Cultural Perspectives on Learning: Learning package

Cultural Perspectives on Learning: Building the foundations for working with

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Professional learning workshop to accompany the resource.

©2013 Shift Consulting Group Pty Ltd.

This professional learning package is a companion to Cultural Perspectives on Learning: Building the foundations for working with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Developed by Jenny Summerville &

Jayne Hokanson from Shift Consulting Group in

collaboration with Child Australia

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge that we are meeting today on Larrakia Country. We pay our respects to all Larrakia people both past and present. We are committed to working together with the Larrakia people to improve outcomes for children and families.

Who is this professional learning workshop aimed at?

Practitioners and other professionals seeking to:

  Learn how to use this resource as a platform for relationship building and community engagement

  Plan, implement and evaluate collaborative programs with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander families

  Build capacity within their organisation to utilise the resource through delivery of this workshop to their team

What are you here for?

What do you want to learn?

What do you

expect?

Purpose of this professional learning workshop

To explore effective

facilitation processes and

strategies to use with this resource

when working with Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander people

To outline the action planning

process that can be undertaken

utilising the tools contained in the

resource and accompanying

worksheets

To provide a snapshot of the

Cultural Perspectives on

Learning resource and explore how it might be used when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this workshop participants will:

  Be familiar with the purpose, content and potential uses of the Cultural Perspectives on Learning resource

  Understand the key principles of yarning as an approach for building relationships and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

  Understand how the resource can support collaborative planning, delivery and evaluation of programs that improve outcomes for children and families

Snapshot: What’s in the resource? This resource contains 4 sections:

The importance of

early childhood

development

What is culture

anyway?

Getting to know each

other

Provocations for practice

+Snapshots of the resource What’s inside

Snapshot: The importance of early childhood development (ECD)

  To encourage the user to situate the child at the centre of the family for any work with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander families.

  To provide information about the Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological model of human development to enhance understanding of the multiple systems that influence a child’s life

  The influence of ECD.

  ECD outcomes for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children.

  Theoretical underpinnings.

  Supports for children’s development & education through the ecological lens.

Purpose of this section Content


Key concepts

  In Australia there is substantial disparity between ECD outcomes for Aboriginal & non-Aboriginal children according to AEDI 2012 results

  Early childhood experiences shape resilience and later success in adulthood

  3 key influences in the early years:   Family & home   Early learning environments   Schools

  The success of transitions from one environment to another has an influence on performance and achievement in that setting and beyond

Theoretical underpinnings

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of human development provides a useful lens for considering children’s worlds in early childhood


Bronfenbrenner’s ecological lens illuminates:

  The importance of placing the child at the centre of the family in any work with children and families

  The different microsystems that are navigated by children in their early years

  The importance of collaboration, communication and information sharing between microsystems to support children’s success in early learning settings and schools

  The broader societal and historical influences that impact on a child’s ability to thrive in any microsystem as well as a family’s ability to support their children’s learning in early learning settings and schools

When considering ECD through an ecological lens, supports for each system can be established – the resource provides examples in section 1.


Snapshot: What is culture anyway?

  To explore the notion of culture

  To provide a foundation for exploring and reflecting on culture from mainstream and non-mainstream cultural perspectives

  To explain the importance of developing cultural proficiency when working with diverse cultural groups

  Definitions and insights about culture

  Cultural inequality

  Cultural awareness and cultural proficiency

  Core skills & the journey to cultural competence

  EC settings & the journey to cultural competence


Snapshot: What is culture anyway?

Reflect on this quote and discuss…What does it say about culture?

“To know us, you need to acknowledge us, and be patient. You need to listen. We look, we listen, we learn. That’s why we learn your culture. Indigenous mob have different cultures from different communities. Central, Arnhem, Inland mob, we all sit back and look to learn.”

Snapshot: What is culture anyway? Key concepts

  The dimensions of culture are complex, multifaceted and interconnected

  Consideration of the history of cultures is important to place different cultural understandings in context

  Culture is not static - new-found ideas and insights are integrated into our thinking and practice over time and become part of our ‘culture’

This understanding provides a foundation to build relationships that are based on an exploration of culture and culturally-driven assumptions about ‘who I am’ and ‘who you are’ from the specific perspectives of individuals, families and communities.

Snapshot: What is culture anyway? Cultural awareness & Cultural Proficiency:

“Cultural proficiency requires more than becoming culturally aware or practicing tolerance. It is the ability to identify and challenge one’s own cultural assumptions, values and beliefs and to make a commitment to communicating at the cultural interface” SNAICC, 2012, p.1.

