Enhancing English

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Enhancing English

• forIndigenous students

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• To succeed at school, individuals need to feel a
  sense of worth about their identities.Children
  who live in two cultures, one of which is
  stigmatised as inferior by dominant groups, have
  great difficulty in resolving the conflict of
  loyalties which ensues. Their academic
  progress is placed at risk
• Professor J. Smolicz, 1996, In Aboriginal
  Education and Training and Development Resource
  Participants Handbook, NSW Department of
  Education Training, Sydney

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Aboriginal pedagogy

• Aboriginal pedagogy derives from Aboriginal
  culture.
• For Aboriginal people, culture, world view and
  pedagogy are interrelated.

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Aboriginal pedagogy

• To understand Aboriginal pedagogy, teachers need
  an understanding of the broad cultural
  differences of Aboriginal people from mainstream
  Australian society.

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Some pedagogical implications of cultural
differences

• For Aboriginal students it is especially
  important for teachers to develop positive
  interpersonal relationships.

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Commonalities of Aboriginal world views
Implications for classroom practice

• Aboriginal world views are holistic.
• Aboriginal cultures are interrelated. Symbols
  and images have always been central to cultural
  expression and learning.

• Global teaching strategies are likely to be more
  effective for Aboriginal students.
• Some Aboriginal students will learn better from
  images, symbols and diagrams than from highly
  verbal explanations.

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Commonalities of Aboriginal world views
Implications for classroom practice

• Spiritual beliefs are central and are not debated
  or questioned.
• Learning by doing is emphasised Do as I do
  rather than Do as I say so that adult roles are
  modelled.

• Teachers need to respect students spiritual
  beliefs and to be careful to avoid devaluing
  these beliefs.
• Teachers need to create a supportive learning
  environment that encourages students to take
  risks to learn.

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Content and culture

• Making the links

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Curriculum

• Concrete local examples have more meaning for
  students and at the same time demonstrate the
  diversity of experiences of Aboriginal people and
  communities throughout NSW.
• Board of Studies NSW, 2002, Working with
  Aboriginal Communities A guide to community
  consultation Protocols, Sydney.)

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Culturally inclusive education practices

• These practices include
• using locally relevant teaching contexts and
  examples when delivering any particular subject
  or topic
• involving local Indigenous elders, adults and
  learning environments

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Culturally inclusive education practices

• using various teaching styles that cater to the
  diversity of students cultural strengths
• teaching Indigenous languages.
• Commonwealth of Australia, 1999, National
  Indigenous English Literacy Numeracy Strategy
  2000-2004, Canberra

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Perspectives for English
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Viewing Key points from the syllabus

• Widen the experiences of students.
• Engage in explicit teaching.
• Enable cultural barriers to be explored and
  exposed.
• Promote an appreciation of context.
• Enable students to engage with the details of the
  text.

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Composing Key points from the syllabus

• Include visual representations.
• Provide opportunities for imaginative and
  affective expression.
• Include a variety of language modes, forms,
  features and structures.

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Composing Key points from the syllabus

• Recognise that texts may be modified to suit
  different audiences.
• Enable the development of language relevant to
  the study of English.
• Enable students to draw upon the imagination to
  transform ideas into text.

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Speaking Key points from the syllabus

• Start with what students bring to the classroom.
• Enable students to start small then branch out.
• Value Aboriginal English and Standard English.

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Speaking Key points from the syllabus

• Enable students to respond both critically and
  personally.
• Promote the communication of ideas and values.

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Listening Key points from the syllabus

• Ensure variety.
• Follow up all listening tasks with comprehension.
• Ensure that activities are structured.
• Be aware of otitis media. Give clear instructions
  and check for understanding.

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Listening Key points from the syllabus

• Encourage students to reflect on their own
  learning through discussion.
• Use whispers to learn new words and words in
  context.

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Questioning strategies

• Avoid personal questions.
• Be explicit about the purpose of the question.
• Direct questions to the entire class rather than
  to individuals.
• Use small-group questioning to reduce shaming.

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Questioning strategies

• Allow students time to respond to questions.
• Ask broad, open questions such as Tell me what
  you know about.. rather than specific, closed
  questions such as In what year was..?

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Questioning strategies

• Use peer questioning to evaluate students
  knowledge.

