A Reflection on Lesson Planning

Introduction

A lesson plan is essential because it serves as a guide that educators use to determine what the students will learn and how the lesson will be taught and evaluated. As a future educator, I will use the lesson plans developed to function more effectively in the classroom because they provide me with a detailed outline (Sinclair et al., 2018). After learning more about the indigenous people of Australia, I started to reflect on the lesson plans. Since I will focus on teaching kindergarten children between 3-5 years, the lesson plans should include cultural aspects of the Aboriginal people in Melbourne. I have received positive feedback that I have shown a remarkable understanding of the relationship and reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people.

I have gained a wealth of information on the indigenous people of Australia. Indigenous peoples are the custodian of languages, knowledge systems, beliefs, and significant expertise in strategies for sustainable natural resource management (Shay and Oliver, 2021). I also realized that they have a specific connection to and utilization of their native lands. Their ancestral territory is vital to their physical and cultural survival as a people. Aboriginal people have distinct perspectives on development based on their traditional values, aims, needs, and aspirations. I will use the information I have acquired regarding the indigenous people to improve my teaching of the students.

Reflecting On Specific Examples

Victoria Museum Video

A Victoria museum video is an important learning tool that provides valuable opportunities where children can learn about their environment. It is one of the foundations of my lesson plans because it is an important source of information. The video enables children to interact with the environment during learning activities (Museums Victoria, 2022). My decision to choose this tool is based on my understanding and value of experiential learning. I am persuaded that the video would be effective for passing on knowledge about the cultural and environmental aspects of the country. Thus, since the video presents information about a natural setting, children would be able to relate to what they are learning.

In the video, there was an essential learning material known as “The story of Tiddalick.” The story helps educators to teach the aspect of culture and environment (Museums Victoria, 2022). My lesson plan was based on the idea of deepening the understanding of the children on their surroundings. This idea was influenced by the fact that early experiences and relationships affect a child’s long-term outcomes. I believe that the story would help teach the children the importance of the environment and the value of water resources. The children would also learn the significance of the elders and the importance of listening to those whose life experiences can assist in making informed decisions (Shay and Oliver, 2021). In addition, I believe that the children would learn about the importance of teamwork. Thus, the story is integral in increasing the children’s knowledge and understanding of the environment.

Additionally, in my lesson plan, I have aligned how the story of Tiddalick would be done in a classroom to achieve the intended purpose. In the first instance, I would read the book- Tiddalick- The frog who Causes a flood’ by Robert Roennfeldt to the children. Then, the children would be expected to listen and understand the story (Shay and Oliver, 2021). In addition, I would also engage the students in discussing the story to draw insights for learning purposes. The children would be expected to respond to the questions asked. I also stated that I would use tools such as a USB player and the U.S. containing a song on Tiddalick as a reminder. Through this story, I believe that I would be able to achieve the goal of ensuring that the children understand their culture and environment.

Authentic Experiences

Authentic learning experiences are integral when educators want to embed culture and history on learners. I discovered that authentic experiences assist students in realizing the significance of what they are learning and how they might apply their skills. As a result, students are allowed to put their talents and knowledge to practical use in creating solutions or products used directly in communities and the world (Chin, Lee, and Chen, 2018). My lesson plan promotes authentic experience due to the pedagogical approach to test children’s knowledge of what they have learned and provide children with another opportunity to understand better the story and its notion of why we should not waste water.

Additionally, I learned that authentic experience demands collaboration and teamwork among learners. I believe that students that participate in authentic learning experiences would learn to communicate more effectively with their peers as they discuss potential ideas, make joint decisions, and collaborate to build a solution or product. According to Shay and Oliver (2021), when students cooperate to achieve a common learning goal, they can reap social, psychological, and academic benefits such as a more positive learning atmosphere, lower anxiety, and increased problem-solving skills. My learning plans captured the aspect of collaboration and working in teams among students, especially when solving a problem. Discussions are also captured as a practice used to enhance the spirit of teamwork.

