Naketa Ferguson

Naketa began work with CORE and the Early Childhood Education Professional Learning ICT programme in October 2006. She has been working in the early childhood sector for the past twelve years and has experience in the education, care service and kindergarten settings. Starting out as a cleaner in an early childhood service, Naketa worked and studied her way to Supervisor level at Play and Learn (King St). She recently graduated from Massey University with a Masters of Education (Early Years) Degree and is looking forward to a short break from academic study.

Naketa loves using new technologies with young children and she is particularly interested in using them to strengthen relationships with parents and whanau. Naketa’s professional interests are often transferred to her personal life, as she loves to make movies of special family events and distribute them to extended whanau in the Cook Islands and the Far North. She shares her interest with her two young children, her son creating KidsPix slide shows and her one year-old daughter revelling in seeing digital images of herself.

With her heart still firmly entrenched in Otara, Naketa is proud of her Cook Island Maori and New Zealand Maori heritage. She enjoys participating in youth events with a Pasifika/Maori twist and has a particular interest in Pasifika/Maori art and music.