CASE STUDY – Deacon: an Indigenous Student with a mobile life

Insights into challenges

Indigenous students are some of many students who contribute to the increasingly culturally diverse
classrooms in Australia, and with that, are many complexities and challenges for both the students and
teachers in an educational setting (Burridge & Evans 2012) (UniSA, 2017). These indigenous students who
have relocated to mainstream schools for medical reasons and educational opportunities may find it
challenging to fit into the new classroom setting (Burridge & Evans 2012). Living a mobile life, presents
challenges for indigenous students who miss out on a significant amount of content, which has an impact
on their literacy learning (Burridge & Evans 2012). For indigenous students, English education is a high
priority in their culture; however, attendance is not, thus presenting a challenge for these indigenous
students to be consistent and ongoing on their literacy learning (Shipp, 2011).

It can be a challenge for the students to engage or show an interest in various types of literature, due to it
having little or no connection to them and their culture (Shipp, 2011). They may be faced with the challenge
of having to keep up with strong ICT demands which require skills in producing or creating different types of
texts which they may have missed out on due to their mobile lifestyle (Burridge & Evans 2012).

If English is an additional language to them, it may take longer to process information in a range of modes.
It may be difficult for indigenous students to be assessed if they are using Aboriginal English (AE), rather
than Standard Australian English (SAE), which is not recognised or valued in standardised testing such as
the NAPLAN (Shipp, 2011). It may also be the case that Indigenous students may not possess the
appropriate metalanguage or be able to apply language conventions to be successful in a literacy context in
an Australian mainstream school, which can be a challenge when producing various texts to be assessed
(Derewianka & Jones, 2012). There may be communication difficulties in the classroom between the
Indigenous student and non-Indigenous teacher which can present a challenge for the student may feel
they cannot effectively communicate in a literacy classroom (Shipp, 2011).

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

Focusing on the ACE Literature strand
The year 6 literature strand in the Australian Curriculum provides Indigenous students with the opportunity
for their voices and perspectives to be heard in the literacy learning environment, however can also present
challenges for learners in this category (ACARA, 2016) (Shipp, 2011).

Deacon can draw on his personal experiences and culture in the way he interprets texts and feels about
particular characters and share these with the other students, whilst allowing other students the opportunity
to share their interpretations based on their different cultures and experiences as well (ACELT1613) (See
Appendix 1). He can share stories from his culture and translate or explain the meanings and morals
featured in these stories. (ACELT1613) (See Appendix 1)

When responding to literature, Deacon has the opportunity to identify and share some of the similarities
and differences in texts that have similar topics or themes to some of his cultural “Dreaming” stories,
however, challenges may be arise when comparing and contrasting different texts that don’t personally
relate to him or aren’t written in a style he understands or can comprehend (ACELT1614) (See appendix 1).
He may not be the most competent in Standard Australian English, which may make the analysis of the use
of narrator, narrative structure, voice, language style, and register a difficult task (Shipp, 2011). This could
restrict his ability to be engaged in the tasks, which in turn, could affect his participation and achievement
(Shipp, 2011).

Creating literature presents Deacon with the opportunity to engage with and incorporate a variety of modes
in the production of texts, including the use of digital media and oral modes (ACELT1618) (Mills, Davis-
Warra, Sewell, & Anderson 2016) (See Appendix 3). He can express his culture to peers, showing his
strengths rather than deficit, to entertain, inspire and engage students also from indigenous backgrounds,
and those from non-indigenous backgrounds (Winch, et al 2014) (Henderson, 2004).

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

Inclusive literacy teaching
To be an inclusive literacy teacher, it is extremely important to understand and consider that all students
have different abilities in different contexts (Colton, 2017). Indigenous students may be fluent in oral
language, reading and writing in Aboriginal English in their home and community, however, may be seen as
incompetent in these areas in a mainstream school as they are not using Standard Australian English
(Burridge & Evans 2012) (Shipp, 2011).

