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I acknowledge the Wadawurrung people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

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This portfolio is a critical reflection of my experience in completing IND202 – Australian Indigenous Education: Recognition, Relationships and Reconciliation. To further explore upon what I have learnt throughout this unit, this portfolio will reflect upon the unit as a whole as well as the lesson plans that were created for Assessment Task 2: Planning for Practice.

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I have really enjoyed and appreciated my time in this unit throughout the trimester. IND202 has shown me the significance and importance of engaging with Indigenous voices and knowledge to enrich the education of all learners. As a pre-service teacher this unit has also shown how the knowledge, history and culture of Indigenous Australians can be integrated into many aspects of the school curriculum and not only those focusing on the past. These aspects of Indigenous Australian knowledge are very important as this knowledge is relevant for all students in Australia. This unit also gave me the opportunity to engage with various texts filled with many Indigenous Australian voices, culture, history and knowledge, especially those found in Assessment Task 1: Critical Analysis. This assignment helped me understand and further explore the importance of the understanding and respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities, the significance of Country and belonging and reciprocal relationships and kinship. Whilst I had an understanding of these subjects previously, the opportunity to engage with the content at an academic level was very significant to my learning in this unit. Reading the creation stories of the Aboriginal Peoples of Victoria found in Nyernila: Listen Continuously (Creative Victoria 2014) gave me a further appreciation for the connection the Traditional Custodians of Australia have to Country and belonging. As someone who is not from an Indigenous Australian background, I can only begin to imagine the significance of this connection and reading stories about the land from this different perspective was something I found important and significant to learn.

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Critical reflection on the effectiveness of lesson plans 

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Critical reflection on the effectiveness of lesson plans 

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The lessons plans that were constructed in this unit provide students with the opportunity to engage in a respectful and insightful lesson sequence. The aim of this sequence is to engage students in questioning and challenging negative stereotypes of the past, whilst also expanding their knowledge on Indigenous Australian agriculture and aquaculture focusing on the incredible and culturally significant Budj Bim Cultural Landscape. As the students in these lessons were located on the land of the Wadawurrung People (Geelong), Budj Bim is a relevant and important topic to cover as it is located on the land of the Gunditjmara People of southwestern Victoria only around three hours away. To engage the students in the topic of Indigenous Australian agriculture and aquaculture Bruce Pascoes Young Dark Emu: A Truer History (2019) was the basis of these lessons. In reading this text myself it provided me with an insight into Indigenous Australian farming and life that I was unaware of from my previous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education through my schooling. This book questions the stereotypes of Indigenous Australians from the past, through the use of Indigenous Australian voices and the voices of colonisers whose statements has previously been disregarded (Pascoe 2019). This sequence has been designed to enrich the whole school curriculum whilst helping students to develop a greater understanding of Australian and Torres Strait Islander Culture and History. This sequence is made up of three lessons, in the first lesson students are introduced to Bruce Pascoes Young Dark Emu: A Truer History (2019) and also given the chance to respectfully share their pre-conceived ideas and knowledge of Indigenous Australian agriculture and aquaculture. During the second lesson students are introduced to the Budj Bim Cultural landscape and the history of Indigenous Australian agriculture and aquaculture. Finally, in the third lesson students will be involved in a group project creating a poster on the history and significance of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape. These lessons follow the gradual release of responsibility framework and are ultimately working towards shifting responsibility from the teacher to the learner to perform a task. This model, also known as ‘I do it, we do it, you do it’ helps children become independent and capable learners and thinkers (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2021). This framework is also an effective approach towards improving students reading comprehension and literacy outcomes (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2021). The finale of the three lessons also incorporates group work which has been shown to provide students with the opportunity to pool together different knowledge and skills, receive social support, develop new approaches they would not on their own and answer complex problems they may not be able to solve themselves (Carnegie Mellon University 2021).

