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The resource I have identified to support and expand children’s knowledge around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s Indigenous language, is the website 50 Words created by Nordlinger and Thieberger (n.d.), investigated and created in the Research Unit of Indigenous Language, which is referred to as RUIL, at the University of Melbourne in partnership with First Languages Australia. RUIL works closely alongside Indigenous communities across Australia where they have been provided permission to include Indigenous Language, and the words spoken throughout the website are provided by language speakers of that land (The University of Melbourne, n.d.).

This resource engages our students with a surface level of understanding the importance language holds in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clans.
Language is a connection between the people, spirits and the land of the country. Language is used to reinforce views held by Australian Indigenous people through the generations. Language is used to describe attitudes, customs, and beliefs. Language is a part of Australian Indigenous people’s stories, and these stories can be verbal, or used throughout their dance or drawings to share their history and beliefs. (Paton, 2015)

The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (2017), provides teachers with standard 2.4 which ensures that teachers demonstrate an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s histories, cultures, and language. This resource provides educators with a basic understanding of 50 words which they can then incorporate into their curriculum and share in a simple but effective way with their students.

The Australian Curriculum (2022) describes each subject in the curriculum as having learning areas which can promote the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture. The learning area in the curriculum that this resource connects predominantly with is English. Children can begin to build awareness and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s literature and language when it is used to describe stories through oral narrative, dance, song, and imagery. 50 Words provides children with vocabulary to use in their everyday environments, language that describes the environment around them, or to use for their morning greeting, and in other language-based parts of their school routine. Building this language knowledge will enhance children’s understanding of First Australians’ meaning of language in a positive way, which will hopefully encourage and promote a well-educated understanding of who the First People of Australia were.

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Wingaru is an online resource for Early and Primary Education. It is a resource created by Aboriginal People on the land of Gadigal Country, and Wingaru means, “to think” in Darung language. This resource offers respectful and informative information for both children and educators. Wingaru’s mission is to change the way Australians think and talk about Aboriginals. The app provides Early Childhood Education with an introduction to an Aboriginal perspective with this section of the resource is aimed at children aged between one to five. The app provides children with three sections; videos, games which are created with play-based learning intentions, and learning which supports and develops knowledge of those using the app. This resource is interactive and engaging and has been created alongside the three focuses of the Aboriginal Education Framework. This provides educators with confidence that the resource they are providing children includes relevant outcomes to the framework, as the activities suggested are custom designed to be appropriate, interactive, and engaging. (Wingaru Education, 2020)

Children build reciprocity through sharing and understanding another’s traditions, practices, and common values. Children who are provided opportunities to understand and build their knowledge around settings other then what they know in their own home and kinship group, allows relationships and connections to build. Providing children with this resource supports their learning to connect and contribute to other’s sense of belonging, thereby creating reconciliation across their school and future social settings (Victorian Early Years Learning Framework, 2016).

Standard 1.4 from The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (2017), provides graduates with a standard that demonstrates broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and the backgrounds of student from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Backgrounds. This resource supports this standard nicely as there is an informative amount of documentation provided by the website including profession development documentation, and support with understanding the Aboriginal Educational Framework and Cultural Awareness Training (Wingaru Education, 2020). This website is provides educators with a broad sense of knowledge and understanding, and with this support they will have the basic education needed for creating a welcoming, respectful, and educational environment for Australian Indigenous Peoples.

The Australian Curriculum (2022) describes that there are two distinctive needs in our country’s education system which we are working towards. One of these is ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures are a priority for all students to engage with in reconciliation, respect, and recognition to the world’s oldest living cultures. This app provides children with the education needed to deepen their knowledge, and learn in a fun and engaging manner.

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Little J and Big Cuz (2022) is an educational digital resource which provides support for Early Years Learning Educators with the opportunity to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, awareness and skill into their teaching and learning program. This program is beneficial for those children who have not started school as it provides an insight of what the school will hold. There are short videos, digital books, and games provided for children.