Teachers must look at all students as bringing resources in the classroom and use them as opportunities to
incorporate other cultures literature and language conventions (Colton, 2017) (Nichols & Bayetto 2004).
Indigenous students are an incredibly authentic resource and present wonderful opportunities to share their
literature in a modern culturally diverse literacy classroom (Shipp, 2011) (Mills, Davis-Warra, Sewell, &
Anderson 2016).

Teachers must expect growth for all of their students and ensure each learning outcome is articulated in a
form that is achievable for each student (Colton, 2017). Although indigenous students may be in and out of
the classroom irregularly, the time given for students to complete reading or writing tasks can be adjusted
to allow the student to achieve the learning outcomes (Burridge & Evans 2012).

Indigenous students should be assisted to demonstrate their knowledge in non-traditional ways, by

enabling a range of pathways towards their learning outcomes by being given options to produce and
present work in modes other than written, such as orally or digitally (See Appendix 3) (Mills, Davis-Warra,
Sewell, & Anderson 2016). Teachers should give really specific feedback to indigenous students to
facilitate growth in their literacy learning (Colton, 2017). This involves using growth language, identifying
and commending students on what they have done well, reflecting on how far they have come, and using
this to inform their decision of where to go next and encourage the students to achieve more goals (Colton,
2017). For indigenous students to be successful in the literacy classroom teachers need to set up the
classroom to feel like a community and team in which help seeking and resource using is normal (Sapon-
Shevin 2010). Small group work takes the pressure off indigenous students being called upon in a whole
class setting to answer questions, and the teacher may be able to allocate time to overcome this
(McDonald 2013).

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

Inclusive strategies for literature teaching
Educators must apply a range of teaching methodologies and culturally inclusive literacy pedagogy to
diversify learning, maximise participation and support achievement for indigenous students in the literacy
learning environment (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway 2014) (Winch, et al 2014).

To increase engagement and participation with indigenous students, it may help to work closely with
students like Deacon to uncover their interests, abilities and their ZPD in the literacy classroom (Gray,
2007) (AITSL, 2017). Working with students to discuss and plan what they would like to achieve, articulate
goals they have and setting expectations for them whilst they are present at school, can be an effective
way to involve students in the learning process and give them a sense of responsibility for their learning
(Colton, 2017). Planning early in this way can help to accommodate for the irregular attendance (Burridge &
Evans 2012).

To achieve learning outcomes ACELT1613 and ACELT1614 (See Appendix 1), strategies such as allowing
indigenous students to select which texts they would like to engage with, and providing them with a range
of rich and readily accessible resources in the classroom, can encourage them to possess a more eager
approach to their learning as well as allow them to make those connections to their own experiences in the
indigenous culture (Shipp, 2011) (ACARA, 2016) (See Appendix 2). Small group work in analysing
literature can be helpful in encouraging indigenous students develop confidence to share experiences and
connections they have made from their culture and literature and allows for their perspectives and voice to
be heard in the classroom (Shipp, 2011). Small conferences between the teacher and the student for
reading and writing, and the use of clapping sticks to help mitre the way sounds/words are segmented can
assist in reading more English texts (Shipp, 2011) (Burridge & Evans 2012). It can be useful to ensure that
teachers provide indigenous students with options as to which mode they engage with texts (Mills, Davis-
Warra, Sewell, & Anderson 2016) (See Appendix 3). Some may prefer to listen to the audiobook of stories,
as they are used to hearing stories orally/spoken their culture, where some may enjoy watching a movie,
reading with peers or depending on the competency of their SAE, may prefer to try and read a short piece
of text (Mills, Davis-Warra, Sewell, & Anderson 2016) (Shipp, 2011) (See Appendix 3).

