Cultural Awareness Module 3

Understanding Indigenous learners requires teachers to individualise learning plans for all Victorian Koorie students.

Teachers are also required to build and maintain relationships with their local communities in order to localise learning that connects to and understands your Koorie students.

On completion of this module you have gained insight into the possibilities for a diverse range of activities for Aboriginal students.

You will think further about the importance of having high expectations for your Aboriginal students and how this is paramount for their learning.

The following digital stories are about Koorie learners with Boonwurrung Elder Aunty Carolyn Briggs and their recording of A Day on the Bay.

As a teacher you should think about how you can take learning outside of the classroom and see what opportunities exist in our own local community to work with Victorian Aboriginal people.

Watch the stories created by a group of year eight students from Thornbury High School.

In the Mildura initiative to boosting retention, the major corporate partner was:

Banjilaka is part of:

A KELP IS

Results

Your score: %

Congratulations you have completed the first part of Module 3. It is now time to complete your checklist.

The checklist will allow you to assess your school practice and give you suggested action items to help make your school inclusive of Aboriginal people.

Enter your name in the box below and choose submit to begin the checklist.

The school has engaged the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to provide local role models and mentors for students.

Classroom teachers meet with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' parents

Parent meetings with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents are held off the school site if requested.

The school is involved in activities within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

We track the literacy and numeracy outcomes of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

We use a wide range of culturally diverse and appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teaching and learning materials.

Teachers know who their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are, and understand the importance of their identity and family connections.

Teachers are aware of the individual learning needs and strengths of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and demonstrate this in their planning and teaching strategies.

They have developed a variety of teaching strategies in order to give students access to other learning styles.

Our school is providing appropriate literacy support that will result in accelerated outcomes for individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

We have individual learning programs for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students are represented in our gifted and talented programs.

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have equal access to the Reading Recovery program.

We run a series of transition programs for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. For example, Pre school,Years 2-3,Years 6-7,Years 10-12.

Teachers develop appropriate programs of work adapted to meet the individual needs of students.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education issues are regular items on our staff meeting agenda.

We have a specific targeted engagement program in place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students that can be measured through improved attendance.

We provide leadership opportunities for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

We track our mobile/transient students and provide receiving schools with appropriate information to ensure continuity of education programs.

We have narrowed the achievement gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in literacy and numeracy.

We have visited the Koorie Learning Resources website (state and sector-based).

The school has a Health and Wellbeing Education Committee with representation from parents and other relevant community members such as Aboriginal Police Liaison Officers, local Elders and Aboriginal Health Workers.

Thank You for completing the checklist

To save and print your checklist you will need to:

Click on the Submit Button
To print - Right Click and then select Save Page As
Open Page and then Right Click and Print

#	Checklist Question	Answer
	Name
1	The school has engaged the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to provide local role models and mentors for students.
2	Classroom teachers meet with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ parents.
3	Parent meetings with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents are held off the school site if requested.
4	The school is involved in activities within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
5	We track the literacy and numeracy outcomes of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
6	We use a wide range of culturally diverse and appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teaching and learning materials.
7	Teachers know who their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are, and understand the importance of their identity and family connections.
8	Teachers are aware of the individual learning needs and strengths of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and demonstrate this in their planning and teaching strategies.
9	They have developed a variety of teaching strategies in order to give students access to other learning styles.
10	Our school is providing appropriate literacy support that will result in accelerated outcomes for individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
11	We have individual learning programs for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
12	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students are represented in our gifted and talented programs.
13	Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have equal access to the Reading Recovery program.
14	We run a series of transition programs for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. For example, Pre school,Years 2-3,Years 6-7,Years 10-12.
15	Teachers develop appropriate programs of work adapted to meet the individual needs of students.
16	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education issues are regular items on our staff meeting agenda.
17	We have a specific targeted engagement program in place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students that can be measured through improved attendance.
18	We provide leadership opportunities for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
19	We track our mobile/transient students and provide receiving schools with appropriate information to ensure continuity of education programs.
20	We have narrowed the achievement gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in literacy and numeracy.
21	We have visited the Koorie Learning Resources website (state and sector-based).
22	The school has a Health and Wellbeing Education Committee with representation from parents and other relevant community members such as Aboriginal Police Liaison Officers, local Elders and Aboriginal Health Workers.