This resource was funded by Screen Tasmania which received support from many ethical Australian companies. I have listed a few of them in the following: The Australian Council for Educational Resource, Aboriginal Melbourne, The Australian Government, The Torres Strait Regional Authority, SNAICC and many more ethical Australian companies. The actors who are playing Australian First Nation Character’s identify as either Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples. This resource provides educators with an engaging document giving educators knowledge and strategies to implement Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander perspectives and pedagogies into their classroom environment. (Little J and Big Cuz, 2022)

This resource provides Educators with a television series which supports educators to provide children with knowledge around Aboriginal worldviews as well as the past, present, and future knowledge that Country continues to hold for Australian Fist Nation People. Sharing knowledge with children around country provides them with a connection that they will then share with those around them in their class and community. They will then understand that country is a sense of belonging to people and the land. Learning about country provides children with knowledge about values they share with others, and different traditions and practices. Children can see that they have a lot more in common with others, creating a sense that everyone belongs to country (Victorian Early Years Learning Framework, 2016.

The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (2017), states that teachers need to demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture. This resource provides Educators with a document connected to each episode which provides information about different ways Educators can extend children’s learning. They discuss each episode in regard to what message the episode holds, how the curriculum plays a part in each episode and which outcomes the episode is connected to, and has a further explanation of how this is achieved. This is a resource that is not solely beneficial for children but also provides educators with meaningful and practical information to strengthen their pedagogy.

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ABC Kids published a video in 2022 created by Play School, “Play School’s Acknowledgement of Country”.  Play School (2022) explain that this video was formed in partnership with Aboriginal Early Childhood Education Consultant, Jessica Staines and Early Childhood Education Consultant, Dr Red Ruby Scarlet. We learn at the beginning of this video the country the presenters are from and how to say hello in their traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language. An additional resource for Educators is provided by this video as a PDF which holds further information about everything presented in the video. There are provocations on how Educators can extend children’s learning throughout each scene, information about the presenters who stared in the video, further information about the doll who was introduced into the play school community, and how separately each component of the video is linked to the Early Years Learning Framework.

This resource provides educators with a 27-minute video which can be paused as we unpack the history, culture, and beliefs of First Nation Australians to the children during our curriculum. The content is joyful and shares knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through different elements of dance, song, music and craftmanship as they tell stories during each element. There is also a component of sharing knowledge with children about how we can care for our country and take care of our environment. (Play School, 2022)

This resource provides educators and children with an informative start to speaking about country; what country is, how can we care for it, what country provides us, and to build an understanding of why it is important to acknowledge the land that we now live on and who our land belongs to. This resource educates children on the multi-dimensional meaning of what country is. Rose (1996), states that country consists of many different components. To name a few of these they are people, animals, plants, dreaming, soil, water, air, sea, and sky. She explains that Aboriginal people classify these components as being part of their country. This resource is a platform we can utilise and expand on to build children’s knowledge around country and to start to build an awareness of how children see our country and appreciate all that country has to offer to one’s individual self and their family.

The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (2017), explains that exhibiting a broad understanding and adequate knowledge is important when sharing information to children about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s history, culture, and language. As I mentioned above there is an additional PDF document which has provocations on how educators can extend children’s learning throughout each scene, information about the presenters who stared in the video, further information about the doll who was introduced into the play school community and how separately each component of the video is linked to the Early Years Learning Framework. Educators will then hold a broad understanding of what kind of information this video holds to share with their students.

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ABC. (2022). Play School’s Acknowledgment of Country. https://www.abc.net.au/abckids/shows/play-school/extension-ideas/play-school-acknowledgement-of-country/11382434

Australian Curriculum. (2022). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture (version 8.4). https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/

Australian Institute of Teaching Standards and Leadership. (2017). Australian Professional Standards For Teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards

First Languages Australia. (n.d.). 50 Words Project. https://www.firstlanguages.org.au/50words

Little J & Big Cuz. (2022). Preschool Resources. https://www.littlejandbigcuz.com.au/kinder

Rose, D.B. (1996). Nourishing terrains: Australian Aboriginal Views of Landscape and Wilderness. Australian Heritage Commission

The University Of Melbourne. (n.d.).50 Words Project. https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/research-unit-for-indigenous-language/research/current-research-projects/50-words-project

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2016). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf

Wergaia, G. (2015). Barra. In P.P. Creative Victoria, NYERNILA LISTEN CONTINUOUSLY (pp. 3) Creative Victoria.

Wingaru Education. (2020). Aboriginal Education Resources For Early Years Learning. https://www.wingaru.com.au/wingaru-bubs.html