Teachers can provide an inclusive literacy environment for indigenous students by allowing their abilities to
show in the classroom by modifying tasks for the individual and creating them to be more personalized
(Colton, 2017). It may be an effective strategy to integrate a less linear approach in the tasks set, by using
the pocket book approach to literacy, outlined by Wanich, 2009, where students are the creators of
knowledge rather than passive learners (Godinho, Woolley, Webb & Winkel 2014) (Shipp, 2011). This
approach aims to accommodate the inevitable interruptions in attendance so that students can pick up
where they left off more easily (Shipp, 2011). Created collaboratively by the student and teacher, the
pocket book has shorter and modified tasks for the student to complete whilst present in the classroom.
The student creates different types of texts throughout the term to be summatively assessed, and the
student may be given a range of ways in which they will demonstrate their learning (ACELT1618) (ACARA,
2016) (See Appendix 1) (Mills, Davis-Warra, Sewell, & Anderson 2016) (See Appendix 3).
EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197
The use of Multimodality in text production allows these students to show their strengths, and with new
technologies in the classroom, it will improve indigenous students outcomes because the students can
bring their life world into the classroom through their learning (Shipp, 2011). Burridge & Evans (2012),
discovered that the integration of digital media heavily increased student engagement in the literacy
classroom and allowed them to demonstrate their learning in more creative ways.

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

Future challenges
To progress into my teaching career as an inclusive literacy teacher, I will certainly need to adapt and
adjusting my teaching methodologies and pedagogy to be able to cater for indigenous students living a
mobile life. I will ensure that I am culturally sensitive to these students and their individual circumstances;
however, I will also endeavour to include indigenous perspectives in my literacy classroom rather than
excluding them entirely (Shipp, 2011). I will move forward in my work as a pre-service teacher with the aim
to acquire more cross cultural understandings and awareness, gaining more competency in this area. I
understand that indigenous students living a mobile life spend such long periods of time away from the
classroom, to the point where it can be difficult to get students back in the classroom, and so I want to
make sure that I am making Aboriginal students feel valued for what they bring to the classroom and
support them so that they feel like they enjoy school and are excited to come back to learn. I hope to add to
my expanding repertoire of resources to set up a culturally safe, engaging, diverse literacy environment for
students of all types of cultural backgrounds to feel safe and supported in their literacy development.
I would like to know if there are any more specific resources or pieces of literature that could be useful in a
middle school literacy classroom, which incorporates indigenous culture and perspectives?

Raelee Minuzzo
1,498 words

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

REFERENCE LIST

AITSL 2017, Teacher Standards: Professional Knowledge - Know Students And How They Learn.
<Aitsl.edu.au>

Burridge, N & Evans, C 2012, Carmine School. In N. Burridge, F. Whalen & K. Vaughan (Eds.), Indigenous
Education: A learning journey for teachers, schools and communities, pp. 77-86

Colton, J 2017, Principles of Inclusive Literacy Teaching, lecture recording 31 July 2017, University of
South Australia, viewed 31 July 2016, <https://lrs.unisa.edu.au/ess/echo/presentation/f5b5b677-5548-
481b-92f0-becc697cd91a>

Derewianka, B & Jones, P 2012, Teaching Language in Context, 1st edition, Oxford University Press, South
Melbourne, Australia.

Godinho, S, Woolley, M, Webb, J & Winkel, K, 2014 Regenerating Indigenous literacy resourcefulness: A
middle school intervention. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, Vol. 22, No. 1, Jan 2014, pp 7-9

Gray, Brian (2007). Accelerating the Literacy Development of Indigenous Students: The National
Accelerated Literacy Program (NALP). Darwin, N.T.: Charles Darwin University Press (CDU Press).

Henderson, R 2004, Recognising difference: One of the challenges of using a multiliteracies approach
Practically Primary vol. 9 no. 2, pp. 11-14

Hyde, M, Carpenter, L & Conway, R 2014, Diversity, inclusion and engagement, 2nd edition, Oxford
University Press, South Melbourne, VIC.

McDonald, T 2013, Proactive Teacher Behaviours. Classroom management: engaging students in learning.
Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 106-154

Mills, K, Davis-Warra, J, Sewell, M, & Anderson, M 2016, Indigenous ways with literacies:
transgenerational, multimodal, placed, and collective. Language and Education, Vol. 30 no. 1, pp. 1-21

Nichols, S & Bayetto, A 2004. The Four Resources: An integrated approach to literacy for children with
learning difficulties. In A. Healy & E. Honan (Eds.), Text Next: New resources for literacy learning.
Newtown: PETA.

