EDU410

Task 1

EDU410

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in

Learning and Teaching

Task 1
Reflective Portfolio

Jessica Gorman
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Reflective
Jessica Gorman

Portfolio
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Section 1: Understanding who I am as a teacher

Cultures and histories are a significantly important aspect of societies around
the world and bring a unique perspective of peoples views and standpoints.
Cultural standpoints of teachers, where life experiences, histories and
cultures are influenced, can impact upon specific beliefs and values (White,
Zion & Kozleski, 2005). Entwistle, Skinner and Orr (2000), Northfield and
Gunstone (1997) and Whitebeck (2000) suggest that pre-service teachers
hold onto emotionally charged beliefs, consciously constructed conceptions
and teaching beliefs drawn from personal life experiences including cultures
and histories. As a teacher, personal interactions and experiences have
influenced my beliefs and values of histories and culture which will be a
valued part of my classroom.
I originate from Australia, with family heritage extending into Germany,
India, Scotland and Britain. These ties originate from past family members
including my Great Grandparents and Grandparents from both sides of my
parents. Growing up, I was one of 2 children within my immediate family. Our
family grew up in Brisbane on acreage where many aspects of life were
acceptable. For our family this created a respectable culture where visiting
neighbours, staying out late and participating in activities at local sporting
fields were commended.
The wide array of history and cultures present within my family and the
experiences I have grown up with have contributed to my beliefs and values
which have shaped who I am as a person today. The cultures present within
my family have provided us with different histories and stories that have
been shared throughout our childhood generations. The cultures and
histories past families were exposed to have created an array of differences
and upbringing to our family tree.
The values I uphold as a teacher are driven by beliefs instilled by past
generations, their cultures, histories and experiences. After recently moving
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to the Sunshine Coast, I have formed strong connections and values for
myself and family which embraces individuality, diversity and cultures. As a
family we embrace and celebrate different cultures, upbringings and enjoy
sharing family experiences. Elders are admired as the traditional presence of
our history and will be heavily looked upon by future family generations.
Within a school and as a professional, the beliefs and values I uphold will
influence the way in which I teach and present myself to student within the
classroom.
Importantly, the values and beliefs I sustain influence my personal and
professional standpoint on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures
and histories. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories
are vital to maintain a harmonious relationship with Indigenous Australians
and make personal and professional connections to their heritage. Within
Australia the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures bring a unique
and traditional approach to our history and learning. Teachers must
endeavour to embrace and become familiar with cultural aspects to
understand the cultures and the impacts this places on teaching practices
(White, Zion & Kozleski, 2005). The standpoint of teachers has potential to
greatly influence teaching practices within the classroom and enrich differed
learning opportunities.
Although my world views are limited, having not travelled extensively, my
nature and personality allows me to welcome and embrace different cultures.
To become a global teacher and citizen I strive to incorporate and embrace
cultural differences within the classroom to better promote learning and
become the best teacher possible.

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Section 2: Understanding protocols, respect, relationships and

reconciliation
When teaching in schools or being a part of Indigenous communities, it is
significantly important for teachers to understand and be supportive of
protocols, traditions and customs. As a new teacher, being respectful and
adjusting to the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander protocols, traditions
and customs will provide a positive learning and teacher environment. In
these communities, being aware and maintaining a consistent social
standing, personal and professional relationship and understanding personal
place is very important. To ensure I follow and maintain Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander protocols within communities and schools, Oxfam
Australia (2007) provides differing protocols to ensure work is engaged with
respect to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander beliefs and practices.
Oxfam Australia provides successful implementation of these protocols,
which improves working relationships in the community through using ethical
principles to guide decisions. As teachers, having document protocols to
support and inform decisions ensures ethnicity across communities, which I
will strongly use and rely upon within my career.
Within the profession of teaching, the manner in which Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander protocols are discussed can be confronting and
challenging. For beginning teachers, the diversity of protocols present can be
difficult to comprehend or engage with competently. Personal connections
with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities and protocols have
been limited; therefore the confrontation of being politically correct creates
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an undoubtable sense of fear. Wickes (2015) suggests that protocols are

simply upheld through good personal manners and behaviours shown around
Indigenous Australians.
For teachers being familiar and understanding aspects of Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander cultures is highly valued and respected. Indigenous
Australian communities share both similarities and differences which are
valued and appreciated. Kids Matter (2014) believes that differences are
shown in each person, school and community. These differences are
embraced and commended to showcase the array of difference present
within community groups. It is important to recognise the differences that
occur which may include; language, land connections, educational or
governmental experiences, family structure, cultural practices and dreaming
(Kids Matter, 2014). In communities where these differences are present,
teachers must be aware and understand the cause and effect to prevent or
minmise the disrespect or miscommunication these communities may
display. As a teacher, entering an Indigenous community I will endeavour to
build

important

understandings

and

connections,

through

conducting

respectful and appropriate investigations.