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Integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches

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Integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches

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The integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches is very important when striving to create an inclusive, respectful and engaging classroom. During circle time in the beginning of this sequence of lessons, students will have the opportunity to share their stories of their own pre-conceived ideas of Indigenous Australian farming and life in a safe and respectful environment. Creating this respectful and safe environment is the integration of the timeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approach to learning, a yarning circle. In a yarning circle, participants are provided with the opportunity to speak in a non-judgemental and safe learning environment (Southern Cross University 2018:2). These circles also give the opportunity for students to share their strengths and are not focused on criticism or problem solving (Southern Cross University 2018:2). The inclusion of this style of learning in the classroom is important as dialogue has an important role in a culturally diverse society (Southern Cross University 2018:2). These lessons also incorporate a local land and place, also known as place-based learning or land links. This pedagogy involves relating and connecting the land to classroom learning (Yunkaporta 2009:6). Yunkaporta (2009:6) writes that the classroom link to land and Country should always be present as it allows for cultural integrity. Including place-based learning in these lessons promotes and gives value to the important and significant cultural identity of students (Yunkaporta, 2009:4-7). Through basing these lessons on the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape it allows for children to be able to link themselves and feel a connection to Country or understand the connection that others have with Country. Whilst I have included multiple Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches to learning in my lessons I should strive to include as many as I can, as when learning is connected through culture, teaching and learning will become more accessible, transparent and relevant for not only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students but the whole class (Edwards 2019:7).

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Critical reflection of professional development

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Critical reflection of professional development

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Studying IND202 this trimester has had an integral part in my professional development as a pre-service teacher and someone who wants to become an educator who plays a significant role in the education of students both academically and culturally. This unit has taught me how to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches respectfully and academically to learning in many cross-curriculum components of the Victorian Curriculum whilst also incorporating and emphasising the importance of Indigenous Australian voices and research. By showing me how to incorporate these into my teaching this unit has shaped the type of teacher I would like to be. This is a teacher who provides all students with the utmost opportunity to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, history and knowledge in a respectful, inclusive and safe environment. This unit has expanded my knowledge on all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, history and knowledge. I have also gained the foundational knowledge to further explore and learn about Indigenous Australian culture not only throughout my teaching career but throughout my life as an Australian. By completing Assessment Task 2: Planning for Practice I have also developed my professional experience. This was done by planning lessons, receiving feedback on my lessons and critiquing them academically.

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Improvement recommendations and ongoing professional learning and development strategy

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Improvement recommendations and ongoing professional learning and development strategy

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As this was one of my first experiences in planning lessons that are based on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge I will continue to study and improve my ability to teach and plan these lessons. To improve my lessons, I would like to include as many of the 8 ways pedagogies (Yunkaporta 2009:3) as possible. This pedagogy includes eight practical classroom strategies that incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning approaches. These include Story Telling, Learning Maps, Non-verbal, Symbols and Images, Land Links, Non-linear, Deconstruct and Community Links (Yunkaporta, 2009:4-7). To further my learning and development I will partake in as many professional learning experiences I can including academically, professionally and in my own time. This will also include my engagement in Indigenous Australian contemporary media including books and documentaries.

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In conclusion IND202 – Australian Indigenous Education: Recognition, Relationships and Reconciliation has played a substantial part in my identity as an educator. This unit has expanded my knowledge in the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture as well as the contemporary ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge is taught and incorporated into the curriculum.

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Carnegie Mellon University (2021) What are the benefits of group work?, Carnegie Mellon University, Accessed 8 October 2021

Creative Victoria (2014), Nyerlila: Listen Continuously, Creative Victoria, accessed 7 August 2021

Edwards A (2019), Sharing Knowledge , building understandings, Victorian State Government, Accessed 8 October 2021

Pascoe B (2019), Young Dark Emu: A Truer History, Magabala Books, Broome, Western Australia

Southern Cross University (2018), About Yarning Circles, Southern Cross University, Accessed 8 October 2021

Unesco (2019) Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Unesco, Accessed 10 September 2021

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2021), Support Strategies, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Accessed 8 October 2021

Yunkaporta T (2009), Aboriginal Pedagogies at the cultural interface, James Cook University, Accessed 8 October 2021