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pedagogical approach

approach to engaging with the families and caregivers of indigenous students

approach to developing the Koorie Education Learning Plan

AITSL standards: I would use the AITSL standards as a guide for how I work with and for Indigenous students. By this I mean I try my hardest to incorporate standard 1.4 and 2.4 in my teaching and will always try to reach the next level of competency in each field.

UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples Rights: I am a strong believer of racial equality. I believe that all people no matter what nationality should be treated as equals; and that is exactly what the UN Declaration is there to do. I would never discriminate against a student who is Indigenous; not any person of a different race or culture.

how I have developed your culturally appropriate teaching style.

I have developed my culturally appropriate teaching style from my interaction with the AITSL standards and also from reading the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples Rights. I believe that at times there are appropriate areas in which we must acknowledge that a children may need a different approach to how we teach them, but for the majority of the time, we must remember that although everyone learns slightly differently, that all students should be treated as equals. Differentiation of students work is developed over time has been spent with a student, and when we need to cater for special needs.

Integrating all of my students cultures is an important part of my approach to teaching, thus for indigenous students, I will uphold their cultural beliefs and allow them to express this within the classroom and also allow students to share their opinions based upon their cultural upbringing.

One way that this can be achieved in teaching indigenous students would be to give the student classroom responsibility. “many Aboriginal kids respond well to being given responsibility in the classroom and school, but take it away and they will often blame someone else for what they did” (Harrison, 2013, p.151). “Self Reliance is highly regarded in many Aboriginal homes” (Harrison, 2013, p. 151).

References:

effective teaching strategies

As a culturally sensitive teacher, I believe it is important to uphold traditions and beliefs of all my students cultures. I would, in particular to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Alert them to the presence of images and film which may have people who have passed away. The Indigenous Portal discuss how people must be sensitive to the use of names and images of Indigenous Australians who have passed away. “In many areas of Indigenous Australia, reproduction of the names and photographs of deceased people is restricted during a period of mourning” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009).

Department of Education and Training, (2013). Parent-Teacher Interviews. Retrieved from: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/involve/Pages/parentteacher.aspx

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, (2012). Koori Education Learning Plan KELP resource. Retrieved from: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/aboriginal/kelpresource.pdf

Kathleen M. Minke and Kellie J. Anderson (2003) Restructuring Routine Parent-Teacher Conferences: The Family-School Conference Model. The Elementary School Journal. 104(1)49-69

Monash University (2013). A unit outline and content for professional learning units to support teachers in meeting focus areas 1.4 and 2.4.. Retrieved from: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/report_-_20_february_2013_final

Harrison, N. (2013). Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education.Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press.

A second aspect which would be incorporated into my teaching strategies would be the use of resource documents to find appropriate resources which will assist in all areas of the classroom; One such document is the A unit outline and content for professional learning units to support teachers in meeting focus areas 1.4 and 2.4. In using this resource I would be acknowledging the AITSL standards and therefore would be attending to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within my classroom.

The final focus point I have for my teaching strategies is by using the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples Rights. With this declaration, I would be paying particular attention to Article 2 and making sure that all Indigenous students within my classroom are known as equals to everyone else; As my classroom would focus on equality (and also the differences that make each person and special and unique individual).

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2014). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list Australian Human Rights Commission., (2007).

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/un-declaration-rights-indigenous-peoples-1

Australian Human Rights Commission., (2012). 1.3 Where do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples live? In. 2012 Face the Facts - Chapter. Retrieved from: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/face-facts-2012/2012-face-facts-chapter-1

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013). Parenting in the early years: effectiveness of parenting support programs for Indigenous families. Retrieved from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2012/ctgc-rs16.pdf

Commonwealth of Australia (2009). Cultural protocols relating to deaths in Indigenous communities. Retrieved from: https://apps.indigenous.gov.au/cultural_protocol.htm

How would I approach constructing a Koorie Education Learning Plan? In regard to how I would create one of these plans and then to implement and maintain one, I would first need to meet my Koorie student and then work out what areas in which I think this student has strengths and weaknesses.