Cultural Destructiveness

Cultural Incapacity

Cultural Blindness

Cultural Pre-competence

Cultural Competence

Cultural Proficiency

‘We take care of our

own’

‘All people are the same’

‘We have policies in

place’

‘We engage in mutual

adaption to benefit all’

‘This is our frame of

reference for all we do.’

‘We are superior’

  Where do you fit on the Cultural Competence Continuum?

  Where does your organisation fit?

Snapshot: What is culture anyway? Cultural competence is an ongoing process of examination of personal beliefs on an individual level and monitoring practices and processes on an organisational level.

Consider…

What are the core skills needed to interact in a culturally competent manner?

Snapshot: What is culture anyway? Core skills for culturally competent practice

Awareness of own

culture & biases

Focus on breaking

down own biases &

understanding effect on

others

Culture specific

knowledge Understanding

institutional barriers for

disadvantaged cultural groups

Ability to build strong cross-

cultural relationships &

be at ease with difference

Flexibility & adaptability

to work in diverse

environments Willingness & ability to be an ally for

people different from

us

Effective communication

skills across cultures

Ability to mediate

cross-cultural conflicts

Snapshot: What is culture anyway? Learning Journey of Cultural Competence:

How might you use this framework to understand the behaviour of others in relation to cross-cultural engagement?

Source: Educators Belonging, Being & Becoming: Educator’s Guide to the Australian Early Years Learning Framework, p.26.

Snapshot: Getting to know each other

  To provide guidance for setting the foundations for relationship development.

  To focus on what is required to create a safe space for relationships to develop

  To explores the process of beginning conversations in ways that make it possible for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to work together, share knowledge and learn from each other.

  Understanding & respecting time

  Beginning the conversation

  Learning about the history

  Setting the foundations for relationships

  Talking points



Reflect on this quote and discuss…In what ways do the different perspectives of time impact on your work with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people?

“Generally most (Aboriginal) people do not see time like an arrow…that you are heading somewhere, on your way up. There is no notion like that in Aboriginal psychology and thinking. This immediately separates it from Western time in which you orient towards some end .” – (Graham, cited in Adams 2009)

Snapshot: Getting to know each other Key concepts

  Flexible timeframes are important as family and community responsibilities often take priority.

  Time is needed to get to know a person, and to establish the trusting relationship needed to work together and achieve outcomes.

  Identity is tied closely to family and country and status is linked to age, knowledge, family roles and relationships. Approaching introductions by talking about your family and country can open the door to conversation.

  Sharing your history and learning the other person’s history provides the foundation for shared perspectives and understanding.

Snapshot: Getting to know each other Principles for setting the foundations for relationships

  We all come to the table as people

  We all come to the table with knowledge that is equally valuable

  We all come to the table with children at the centre of our view

  We all come to the table prepared to learn and take turns to teach

  We recognise that our priorities may differ and commit to developing a shared understanding of what we are seeking to achieve together


Talking points

The resource provides a valuable process for beginning conversations about collective interests and to focus on developing shared goals.

What do we want to

achieve together?

Talking Points

What steps do we

need to take

together?

What do we want to understand

about others?

What do

we want to learn?

What do we want others to

understand about us?

What do we want for our

children?

Snapshot: Provocations for practice

  To provide ideas, talking points and activities to assist people to engage in constructive conversations about children’s learning.

  To encourage observation, listening, discussion and reflection.

  To provide a process to identify and agree on shared approaches to proactively support children’s learning and development.

  Exploring Home: Children’s primary microsystem

  Transitions: from home to education – from one microsystem to another


Snapshot: Provocations for practice Structure of this section

Reflecting together

Professional reflections

Exploring children’s

perspectives

Reflection questions to explore together as a group and learn from each other.

For practitioners to reflect on what they have learned

from families and how this relates to practice.

Activities that can be explored with families or in the educational or program setting.

Snapshot: Provocations for practice Key themes

Home Exploring Home:

Children’s primary

microsystem Family

Culture Trust

Values

Respect

Autonomy, safety & security

The education

setting Transition: from home to

education (from one

microsystem to another)

Broadening social

relationships

Cultural intersections

Intersecting values

Building Trust

Autonomy, safety & security

beyond the home

Intersecting forms of respect

+

Possibilities for use How the resource might be utilised

Ideas for using this resource • A foundation for a facilitated process taking place

over an extended period of time, for example: • Action learning process to build relationships with

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people • Yarning circles and professional conversations • Program establishment, ongoing planning, delivery

and evaluation

Professional development and service providers

• A guide for establishing relationships and continuing conversations to support children’s learning and development

• Section 4 can be used as a reference point for developing understanding of, and addressing challenges or misunderstandings.

