Innehållsförteckning för APRIL/MAY ISSUE 3 2018 ABORIGINAL AND INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES från Pedagogy+

Our curiosity sparked by the promise of a unique experience, with a sense of anticipation we head to Canberra and the National Museum of Australia. We cross the spacious and brightly lit foyer of the Museum and encounter the elders of the Martu, Pitjantatjara, Yankunytgatgara (APY) and Ngaanyatjarra lands, as virtual presences via life size video monitors, an installation inviting entry to the exhibition. Their faces beam as they beckon and welcome us to the exhibition ‘come on in - this is who I am and this is my story, this is our collective story’ – the elders invite us to journey with them across the harsh, intriguing and beautiful lands of the seven sisters’ travels. Stepping across the threshold into a darkened space as if immersed inside a painting.…

In this article, Lorraine Madden speaks with Centre Director, Emma Georgopoulos and Meni Tsambouniaris (former Children’s Services Manager at Ethnic Community Services Co-operative), about developing an Acknowledgment to Country with the children of Summer Hill Children’s Centre. Summer Hill Children’s Centre, or ‘Moonbie Street’ as it is affectionately known, is situated in Sydney’s inner west. The children’s centre, a converted church, is nestled within a leafy, green playground, offering an inviting space for children to engage with peers, educators and nature. Children who attend the centre are three to five years of age and come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It is in the playground of the centre, on hearing the tapping sticks at 10.30 am each day, that children and educators gather around the sandpit to make an…

Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa Early childhood curriculum and Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo are two expressions of the early childhood curriculum in one book and represent New Zealand’s bicultural perspective (Nuttall, 2003). Tēnā koutou katoa,Ko Kelly Goodsir tōku ingoaHe kaiako ahauKo te mata peak te maungaKo tukituki te awaNō Hasting Aotearoa and Melbourne Australia ahauNō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. My name is Kelly GoodsirI am a teacherMy mountain is te mata peakMy river is tukituki I am from Hasting, New Zealand and Melbourne Australia Therefore, greetings to you, greetings to you, greetings to us all. I graduated with my early childhood teaching diploma after three years of study in 1997, which was a year after the introduction of Te…

Raise your head, look at me. It was not easy as a child, nor is it as an adult. Over the years I’ve found it a little easier to do, but it still makes me uncomfortable. FACING NEW CHALLENGES We all have to face new challenges and adapt ourselves to various situations. Writing this chapter is one such challenge. To face new challenges we have to have a little bit of understanding and knowledge about ourselves, and we have to have a little bit of understanding and knowledge about the situations in which we are putting ourselves. The way we do this - face new challenges and adapt to situations-is through our senses. To quote from Wangami (1988), ‘Senses are openings to the world’. Wangami talks about how, through our…

‘People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.’Zig Ziglar In autumn, we smile as we recall the memories of a wonderful summer and anticipate the deliciously cool and crisp days of winter. However, with those cool days we sometimes experience the ‘winter blues’. Leaders report that with winter comes a lack of motivation for staff teams and a sense of loss for the summer days spent sitting in parks, going for walks, enjoying swims and getting out and about. Is there anything we can do to combat the lack of motivation that potentially comes hand in hand with the onset of the colder months? 1 PUT SPECIAL EVENTS ON YOUR STAFF ROOM CALENDAR – Add an event countdown to build a…

ONE PAN SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS, ZUCCHINI & TOMATOES (SERVES 2) SALMON 2 pieces of salmon, skin on¼ cup dill leaves, finely chopped1 lemon, juice and zestOlive oilSalt & pepper VEGETABLES 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed1 zucchini, cut into strips using a peeler200g heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved1 long red chilli, finely chopped Preheat oven 180 degrees Place salmon skin side down, use a sharp knife to make a few cuts, about 1 cm deep all over. Push dill and lemon zest into the cuts. Rub olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides of the salmon. 
 Next, in a small bowl place asparagus, zucchini and tomatoes and coat well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put salmon in the centre of a lined baking tray, place…

APPS EARLY EDUCATOR MAGAZINE The publishers of this app based magazine say Early Educator is the 8th Most Popular Apple Store Magazine in “Parenting & Family”. You’ll find news, resources and strategies on all things early childhood education in this interactive magazine. You will find info on things like using technology in early education, the best teaching apps for the ipad, interactive video guides and current articles from sector professionals. www.earlyeducator.com PODCASTS NQF PODCASTS ACECQA has produced a series of eLearning podcasts, presented by National Education Leader Rhonda Livingstone. This audio and video resource supports educators and providers in their quality improvement journey. The podcast covers documentation of children’s learning and development in education and care services. www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf-podcasts NURTURE - AN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PODCAST Early childhood mental health clinician,…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF? I was born on Cherbourg settlement in Queensland, which is a three-hour drive from Brisbane. I was born on the 20 September, 1952, and I am the youngest of ten children. My mother was Olga Chambers and my father was Livingston Chambers and I was raised in a respected and strong Aboriginal family. My childhood was an interesting one because when I was young, Aboriginal people were not classed as citizens of this country so we lived a very different life to the rest of Australia. Childhood was tough sometimes on the settlement. We had a white manager who managed the settlement, based on ‘The Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act’. Duringthistimewewereclassedasinmatesandtheycontrolledour movements, wages and rations. Growing up as an Aboriginal person…

THE ONE SONG THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE IS… The Monkees… I’m a Believer… one Saturday morning I was playing it over and over and my wife threatened to break my CD player. I thought she was joking… but then I saw her face! SATURDAY MORNINGS ARE BEST SPENT… dancing to the Monkees song… as long as you don’t get your CD player smashed. THE SOUNDS I LOVE TO HEAR ARE… children laughing their hardest. I ALWAYS FEEL AT PEACE WHEN… I am at home in Bundaberg on my country… TO STAY HEALTHY AND CENTRED I… Run. Meditate… and make time to remember and be thankful for where I have come from and who helped me to get to where I am today… THE ONE MEAL I HAVE…

