Meet the Learning team

Read about the members of the Learning Innovation team who create and deliver our innovative public and school learning programmes.

Pamela Streeter, Head of Learning

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Pam is an experienced curriculum designer and educator, and has 15 years' experience working at a system level to create the conditions for meaningful and engaging lifelong learning to occur. The focus of much of her work has been guiding and challenging the conversation about the future of learning, transformational learning approaches, and the role of digital technologies in learning and life.

Quals: BSc, MSc

Key experience areas: Curriculum development at a system level, project leadership, governance and advisory support.

Tara Fagan, Principal Learning Advisor

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Tara is Principal Advisor Learning at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Tara is part of the Learning Team at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and is responsible for enabling innovative learning experiences for learners of all ages through engagement with Te Papa’s collections, exhibitions, cultural, and scientific resources, and the Learning Lab.

Tara designed and led the four-year Museum-based Raranga Matihiko programme which delivered innovative learning programmes to those with limited digital learning opportunities as a support for the revised technology learning area.

Prior to her role at Te Papa, Tara held an education leadership role and is well regarded for her expertise in digital technologies, programme design and building learning communities. Passionate about life-long learning, she believes in innovative community learning programmes that provide a wonderfully rich context that can support all teachers and learners.

Mel Thompson, Online Course Lead

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Mel is an experienced researcher, holds an Honours degree in molecular biotechnology, and has a strong interest in communication and education.

These interests have intersected with her background in science in a variety of ways. She has advised on an educational children’s science show in New Zealand, and has been volunteering in the drug harm minimisation space as an educator and communicator for several years.

She is now working within the Te Papa Learning team in the creation and facilitation of online courses, sharing Te Papa’s collections and stories (and Aotearoa’s rich natural, social and cultural history) with a local and international community of learners.

Laura Jones, Museum Education Specialist

Laura has worked in the museum education sector for over eight years. Engaging audiences and deepening narratives using art and objects is her passion.

Previously, Laura has taught in schools in Cambridge, London, Barcelona, and Wellington, where her interest in art and object-based learning began.

She has a degree in English and Art History, and Postgraduate qualifications in both Education and Museum and Heritage Studies.

Laura loves to help people develop personal connections with art and discover the power of objects to explore critical ideas and narratives. She is passionate about helping teachers and museum professionals engage with museums in creative ways to open up the museum space for challenging conversations.

Jessie Robieson, Learning Innovation Specialist

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Jessie has been on the Learning team since June 2017, and before that was an intermediate teacher for 5 years. Her strengths lie in digital technologies, and innovating how we learn about our taonga. She enjoys working with both students and teachers, empowering them to use more digital technologies in the classroom, and how this can benefit all types of learners.

She is also interested in 21st-century learning and pedagogy and how we can disrupt and change our learning systems for the better.

Martin Langdon, Museum Education Specialist: ECE and Whānau

(Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Hikairo, Kāi Tahu)

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Martin is an educator who has worked in the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) sector for over 14 years, 7 of those years at Te Papa Tongarewa in the education team where he brings a wealth of creativity and innovation to the museum education sector and has developed educational resources for whānau and school audiences.

Martin has successfully developed and delivered learning programmes across a range of important kaupapa and has a strong interest in toi, te taiao/ pūtaiao and mātauranga Māori. Martin is a student centred educator who has empowered learners across all levels to develop a love and appreciation of the rich kōrero and taonga cared for at Te Papa in order to enrich their learning pathways.

Mero Rokx, Kaupapa Māori Learning Specialist

(Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Ira)

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Mero has worked across the education sector, from ECE to tertiary level teaching, for over 15 years and joined the Te Papa learning team at the start of 2024 as one of the Kaupapa Māori Learning Specialists.

Mero is passionate about te ao Māori and carries with her a holistic approach to delivery where manaakitanga and whanaungatanga is fundamental to all of her interactions.

She generously shares authentic mātauranga gained through both lived and learned experiences, and having moved to Wellington from Te Tairāwhiti, works to curate programmes that have a strong focus on kaitiakitanga.

Mero is guided by the whakataukī, Horahia e Matariki ki te whenua, te māramatanga mō te motu e, placing significance on the mauri that exists between land and sky.

Shaadiya-Lee Filoa, Learning Coordinator

(Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Kāwhia)

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Shaadiya-Lee has joined our Te Papa Learning team as our Kaiwhakahaere ākonga – Learning Coordinator.

With a passion for engaging with communities and people from all walks of life, Shaadiya-Lee offers skills from previous work in Dual-medium and Māori-medium education as well as advocating for higher education with secondary and primary schools.

Shaadiya-Lee shares a background of voluntary assistance in the GLAM sector, further developing a deep interest in the restoration of taonga and conservation of cultural and traditional practices. Shaadiya-Lee is currently wrapping up a BSci in Environmental Studies and Māori Studies at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.