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Strategies for kinaesthetic learners

• Allow students to move around the classroom to
  explore and observe.
• Provide opportunities for learning by doing.
• Use role plays, drama, improvisations and
  simulation games as a basis for lessons.

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Strategies for kinaesthetic learners

• Teach verbs by performing the actions.
• Assess comprehension by having students retell a
  story, using movement and facial expressions.

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Strategies for concrete learners

• Use pictures, charts, diagrams and models to
  convey information and concepts.
• Emphasise showing or modelling rather than
  explaining.
• Set assessment tasks which allow students to
  demonstrate their knowledge visually.

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Strategies for concrete learners

• Use film and video to demonstrate concepts and
  introduce new language.
• Use unambiguous body language for classroom
  management.

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Strategies for holistic learners

• Use studies of concepts or issues which cross
  all areas of the curriculum.
• Integrate reading, writing, spelling and grammar
  by using stories as the basis for language
  activities.
• Use language and literature to teach reading.

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Strategies for holistic learners

• Explain the purpose, objective and direction of
  lessons.
• Draw on the students own world as a starting
  point for lessons.

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Benefits of Aboriginal pedagogy
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For Aboriginal students
For all students

• Culturally relevant curriculum is presented in a
  culturally appropriate manner for Indigenous
  students.
• Indigenous students self-concepts and pride in
  their culture are enhanced.

• Cultural respect is fostered.
• Understanding of Aboriginal cultures and
  Aboriginal ways of knowing can be developed.

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For Aboriginal students
For all students

• Learning is enhanced.
• Aboriginality is supported and respected in the
  classroom.
• The school culture is more receptive to members
  of the Aboriginal community.

• Teaching strategies based on Aboriginal pedagogy
  will be beneficial for all students, e.g.
  cooperative learning, active involvement,
  community involvement, holistic approaches.

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Supporting and enhancing pride in Aboriginality

• Speak to students in a positive manner and show
  warmth and kindness at all times.
• Be sensitive to students behavioural patterns,
  e.g. some Aboriginal students may find prolonged
  eye contact intimidating.

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Supporting and enhancing pride in Aboriginality

• Praise and encourage students frequently and
  avoid patronising students.
• Be involved with and get to know Aboriginal
  parents.
• Build positive interpersonal relationships with
  both students and their extended families.

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Supporting and enhancing pride in Aboriginality

• Be aware of the concept of shame.
• Be prepared to try alternative strategies to help
  students understand concepts. If required, repeat
  your explanations.
• Use humour to inform and to reiterate important
  points.

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Supporting and enhancing pride in Aboriginality

• Make children feel important. Ask their opinions
  on things.
• Accept the students home language.

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Strategies to build Aboriginal students'
independence

• Allow students to negotiate content, assessment
  tasks, format of assignments, time required to
  complete tasks.

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Strategies to build Aboriginal students'
independence

• Negotiate responsibility for jobs in the
  classroom.
• Make students responsible for their own learning
  by using research assignments, self-paced
  programs and language programs.

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Strategies to build Aboriginal students'
independence

• Organise the classroom furniture with separate
  areas for group and quiet work, so that students
  can control their own learning.
• Remember that effective learning is as important
  as good behaviour.

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Strategies to foster risk-taking

• Create a secure, comfortable, relaxed learning
  environment.
• Allow students to work in small groups.
• Introduce a peer tutoring scheme.
• Do not insist on direct and immediate answers to
  questions.

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Strategies to foster risk-taking

• Introduce student self-assessment to encourage
  ownership of learning.
• Avoid public confrontation and reprimands.

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Remember

• There may be home circumstances which can make
  doing homework and assignments difficult.
• Be open and honest.
• Be aware of special health problems which a
  student may have, especially hearing
  difficulties.
• Above all, be yourself.

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In summary

• The school community needs to have a common
  understanding regarding the importance of
  adopting new, and well documented approaches to
  the teaching learning of Indigenous students.
• MCEETYA, April 2000, Achieving Educational
  Equality for Australias Aboriginal and Torres
  Strait Islander Peoples, discussion paper.

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Special thanks

• Deirdre Heitmeyer, University of Newcastle,
  Wollotuka Aboriginal Unit
• John Rivers and Dolores Crofts for the
  accompanying art work