2019 Learning Log

ED3102: Diagnostic Literacy Clinic

within a Service-learning context

STUDENT NAME: ___Tracey Sheikh ___

A thought to begin:

A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind and touches a heart.

WEEK 1:
Unit orientation and professional development

REFLECTIONS:
1. What do you know about Clontarf Aboriginal College? I always thought Clontarf was specifically for
boys and football oriented, recently. I knew it was a Christian Brothers School initially run for the
engagement of young Aboriginal students who were not enjoying education in other schools. I did
not realise they had taken on board, Aboriginal Students, girls included, from all around Australia.
My earliest experience of Clontarf was with my ex-husband who was a painter at Curtin, doing an
Arts degree with his aunty. We would go to Clontarf to meet with Lance Chad who had a studio
there.

We also were involved with the first ever First Nations meeting on ground with peoples from all
over the world including Canada and the United States of America, South American lands and the
Islands of the Pacific. For our family, who are part of an extended and large family group of
Nyungars, this was a chance to be part of new beginnings in reconciliation. My father-in-law, Phil
Narkle, was a founding member of the group that organised it and we saw its fruition.

From humble beginnings, I’ve seen Clontarf’s involvement in different facets of education, such
as ABMUSIC. I know of a few students who have studied through this program and are
successfully making their mark in their careers. I now want to learn more about the college, its
pedagogy and the way of the future it is steering towards.

I knew a few students who had studied there, who were friends of my son, in his football team.
They were local lads who lived in Perth and chose to go to Clontarf.

2. What do you know about your student? Being that the student comes from Kalgoorlie, I want to
know what her context is up there. I want to know truly about her story to where she is now and
plans to be in the future. I want to know her view on how she sees her education up until now.
Does she know any different? Does she know anything different is out there? Is she happy with
what she's getting? She seems to be very articulate can write well so academically that side of
things seems to be ok. But I wonder, because Aboriginal people come from a non-academic point
of view, even in this modern age, it does not surprise me that they step in and still find it difficult.

3. What did you gain from the All About Me sheet?

Day 1
Thoughts and feelings for first meet I found I was as nervous as if I was going to a job interview
this morning meeting the student, Kadijah.
I think she was more nervous than me. She was able to talk while we walked and once she saw
that I had read her information sheet, we were able to share places that we had been to. I was
also able to use that information sheet in the conversation when we came and sat down to try and
work out a bit of a plan about her interests and aspirations for the future.
I believe she is going to do an amazing job once you fully realise is what she can do and I hope
she uses her artistic talent which I think she has and her writing ability which I was told she has to
make it one of her best work yet.

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 This is going to be a difference for me because I've normally work with low literacy kids. She is a
highflyer. She is one of the best they have there so I need to consult the curriculum and talk with
Adeline (HOLA, YBC) to see how I can possibly take her literacy a bit further in text types and use
of audience in order to make it really interesting.

I know she has a big story to tell and I want to make sure that impact happens for her in a very
cultural and appropriate way.

Adeline will be instrumental because she comes from Kalgoorlie, she would have some
knowledge from there so I need to pick her brain and find out how I can extend Khadijah's abilities
.
Picked Adeline’s brain and she asked that the student’s English samples be given to share the
kind of levels she may be at. And ask for the level of judging standard she is currently being
assessed at.

4. What might you want to consider in the first session next week?
Consolidating -
The student is a competent SAE user in a wide range of social and learning contexts.
Taken from SCSA, English v8: ("School Curriculum and Standards Authority | Home", 2019) for
EAL/D
At this level teachers should:
• continue to use cooperative learning strategies to increase understanding of how meaning
is constructed across languages, dialects and cultures
• continue to scaffold learning using appropriate EAL/D models
• create a comfortable and safe learning environment where students can achieve their full
potential
• provide a wider range of SAE listening, speaking, reading/viewing and writing experiences
across the curriculum
• continue to teach SAE vocabulary in context and introduce abstract words, conditionals and
nominalisations
• teach and reinforce skimming, scanning, summarising, note taking, editing and recording of
information paying attention to main ideas
• demonstrate the effective use of literacy devices such as metaphorical and emotive
language and how it positions the listener, reader and/or viewer
• clarify tasks and assessment criteria and provide support and constructive feedback to
students
• provide opportunities for unstructured personal writing in home language and SAE.

5. How will you structure the lesson plan?

Spending some time going over the questions that sprung to mind in the first week with
Kadijah. Expanding on the mindmap. Hoping to see more of a story in dot points that
she started on. Completing the contents page to be what she wants to include.(look at as
many pages as possible. take pics and compare and get what she wants.)
Look at the My Story pages I selected and let her read the different styles, gauge the meaning
from each story, main ideas and relate back. To get an idea of hpw she sees herself doing
hers.
Taking 10-15 mins writing a section for the contents page. Both telling own stories. Then
compare.

6. Consider the resources you might need to access.

My Story’s books from YBC
A look at the books from previous years
Andrew Dentons story with Jess Mauboy
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 Content first – Ask what they want.
How to welcome the student and close off with the student.
Be ready when they come in.
Week 4
Writing map of development to see what the best indicator is to see where the child is at.
Post plan have some ideas for lesson next week and journal thoughts.
What are outcomes - couple of activities graphic organisers – in dot points.
Ask for a reflection from Kadijah. What she understands and what she is ok with and what
she may not be.
Show examples of mastery, teach them to reflect.
Shared that her grandmother is of the Stolen Generation – was with Mom over the weekend.
Has an Aunty Loretta here to ask for stories? Need a pic of Aunty.

