Heading south again into the ACT to work with and support 70 Educators and staff from Fraser Primary School in Canberra to Break down Barriers to build their Cultural Capability. Firstly, I will be supporting staff to reflect on their own cultural background, personal biases and experiences to identify ways in which they can enhance and engage with a myriad of opportunities that will build their cultural capability. In this first session, I share my own personal story and experiences that have developed my cultural capability over the past 20 years of working with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Australia. I do this to inspire other Educators who may come from the same era where no First Nations perspectives were embedded within our own educational experiences.
How can I embed Indigenous perspectives when I have not had them taught to me in my own schooling and pre-service training?
I am asked this very question regularly by Educators who are aged between roughly 30-65 years old. Questions like this led me to reflect on my own journey as I too had very limited formal learning within my secondary and tertiary education experience. My reflections led me to develop a framework that supports Educators to identify, plan and commit to opportunities that will enhance their cultural capability, which in turn strengthens their ability to teach to the Australian Curriculum whilst demonstrating proficient Professional Standards (AITSL).
Workshop participants will then have the opportunity to strengthen their pedagogical practice as we learn how to embed Indigenous Knowledge frameworks. Two highly recommended frameworks include 8 Aboriginal ways of Learning (Yunkaporta, 2009) and Uncle Ernie Grants Holistic Framework. These two Indigenous knowledge frameworks will support teachers to embed an Indigenous perspective even when the content or topic is not Indigenous specific.
I have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from Educators engaged in past workshops that have left buzzing, feeling like they now have a roadmap and directions that will support them to ‘do their job’. Whilst we may be a product of the era and times we grew up in, we can not sit by idly and not engage and learn from First Nations knowledges. It’s time!
If you are ready to reflect on and develop your professional practices to include core requirements of the profession (embedding Indigenous perspectives), join me over the coming year at one of my workshops and let’s ensure we grow in confidence to embed Indigenous knowledges and perspectives within our day to day teaching. Information about the 2020 workshops include:
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