Learning about Aboriginal Pedagogy

I am really lucky to have the opportunities I have in this industry, with some great collaborators. This week I was invited to a talk by Interface who shared the work Kellyville Public School are doing with their students, learning through an established eight elements of aboriginal pedagogy.

It was a really fascinating discussion as the school explained how they taught students through a framework of story sharing, learning maps, non-verbal, symbols and images, land links, non-linear, deconstruct/reconstruct and community links. These pedagogies can be used in many different learning settings as students use enquiry to understand and learn about the world around them.

As part of this presentation, six students presented what they had learnt through this process on topics like the uses and benefits of Australian plants and animals, how to track bees, aboriginal history and a celebration of the local aboriginal language. Through beautifully eloquent presentations, the students shared how this information had been gained through the eight interconnected processes. What I really enjoyed about this what not only the strong connection the students seemed to have with the content, but also that they could recognise the parts of the pathway where they gained this knowledge.

For students to not only recognise what they are learning, but how they are learning, was outstanding. As architects, when we create new learning environments, this is what we hope they can achieve – that students connect to their learning and develop lifelong skills for maintaining their curiosity and growing through their learning journey.

I’m looking forward to learning more about this pedagogical framework, and hope it may be rolled out to more schools in the future.

Happy learning!