WEEK 2: READINGS
Linking Assessment, Teaching and Learning (2003):
o The assessment, teaching and learning cycle. p.21
o Assessment and evaluation theory, principles and practices , Chap.6
Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Education.
(3rd ed.).
o Chap.1: Students talking about school.
o EAL/D progress maps
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/eald/detcms/navigation/assessment-and-reporting/eal-d-
progress-map/#toc1
YOUR SUMMARY OF THE "TAKE HOME MESSAGES" (P. 17)
‘

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS CREATE UNIQUE PATHWAYS AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT

ASSESSMENT, TEACHING AND LEARNING.’ THESE PATHWAYS ARE RARELY LINEAR AND IN
A SINGLE DIRECTION, [SIMILAR TO THE 8 ABORIGINAL WAYS OF LEARNING], BUT THEY
APPEAR TO INCORPORATE AT LEAST FOUR ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS.’ CYCLING BETWEEN
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EVALUATING THE STUDENT NEEDS, IDENTIFYING THE RESOURCES AND PLANNING,
SELECTING TEACHING AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND MONITORING THE PROGRESS
AND REFLECTING ON THE TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS ARE THE GOALS RESPECTIVELY.
TAKE HOME POINTS

1. Always be yourself! Be respectful! Avoid the politics of families and community.

2. Honest attempts of language use from Wadjelas are taken with a grain of salt and
much humour. Laugh along with the mistakes and learn well. Practice makes Progress!
– A. Belotti.
3. Pick the positives in Aboriginal society to share learning. The negativity of the last 290
years towards the Aboriginal population all over Australia, should make us address
teaching content differently. What can we learn from them? After all, learning is a 2–
way process.

LESSON 2: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
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o Deliver a well -planned lesson to begin the tutoring program
o Assess the outcomes of the lesson
o Share experiences and ideas to inform future planning

1. HOW WILL YOU BEGIN?

☐ Have a well-planned lesson with strategic timing and relevant experiences
Set some goals for the session with the student. (Consider sharing your planning too!)
Have a brief conversation and strategy to connect together. DONE!
☐ Modelled writing through journaling
Could you begin with a journal/diary writing session? Review the student's profile sheet. DONE!
Consider both you and the Clontarf student writing for 10 minutes on a relevant topic for the book.
(All about me/ My home/ My family/ My Clontarf Journey/My interests etc.) IN Progress each week!
After 10 minutes, swap your writing, read aloud and give feedback. [Perhaps do a word count] as an
incentive to engage each week. Also focus on a different strategy for editing ( re-reading aloud)
☐ Shared reading
Consider reading a text (on line) that may be used as a model for the student’s book. Perhaps a
report on the community of the student. Observe the strategies used to manage the text and the
reading. I shared a few examples of the Year books from YBC.

2. PLANNING THE TEXT

☐ Create a brainstorm / concept map that you may help with future planning. Done!
☐ Develop a “Contents Page” Done!
☐ Create a “ Dummy book” that gives an idea of design and possible layout of the text to be created
DONE!
☐ View the video clip on the book publishing site to help you gain an understanding of the program.
Done!
☐ Focus on completing the first page/s of the text. DONE!
☐ Use a writing framework to help organise thoughts and keep the student focused. Could the student
write the ideas in the “About Me” into a cohesive paragraph for the beginning of the book? About me
is not in her planning.

3. LESSON CONCLUSION
☐ Review lesson goals: How did you go? As I had not opened this document then, I am very pleased I
basically followed the outlined points! I can add 1 or 2 I missed into my future planning.
☐ Negotiate homework tasks, future planning. farewell
I had opened a Google Doc for Dijah to use. This wasn’t as effective as I had hoped. Dijah sees her
Mum on the weekends, as her family lives here in Perth while she is boarding. I gave the sign in for
SnapFish. She has not accessed the book yet.

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 TUTORIAL 2: REFLECTION
Consider these statements as you reflect on the learning experience.

1. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY LEARN (AITSL)

☐ What have you learnt about your student so far?
Planned and I had dot points in mind of the kind of questioning and the way that I was going to
take the the time today with Kadijah and it was so a shemozzle because I was all over the place.
I was introducing things that would have been totally irrelevant to her knowledge. Her story about her
grandmother was that she was part of stolen generation but didn't give it more weight than that.
I feel really bad about that. I don't know as much as they do. I have to stop my thinking that way.
I have to stop thinking what I'm going to say next, so I have to think about was being said. To give us
some time to process. Also, next week I need to plan activities 2 to do like the pages and stages
since we connected on Google Docs now, I can actually discuss it with her.
I want to allow her to play around with the Snapfish book in the design stage so that there's a few different
things rather than being boring. About trying to pull the content together, we need to go for a bit of a walk
for 5-10 minutes in between I'm glad that I spent the time to showing her my journey and I hope it goes
much better next week I have to sit down and physically plan with my planning Pages. It is my downfall
and I need to completely work on planning the time out with extra activities if necessary if what I am using
is not working.
I feel she has a connection with me but I'm not going about it the right way. I feel I'm swimming with my
head just above water and I'm gulping for breath. I don't feel in my comfort zone with her level of literacy
even though it's at the same as mine but it's not one I am used to working with so how can I change that?
Adeline gave me an idea to perhaps instead of just doing a narrative do it in poem form so I'm going to put
that to her I hope she's she watches Jess Mauboy interview with Andrew Denton and I hope she get
something from that I'm a fish out of water honestly but I am feeling more confident about my abilities. I
have to do more, maybe some more conversation with her through Google.
Through the Google doc try and find out if she has put anything in. Hopefully she's going to use the book I
gave her .We're challenged to do the draft. I can see through the pieces that were given to me that she
does know what she's doing. If instead of The Standard Australian English, she doesn't know the difference
is brought up with that and that is quite natural to her so for next week look for stories that have been
written with creative side through the drawings.

2. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT

☐ What needs to be taught?
Planning explicitly. The scope is too broad. Little things at a time. After looking at the samples given
of Dijah’s essay on Goodes and a mindmap, I asked for ideas from my HOLA to extend. She
suggested encouraging Dijah to expand more on her topics within the paragraphs. SO I need to see

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3. PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
☐ How is the planning going? What works? What needs revising? Future plans
I have planned better than I have previously. Having used a DWP before, it has helped in the
formation of what short activities to do in succession.

4. CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

What do you take from the Harris reading in Chap1: p.14?
☐
In my experience, many teachers have taken liberties over the influence they have over student use
of language than they know. Whether subconsciously or not, many can say things in a negative tone
that has harmed the view of others. When my daughter was going to high school, she was repeatedly
fighting for her family name due to the connotation given a family member who was a disgrace to
the name. The name is still sued to invoke fear or a joke in others. Using appropriate terms and at
least finding out what is appropriate terms from local community is the least that can be done.
Indigenous – All peoples originating from the land.
Aboriginal – Referring to mainland peoples
Torres Strait Islander - TIs – Islanders living other than mainland but also to large communities who
have settled on the mainland such as in FNQ.
Half-Caste / part- Aboriginal – not used, offensive
Welcome to Country – best delivered by someone from the country on which they ae standing.
Acknowledgement of Country – by anyone who is not from country but pays respects.
Country is the land, sky and sea the people are connected to. Family, Home all terms interconnected.

5. ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING

☐ What have you been able to assess so far? Have you given feedback to your student? How might you plan for
this?

Anecdotal assessments on attitude to working with someone Dijah does not know. Building relationships will
always be fragile in the beginning and remembering not to say too much to fill awkward moments. Speaking
about herself does not come easy with me. She is slow and deliberate about what she says and careful how
she says it.
She has divulged that her grandmother on her mother’s side is of the Stolen Generations. I acknowledged her
frankness, as she quietly gave this information, formally, by saying, “There’s something you need to know. I
don’t know much about my history as my grandmother is part of the Stolen Generations.”
On having a look at the essay and mindmap provided by the English teacher, on the surface it seemed Dijah is
quite high on the scale of ability and fairly within range of what is required in SCSA. She is known as a
‘highflyer’ in their context.
My expectations of extension is the goal to be addressed. I am going to ask my HOLA to see if my assessment
of her work is along the right line according to FS (First Steps).

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6. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
a) Today, what struck me in a positive way? Her frankness and positive relationship building.
b) Today, what struck me in a negative way? The awkward moments
c) What am I learning about society? Nothing that I don’t already know.
d) What am I learning about myself? More patience and rethinking on the spot.
e) What questions arise for me so far? -

Tips for successful reflection experiences

 Seek out quiet moments.
 Be attentive and mindful of the present moment.
 Practice acute observation.
 Figure out what matters most for the task being considered.
 Make a conscious effort to focus on the experience you’re reflecting on.
 Permit yourself to feel emotional
 Go beyond your “self’ and your personal perspective.
 Use the lens of your present experiences to make links to the present
 Recognise –and think about-the tension between being attached and involved
and then stepping back to gain a detached perspective of the situation

Reference: Cress,M.C., Collier,P.J., Reitenauer,V.L.& Associates(2005).Learning through serving. Stylus: Virgini

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 A thought to begin:

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of the fire. William Butler Yeats

WEEK 3: READINGS
First Steps: Reading resource book.
o Chap.1 Use of text.
1. Language experience: Involve the student in the shared experience. Sitting at the tables is not
comfortable for me to be able to draw the student out effectively, from what I know about some
Aboriginal. We are not able to effectively make relationship nor effectively resolve issues
comfortably. To me it seems foreign and wadjela way. Why can’t an area outside be sourced
on the fine days to be able to talk and engage without fighting off shame… It is done because
it is asked of them, but they are showing obvious signs of not feeling comfortable with the way
of doing.
2. I would be more inclined to use ‘the Aboriginal 8 ways of (learning) doing’.

Tell a story.
Make a plan.
Think and do.
Draw it.
Take it outside.
Try a new way.
Watch first, then do.
Share it with others.
The schema is not logically a series of steps but many ways to the same outcome. Each unique to the
person. Nonlinear ways of learning are complementary, not oppositional. – (8 Aboriginal Ways of
Learning Factsheet, 2012)

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Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Education. (3rd ed.).
o Chap.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

YOUR SUMMARY OF THE "TAKE HOME MESSAGES" (P. 98)

1. Social, emotional practice as students is of higher priority than individuals striving to get an education.
2. If the content is not of local contextual interest to the students, they will not switch in ‘just in case they need to
know it for the future’.
3. Engagement in the classroom with significant numbers of Aboriginal students often is not with the teacher but
with the social circle of the group.
4. Student centered learning or independent learning can be seen too highly as a required skill which Aboriginal
people do not find to be effective when they want to know they can do something practiced well so as to not be seen
as wrong.
5. If a student is spending a lot of their learning time trying to save face for fear of getting things wrong in front of
peers, there is not a lot of room left for genuine interest of learning what a school wants to teach.
6. . Social practice of identity and belonging is most important to community, all else comes second, third and fourth.
7. gratuitous concurrence – Will say yes in the hope that the yes will mean no conflict and the issue will go away.
They don’t come from bossy back grounds; therefore, they will often not comply just because a teacher says so.
8. Saving face is to be protected way more than not knowing in front of the group. Shame is huge, and a major
consideration. Who is looking and listening is a stronger motivator than what they are learning.
9. Higher-order skills like problem-solving and inquiry based learning independently are highly sought by teachers,
proving independence, are not a best fit for some Aboriginal students who may need scaffolding well into the
secondary years.
10.
Nakata (2003, p. 10) takes the position that while teachers should be aware of cultural
differences, they should not use these differences as ‘a rationale for neglecting the written
word when we know this is exactly what they need’. Nakata suggests that Aboriginal students
should be explicitly taught to read and write, particularly at the upper primary and secondary
levels. Unfortunately, most teachers at these levels do not have the skills to teach students to read
and write.
Strategies to bring about improvements in attendance and engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students will fail if schools don’t actively support student identity and belonging.

LESSON 3: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Discuss planning for future lessons
o Review assessment and evaluation planning format

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 TUTORIAL REFLECTION
Consider these statements as you reflect on the learning experience.

1. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY LEARN (AITSL)

☐ What more have you learnt about your student today? How might you document these findings?
Khadija is very capable of being able to organise. She has done a framework of the pages
from the information she took with her after our discussion last week in the journal that I gave
her and has started writing more about her home. I was really pleased to see the planning
that she drew up so I know that now that she has progressed to putting the layout and the
background of the designing and also positioning of the photos, she's also taken account of
how many photos if she wants to put in to her pages on each page. She will be ready to load
all that starting next week.
I tried to follow what I had planned on my lesson plan. to talk about having impact the first
sentence of whatever she was going to write about whether it was about a family that herself
when she comes from. We had a look over some samples of the first introductory sentences
of the paragraphs in yearbooks that I took there. We compared the ones that were 90% of the
book being my name is... I was born out at this date... and then compared it to beginnings of
paragraphs where the writers have made statements about what they were thinking at the
time. Without feeling at the time or something outstanding about what they were told by their
family happened at their birth. I really think she is going to be different. She's said a couple
times she she picked a reasonably stayed background I thought so it tells me that she doesn't
want to be right out there but her writing I think it will bring that out more. So I have discussed
with her that she is very confident with the software, she has formed a plan that she's
following through with. She has 5 days coming up when she doesn't have an awful lot of
school because they've got their long weekend for boarders happening and I'm hoping that
she will be able to access Snapfish so she can work on that. The other thing is I said to her if
she could work on her writing for the pages that she wants her thoughts down on and I will
help her with the editing. Help her to expand on any of the ideas she has by use of adjectives
wouldn't thoughts and then she was ok with that she was happy with the layout after she got
to play around with the bit. She is a quiet girl she very much thinks before she speaks. When
she does speak she doesn't say much at all which is in keeping with predominantly most of
the Aboriginal people that I know. I'm outside of the family context oral speaking is not
something that they're comfortable with.

2. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT

☐ What concepts will be the focus for the future? Can you prioritise these?

The content for this week is story generation. A recount of what she has experienced.

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3. PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
☐ Future plans
Dijah has told me that she finds idea generation difficult.
So, after a pd today on Kagan strategies, I will try a couple of the ideas to help her get some ideas quickly. 1. I am
going to ask her to write a few ideas of the last weekend into a story over 10 minutes, then retell the story to me and
vice versa. To get an idea of knowing that once you start with a picture of one thing, it will usually inspire other
thoughts, memories and get idea generation happening.
2 I will use the Kagan Rally Robin to try and stimulate a flow of ideas for her writing.
3 Using the list of lists to write out, silent kagan RallyTable..1 idea each on 1 piece of paper and 1 pen.

4. CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

☐ What does Harrison say about “Aboriginal Ways of learning”? (p.78) How does this apply to the Clontarf context?

I believe that when we moved to the back booths to get a power cord to the laptop, Dj relaxed more
and was able to think clearer. Being conscious of personal space when around certain people, should
be paramount as we don’t know the familial protocols that could be at play with the students around
them. Ie, certain family groups may not allow some girls or boys to mix with certain others, or brothers
and sisters may not be able to speak so certain others. Care of cultural understandings is valuable and
respected greatly.

5. ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING

☒ Complete the assessment and evaluation format in the reader.

6. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
☐ What is service-learning? Why has the methodology and pedagogy of service-learning been included in this unit?

A thought to begin:
I hear and I forgot. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. (Chinese Proverb)

WEEK 4: READINGS
Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Education. (3rd ed.).
o Chap. 7 Teaching reading and writing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Chap.4 What works: Core Issues 3
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o Literacy for succeeding at school
o EAL/D progress maps
Service-learning
o Cain, Glenda B. (2016) "Hand in hand we learn together: Service-learning changing pre-service teachers'
perceptions of Aboriginal people and culture.,"
eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: http://researchonline.nd.edu.au/ecea/vol3/iss1/2

o Chambers, D. J., & Lavery, S. D. (2012). Service-learning: A valuable component of pre-service teacher
education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37 (4).

YOUR SUMMARY OF THE "TAKE HOME MESSAGES" P. 166.

1. For Aboriginal students learning is a social process. How many times I have heard teachers say, “Your
not here to socialize, you’re here to learn!’.
2. Aboriginal students come from an oral background, therefore reading may not be in their repertoire
of skills in the early years.
3. Common practice of asking questions limits the sharing of knowledge of all. Instructing them to make
a list may be one way of stepping around the awkward questions.
4. All to be praised for answering in some way shape or form.
5. Shared reading and guided reading groups may present as better and relevant ways of learning.
6. the use of songs, raps, poems, Dr Sousse books may be enjoyed and familiar when starting to read
and write.
7. Master words they already know and use those in sentences from the Shared Reading
8. Make reading fun!
9. Write when a passage can be read with fluency and comprehension. And mastery of the words.

LESSON 4: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Share ideas and experiences
o Discuss literacy strategies for success
o Review the concept of Service-learning

TUTORIAL REFLECTION
Consider these statements as you reflect on the learning experience.

1. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY LEARN (AITSL)

☐ What more have you learnt about your student today? How might you document these findings?
Dijah appreciates being able to be left to do a task. Silence while working is not awkward
for her as she does not say much without deliberation anyway. I feel she listens to what I
am encouraging her to use with the structure of her writing. She developed a framework
with which to build on today. Successfully completed her design and positioning of
headings, photo boxes and colours.

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2. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT
☐ What concepts will be the focus for the future? Can you prioritise these?
I discussed with her, that I will help her edit and expand on the writing as she finishes off
her passages. I assessed her as being in the developing stage for writing recounts as seen in the First
Steps (FS) Writing Resource Book. Also on the EAL/D assessment for writing grid, Dijah sits in the
emerging stage 3-4 in the EAL/D observation chart. Dijah has started to write on her own after some
discussion with her parents on stories from her childhood. I encouraged her to even just make dot
points of the stories to help her to remember the details. According to Harrison and Sellwood (2016),
though, the repetitive nature of oral story telling will be the key factor in the retell. So, hopefully, her
telling me the stories, maybe into the voice recorder may be of some help.

3. PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

☐ Future plans – I believe she will finish the book in the next couple of sessions, so already planning on
asking her to be involved with the avatar as asked by Patrick for future learning.

4. CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

☐ What are the practices associated with "Reading to Learn" p.155-156? Can you implement these in your
lessons at Clontarf?
Oral step taking in a procedure, repeatedly, then writing down the procedure they now
know off by heart. I do we do you do.
Making bigbooks of the activity for teaching others and sharing.
Sharing of family and community in something they do best, well or enjoy.

5. ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING

☐ What have you been able to assess so far? Can you use the progress maps to assist with your assessment and
planning?
I have been able to compare and use the progress maps and the writing recount map of development to
compare a finished piece from earlier this year and the draft writing DJ is using to frame her thoughts. When
asking my HOLA if I was on the right track, she feklt that I had understood what I was reading and gave me
some ideas of helping DJ to improve in her writing.

6. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
☐ What are the components of a service-learning experience?
To be read. and answered. - Hand in hand we learn together.

A thought to take with you:

A teacher presents the past, reveals the present and creates the future.

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WEEK 5: READINGS
Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Education. (3rd ed.).
o Chap. 8:The role of a student's first language

YOUR SUMMARY OF THE "TAKE HOME MESSAGES" (P. 190-191)

1. – Most ATSI urban students don’t speak traditional languages fully. Experience in Halls Creek shows

that many speak up to 3-4 languages fully and fluently.

2. - The language shift in the time of colonial invasion has drastically changed peoples lives

intergenerationally and affected needs and usage down through the ages.

3. – Correction of how they speak is not to be the priority but to help them code-switch when SAE is in

need in the education and business forums where they will need to know how to walk the talk to be able

to interact with confidence.

4. – Observe how the language is used differently in different contexts.

5. – Ask about the languages they speak or the words and their meanings.

6. - Acknowledge the differences through adding cross curricular content, and investigating and sharing

family languages with their peers.

7. – AE is the home language and used almost exclusively at school too, except when asked to write

8. – Many varieties spoken, each with their own vocabulary, meanings and grammar.

9. – Home language and SAE are in an unequal power struggle. Most are only permitted to express

themselves through SAE while their own language is locked out.

10. – The use of the home language is politicised, causing some to be too embarrassed to openly use it.

Some feel the ‘look’ others give them when they do use what comes to them quite naturally.

11. – Promotion of the use of the language and to be used alongside SAE just as other students with

different home languages converse to get clarification of feel more confident.

12. – Culture is practiced subconsciously through behaviours and speech. Embracing the ways and

beings of the students instead of trying to change them, will enhance the learning experience for all.

13. – Looking on home language as being as important as learning English can be accomplished now.

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14. – Some parents may or may not agree to including home language in the classroom. Openly

discussing and asking language be shared with respect should help to dispel any concerns.

15. – If the home language is viewed as deficient or less than SAE, somehow below standard, then the

students will also take on this attitude toward their own language. Helping them to code-switch when

‘needed’, to know when to use it in the world around them.

16. – Rules adhered to at home, or lack of, can conflict with the rules of school. Respectful knowledge of

the cultural rules, unspoken and often signaled more than spoken, need to become aware of.

17. – Our own experiences, positive or negative, will dictate just how much a student with home

language feel comfortable enough to be able to use both efficiently and fluently.

LESSON 5: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Discuss challenges to student learning
o Share ideas to support engagement in learning
o Explore further the concept of Service-learning

1. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY LEARN (AITSL)

☐ What challenges are you facing in addressing the student's learning?
The student is seen as a highflyer. While her command of SAE is quite good, in comparison
with other students I work with at another like school, her abilities would be seen as mid-
range. Literacy wise, she makes small errors that are seen in younger year levels. She has
difficulty in generating ideas, so I have tried a couple of strategies to help her in this. ON a
PD I was at, I learnt how to do a Kagan exercise of idea generation. A rapid fire sprint of
writing. I asked her the week before to think of what she could teach me about Clontarf.

2. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT

☐ What concepts will be the focus for the future? Can you prioritise these?
The focus is always on using the time available constructively. As doing anything online in her time
was limited, I was focused on each week completing as much as could be done. A list was made
each time of what was finished and what was needed to be done. Constantly referring to the list and
having a short discussion at the beginning, middle and end, helped to keep the task flowing. I am
reviewing and commending her for her prowess around the programs used.

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3. PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
☐ Is there a different strategy that you might try to maintain engagement?
Maintaining engagement has not been an issue. We have set up a good relationship in the short
amount of time and short space of working together. She prefers to be given the time and space to
get on with the task at hand. She has contributed much in the space of time, the ability to relax at the
end of the cubicles, I believe has contributed to her being able to concentrate and complete as much
as she has. I continually give her positive feedback on her ability with the application. Positive
feedback in correction of literacy is by way of allowing her to find the mistake in a simple way. For
example, the word apart. The word was used two times in a sentence to mean a part of the family.
In order to get her to understand the slight but important difference in the words, I set up an
example in using a pencil and a pencil case. I said, the pencil is apart from the pencil case when it is
far from it. When I put the pencil in the case, it becomes a part of the case, just like you are a part of
your family. She understood well and reread, changed the words and read it again. I highlighted that
the small words of our language often are so important in giving the right meaning of the words we
use in sentences. A strategy I showed her when writing, as I have been taught, to read aloud what is
written to get the places for grammar and to get the sense of what is said. As we do not speak the
same as we write in ninety percent of the time, we need the skill of reading for sensibility, so our
audience fully understands our thoughts.

4. CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

☐ How do you understand the concept of "cultural competence" in the context of Clontarf Aboriginal College?
An elder on a PD once said, when he was young, the young ones were told, you have two eyes for seeing, two
ears for hearing but one mouth for speaking. Learn with your eyes and ears and say less with your mouth. Cultural
competence according to the Centre for Cultural Competence Australia stems from ‘Deep listening’. A concept I
learnt many years ago when I first started spending time with my Aboriginal friends. Deep listening isn’t just
hearing people speak with their tongues, it is more about how they speak with their body language. Paying
attention to the reactions of our students in the day to day interactions at school is crucial. An interesting view of the
Centre is building de-colonising practices into the solutions to support an enhancement and understanding of how
white privilege impacts Australian Indigenous peoples experience of historical and current trauma (Timor, Ireland
& Stone, 2019). If there is no recognition of a language difference this ‘becomes a language gap when teachers are
not appropriately equipped to meet these students’ language learning needs’
(Angelo and Frazer, 2008, p.23). Teachers who are monolingual may not realise how hard learning a language really
is (they might think students will learn it if they tell them just once) (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016).
Many migrant teachers know that teaching a new language is best done in the initial stages by a fluent native
speaker, then the nuances and the meatier parts of speaking and reading should be helped along by indigenous
speakers so an interchange of conversations can be held in the process. This can only be done if clarification
happens with someone they are comfortable with who speaks the same way.
Mindset is the greatest factor in teaching when it comes to bi-lingual teachers. Our mindset must be that our
language is neither superior nor theirs deficient.

5. ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING

☐ Could you plan some self-assessment tasks to gain the student's perceptions of his/her learning?
I found a self-assessment shared with teacher feedback form for autobiography writing. To be completed in Week 7
or 8. The task looks at all the aspects of the autobiography. Early life, family, background, culture and language,
friends, passions, memories, future aspirations, thoughts about the world and final proofreading of the product.

6. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
☐ Why is reflection such an important component of service-learning?
Reflection, like in a mirror, means to look at oneself and decide what could be improved. Immediate feedback to
students has been found in studies to be a crucial effect size gain in understanding and learning. The same
principle applies to the teacher. In hindsight, one or two things decided on to improve will help to make the
teaching and learning experience, a great work in progress.

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 A thought to begin:
To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it more fit for the prime
function of looking forward.
Margaret Fairless Barber

1. Start from a place of strength – see the community as a rich source of strength. Bring stories, histories, culture
2. Acknowledge the knowledge – Embrace the knowledge in community outside the school gate and those who
want to bring it in.
3. Engage to power – Involve the parents in the learning plans and content od the student, relevance.
4. Welcome to country – Work with elders to develop areas of learning around the cultural act.
5. Employment of more Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples. A given.
6. Building cultural resources – Place of meeting, resources on display
7. Learning from country on country. Visit to Canning River with Uncle Noel Nannup
8. Community feeling valued and visible – Community values reflected in policies, decisions, plans and
curriculum.

WEEK 6: READINGS
Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Education. (3rd ed.).
Chap. 9: Building empowering partnerships between schools and communities

YOUR SUMMARY OF THE "TAKE HOME MESSAGES" (P. 206)

1. – Vital to understand the rights and standards related to partnerships in the

community.

2. - Relationships and partnerships take time to build.

3. – Places inside and outside the school needed, to be culturally safe.

4. – Where can the community influence the activities at school?

5. – take the time to understand the perceptions of the community about school and

education.

6. – What are the families aspirations for their children?

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7. – Employ community members in the school in a variety of roles.

8. – Identify an elder to guide the decision making in the journey.

9. – Involve the community in the vision of the school.

10. Modelling through writing out while talking so they talk and write out what we say in their

way. Be respectful of thoughts, feelings and long standing fears or insecurities of school.

LESSON 6: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Share strategies for building a positive and appropriate relationship within the learning environment
o Discuss the concepts of taking risks, making mistakes, and avoiding shame
o Discuss the role of reflection within the learning process.

1. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY LEARN (AITSL)

☐ Are you developing a relationship with your student? What are the positives about this relationship?
What factors are hindering your relationship? Yes, definitely! KE has appreciated me allowing her to
get on with the tasks at hand. I asked if my summary was close to the mark of her. I said that I
thought she worked well when she was left to it. And she could understand a task from the
information given to her.

2. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT

☐ What content have you been able to develop so far? What will be your focus for the future?
Based on the work presented in samples and her writing in the pages, I have worked with her on re-
reading her work after each draft is completed to make sure 1.it makes sense, 2. it flows and 3. the
theme is carried through. When there has been word usage that has implied a different meaning such
as apart and a part, I have demonstrated through the use of a pencil and a pencil case, how to use
them in the right context. Once she saw the first example, she immediately recognised for the second
sample in her work. ‘AHA’. Focus of the future I will look at when I review todays effort.
next week I have asked her to think of what she can teach me about Clontarf.

3. PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

☐ Does your student engage with ICT? Can you integrate the use of ICT for effective learning?
She is very effective with her ICT usage. KE knows her way around a PC quite proficiently. After many
weeks of not being able to do much online in the past, she has gone online this weekend and started
to change to suit her theme. KE has added 5 pages of writing and completed 8 pages of photos this
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 week. With approximately 2 weeks left to add in whatever is going to be added, we will work on doing
finishing touches in the final week before editing.

4. CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

☐ How are you avoiding the concept of "shame" within your teaching? Is it an issue for your student?
It has not been a problem with KE as she has been focused but I am aware of that when I sitting with her, I am
sitting far enough away and giving her the space to escape if she felt the need to.

5. ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING

☐ Consider mapping the learning using the First Steps map of development for reading /writing. How could this
information be used for future planning? I find that unless I see it done first hand myself that I find it difficult to
transfer the learning to my instruction. I would like to have someone sit with me and show me how to map
across properly, just once or twice, as this is how I learn most effectively.

6. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
☐ What helps you to reflect? How could you encourage your students to also be reflective? Reflecting immediately
after the session works. I speak it into Samsung Memos and then I can copy and paste over into the doc. Asking
questions is something I have to stop relying on all the time to ascertain a viewpoint.

WEEK 7: READINGS
SCRA website : http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Australian_Curriculum
o Cross curriculum priorities
o English Year 10 curriculum
Guide to developing Personalised Learning Plans. Retrieved from
http://www.whatworks.edu.au/upload/1311202974899_file_CoreIssues10.pdf

"TAKE HOME MESSAGES" - SHARE 5 MESSAGES

1. – Personalised learning plans have been integrated in the school I am in for years now and

do go a long way to helping the students themselves see the goals and road they can follow to

succeed.

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2. – PLPs fit well with the learning cycle. Planning, teaching, assessing with reflection helps

them to develop the strategy for use in life outside of school.

3. – 4 Key Questions- Where is the student at now? Where should they be? How will they get

to where they should be? How will we know when they get there?

4. – Could we use the checklist to determine the improvement for student outcomes?

5. – No one best fit for all. The plans must fit the context of the school and the community it

dwells in.

LESSON 7: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Discuss the use of personalized learning plans in the literacy program
o Review the Capability Framework and its links to the AITSL standards
o Share their progress of the learning task.