Developing a learning plan for a student should be like any other student within the classroom, essentially, I believe in some form or another all students should have a learning plan as it promotes people being equal if they all have a plan to work from.

A teacher needs to develop a relationship with their students to be able to learn what the student requires as part of their learning. I would see where the student has been placed previously in regard to their education, and then work with their parents and caregivers to be able to develop a plan which I believe is beneficial to their education for the time that they would spend in my classroom; Which then this plan could be passed onto their next teacher to assist in their further years of education.

The Koorie Education Learning Plan is designed as a partnership between the student, parents and caregivers and the teacher to help any Koorie student to have a positive learning experience whilst feeling supported within the learning environment.

The Koorie Education Learning Plan is designed to ‘nurture’ the students learning ability and also provides support from the Koorie Education Workforce to help both families and schools during the process (DEECD, 2012).

Rather than look at this plan and think that it is designed for students who are struggling, we need to emphasise to parents and caregivers, along with the students, that it is designed to help students get the most out of their education as possible.

The second thing to consider is the family engagement with the school and myself as the teacher. This is important because attendance rates are important, and having a good relationship with the family would hopefully increase the parents commitment to getting their child to school. The third thing to consider is the students overall progress and development throughout the year.

Using this as a tool for learning assistance is an approach to stop the documents becoming the “mandatory requirement” that needs to be done. If a teacher is to approach this as a document which will help you plan and implement learning strategies which are appropriate for the student, then I believe that it will be a more effecting learning tool.

As teachers in Australia, we must acknowledge when we have Indigenous Australian students within the Victorian region, and we must also use the Koorie Education Learning Plan as a teaching tool.

The Koorie Education Learning Plan is essential an Individual Learning Plan designed for students from Indigenous Australian families. It is a required document that must be used as it is instated by the Australian Government.

The documents provided for teachers are designed to help teachers create a learning plan which will assist the student with their learning and how the teacher may differentiate some of the work load/tasks to suit the learning style of the student. As “the barometer of a learner’s educational journey” (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development [DEECD], 2012), it is important to acknowledge how we implement using this resource all Koorie Students.

EDF4513 Indigenous and traditional education in a global world

Assignment 2

As a fourth year University student study the field of education, I have many ‘hands on’ experience and time spent reading and participating in university coursework to help develop my own pedagogy for teaching. In regard to Indigenous education, my pedagogical foundations are very similar, and I believe that it is correct that they should match up to my pedagogical foundations for teaching non-indigenous students within the classroom.

In the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Article 2 states “Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity” (2007).

This article is explicitly stating that Indigenous Peoples are equal to everyone that lives in the same country as they do. We are not to discriminate against them in any way, shape or form. My pedagogical approach acknowledges this statement by the United Nations and upholds the acts of equality, stating that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’s do not learn differently to any other person. I believe that to say that an Indigenous Person learns differently in the classroom because they are Indigenous is as insult to their people, their culture and their identity.

Module 6 Connecting through the profession to schools and community of “A unit outline and content for professional learning units to support teachers in meeting Focus Areas 1.4 and 2.4” from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership; looks at “what role the teacher can play in building meaningful relationships between parents and caregivers, school-community members, Elders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officers (2013, p. 36).

This section of the document looks at different factors that work together to build the foundations for ‘Focus 1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ in the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership standards. To be able to teach any student effectively, it is important to engage with the people who are involved with the students, whether directly or indirectly (caregivers or community members).

Harrison suggests that after establishing contact with the parents and caregivers, invite them to informal events such as fundraising barbecues rather than invite them to formal school events all the time (2013, p. 171). This would give the impression that the parents and caregivers are welcome at the school, and should visit when that can; Rather than imply that the school is only for mundane formal events.

