Module 13 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Multi-cultural perspectives:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Resources |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Resource 9
Accessing Migrant Communities
|
Source: "Embracing Cultural Diversity in Parkland Planning and Development", by D. Bouzalas and L. Kendal in conference papers Changing Societies: Challenges for Parks and Recreation, Eighteenth National Congress of the International Federation of Parks and Recreation and First National Conference of Parks and Leisure, Australia (1998). |
The first step to bringing cultural diversity into your teaching practice
is to start with the resources you have in your own classroom. Give your
students a chance to talk about the cultural background of their families
and friends. Invite parents to come and share their experiences with the
class. If they are active within their own ethnic community this could
be a way extending networks out into those groups. There may be teachers
or other members of the school community who may also be interested in
being involved in some sort of cross cultural exchange. The more you get
to know your local community the more diversity you will find!
At a broader level there are a number of established channels through which to access migrant communities :
A great way to make contact with people from a range of backgrounds is through English as a Second Language classes run by Centres of Further Education. ESL teachers are often keen to have guest speakers or to involve students in excursions and other activities. Their focus is educational so there are clear opportunities for collaboration with schools and community education programs.
Ethno-specific groups are groups of people with a common background or language who get together to socialize and support each other (eg. Vietnamese Senior Citizens and Spanish Speaking Women's Group). These groups often meet in community (health) centres, neighbourhood houses, and Migrant Resource Centres. Groups can be accessed through community workers at these centres; through ethno-specific welfare agencies (eg. Russian Ethnic Representative Council) or through your local council. Working with these groups is a way of accessing people who are more difficult to reach through more commonly used mediums of communications.
Religious centres such as churches, mosques or temples are key meeting points for many communities and can be useful way of developing networks with community minded people.
Generally it is more effective to proactively approach group and invite them to participate rather than sending out information and waiting for their response. They may not see the benefit of being involved or may not understand your intentions. Trust can be developed through face to face contact, which can overcome misconceptions and dissolve barriers.
Groups have nominated leaders who can provide the `key' to working with their community. Often they are chosen because of their familiarity with societal structures (they know how to get things done) and the community trusts their judgment and ability to represent their needs. Building a relationship with community leaders can encourage greater and participation and ownership within the community.
The benefits of getting to know the people you are working with cannot be underestimated. This may involve finding out about the culture, norms, migration patterns of a group. This may happen informally over a cup of tea or by formally approaching agencies that represent those communities. This will mean that activities are more likely to meet the needs and interests of the group and that the people involved will have a clearer understanding of your objectives. Gradually trust will develop and the opportunities for involvement will gradually unfold. It is important to be flexible - what sounds like a great idea to you might not be relevant for the community involved.
It is important to be sensitive to different language needs. This is a way of showing respect and recognizing that just because their English is limited does not mean that they do not understand environmental issues. Avoid jargon without simplifying concepts, and use an interpreter when necessary. Non-verbal communication is a particularly powerful tool for explaining concepts, especially in the natural environment where there is so much to explore.
As educators it is important to remember that for the lay person environmental issues can often appear somewhat remote to their everyday experience. To help people understand where you are coming from you need to give them a chance to experience marine and coastal education for themselves. Invite them to
- visit your marine education centre
- join in a coastal revegetation project
- attend a rock pool ramble
- visit a little known local beach
- have a picnic by the sea
Simple activities like these can overcome the language barrier because they rely on doing things together rather than just talking. They will give you a chance to get to know each other better and will stimulate some interesting discussion and ideas.
Resource 10
Contact List
Each State should have a Multicultural Resource Directory which lists ethnic communities councils, community organisations, elderly organisations, media, interpreting and translating services, migrant resource centres, multicultural organisations, and relevant government departments in your area. Available through Multicultural Affairs Unit of State Government
Migrant Resource Centres
Migrant Resource Centres are non-government organisations that assist with the settlement needs of migrant communities as well as informing the general community and mainstream service agencies about the issues facing migrant communities. Inquiries should be directed to the Executive Officer or Director. There are MRCs in every state and territory, with 35 nationwide. For contact details call directory assistance.
Ethnic Community Organisations
Federation Of Ethnic Communities Council Of Australia is the national umbrella group for ethnic community organisations (Women's organisations not necessarily covered).
| FECCA PO Box 344 Curtin St ACT 2605 Ph : 02 6282 5755 State Ethnic Communities Councils (ECCs) can put who in touch with community groups in your area. Direct your inquiry to the Executive Officer. |
ECC of Tas 49 Molle St HOBART 7000 Ph : 03 6231 5067 |
| Multicultural Communities Council of SA Walsh Building 44 Gawler Place ADELAIDE 5000 Ph : 8223 6962 |
|
| ECC of NSW 221 Cope St Waterloo, NSW 2017 Ph : 02 9319 0288 |
ECC of WA 64 Angrove St NORTH PERTH 6006 Ph : 08 9227 5322 |
|
ECC of ACT |
ECC OF NT GPO Box 331 DARWIN 0801 Ph : 08 8981 1784 |
| ECC of VIC Statewide Resource Centre 217 Church St RICHMOND 3121 Ph : 03 9427 1300 |
ECC of QLD 26 Marivale St SOUTH BRISBANE 4101 07 3844 9166 |
English As a Second Language Centres
Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) and centres for further education offer English as a Second Language classes for migrant communities and newly arrived adults. State Education Departments can put you in touch with Language Centres which run ESL classes for children.