1. PERSONALISED LEARNING PLANS

☐ What are PLP's and how do they support learning? – Personalised means knowing where the student
is at and working forward from there. Projecting where they need to be can be done with the aid of
the Aboriginal Framework and the EAL/D Maps. A proficient teacher then applies the knowledge from
where the student is at with where they need to go to form a plan of action with the student. Ensuring
they are along with the journey makes it more meaningful if the student can see the signposts of
where they are going. Reflecting on where they have gotten to then starts the process off again in a
continually revolving cycle forward. Some may be slow in their track, some may be fast. Each
individual will have control over this course. Students must not be penalised for how slow or fast they
go. No two brains think alike, therefore, expectations of all cannot be the same.

2. CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK AND AITSL STANDARDS

☐ What do you see as the links between these documents? How might you use these?
AITSL standards are first, very much about the student. KNOW YOUR STUDENT AND HOW THEY
LEARN. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT comes next. These two are the most important
to be able to effectively follow with the rest. The student/s are our focus. So, knowing where they are
at through the frameworks available, to be able to judge this effectively, means we will then be in the
best position to effectively teach what they are missing or need to move onto.
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 They must develop proficiency in SAE to attain equal access to classroom learning across the
curriculum, including achieving in literacy and numeracy. (Capability Framework Teaching Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander EAL/D learners, 2013).
To develop this proficiency, teachers need to be acutely aware that no matter what level of SAE
Aboriginal students have, what they bring with them culturally is to be always respected and never
seen as deficient. The Framework refers to these as ‘heritage languages’. (Capability Framework
Teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander EAL/D learners, 2013).

The standards align with the proficiency of the teacher. I believe my proficiency is still very much at a graduate level.
I hope to become highly accomplished within a reasonably short period of time with the Professional Learning and
the collegial support I already have established within the school context I work in. I would like to become more
proficient by going to the rural centres and experiencing more of a local context and become more fluent in the
ways and culture of Aboriginal Peoples from all parts of the country.

3. PROJECT PROGRESS
☐ How are you progressing? What support do you need?
The progress has been with a lot of practice. Practice that will continue in a life-long way. I find that I
have a great amount of people I can tap into so I can progress better each time. I am grateful for a
collegial support that is not surpassed by any other in so many great mentors already in Education.

4. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
☐ What's working well? What might you do differently?
Quiet and mild sharing of the time and space works well. Allowing the student to be absorbed in the task as she
wants, works well. Occasionally reflecting on what is being done and changing the plan if necessary due to work
needing to be finished, works well. Making a plan at the end of each session for the next with the student works
well.

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WEEK 8: READINGS
Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Education. (3rd ed.).
Chap. 10 : Learning from Country

YOUR SUMMARY OF THE "TAKE HOME MESSAGES" (P. 231)

1. Be careful when referring to Aboriginal Peoples as being a past lived life. It is the oldest continuing culture.
2. Keep it local and relevant to the surrounding community.
3. ‘Country’ is a key concept for Aboriginal Peoples and for the Curriculum unit of HASS.
4. A garden can be an integral part of the learning. Use the yarning circle, which is a regular part of life.
5. Connection is everything. From birth to death. A cycle still being lived today. Humans are not disconnected.

LESSON 8: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Discuss the challenges of using ICT in the learning program
o Share the ICT tools that have been useful in the program
o Reflect on the use of ICT in the future

1. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY LEARN (AITSL)

☒ What experience has your student had in the area of ICT? What tools do they prefer to use?
The student is very proficient with the tools and the knowledge of how to use them. She has a
preference for Canva, an application for making different sources of design. There was a prowess in
how she manipulated and navigated the applications. She has a natural ability and flair for creating
designs and working using pictures and options of layout. I asked her to consider design in some form
as a career choice to pursue due to her ability. The student does not as yet know what it is she wants
to do, but she is intending to finish to Year 12 like her older sibling in the same college.

2. KNOW THE CONTENT AND HOW TO TEACH IT

☐ How might you improve the skills of your student? What is expected at this level of the curriculum?
I have been observing all the weeks of how I can help her improve. I have found that with the short
space of time and needing to build a relationship enough to gain her trust, I have helped her in
small steps along the way. We edit as we go and share as we need. I am pleased she could talk to me
so frankly on two occasions for example, about her grandmother being from the Stolen Generations.
It is not an easy thing to talk about within family let alone with strangers. I do not feel a stranger any
more, yet, I know I have a place. It’s a short amount of time with which to do what we can. She is
seen as a highflyer for the college standards. I feel if she was at another college and graded, she
would be mid range in grading with the same year cohort. Practice with the fundamentals of English
to look for those little mistakes in how we express our language in writing would be where I would
help. Having some strategic tools in the toolbox to be able to manage the sense that she is wanting to
convey.
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3. PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
☐ What has been beneficial to you in your planning? How might you apply this learning in the future?
This guide has been the most beneficial and effective planning tool I have used so far in the course of
my degree. The layout has effectively motivated me to fill in the necessary thoughts after the session
and tie them up with the readings of the week. A back-end approach that has been valuable for me. I
have taken so much more from this experience than before and I will use this format to develop
similar planning-teaching-assessing-reflecting in the future

4. CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

☐ Is your student willing to share about their home and community? What have you learnt about them? About
their community? About them as a person?
I was honoured to learn, over time, all that the student wanted me to know about her family and her home. I
met one of her Aunties that works here in the College. Her family is warm and giving and share a natural
comfortableness around other people. After a couple of weeks working at the tables, I observed an
uncomfortableness. I suggested due to me needing some power for the laptop that we move to the cubicles.
From that week on, she relaxed and was engrossed in the task for the majority of the time. It was obvious that
this was not a chore for her and she is looking forward to see the finished product. She is a quiet girl, who self-
confessed that she doesn’t have a lot to say at most times. She speaks with thought beforehand. A trait I have
seen many times from people who are from a distant community. They value the words as mentioned before,
to listen much, watch more and speak little.

5. ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING

☐ Does your student have any particular goals or aspirations? How might you find this information? Is it
important for you to know? Travel was her biggest aspiration. we discussed this as par of one of the pages in
the book. She has added the places that are on her bucket list and we discussed the places I have been to. I
recommended she try to start visiting places as soon as she can. I felt it was important not to probe too much. I
have observed that unless a person feels especially comfortable with you, they will only tell you what you need
to know. This kind of mentality has been a force for safety and security in the past and is a matter of trust. So
it pays to know your limits and not be disappointed when the information is not freely given.

