classes, where students use Grok Academy to learn coding, while art students seamlessly research global art movements.

As Joanne says, “Everything is just happening as it should be.”

Who is N4L?

Network for Learning (N4L) is a Crown-owned technology company that delivers a wide range of managed internet, Wi-Fi and cybersecurity services to New Zealand schools and kura.

They help more than 905,000 staff and students enjoy daily access to safer and more secure online learning environments, so kaiako and ākonga can focus on teaching and learning.

N4L connects, protects and supports schools to help improve digital learning experiences and educational outcomes for all.

In Mana College's case, N4L's support included upgrading Wi-Fi equipment and improving network coverage through the Ministry of Education's Te Mana Tūhono programme.

Schools can find out more by contacting N4L’s Customer Support team through email at [email protected] or by calling 0800 532 764.

Read more about N4L's core services of Connect | Tūhono, Protect | Tiaki, and Support | Tautoko:

Services – N4L

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