Assessment Two: Unit Plan Details - Assignment Example

?Embedding Indigenous Perspective RATIONALE (Linked to Observation, Viewpoint, Beliefs and Collaboration with and the Community). This is a unit plan that seeks to embed indigenous perspectives into classroom curriculum. This would be achieved by bringing to the spotlight how society sees and what it thinks about Indigenous Australians and how unacceptable and erroneous these perceptions are. Based on a personal study and research on how culture was constructed, it is important to impact the positive things learnt in that research on students by enlighten them on the cultural construction of Australia. Edward B. Tylor, the renowned archaeologist who lived from 1832 – 1917 defined culture as the full range of learned human behaviour patterns. According to him, culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" (Tylor, 1871). It is therefore important to help students appreciate and accept the fact that they are their culture and their culture is them. Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2006), ‘As at 30 June 2001, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia was estimated to be 458,500, or 2.4% of the total population.’ There are global perspectives of indigenous Australians. The Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS, 2008) list some of these perspectives as aboriginal law is mainly a ceremonial and spiritual mythology, aboriginal society was pre-civilization, traditional indigenous society was pre-democracy, indigenous Australians were nomads. The group however labels these perspectives as misconceptions and that is what they are. Ironically, not much has been done by Australian policy makers to wipe off these misconceptions or make the lives of the indigenous Australians any better. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2006), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disadvantaged across a range of socio-economic factors reported upon in the 2001 Census. What makes the concept of indigenous perspective and for that matter cultural construction important to discuss in Australian’s present educational system is that it has bearing in the formation and nature of Australian schooling. The Australian educational system is actually founded on the cultural roots of the country. There has been cultural evolution from believes of the “Dreamtime” which placed belief in the origin of humankind (Siasoco, 2007) to the present state of the indigenous Australian. It is worth noting however, that the current schooling system grew from among and during the existence of the various indigenous cultures of Australia. Schools have existed in Australia for more than 200 years, beginning in NSW and expanding across the country as other settlements started (AUSSIE, 2011). Today there is evidence to show that indigenous culture has a role to play in the formation and nature of Australian schooling. This evidence is shown in the practice of multicultural education in Australia. The formal origins of multicultural education in Australia can be traced to the movement for electoral enfranchisement ... via appeals to equal educational opportunity ... into new vision for a culturally transformed nation (Lo Bianco, 2010) The history of education in Australia was started in the midst of the existence and practices of the various indigenous cultures of the country. Unfortunately though, the marriage between the cultural construction of the country and its school system has not been well utilised: leaving petrifying implications on the school system. Though commonly overlooked, there are implications such as white teachers not coming to terms with indigenous students. ‘Many white teachers do not have a lot of experience teaching and dealing with Indigenous kids or communities … As a consequence white teachers can misinterpret certain behaviour by Aboriginal students,’ (NIT, 2010. p.9). There is also a problem with language. Because of the Multilanguage system of Australian culture, the school wastes a lot of its curriculum hours on training learners to adopt to the use of English language before productive teaching and learning can starts. This situation has impacted on curriculum choices. In a school of around 400 students, 41% were more than 18 months behind their age level in reading (Anta Newsletter, 2006). A situation like this influences the kind of subjects and learning areas students choose to venture. Instead of embracing the wider curriculum options, students limit themselves to curriculum areas they feel they will be more comfortable with. The undeniable truth is that Australian education would continue to have a place for the indigenous. The era whereby society looked down on the indigenous Australian must therefore cease because the indigenous will continue to be an inevitable part of Australia. To tackle the situation, the school must be the first point of call. Education is supposed to be the bedrock of changing and shaping the minds, ideas, thoughts and way of life of people. Curriculum planners and teachers should therefore make conscious efforts in liaising into the various curriculum areas, approaches that would ensure the integration of indigenous perspective into the present and everyday life of the student. Depending on teachers to include Indigenous perspectives in their classroom work has been identified nationally as a key factor to ensuring that there is an outcome for Indigenous people in Australia (DET, 2007). This amalgamation should not be limited to specific subjects only but must include all subject areas. Typically, students can be told how indigenous methods can be applied in dealing with all learning situations. For example, how