| NSW AMES PO Box 1222 Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Ph : 02 9289 9222 |
SA English Language and Literacy Services 5th Floor Renaissance Centre 127 Rundle Mall ADELAIDE 5000 Ph : 08 8224 0922 |
| ACT Faculty of Communication and Community Services Canberra Institute of Technology PO Box 826 CANBERRA CITY 2601 Ph : 02 6207 4963 |
WA AMES 4th Floor 12 St. Georges Tce PERTH 6000 Ph : 08 9325 1728 |
| VIC AMES GPO Box 4381QQ MELBOURNE 3001 Ph : 03 9926 4666 |
NT Adult Migrant Education Centre Faculty of Foundation Studies Northern Territory University DARWIN 0009 Ph : 08 8927 8344 |
| TAS AMES Institute of Adult Education GPO Box 1182M HOBART 7001 Ph : 03 6233 7119 |
QLD Language Services TAFE QLD GPO Box 2599 BRISBANE 4001 Ph : 07 3234 1669 |
Multicultural Environmental Projects
Laura Stuart, Coastal Project Worker, Inner Western Region Migrant Resource
Centre, 41 - 45 Pickett St, Footscray, VIC 3011. Ph : 03 9689 2888.
Dam Tran, Vietnamese Fisheries Education Officer, Vietnamese Community
in Australia / Victorian Chapter, PO Box 2115 Footscray, VIC 3011. Ph
: 03 9687 9198.
Pauline McCarthy Team Leader Community Programs, Coastal Unit, Department
of Natural Resources and Environment, Locked Bag 3000, PO Box Hill, VIC,
3128.
Ph : 03 9296 4535
John Tomkin, Senior Fisheries Education Officer, Fisheries Victoria, PO
Box 103, Geelong, VIC, 3220.
Ph: 03 5226 4667
Dimi Bouzalas, Greening Community Development Officer, Hume City Council,
PO Box 119, Broadmeadows, VIC 3047. Ph : 03 9309 1052.
Resource 11
Teaching Strategies
Cultural awareness:
• avoid generalizations
• let people speak for themselves
• emphasize universals
• acknowledge difference
• use examples from different cultures in regular teaching
Participatory approach:
• link students with ethnic communities
• involve other young people as peer educators and role models
• include students and community in planning projects
Genuine learning opportunities:
• in situ - on site field visits
• experiential - learning by doing
• collaborative - learning by sharing
• continuity - linked activities (eg. journals, photographic record, themes)
• outcomes - make a product (eg. quilt, mural, booklet, play, festival)
• enjoyment - make it fun
Resource 12
Sample Projects
The Sea In Mythology and Literature
The folklore and legends of coastal and seafaring cultures have similar
themes : heroic voyages, mermaids, sea spirits and a cast of marine characters.
They give meaning to the mysterious and often unpredictable nature of
the sea and were passed down between generation in the form of story telling.
For younger children stories can be an accessible way to learn about marine
plants and animals as characters they can identify with, and to meet their
fears and myths about ‘monsters of the deep’. Often inherent
in these stories are a strong respect for nature and messages about how
to care for the environment. Literature can provide teachers with a basis
to explore values and attitudes, to discuss different perspectives and
to encourage children to understand conservation issues.
Design a lesson plan for Grade 4 students based on a story from the Macmillan
Folk Tale Series. Create three homework projects that will :
• develop locally relevant themes
• develop knowledge of animals in the story
• convey a conservation message.
Sense Of Place In A Local Environment
Presenting environmental concerns in a global context has great power but its impact is limited if not connected to the reality of our local environment. We talk about the global village, yet how many of us even know our next door neighbours? The character of our urban fabric is being eroded by the mono-culture of brand name convenience stores, fast food outlets and anonymous tilt slab dwellings. A sense of place is different for every person, but essentially it is about knowing where you are in space and time. If we feel we belong to our environment we are more likely to care for it.
Design a local history project for your coastal town that will :
• illustrate the role of marine industries / coastal recreation
• include contributions from people from diverse backgrounds
• involve parents and older members of the community.
Your product will be a map or maps of your local area including natural features and historic landmarks (eg. fishers coop, mangroves, original pier). Use My Place by Sally Morgan for inspiration and ideas. Your project will be the major focus for a full semester unit of Year 7 history, and you have support from an Art teacher who has allocated class time for the development of the creative product.
Celebrating the Fruits of the Sea
Eating food goes far beyond filling our tummies! Sharing food is a reflection of pride, trust and acceptance. It is an opportunity for people to express their culture in a truly personal way. Food brings together people from all ages and backgrounds, and is a fun way to introduce cultural awareness into a classroom setting.
Your community has an annual food festival every Autumn and this year the theme will be ‘Fruits from the Sea’. Design a project for your Year 9 students that will:
• have people from different backgrounds prepare food from their culture
• examine changes in eating habits across different generations
• investigate ecological impacts of different fishing methods.
|
Sources: Bouzalas, D. and Kendal, L. (1998) “Embracing
Cultural Diversity in Parkland Planning and Development”, in
conference papers Changing Societies: Challenges for Parks and Recreation,
Eighteenth National Congress of the International Federation of
Parks and Recreation and First National Conference of Parks and
Leisure Australia. |
Resource 13
Evaluation Form
|
This evaluation form is confidential and anonymous
Are there any particular areas of the workshop you would have liked to have spent more time on ? Are there any particular areas of the workshop you would have liked to have spent less time on ? |
Are there any additional areas you would like added to the session? Was the language of the facilitator clear and easy to understand? Do you feel you now have enough practical tools to incorporate cultural awareness into your teaching of marine and coastal studies? Any other comments?
|