Limited funding is also available for self-directed inquiry into a topic of relevance to your work, which fits with the Kaupapa of the TAPLD fund, as discussed and agreed with your supervisor. This will provide you with paid time to immerse yourself in material available online, from reputable sources (with a strong preference for TKI or other New Zealand sources). The recent report by the Education Review Office Working Together: How Teacher Aides Can Have the Most Impact, together with its associated online resources, is a particularly recommended source.
As this is self-directed inquiry, the material you cover may not have been pre-approved by the Ministry or NZEI Te Riu Roa. Accordingly, the application process for self-directed inquiry PLD funding requires you to detail the area of your proposed inquiry, and how undertaking this inquiry will help you to better meet the needs of your ākonga, as agreed between yourself and your supervisor.
Please note that for this category of PLD funding, the maximum amount of funding is 10 paid hours at your usual rate.
If you are applying to the fund for self-directed PLD from online resources, the following matters need to be discussed and agreed with your supervisor:
- the total time involved, i.e. the time for which you seek to be paid through the Teacher Aide PLD Fund - within the limit of 10 hours.
- the focus for your self-directed inquiry and the material which you will access as the basis for this inquiry
- the proposed professional benefit from this PLD, for
- yourself
- your ākonga
- your wider school or kura community.
It is recommended to document the discussion with your supervisor using the template below. This will help you get the information you need for the application and to give you a record to keep for audit purposes.
