Australian Curriculum Reflective Essay

When designing and creating the teaching episodes, I linked to curriculum which acknowledged Indigenous students to ensure my lessons were inclusive and appropriate for all students. These include: EATSIPS, ACARA and 8 ways. The Australian Curriculum addresses two needs in Indigenous education which are students are able to see themselves, their identities and culture in each key learning areas, and cross-curriculum priority is designed so all students can respect and recognise the world’s oldest continuous living culture (REFERENCE). When teaching creating lessons, it is important to know the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders culture, displayed through language, experiences and ways of life. EATSIPS consists of three elements that work together to create a strong school and community culture. These include personal reflection, whole-school ethos and classroom ethos (REFERENCE). This framework helps students create a strong sense of self-identity, pride and how to respond to negative
attitudes. 8 ways is an Aboriginal pedagogy framework which involves eight interconnected pedagogies (story sharing, learning maps, non-verbal, symbols and images, land links, non-linear, deconstruction and reconstruction and community links) (REFERENCE).
Incorporating the values, experiences and perspectives of Indigenous Australians in the classroom provides many opportunity for students. Embedding Indigenous perspectives in the classroom has been shown to improve Indigenous students’ engagement, participation, attendance and future pathways into further education and work (Cara Shipp, 2013). This can be achieved in a variety of non-tokenistic ways. The use of practical, symbolic and substantive approaches and up to date resources will assist in bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the classroom (Cara ship, 2013 and Melinda miller, 2011). While the three approaches provide benefits in the classroom, it is also important to be cautious to ensure it is not tokenistic. Practical examples for early childhood include representing Indigenous peoples and cultures through puzzles, posters, books, dolls and artworks. Ensure these resources are up to date, not stereotypical or added to just meet the curriculum. Displaying the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag in the reception area displays the acknowledgment of the Indigenous (melinder miller, 2011). It is also important to develop working relations with Indigenous people and organisations in the local community.
When embedding Indigenous perspectives into the lesson, I had to be aware of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Society, culture and belief systems which connect to country/place (ACARA). The culture way to learn as stated in 8 ways (REFERENCE), students connect through shared stories, they see, think, act, make and share without words or through art and objects, lessons on nature and land, combine knowledge and bring it home to help and work from watching and then doing. Throughout my completed lessons, I catered for diversity and culture by adjusting my activities and by being aware of different cultures prior to commencing the lesson. I also needed to identify the needs of the group to ensure the activity could be completed by all students. The use of up to date resources all ensured the activity was accurate while also being meaningful and engaging.
Building partnerships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and community requires an approach of equality and respect, good listening skills, clear communication and a commitment to an ongoing partnerships with the community (REFERENCE QUEENSLAND INDIGENOUS EDUCATION CONSULTATIVE BODY).
Before engaging in discussion with the community, ensure you have built an appropriate relationship. This was achieved through consulting with the local community about accurate information.

There are some potential barriers when teaching Indigenous perspectives to non-Indigenous and Indigenous students. A potential barrier is the ‘correct’ way to teach Indigenous knowledge to students which can result in teachers not teaching Indigenous perspectives all together due to the fear of causing offence. Another potential barrier could be the amount of Indigenous knowledge I have. However this could be fixed by researching prior or communicating with the
community.