indigenous methods can be applied in medicine, accounting, marketing, agriculture and other fields. It is when the student is made to understand that indigenous living still has relevance in today’s life that he would accept the need to appreciate it. Having the school as the first point of call comes with a huge benefit. It is a common knowledge that students believe and rely on what their teachers tell them more than things they here from other sources. After all, if it was not true, it wouldn’t have been examinable! Secondly, the school represents the larger society in the sense that it is made up of children coming from all works of Australian life. For this reason, promoting position values, experiences and perceptions of indigenous Australian in the school would ensure that there is a peaceful, respectful and tolerable relationship between students. These values would also of course be extended to the larger society when the student closes from school or completes school. The child is the country’s future and so if from infancy he is made to accept indigenous perspectives as something that is positive, he would eventually grow into a policy maker who would make policies that would ensure that the indigenous part of Australia is protected. The desire to cleanse the perceptions of students over thoughts and beliefs they have held for a very long time would not be achieved overnight. This unit therefore seeks to achieve this aim by taking students through a gradual expedition of thought provoking activities and pedagogies that would erase their erroneous preconceived ideas on the Indigenous Australian and help them adapt and integrate themselves into the Indigenous Australian culture. The teacher would make inference to the skills and knowledge students already have on indigenous Australian perspective by using student-centred approaches to foster a better understanding of the cultures, values, histories, lifestyle and role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This unit is appropriate for students at the early stage of education because concepts learnt early stays with children forever. ‘For a lot of successful people, part of their success is attributed to the goal they have a strong willing to pursue, but a larger portion goes to the habits they developed from early childhood’ (Ibrarahim, 2011). Learning Activities and teaching strategies Core learning outcomes Indicators of achievement Groups Resources Assessment Orientating Phase (Day 1 – 5) Create awareness among the students of what they are going to learn about over the following days. Let students understand that the broad topic they are going to consider is ‘Belonging’. Show the textbook to be used for the unit to pupils and let them appreciate what they see on the cover of the book. Give pupils the opportunity to brainstorm on what the topic, ‘Belonging’ could be all about. Close the brainstorming with a definitive overview of the topic, ‘Belonging’. To make the topic have a lasting impact not only on the students but the society at large, let pupils be aware that at the end of the unit, each child would invite one member of the community to come to the class so that the entire class share their experience with the community members. To make students appreciate indigenous life better, there would be the display of indigenous art works in the classroom through out the unit lessons. Indigenous music would also be played during creative arts sections. KWL Chart: Let students discuss what they see on the KWL chart, which would be used throughout the unit. From pupils’ discussion, listen attentively and take notes of pupils’ previous knowledge of the topic ‘Belonging’. Also take note of both misconceptions and authentic information by students that would be worth giving more attention during the actual lessons. ENGLISH Teacher reads the story ‘Tom Tom’ by Rosemary Sullivan at a slow and audible pace whiles ensuring clarity of pronunciation, intonation and stress. Show pictures of salient areas in the story to students to reinforce their understanding of the story read. Let students summarize portions of the story that they heard. Listen to students’ deliberations and take note of students learning areas. Ask questions that draws students’ attention to Tom Tom’s belongingness. Who are the people in Tom Tom’s family? Who cares for Tom Tom in his family? Does Tom Tom have enough freedom? Relate questions about Tom Tom to students. Who are the members of your family? Who takes care of you in the family? Do you enjoy enough freedom? List responses on the whiteboard. Relate students answers to a broader community. How many different kinds of family do we have? Do people from all cultural background enjoy the same level of freedom? Add new words to word wall Pay particular attention to students’ opinion on freedom according to cultural differences EACH STUDENT IS TO BRING THE PICTURE OF A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY; MOST PREFERABLY THEIR IMMEDIATE CARE GIVERS Handwriting, Story and Creative Art Lessons: Students write in their ‘Belonging books’, who their primary carers are and the role they play for them and the family. Students to draw images of the pictures they brought to class and write the names of the person it is in the picture. Students to write why their primary carers are important to them Teacher to ensure that there is the usage of appropriate colour, texture and detail in art work. Motivate students to display their creativity to the highest level. GT: Independent working SN: Teacher Aide HSIE and Maths Students to have a detailed look at pictures in the storybook. Brainstorm pupils to share their views on what the pictures depict. Let students to tell