Dreamtime

Indigenous education across Australia has been gradually improving as we become more aware; however it is still drastically behind the standards of non-indigenous students. Therefore it is our responsibility as teachers to become aware of continual issues that have arisen and address them to enable progress. We must examine the ways in which we can Engage and encourage learning within our English classrooms. Before we begin I must tell you my personal experiences and explain why this is an…

I respectfully acknowledge the Elders and custodians of the Yuin nation, past and present, their descendants and kin of the land where I am living, studying and working. This is a warning that this journal may contain images, voices and names of deceased Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island people. Whilst attending school with two Aboriginal students in my class, I was never exposed to people stereotyping Aboriginal people. I lived in an inland rural area of New South Wales, and after…

Born and raised on the City of Gold Coast I had little understanding of the ways of Aboriginal people. I didn’t come in contact with many indigenous while growing up. There may have been one or two Torres strait islanders in my class but I never really paid much attention to where they came from I just treated them like other class mates. This didn’t help me broaden my knowledge of their culture, as we never discussed it. During primary school we learnt some of the Dream Time stories and the…

Many cultures don’t traditionally use written words to communicate cultural and family history. Australian Aboriginals tell stories of ‘The Dreamtime’ to explain how and why things have happened in their history. The Chinese have stories of Dragons that protect the people from drought or flood. Then you have written stories of the Bible that are handed down through generation in much the same…

The purpose of this essay is to analyse areas of miscommunication in the education system, and to discuss the many issues it causes for Aboriginal peoples. Communication is an exchange of ideas, information or feelings through a number of different mediums. Failure to communicate can impact the relationship between Aboriginal students and their non-Indigenous students and teachers. Language is an area of communication that can be easily misconceived and causes many issues in a multi-language…

This unit enabled me to explore the history of relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia. More precisely, the unit is an eye-opener to understand the dispossession, resistance, adaptation and survival of indigenous people in Australia followed by the British colonization. I heard that the indigenous people were bush tuckers and lived in bushes. However, I do not have much idea about their history, lifestyle and culture before I learn this unit. I am really admired…

Teachers have a responsibility to their students to foster safe learning environments that motivate and challenge students to meet their potential. (AITSL, 2012) When examining teaching practises for indigenous diversity this goal must be the focus of planning and facilitating. Within every classroom world-wide teacher’s work to address diversities and provide equal opportunity to all students, “teachers must recognise and vale each student’s unique interests, experiences and abilities, needs…

Introduction Best practice within the context of Indigenous education comprises many actions both within the classroom and the wider community. This report will discuss the role of literacy and language as it relates to Indigenous education, as well as Indigenous education strategies. Also, best practices observed in the documentary Message Stick: Strong and Smart (Newman, 2002), as well as some examples from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], professional…

The first settlers arrived in Australia 35,000 years ago during the great ice age. The sea levels lowered between Indonesia and New Guinea and created a land bridge that would allow nomadic tribes to cross from Southeast Asia. Like many other humans of that epoch, they were hunters and gatherers and traveled from place to place in search of young creatures. Thousands of years after these drifters arrived; the glaciers thawed and brought up the seas once again, which kept the citizenry of…

Our society is everchanging and the world in which our children live today is significantly different from previous generations. Our student population is becoming more diverse than ever, and we are seeing many more English as a Second Language (ESL) students and students with diverse cultural backgrounds enter our classroom. Moreover, society is becoming more and more technology driven meaning we communicate and access information via a range of literacy resources including computers, smart…