Schools, early learning centres & family support services

• Information resource that can assist in guiding practice when first beginning work with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people

• Pre- professional (Prac) placement study guide for students

New graduate practitioners and

students

+Exploring effective facilitation How to engage with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities

Culturally safe facilitation: Yarning

  Yarning is a culturally safe facilitation approach to working with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander individuals and groups

  Yarning is a form of story telling that is aligned with how Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people learn, teach and make sense of the world

  Yarning can occur informally/socially or purposefully (with a particular goal or objective in mind)

  Yarning is an effective tool to build trust and assist in the establishment of relationships

  Once relationships have developed, yarning provides a means to achieve shared understanding and common goals

Types of yarning

•  Building Trust •  Establishing relationships •  Maintaining connections •  Teaching and learning

•  Exploring a particular issue •  Learning about a particular topic •  Gathering or sharing information •  Teaching and learning

Informal or social yarning

Purposeful yarning

  The following types of yarning can be undertaken with individuals or groups

Yarning: things to keep in mind

  Yarning has its own convention and style as a type of conversation and is not a straightforward question and answer process

  Yarning requires a lead from behind facilitation style and a relaxed and non demanding approach

  Yarning takes time

  Yarning can sometimes be meandering as stories weave in and out of topic

  There are protocols in relation to participation, especially in relation to Elders and gender

Consider and discuss… Think of someone you know who is skilled at working with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people

What do you notice about their approach?

What are the values they bring to this work?

Professionals who are skilled at working with Aboriginal people:

  Understand that they do not fully understand what it means to walk in another’s shoes

  Are protective and respectful of the relationships they have built

  Have a broad concept of family and community social structures

  Respect and understand silence

  Express genuine interest and inquisitiveness

  Communicate effectively and respectfully

  Understand gender dynamics and cultural mores

  Understand shame and how it impacts on the actions of Aboriginal people

  Value other people’s time as much as their own and are patient

  Understand cultural differences in body language

  Never make promises they may not be able to deliver

  Give more to the community than they take

  Understand decision making processes within community

Adapted from http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/brighterfutures_enagaging_aboriginal.pdf

Strategies for building community engagement skills   Network with Aboriginal workers and agencies

  To build cultural knowledge   To develop community engagement skills   To become culturally proficient   To listen and learn

  Team up with a more skilled colleague and watch them in action   Be silent and listen   Ask questions   Build relationships through their established networks if possible

  Take any opportunities that come your way to visit communities without an agenda

  Read widely and access culturally relevant resources that support your work and learning

+

Action planning Utilising the resource to underpin your planning process

Planning through this resource   This resource can be utilised as a collaborative planning tool

  The Importance of ECD section can provide theoretical underpinnings and be a motivator for focusing in on children and children’s learning

  The exploration of culture and how culture is reflected can set a context for planning for outcomes

  The cultural competence continuum provides a reference point for individual reflection and organisational assessment

  The Getting to know each other section provides guidance on building the relationships required to plan together

  Provocations for practice provides practical strategies to support implementation

Action planning:   The Getting to know each

other section culminates in talking points

  These facilitate the identification of shared desired outcomes

  They also provide a structure for exploring strategies to achieve these together

What do we want to

achieve together?

Talking Points

What steps do we

need to take

together?

What do we want to understand

about others?

What do

we want to learn?

What do we want others to

understand about us?

What do we want for our

children?

Planning through this resource

Defining outcomes What we want to achieve together

Identifying Steps

Steps we need to take to get there

(process)

Establishing Timeline

What time will it take to get there?

Link timeline to steps

Monitoring progress How will

we know if we are on

track?

Measuring outcomes How will we know when outcomes have been achieved?

Monitoring and evaluation: Recommended approaches

  A participatory learning approach to monitoring and evaluation provides everyone with the opportunity to learn from shared experiences and through the yarning process

  This approach provides the flexibility to learn and adapt through the journey

  Reflection on the process is valued as well as the outcomes achieved

Plan

do

reflect learn

adapt

+Let’s yarn

Documents

Cultural Perspectives on Learning: Learning package