Sapon-Shevin, M 2010, Schools as communities. Because we can change the world: a practical guide to
building cooperative, inclusive classroom communities, 2nd edition, Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin, pp.
21-44
EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197
Shipp, C 2011, Why Indigenous perspectives in school? A consideration of the current Australian education
landscape and the ambiguities to be addressed in literacy teaching. English in Australia, vol. 47 no. 3, pp.
20-24

University of South Australia (UniSA) 2016, Professional Experience 3 Assessment and Reporting
EDUC3061, University of South Australia, viewed 21 August 2017,
<https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=829795&chapterid=131932>

Wanich, W 2009, Place-based education in the United States and Thailand: with implications for
mathematicas education. Appalachian collaborative center for Learning, Assessment and Instruction in
Mathematics: working paper, no. 33.

Winch, G et al 2014, Literacy: reading, writing and children's literature, 5th edition, Oxford University Press,
Melbourne, Victoria.

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

APPENDIX 1 – CONTENT DESCRIPTORS (AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM)

ACELT1613 – Literature and Context

Content Descriptor: Make connections between students’ own experiences and those of characters and
events represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts
Elaborations:
• Recognising the influence our different historical, social and cultural experiences may have on the
meaning we make from the text and the attitudes we may develop towards characters, actions and
events

ACELT1614 – Responding to Literature

Content Descriptor: Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or
plots
Elaborations:
• Exploring texts on a similar topic by authors with very different styles, for example comparing
fantasy quest novels or realistic novels on a specific theme, identifying differences in the use of
narrator, narrative structure and voice and language style and register

ACELT1618 – Creating Literature

Content Descriptor: Create literary texts that adapt or combine aspects of texts students have
experienced in innovative ways
Elaborations:
• Creating narratives in written, spoken or multimodal/digital format for more than one specified
audience, requiring adaptation of narrative elements and language features
• Planning and creating texts that entertain, inform, inspire and/or emotionally engage familiar and
less-familiar audiences

(ACARA, 2016)

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

APPENDIX 2 – RESOURCES

Specific resources that can be used in the classroom to support indigenous students

STORY ARTS (multimodal communications that give shape to cultural, educational, and spiritual
experience)
• Do Not Go Around the Edges – By Daisy Utemorrah and Pat Torres (1990)
• As I Grew Older – By Ian Abdullah (1994)
• Tucker – By Ian Abdullah (1994)
• Bilby and the Bushfire – By Joanne Crawford, illustrated by Grace Fielding (2007)
• My Home Broome – By Tamzyne and Bronwyn Houston (2012)
• Stradbroke Dreamtime – By Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Bronwyn Bancroft (1993)
• Dingos Tree – By Gladys Milroy and Jill Milroy (2012)
• Shake a Leg – By Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod (2011)
• The Old Frangipani Tree at Flying Fish Point – By Trina Saffioti, illustrated by Maggie Prewett
(2009)

Aboriginal “Indij” games (Burridge & Evans, 2012)

• Collaborative/enthusiastic production
• Digital documentaries
• Skills in digital media through ICT (windows movie maker)

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197

APPENDIX 3 – MULTIMODALITY

List of modes that can be used in either:

The Viewing or engaging with texts - The way that the teacher presents different texts to the students
The Production of texts - The way that the students produce a text to respond to a task and give back to the
teacher

• Integration of The Arts (Dance, Music, Visual Art, Media Arts & Drama)
• Technology (ICT)
• Visual aids
• Drawing
• Oral language – verbalise learning through spoken dialect – in English or native language
• Interactive Whiteboards
• Poster
• Presentations
• iMovie
• interviews
• magazine article

(Mills, Davis-Warra, Sewell, & Anderson 2016)

EDUC 3062 The University of South Australia Student ID: 110136197