To effectively engage and respect these communities, protocols and will be
measured

along

with additional

readings, professional

developments,

learning lounges and/or events to maximise personal skill and growth to

benefit

Aboriginal

and/or

Torres

Strait Islander peoples. Events

and

symposiums such as; Deadly Futures (Peace, 2015) and The Boomerang Bus
(SevGen, 2015) provide opportunities to engage with the Indigenous
Australian community, share stories and ask valuable questions to better
understand and promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander views.
Learning experiences will provide excellent opportunities to interact with
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. To excel within these learning
experiences, personal views and beliefs in relation to pedagogical practice
will be put aside to focus on how one can successfully engage best with
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Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities. Phillips and Lampert

(2012) suggest that personal world views should be taken into account to
provide acceptance of other worldviews and cultures. As teachers, the views
we encounter must be critically examined and used to tailor learning
experiences to cater to different perspectives and Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islanders (Phillips & Lampert, 2012).
Communicating in Indigenous Australian communities is a key element to
successful

implementation

of

learning

and

teaching

(Wickes,

2015).

Communicating in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders communities may

be different to other communities; hence much consideration must be taken
into account to ensure cultures are not offended (Eunson, 2012). It is
important to recognise and understand communicative barriers of Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islanders communities and take actions to implement
successful communication techniques. Misinterpreting a message or failing
to understand its complete meaning often leads to a behavioural change,
which

according

to

Marsh

(2010)

can

disconnect

bond

or

lead

conversations feeling negative. Through creating partnerships with students,

parents and the wider community significant benefits will be formed for the
relationship of each party. The partnerships and relationships formed with
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders families and communities are greatly
beneficial to the assistance of student learning (Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations, 2012). As teachers, this profession
provides equitable opportunities to shape students and take part in engaging
community events and professional developments to better promote my
skills and be of assistance to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Section 3: Identifying suitable materials

When developing school based resources, selecting texts, materials or
images much consideration must be measured to ensure the sensitivity for
embedding

Indigenous

Australian

perspectives

with

the

Australian

Curriculum. Teachers must be aware and carefully evaluate personal

educational values and select appropriate resources and materials to display
the sensitivity of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander aspects (Queensland
Studies Authority, 2007). The content and materials within the resource are
sensitive and provide cultural diversity to the treatment and exposure of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures (Curriculum Corporation, 1995).
The Queensland Studies Authority (2007) outline five evaluation criteria
recommended for use as a checklist for teachers including; authenticity,
balanced nature of presentation, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
participation, accuracy and support and the exclusion of content of a secret
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or sacred nature. These evaluation criteria provide a minimum standard for

using content and materials appropriate to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander perspectives.
Appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resource: Sharing
Stories

http://sharingstories.org/
Sharing Stories, based upon Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
perspectives is a digital story telling program which supports Indigenous
Australian communities to hold, share and transmit languages, stories and
cultures for past, present and future generations (Sharing Stories Foundation,
2014). The website, specifically designed to promote indigenous cultures and
language is available for educational purposes with easy access to classroom
resources. The program promotes deep understanding of cultural experience
within Australia, working alongside youth in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander communities to initiate and share these experiences. Students using
this digital story telling program, transfer digital media skills to record and
retell cultural stories from their tradition and cultures. Sharing Stories
Foundation (2014) utilise cutting edge technologies to hold and transmit
some of the worlds oldest and traditional stories shared by community
elders or youth. The program aims to enhance, design and implement
additional tools to integrate Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures
into educational environments.
For educational purposes, this resource explores the culture and language
values of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities to facilitate
production of important records of past, present and future generations. The
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website makes continual reference to tribes and diverse Aboriginal and/or

Torres Strait Islander communities to share their specific stories and beliefs
for other Australians.
The Sharing Stories Resources, according to
guidelines
resources

for

selecting

(Curriculum

and

evaluating

Corporation,

1995)

shows an array of key factors for deeming this

resource appropriate. The resource is current
and accurate sharing views for Indigenous Australians past and present,
acknowledges Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander perspectives and
cultures as continual and significant and preserves the nature language of
each tribe to make an authentic learning and teaching experience
(Curriculum Corporation, 1995) (Sharing Stories Foundation, 2014).
Sharing Stories provides; learning activities, assessment items and teacher
supported materials, extended student projects and integrated curriculum
avenues addressing core subjects and general capabilities to support enquiry
based learning for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (Sharing
Stories Foundation, 2014). Through utilising this resource in an effective and
successful manner, the information presented within the website, creates an
authentic, accurate and informed materials to be used as an appropriate
resource

for

engaging

with

Aboriginal

and/or

Torres

Strait

Islander

communities.
Inappropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resource: ABC
My Place