aspects of their own environment that relates to Tom Tom’s environment. Display both the Indigenous Nations map and the conventional Atlas maps of Australia. Allow students to discuss similarities and differences they see in the maps. Explain to students that both maps are valid and acceptable. Ask students to locate their areas and places of abode on the maps. Let pupils discuss the different names, language and culture of the people who live in the areas they have identified on the map. Build on students’ discussion to explain to them the beauty in the diversity of location and cultural background and the need to integrate indigenous lifestyle to the conventional lifestyle. Encourage students to appreciate the fact that even though they live in different cultural background and setting, they each have important roles to play to society. SN: Take map closer to students with degrees of visual impairment English: Teacher reads the story ‘Going for Oysters’ by Jeanie Adams at a slow and audible pace whiles ensuring clarity of pronunciation, intonation and stress. Show pictures of salient areas in the story to students to reinforce their understanding of the story read. Ask pupils questions based on the story: Why did the family go together? Did the family achieve what they wanted? What kind of food does the family eat? Let pupils relate the story to their own lives. Where do you normally go together with other members of your family? Why is it important to go to places together with our family? What kind of food do you eat with your family? How different is the food you eat from that of the story we read? Let pupils compare their answers on the food they eat at home. Encourage to appreciate the need for difference: Is it good to be different? Do we have to accept people who are different from us? Let pupils talk about colours used in the book and why. Observe and record thoughts and look for possible extension ideas. Handwriting and Creative Arts Lessons: Based on the English lesson and foods students mentioned, students are to write their favourite food in the ‘Belonging books’ and give brief explanations to why they like those foods. In other to encourage ensure that students adapt to accepting other people who are different from them, students write names of their friend’s favourite food. Students to draw pictures of the food they wrote about and colour them with the most appropriate colours. SN: Maximum assistance from teacher with their writing and drawing. Extension ideas –take ‘Belonging books’ home and write their family members favourite food.. Maths: With different food presented by pupils in the story, they are to prepare a wall chart. Students are guided to draw their favourite food on a square piece of paper with their names. Sample all drawings on the wall chart and lead pupils to count the number of pupils who like particular food. Let pupils use terminologies like least, average and most to describe the number of students who like particular food. Class discuss the variations in number of students who like various foods: Is it possible we shall all like the same food? Does that teach that no two pupil are exactly the same? Do we have to look down on people for the food they eat and how they practice their culture? How different is Tom Tom’s food from ‘going for oysters’? Is someone less important because he is Indigenous? Extension: students to ask other teachers, community members their favourite foods and record results. Observe and record thoughts and look for possible extension ideas. CCS 1.1 CUS 1.4 ENS 1.6 IRS 1.11 CUS 1.3 CUS 1.4 ENS 1.6 SSS 1.8 TS 1.1 TS 1.3 WS 1.14 IRS 1.11 ESS 1.6 ENS 1.6 SSS 1.8 RS 1.8 WS 1.9 WS 1.10 VAS 1.1 VAS 1.4 CUS 1.3 CUS 1.4 ENS 1.6 SSS 1.8 TS 1.1 IRS 1.11 GDS 1.9 ESS 1.6 MS 1.1 SGS 1.3 CUS 1.3 CUS 1.4 ENS 1.6 SSS 1.8 TS 1.1 TS 1.3 WS 1.14 IRS 1.11 ESS 1.6 ENS 1.6 SSS 1.8 RS 1.8 WS 1.9 WS 1.10 VAS 1.1 VAS 1.4 TS 1.1 WS 1.9 WS 1.10 WS 1.14 GDS 1.9 IRS 1.11 ES 1.6 VAS 1.11 VAS 1.4 MS 1.1 DS 1.1 SGS 1.3 Identify the family or home as the first point belongingness of every person Demonstrate that there are different family structures with different roles for the various members of the family. Appreciate that members of the family deserve a high level of freedom Identify family members that are important to them and why they are important to them. The use of geographical terminologies to describe where Tom Tom lives. Use geographical tools to identify their own places of abode on the map. Appreciate the diversity of society as a positive thing Demonstrate the need to do things together in the family and in the community. Appreciate the need to accept people whose practices are different from ours. . Assess students’ choice of food in relation to what they mentioned in previous lesson. Reasons given for liking different foods Evaluate and Interpret data collected on different foods Whole class with teacher in front of the class Whole class involvement. Teacher stands in front of class but occasionally goes round to class to make all students feel involved. Entire class on their personal desks. Teacher goes round providing guidelines to students especially S.N Whole class focused on the teacher who stands in front of the class with teaching resources. Teacher occasionally takes map closer to students to observe. Entire class involvement. Teacher stands in front of class but occasionally goes round to class to make all students feel involved. Whole class on their personal desks. Teacher goes round providing guidelines to students especially S.N All students at the desk drawing favourite food on square papers. Teacher goes round to supervise student work KWL Chart on a large paper to enable eligibility and clarity, pointer