One aspect of engagement with families would be making time to have the parents and carers come into the classroom to discuss their child’s progress and overall classroom behaviours. One area in which we have direct contact and communication with the parents of our students is during the parent-teacher interviews. So how can we make this time an important part of engagement with the families and caregivers?

There is evidence that teacher outreach to families is a better predictor of parent involvement than sociodemographic variable and that the quality of parent-teacher contact is more important than quantity in supporting student success (Patrikakou & Weissberg (1999, 2000) in Minke & Anderson, 2003, p. 51). So rather than make this a burden to parents, caregivers and the teachers themselves, we must take the opportunity to really engage, show interest in their progress with learning at home, and also discuss ways in which the parents will be able to help their child get the best out of their education.

Because teachers often find the parent-teacher interviews a burden (due to the amount of ‘spare time’ a teacher has during their day), it is important to find some steps which can help with developing a production and high quality engagement with the parents and caregivers.

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, 75% of Indigenous People live in either a major city or a regional town, with only 9% in remote areas and 15% living in very remote areas of Australia (2012). These numbers are showing us that, according to popular belief, Most of the Indigenous population live in a city and not in the outback as often thought; So why would an Indigenous person living in a major or rural city/town learn any different to a non-Indigenous person living in the same area. It is my belief that it is not the way that a student learns, but rather, the family/home support for their education that impacts the over all quality of “learning and education” for an Indigenous Person.

If a student's parents to not have a strong foundation in education, or have not understood the certain concepts in the past, then the home support is the aspect of education that is directly impacting the results for Indigenous students. “For Indigenous communities, support for parents in their parenting role has a different context from non-Indigenous communities. The responsibility for child rearing and teaching children has traditionally been through an extended family, kin and community and is seen as very much still tied to this cultural norm, even when families and children face isolation from their own Indigenous communities (SNAICC 2004)” (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013, p. 3). What this is suggesting is that we need to be able to assist with the family/home support for the education of students so that they will benefit from all areas in their life, and in turn both parents and students may develop a strong appreciation for education.

As second part of my teaching pedagogy is based upon the inclusion of a students own culture heritage. Each and every student has a different family life and a different historical background that they are able to explore and share. No matter what culture a student comes from, I believe that a class of students can learn many things from each other by sharing their own family histories and exploring different cultural traditions that their family may uphold. So how does this impact Indigenous education? We must consider the cultural background of our students and for Indigenous students, many of their families may still hold onto their story telling traditions.

So for a student to be able to express themselves in the classroom through story and sharing, this will allow a student to be able to express a part of their cultural identity with the class. Harrison suggests that ways to learn about Aboriginal culture which we can then teach in the classroom can be as simple as spending time with Aboriginal people outside of work, working with the Aboriginal Education Officer and tutors in the school, Incorporate Indigenous perspectives within the classroom by mentioning Aboriginal people regularly and also the use of tone can be important for students (just as much as the knowledge and content). (2013, p.192).

The Department of Education and Training (2013) has published a guideline for parents to use as “tips for getting the most out of parent-teacher interviews”. These tips are a good focus point as they explain important parts of the interview progress and highlight some of the ways to get have quality parent-teacher interaction. Two major points that should be focused on during the interview process are”

1. During the interview - ask for more information on what is expected for homework and assignments. Find out how much time your child should be spending on their homework and ask for suggestions on how you can help your child at home.

2. After the interview - talk with your child about what you discussed with their teacher and how you can work together to improve their learning.

These two tips will help guide the parent-teacher interview in a way which will focus on education development at home. Even though these tips are aimed for the parents, I think that we as teachers would be able to consider these as points we may need to draw attention to during the interview which we are running; What homework we expect to be done, and how teachers can aid with the child’s learning at home. And then the parents can follow this up by discussing what the teacher has said during the interview with their children.

Personally I have the belief that a teacher should engage with the parents of their students. So there is no different approach to that of an Indigenous student; We should engage with their family as well and try our best to explain the importance of their education and their homework. This is no different to discussing important factors of a students education and homework with parents in a non-Indigenous family.

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