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http://www.abc.net.au/abc3/myplace
My Place is a website, which incorporates a visual diary styled layout that
shows how the years have changed histories and cultures until present day.
The website includes educational materials to support primary and lower
secondary teachers based upon the My Place TV series. The website provides
detailed images and information from children who have lived in the same
area of Australia over the last 130 years. Although the website is specifically
designed to outline histories, cultures and perspectives of all Australians over
time, the views and participation of Indigenous Australians are unrecognised.
This resource is not appropriate as it does not recognise or feature Aboriginal
and/ or Torres Strait Islander peoples perspectives, participation and
acknowledge their existence before certain time periods (Queensland Studies
Authority, 2007) (Curriculum Corporation, 1995).
The website also features diary entries which include an image of a child and
the typical timeframe depiction of their activities, events within the decade
and interests of the child. The evidence in recent years within the website
provides detailed responses and authentic events to capture the decade and
showcase the era. Prior to 1788, on My Place the evidence of Aboriginal and/
or Torres Strait Islander peoples are in existent. For educational purposes this
provides no authenticity, accuracy and support for students to investigate
prior to these years (Queensland Studies Authority, 2007). Recognising
unique, traditions cultures and past histories are important to making
connections to who we are as individuals (White, Zion & Kozleski, 2005).
Without the evidence of Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander cultures and
histories, students will create a misconception about the original custodians
of the land and a false identity of Indigenous Australians.
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The diary entries written on My Place represent images of different children

outlining interests and significant events which may have occurred. The
disadvantage of diary entries limits the possibility of students being able to
engage with Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander communities and share
personal stories and experiences with traditional elders.
The website, well set out and constructed provides easy navigation through
the decades through to recent years. It includes a collaboration space for
teachers to share content, view discussions and explore ideas on how to
embed the content into the Australian Curriculum. Although this website
could successfully implement curriculum strands, for the purpose of
incorporating Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander culture, histories and
perspectives, this resource does not show accurate records of Indigenous
Australians, deeming this a non-reputable resource.

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Section 4: Embedding Indigenous Perspectives into curriculum

The Sharing Story Foundation provide avenue for teachers to design and implement work units within
schools to align with goals of the Sharing Story website (Sharing Stories Foundation, 2014). Through the
Foundation employing curricular professionals to discuss the importance of integrating Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander perspectives, the teacher and students are exposed to the best teaching and learning
experiences.

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Reference List
Curriculum Corporation, (1995). Selecting and Evaluating Resources.
Retrieved from:
http://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/approach/indigenous_g008_
0712.pdf
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, (2012).
What Works: The Work Program: Success in Remote Schools.
Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from,
http://www.whatworks.edu.au/pload/1341805220784_file_Successin
RemoteSchools2012.pdf
Entwistle, N., Skinner, D., Entwistle, D., & Orr, S. (2000). Conceptions and
beliefs about good teaching: An integration of contrasting
research areas. Higher Education Research and Development, 19,
5-26.
Eunson, B. (2012) Communicating in the 21st Century, 3rd edn. Queensland:
John Wiley and Sons
Kids Matter, (2014). Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Marsh, C. (2010) Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills and Issues, 5th edn.
New South Wales: Pearson Australia
Northfield, J. & Gunstone, R. (1997). Teacher education as a process of
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developing teacher knowledge. In J. Loughran & T. Russell (Eds.),

Teaching about teaching:Purpose, passion and pedagoy in teacher
education (pp.48-56). London: Falmers Press.
Oxfam Australia, (2007). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural
Protocols. Victoria: Oxfam Australia.
Peace, P., (2015). Deadly Futures: Job Placement and community event.
Brisbane: Commonwealth of Australia.
Phillips, J., & Lampert, J. (2012). Introductory Indigenous Studies in Education
2nd edition. Frenches Forest: Pearson Australia.
Queensland Studies Authority, (2007). Guidelines Indigenous PerspectivesSelecting and Evaluating Resources. Brisbane.
SevGen, (2015). The Boomerang Bus. Queensland: SevGen Indigenous
Corporation.
Sharing Stories Foundation, (2014). Indigenous Digital Storytelling. Retrieved
from: http://sharingstories.org/
Whitebeck, D.A. (2000). Born to be a teacher: What am I doing in a college of
education? Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15 (1), 129136.
White, K., Zion, S., & Kozleski, E. (2005). Cultural Identity and Teaching.
Arizona State University: National Institute for Urban School
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Improvement. Retrieved from

http://www.urbanschools.org/pdf/cultural.identity.LETTER.pdf?
v_document_name=Cultural%20Identity%20%20and%20Teaching.
Wickes, J. (2015). EDU410 Week 4 Lecture. Australia: University of the
Sunshine Coast.

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