Book ‘Tom Tom’ by Rosemary Sullivan, large paper and marker (pen). . Belonging books, pencil, erasers, crayons, colouring tools Belonging book, indigenous Nations Map and Conventional Atlas maps of Australia, pointer Going for Oysters’ by Jeanie Adams, large paper and pen. Belonging book, food chart containing pictures and names of food, pencils. Pencils, Square paper, graph paper/card board, SE: Mastery over discussion points, response to teacher’s questioning AT: Observation, Focused Analysis RI: Observational checklist, progress chart, annotated work sample SE: Teacher led discussion, Feedback from students on the story read AT: Observation, Notes taking RI: observational checklist, progress chart SE: Observation of student work AT: Motivation, appraisal of student works RI: Observational checklist, progress chart SE: Discussion of points raised by teacher, Contribution in brainstorming activities AT: Notes taking, observation RI: Observational checklist, Belonging book SE: Teacher led discussion, Feedback from students on teacher’s probing questions asked AT: Observation, Notes taking RI: observational checklist, SE: Observation of student work AT: Motivation, appraisal of student works RI: Observational checklist, progress chart SE: Observing student work, Discussion of points raised by teacher, Contribution in brainstorming activities AT: Notes taking, observation RI: Observational checklist, annotated work sample Affective Criterion Studies in EDB007 have enlightened me on the predetermined ideas and perspectives that society has towards indigenous Australians. The subject has given me a wake up call on my duty as a teacher to develop workable pedagogies that would champion the fight to eradicate from the mindset of students any preconceived ideas they have about indigenous Australians that are erroneous. As a teacher, I have been challenged not to make my everyday teaching a ritual or an inevitable duty that I have to discharge but that I shall let there be positive fortification coming from the everyday opportunity I have to impact knowledge into students. My studies in EDB007 has exposed an appalling revelation to me that in present day Australia, indigenous people are still treated as outcast and are looked down on by society. What I find difficult to understand is that if we all admit that the land was first occupied my the indigenous people, then they deserve every respect that is needed them because they were the ones who made a discovery of the good things in Australia that we all seek to be part of today. When they discovered it, they did not destroy it or misuse. So why do we want to deprive them of something that originally belongs to them? I have learnt a lot but I shall not score myself 100% yet though I can score myself as high as 90%. I believe I am still learning and there is even more for me to discover. I have a strong challenge in me that tells me not only to discover the problems but be part of the solution and I am going to answer to this call appropriately. The voice of the indigenous Australian is crying behind the door of my heart saying, “go and propagate the good news to redeem us” and I am answering positively to this call. Starting with my students, I am going to champion the need interrelate with indigenous people free. I shall also have the indigenous people as a target, encouraging them not to look down on themselves at any point in time for any reason. I hope to achieve this y embedding indigenous perspectives across all areas of the curriculum that I would have to tackle until it becomes a natural part of the students. There should be mutual respect, an embracement of values, cultures, customs, roles, abilities and purpose. There should not be supremacy of any sort but all must live their individual calling. REFERENCE LIST Aboriginal Resource and Development Services, ARDS, (2008), Common MISCONCEPTIONS about Traditional Indigenous Law. Retrieved on 27th January, 2011 from http://www.whywarriors.com.au/online_training/Law-misconceptions.php Antar newsletter Creative Spirits (8/2006) retrieved on 23rd January 2011 from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/ Aussie (2011) History of Australian Education retrieved on 26th January 2011 from http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/other/history.html Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2006), Indigenous Australians. Retrieved 20th January, 2011 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/indigenous/index.cfm Department of Education and Training. (2010). Indigenous Schooling Support Unit (ISSU). Retrieved August 3, 2010 from http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=39494 Ibrarahim G.E (2011) Good Habits start Early Parents and Kids. Retrieved 28th January, 2011 from http://www.parents-and-kids.com/blog/en/2008/07/good-habits-start-early/ Lo Bianco J. (2010) Multicultural Education in Australia: Evolution, Compromise and Contest retrieved on 27th January 2011 from http://www.intlalliance.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Conference_2010/NP-AU.pdf NIT( 2008) 'Educator gives bad grade to teachers', retrieved on 26th January 2011 from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/ Siasoco R.V (2007), Aboriginal Australia: History and culture of Australia's indigenous peoples. Retrieved on 27th January 2011 from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aboriginal1.html Tylor, E.B., (May 2002) Primitive Culture. Retrieved 24th January, 2011 from http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm University of Wollongong (2004). When did Australia's earliest inhabitants arrive?" Retrieved 6 June 2008 from http://media.uow.edu.au/news/2004/0917a/index.html Read More