Introducing the 2024 New Zealand Presenters

Presenters from New Zealand and a delegation from China will join the Early Childhood Education Symposium in Christchurch at the University of Canterbury.

We are excited to share the line up of presenters from New Zealand government agencies, Universities, tertiary education institutions, Early Childhood Education centres and education-related organisations.

Dr. Bradley Hannigan

Dr. Bradley Hannigan is theManager, Early Learning in the NZC and Te Whāriki team in Te Poutāhū – theCurriculum Centre. Bradley has taught in Initial Early Childhood Educationprogrammes, been a Senior Teacher in Kindergarten, a Principal Academic in appliedmanagement, and recently Lead Advisor Early Learning supporting the CurriculumLead Service in the Ministry of Education.

Alexandra Gunn (Alex)

Alexandra Gunn (Alex) is Ahoraki/Professor of Education atŌtākou Whakaihu Waka Te Kura Ākau Taitoka | University of Otago College ofEducation.  A former early childhood teacher, Alex now conducts researchinto many aspects of early childhood education and teaches into postgraduateand undergraduate education studies and initial teacher educationprogrammes.  Her research interests include teachers’ beliefs andpractices, curriculum, assessment, inclusion, equity, and issues of socialjustice and teacher education.

Sonya Gaches

Sonya Gaches is Pūkeka Matua Senior Lecturer of education at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Te Kura Ākau Taitoka | University of Otago College of Education after spending over 25 years as an early childhood educator inthe United States. Sonya’s research interests include teaching/learning experiences in the early childhood education community, children’s rights and how these interact with policies and practice, locally and in international contexts.

Peter Dong 董天阔

Peter Dong is the CEO & Founder of ByteEd, specialising in computational thinking and digital literacy. His company developed solutions such as Play Code Learn, which empowers educators to teach foundational computer science and computational thinking concepts to young learners using hands-on tools enhanced with augmented reality and artificial intelligence, and Learn Create Experience, where students have the opportunity to create their own virtual reality worlds. Peter’s work has established ByteEd as a trusted partner for educational organisations globally, including in the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, and New Zealand. The team has also delivered presentations in schools in China, which were well received.

Dr. Tara McLaughlin

Dr. Tara McLaughlin is an Associate Professor in Early Years Education and the founder and director of the Early Years Research Lab (www.eyrl.nz) at Massey University in Aotearoa New Zealand. As a teacher, teacher educator, and researcher in Early Years, Tara is committed to supporting teaching and learning, and research environments that promote diverse and equitable opportunities for all children and families. She maintains an active research programme related to inclusive early childhood education and early intervention with a focus on the supports for teachers, leaders, and families.

Tim Haynes

Tim holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Auckland, where he focused on Systems Thinking and Technology. With over 25 years of experience working in digital across four continents, including five years in China, Tim has collaborated with leading global brands such as General Electric (GE), Li-Ning, Google, and Facebook. He is the CEO and co-founder of Neurofrog, a company that leverages neuroscience to provide innovative parenting solutions. Tim advocates using digital for good, believing it is underutilised and holds the transformative power to improve the lives of future generations.

Del Costello

Del began her teacher career at International Pacific University in NZ and has continued her work teaching teachers for the past 2decades. A Masters graduate from the University of Canterbury her thesis focused on language learners and bi-lingual integration into the workplaces and cross curricular learning. Del is the Director of Coactive Education, an innovative and collaborative education consultancy based in NZ who specialises in partnering with industry experts to build teacher and leader capability across the Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary education sectors. A highly acclaimed teacher, public speaker and presenter, Del utilises these skills to engage her students (she still teaches part time), teachers and audiences into places of deep learning.

Dr Tui Summers (Ngati Raukawa)

Tui Summers is dedicated to the early childhood education profession. Her professional experience has included ECE teaching, lecturing in initial teacher education, policy, education evaluation and leadership roles. She has completed Masters study on inclusive education and doctoral study focused on indigenous leadership. Tui has a depth and breadth of expertise focused on early childhood education, initial teacher education, quality assurance, leadership, kaupapa Māori and matauranga Māori. She has a strong commitment to and is passionate about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, social justice and equity for all learners.