[Trauma warning] Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people are
advised that this video contains images and voices of people who may have passed away.
[Mel] I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we're visiting today
Gunggandji Country. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.
We acknowledge that this land always was, and always will be Gunganji Country.
In the last segment we looked at how Yarrabah State School
used their three levels of planning and moderation processes to support making
the Australian Curriculum accessible and culturally and contextually appropriate.
In this segment, we're going to discover how a Year 2 teacher sets her students up for success,
by providing the curriculum in a relevant way.
[Julia] We use the 'Process for differentiating unit planning' to
cater for the needs and interests of our students.
So when determining the pedagogical practices and teaching strategies for each unit,
we consider the nature of the curriculum, the learning, and the learner.
We align the marking guide with the achievement standards and then
look at the content descriptions so we know what we need to teach and assess.
We then create student-friendly 'I can'
statements, and co-construct 'Bump it up' walls within our classes.
This helps students to access and refer to what they've been learning
and understand the criteria for success.
This allows students to reflect on their work and it provides us with
a clear way to provide feedback on progress and goals for students and their learning.
I also plan for adjustments within other learning areas including Maths and Science
by looking at the literacy demands of assessment tasks.
We provide a range of opportunities for students to be able to demonstrate their understanding.
For example, to assess division last term, rather than using a written assessment on paper,
students were able to use the 'Draw and Tell' app on their iPads to demonstrate their understanding.
[Julia]
To ensure I set my students up for success, I use a number of strategies.
So each morning we have 'soft starts' which enables me and my education assistant to be
able to check in with each student and ensure that they're ready for learning.
We have a whole class yarning circle where students participate in an
acknowledgement of country and then check in using our self-awareness tools.
This develops personal and social capabilities.
If a student requires further support and they're not yet ready for learning,
the education assistant is able to talk to them and offer further support.
[Natalya] After we check in with Miss Julia we head off to learning.
I tell Miss Julia how I feel and why.
[Nathaniel] When I'm happy I'm ready to learn.
[Julia]
First I ask myself, "What is it that my students need to be able to know and do?"
And then I ask, "How am I going to be able to get them there?"
Considering the nature of the learners in my class, I always consider the oral language and
prior knowledge required, before the written or practical element of each task can be completed.
I also need to consider how the students in my class learn,
and the most engaging way for them to be able to achieve success.
I think about what students can say and understand in Standard Australian English
and where they use Yarrie Lingo.
There are many differences between both languages - including sounds,
grammar, vocabulary, and meaning.
If students say certain sounds and phrases in Yarrie Lingo,
I plan to explicitly teach them how to say it in Standard Australian English, and use it in
context, then provide multiple opportunities, and spaced practice, so students become proficient.
So for example, if my students are talking or writing in past tense
in Yarrie Lingo they would say, "I bin go."
So I know to set them up for success when they're writing in Standard Australian English,
they need to write, "I went."
When students are writing, I ask them to say it to themselves, a friend, or me, before they write it.
Students need to be able to speak before they can write,
so we provide lots of practice for this to ensure success.
My education assistant and I work with students and emphasise that students
are smart because they can speak three languages here in Yarrabah.
Speaking a home language other than Standard Australian English is not a deficit,
we can use it to strengthen the understanding of the students we teach.
We promote a safe and positive learning culture,
where it's okay for students to speak Yarrie Lingo, but we also build upon that
to teach them how to say things and write things in Standard Australian English as well.
We strive to teach Standard Australian English
while maintaining value and respect for the home language of students.
This can also incorporate gestures and hand signals to help students have multi-sensory
learning experiences, so that they're better able to understand and retain their learning.
For example, in phonics when we're learning a new sound and we're learning how to spell the sound,
we'll air write them and make them with our bodies and consolidate these each day.
Daily yarning circles allow us to reinforce rehearsed phrases in Standard Australian English.
Part of phonics and reading instruction incorporates articulation,
as some sounds in Standard Australian English are not part of Yarrie Lingo.
For me it's about catering to my students needs, considering their culture and our shared context.
[Mel] As a department, we aim to ensure that all students become
successful lifelong learners, and active and informed members of their community.
There are a number of departmental resources available on the Assessment
and Moderation Hub to support schools to plan for providing the curriculum in a relevant way.
How are you planning to ensure that all students can access the Australian Curriculum
in a culturally and contextually relevant way?