6. REFLECTIONS (SERVICE-LEARNING)
☐ What helps you to reflect?
I utilize technology in order to reflect after an experience. I used Samsung Notes to talk through my thoughts for
the session on the way back home in the car. This allowed me to put down on audio my thoughts, feelings and a
clear run sheet of the session. Reflecting audially is easier and more expressive than writing notes. Now, I can
simply have talk to text and then transfer the file to my laptop to be edited and added into the notes. I try also to
attach what I have experienced to what I know, what I have read and what I think I will do.

Looking at Helen’s message below, I wish to disagree with her sentiments. As with most things, this does not apply
to everyone. Character can be developed not only with sweat and hard work, but with a quiet determination to
complete something if having the ability, they are left alone to do it.

A thought to begin:
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be
strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” Helen Keller (1880-1968)
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WEEK 9: READINGS
o Cain, Glenda B. (2016) "Hand in hand we learn together: Service-learning changing pre-service
teachers' perceptions of Aboriginal people and culture.,"
eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: http://researchonline.nd.edu.au/ecea/vol3/iss1/2

o Chambers, D. J., & Lavery, S. D. (2012). Service-learning: A valuable component of pre-service teacher
education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37 (4).

"TAKE HOME MESSAGES". SHARE 5 MESSAGES

1. The Australia wide, needed, shift away from ‘teaching to’ to ‘teaching with’

Aboriginal & Torres Strait students.

2. Building of relationships being the catalyst for change in attitude and mentality.

3. Empathy - the ability to walk in someone else’s skin. Very important to be able

to see from another person’s perspective without letting our own thoughts,

mentality and judgements encroach on their reality.

4. Be resilient - keep going and try to find the connection.

5. Reflect on our own practice after each day, to be able to practise to make

progress.

Learning Log Due: Friday 27/09/19 4pm

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 LESSON 9: GUIDE
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Share ideas about the service-learning experience at Clontarf.

11 WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

I have learnt that no matter where Aboriginal students are, in remote, rural or urban areas,
they all have similar ways of learning across their cohorts. That listening to them is most
important, but not just the words, watching the body language is sometimes more important
than the verbal. Many times, words are said so as they give what they think you want from
them. Noticing the uncomfortableness or the displeasure or ‘shame’ of what they are
asked, is a skill and one often overlooked as being ‘silly’.
Feeling ‘shame’ is a real and deep part of Aboriginal way, and not one to be belittled. When
you can show that you understand this, and act accordingly, they respect you even more. For
example, I asked a teacher connected to the students for advice on the standard of English
being used in the product. I respectfully asked quietly, but to my horror, the teacher said,
‘let’s go and take a look shall we’. She took over the laptop and said, ‘we will have a look at
a page’. Without even asking the student. All I could think about was the ‘shame’ the
student might have felt at being intruded on like this. I still to this day don’t remember the
few minutes we had, because of the embarrassment I felt for the student.
I saw a few assumptions about students that I read were supposed to be different. So, I
have learnt most that the relationships are so much more important to get right before the
learning happens. I worked with a student whose potential is of a greater strength than
many of the students I have worked with. I have seen the joy also of working with someone
who has a quiet mild spirit and a quiet achiever, that given the time and space, can achieve
beautiful things.

22 WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED?

I have achieved a new perspective to reflection in how I interact with Aboriginal students from
different parts of the country. I see that ‘our way’, ‘school way’ and ‘home way’ can be impacted by
the three not marrying together based on each perspective. I strongly believe we need to de-colonise
many of ‘our ways’ and see how we can do things better. Understanding the comical way of learning
and understanding that young people have is one way that needs to be seen in a different light. Many
words and ways of speaking make things easier to understand, but a misunderstanding in the way
things are, sets the scene for most joking around and fun making to be seen as mischievous and
naughty.
Greater insight to the ways of Aboriginal learning, not them fitting into ours under the guise
of ’becoming more accessible to develop proficiency in SAE to attain equal access to classroom
learning across the curriculum, including achieving in literacy and numeracy’(Capability Framework
Teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander EAL/D learners, 2013), I believe, will be the way of the
future.

WHAT SUPPORT IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT?

I

I believe the student will be able to successfully complete the project with one final week of editing and any
additional layout work. She is pleased with the look of her book and I am too!

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 WEEK 10 - NON-CONTACT WEEK
A thought to begin:
“Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world
was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our
marching onward.” Henry Ford (1863-1947)

WEEK 11:
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Reflect on the achievements and challenges
o Review the assignment criteria for the reflective journal

1. HOW WILL YOU CONSTRUCT YOUR REFLECTIVE JOURNAL?

o Review the assignment requirements and rubric.
o Reflect on your journey. Record your thoughts and share these with the group.
O

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 WEEK 12: EXAM REVISION WEEK
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Debrief the learning experience
o Review, reflection and complete a social analysis of the service learning experience.
o Prepare for the examination

STUDY GUIDE TOPICS

1. Why are sound pedagogical relationships important when working with Aboriginal students?

Discuss your experiences in developing these relationships at Clontarf Aboriginal College.

2. Describe the practices you have used to support the literacy learning of the students at Clontarf.

3. How can personalised approaches to learning contribute to improved outcomes for Aboriginal students?

Describe the characteristics of high-quality personalised learning in the context of your work at Clontarf

Aboriginal College?

4. What is service-learning? Illustrate key elements of service-learning through your experiences at Clontarf

Aboriginal College.

5. To date, what successes and challenges have you had in your literacy program? In considering your

progress, what do you hope to achieve in the final weeks of term?

A thought to begin:
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
 WEEK 13: CLONTARF VISIT TO UNDA
Consolidate your exam revision by reflecting on the readings, your journal writing and class discussions.

LESSON 13: GUIDE

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
Students will
o Debrief the learning experience
o Review, reflection and complete a social analysis of the service-learning experience.
o Prepare for the examination

1. WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE DURING THE STUDENTS’ VISIT NOTRE DAME?

2. HOW DID THIS MAKE YOU FEEL? WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

References
Annandale, Kevlynn. (2004). First steps reading resource book : addressing current
literacy challenges (2nd ed.). Port Melbourne, Vic: Harcourt
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