| Project
activities
Each school community has a project team consisting of:
- Teachers,
particularly those involved in literacy programs.
- Koorie
Educators (often known as Aboriginal Education Workers in
other States/Territories).
- The
Koorie Education Development Officer.
- A
representative of the local Aboriginal Education Consultative
Group (LAECG).
The
school communities involved receive the hardware, software
and training required to operate the videoconferencing equipment.
Each agrees to develop and implement an action plan, which
involves Koorie community members and is aimed at integrating
the use of videoconferencing into a larger plan for improving
literacy outcomes for participating Koorie students.
People
working in the Projects come together at a conference at least
once every year.
At
Northland Secondary College
Amanda Williams, Literacy Coordinator at Northland Secondary
College in Melbourne, explains how videoconferencing fits
in to the school's literacy program:
 We're
oriented towards a creative approach to literacy learning,
exploring texts by Indigenous authors or texts which have
relevant themes to Aboriginal Australians.
The videoconferencing is a tool. We don't develop curriculum
around videoconferencing but it is a very useful tool in the
curriculum. There are some things you can't do otherwise.
It's a way of sharing ideas and strategies.
We find people in the cohort of schools who are doing the
same sort of text that we are studying. And then…
Read
on…
Deidre
Baksh talks about how the Koorie students react to videoconferencing:
Koorie
Educator, Deidre Baksh
I find they enjoy it very
much. When we first got it they were pretty slow and quiet
and more shy than anything. But the honesty of it works.
Because they can see people from all over the place and
sometimes they see people they know. We get kids from the
bush, from country areas and all over. So it's another opportunity
for them to make the connection with family.
There's
a particular Year 7 group and they're really motivated as
a group of kids. I have been involved with every videoconference
but this group seems to be taking the initiative and they're
really interested in what they're doing and so they want
to talk about it with other Koorie kids.
I
think it's going to be really good for the kids to start
working creating their own videoconferencing and taking
more responsibility. So I think the Project is sort of opening
up things for the kids to run with themselves. I can see
them organising sessions at lunchtime to keep the project
going…
At
Corio South Primary School
Peter Pleasance, Technology Coordinator at Corio South Primary
School in Geelong, talks about the way students have reacted
to using the technology:
From a Grade 1 videoconference
We
found that the kids could adapt to the technology and they
were able to get themselves into the situation where they
could talk to other kids, some of them relatives…
At
first there was the initial technology scariness, where
they were shy and didn't like the camera but after a few
lessons and a few training sessions they got over that.
Immediately we saw a change in their attitude…
Read
on…
May
Owen is a Grade 1 teacher who is trained in Reading Recovery:
May
Owen |
 |
I
can talk about a little girl in my grade. She's six.
She's
a very shy kid but after the first videoconference
she came back really excited. When she saw there were
other Koorie kids… that was all she needed. She is
very into Aboriginal art and so is her father and
her family so she's very aware of most Koorie things.
She can recognise it and knows about it.
Read
on… |
Her
colleague, Grade 2 teacher Donna Griffen, also remember the
excitement:
Donna Griffen |
|
The
kids were excited. Although I only came in on two
sessions I did get to speak to the Horsham mob and
Haywood mobs and the children loved it because they
had relatives down there as well and they were able
to link up and talk to them.
They
look forward to it [the videoconferencing] and they
even wanted to start up at lunch time. When you got
them in they never wanted to leave. Even when lunch
time or recess came they didn't want to leave, they
just wanted to stay and talk.
It
gives them a sense of culture and being able to express
themselves as Aboriginal kids, little Koorie kids.
More
about Corio South… |
|