Kevin Rudd (Griffith - Prime Minister) Parliament of Australia, House of Representatives Canberra At 9am on the 13th February 2008, the then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered an empassioned speech apologising to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Australian Government. I move: That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have…

THE ULURU STATEMENT FROM THE HEART First Nations National Constitutional Convention foot of Uluru, Central Australia on the lands of the Aṉangu people Friday 26th May 2017 We, gathered at the 2017 National Constitutional Convention, coming from all points of the southern sky, make this statement from the heart: Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes were the first sovereign Nations of the Australian continent and its adjacent islands, and possessed it under our own laws and customs. This our ancestors did, according to the reckoning of our culture, from the Creation, according to the common law from ‘time immemorial’, and according to science more than 60,000 years ago. This sovereignty is a spiritual notion: the ancestral tie between the land, or ‘mother nature’, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait…

‘If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in’.Rachel Carson These words of Rachel Carson speak to me. These words speak to me of the power of relationships. These words speak to me of walking together. These words speak to me of my responsibility as a leader and teacher. These words speak to me of a world waiting to be discovered. And I too am that child. I walk together with the children, families, community and my educational team at The Point Preschool, in our journey to discover, connect and understand our shared Aboriginal culture and history. And this keeps…

WHERE DO YOU WORK? *Other - includes play groups, outside school hours care, integrated services, other services for children under 5 years and adult learning environments. YOUR WORK IS WITH… YOUR QUALIFICATIONS… *Other qualifications include Advanced Diploma, Graduate Diploma and Diploma of Teaching. OUR TEAM FEELS CONFIDENT REFELCTING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PERSPECTIVES WITHIN OUR CURRICULUM AND PRACTICE OUR PHILOSOPHY MAKES A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES I FEEL WE HAVE SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE REGARDING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER HISTORY AND CULTURE OUR SERVICE HAS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY WHICH WE ROUTINELY USE LIST THREE WAYS YOU INCORPORATE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PERSPECTIVES IN YOUR PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. DO YOU DISPLAY OR FLY ANY FLAGS AT YOUR CENTRE In equal parts you…

In early childhood education, relationships are at the heart of everything. Nurturing relationships help build a strong sense of identity for our Jarjums and we get the best outcomes when educators and family members work together (DEEWR, 2009). Relationships and partnerships across the sectors of the early years will ensure smooth transitions. At the Stronger Smarter Institute, we recognise the importance of these strong relationships for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Jarjums. We developed our Stronger Smarter Jarjums program, to support educators to build their capacity to develop High-Expectations Relationships across the early years. These are relationships which are nurturing and supportive, but also challenge and hold high expectations (Stronger Smarter Institute, 2014). I joined the Stronger Smarter Institute in 2015 as Team Leader of the Stronger Smarter Jarjums…

We hope you are enjoying the issues of Pedagogy+ the art of teaching. Each issue of the magazine will focus on a theme relevant to early education; exploring and challenging practice and thinking. The pages of Pedagogy+ brim with inspiring articles, candid conversations, the latest trends and lifestyle treats - our brief being to foster critical thinking and stimulate conversations that can advance the theory and practice of pedagogy in early education settings, and to encourage you to think about you. Why subscribe? ▪ Slow down, relax and enjoy a well-informed read ▪ Share in the insights of highly-respected and knowledgeable education experts ▪ Enjoy the experience of deciding – what might I like for me or that would make a great gift for someone else ▪ Critically reflect on…

LOUISE DORRAT Louise has a long history of tertiary teaching including teaching the Bachelor of Education at the Institute of Koorie Education (IKE) at Deakin University. Louise has been privileged to work with, watch and learn from the Aboriginal women at Children’s Ground, supporting the writing of polices and QIP as part of the NQF. (MEd, BTeach, Dip SSc). ‘TEACHING KIDS IS LIKE A GARDEN. YOU GO AND PLANT YOUR SEEDS. YOU WATER THE GARDEN AND YOU WAIT FOR THEM TO GROW AND THEN WHEN THEY HAVE GROWN, YOU STAND BACK AND THEY GROW AGAIN. IF THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF WEEDING TO DO, GET THE WEEDS OUT. THEN THE CHILDREN GROW UP REALLY STRONG.’Felicity Hayes ‘WE ARE ALL GROWING UP THAT ONE CHILD TOGETHER.’Lorrayne Gorey ‘WHEN YOU ARE…

Alex Shain is the General Manager of Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning. He trained as a primary school teacher and has taught in many different school settings, beginning his career in far western NSW and most recently teaching in inner city Sydney. In 2012, Alex joined Reconciliation Australia to design Narragunnawali and he thinks it’s the best teaching job in the country. Alex firmly believes that without those who have come before, we wouldn’t be able to have the conversations we are having today. The work of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians has laid the foundation for the next generation to move forward together. Can you start by telling us about Reconciliation Australia? Reconciliation Australia was established in 2001 as the national expert…

This selection of research informs your teaching and work with children and families. In this issue we focus on recent research on early childhood and primary education and children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background. ENSURING A FAIR START FOR OUR CHILDREN: THE NEED FOR A DEDICATED FUNDING STREAM FOR THE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER EARLY YEARS SECTOR Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) Policy Statement October 2017. http://www.snaicc.org.au/ensuring-fair-start-children-need-dedicated-funding-stream-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-early-years-sector/ SNAICC notes that ‘access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is an essential right for all children. Yet the current child care system is failing our children – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable early in life, and only half as likely to access early education…