I have greatly increased my knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal people since I submitted my lesson plans. The different sources I read gave me a deeper understanding of these people, especially through the experiences of others. For example, the discoveries of the Yorta Yorta woman helped me learn how to teach children aspects related to their identity (Shay and Oliver, 2021). In addition, I learned the use of an indigenous relational model. It helps create a feeling in students that they belong to something bigger and are responsible for looking after their country and the community. With this information, I believe that I would be able to equip students and achieve my goals effectively. As a result, knowledge about Aboriginal people in Melbourne would positively impact my practice as a kindergarten teacher.

Cross-Curriculum Priorities

My lesson plans capture all the cross-curriculum activities of Australia. The Australian Curriculum is meant to meet the needs of learners by providing a current, modern, and exciting curriculum, as well as one that expands on the country’s educational goals (Henderson, 2018). Priorities include national, regional, and global elements that would enhance the program by creating meaningful, focused content that fits organically within learning domains. They include the teaching of learning area curriculum as well as the development of knowledge, understanding, and skills in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, as well as sustainability (Shay and Oliver, 2021). I believe that incorporating the priorities fosters a conversation among students, educators, and larger community members.

After extensive reading and understanding of Australia’s cross-curricular priorities, I discovered that they are addressed exclusively through learning areas. On the other hand, priorities are defined wherever they are generated or used in content descriptions. They are also identified in subject explanation, where they offer opportunities to increase the fullness of student learning (Henderson, 2018). I discovered that they would exist to varying degrees depending on their relevance to the learning topic. Every priority is preceded by an introduction statement that explains why it was included and how it is represented in the Curriculum. As a result, each priority has been built around three key ideas considered crucial to learning for that focus.

My lesson plans capture Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and sustainability. The learners would be exposed to historical perspectives from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Shay and Oliver, 2021). They would be able to learn about Aboriginal people as the world’s oldest continuous cultures before the British invasion and the succeeding interaction and its influence during their history studies. For example, they would be introduced to the aspect of the stolen generation. Apart from history, the lesson plans are designed to help the learners understand the value of our environment. Since young children like exploring and discovering new things, the plans have been made interesting and enable the students to discover the importance of the environment.

Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning entails more than simply asking a learner what they wish to learn. I learned that inquiry-based learning is all about arousing curiosity in the mind of students based on what is being taught. In my view, awakening a student’s curiosity is a far more important and difficult duty than merely giving data. Despite its complexity, inquiry-based learning can be easier on teachers, mainly because it transmits some responsibilities from teachers to students, but mostly because it gives learners authority to engage them. Engagement, curiosity, and investigation are all encouraged in inquiry-based learning. Rather than being directed by an educator, students are enabled to study things by asking questions and finding or developing solutions (Shay and Oliver, 2021). As a result, it is more of an idea and approach to education than a collection of specific rules and guidelines.

While I understand the concept of inquiry-based learning, I still need to find out how it can be integrated into learning about Aboriginal people in Melbourne. As an educator, my responsibility is to ensure that I use a learning approach effectively to foster learning (Shay and Oliver, 2021). Prior to submitting my lesson plans, I was yet to understand how to attain the active participation of Aboriginal learners effectively. I have learned that the history of Aboriginal people has been misrepresented through a record from non-indigenous people. There is a need for a more authentic transmission of culture through dances and songs. As a result, there is a need for an instructive or clear approach to help share and acquire Aboriginal people’s knowledge and culture.

First and Second Lesson Plan

Content from an Aboriginal author is integral when promoting Aboriginal culture and history. In my first lesson plan, I selected the book “Tiddalick- The frog who Causes a flood” by Robert Roennfeldt. I am persuaded that using an Aboriginal author is effective, especially when the learners are supposed to learn about their culture and beliefs. The learners would be able to relate during lessons due to the content of the learning material (Shay and Oliver, 2021). For example, the learners would easily relate to the context and, to some extent, the language used. It is also an effective way of appreciating and supporting the community. Therefore, using a book from the Aboriginal people is significant when the learners are required to learn about their cultures and practices.

Third Lesson Plan

Learning the history and culture of the Aboriginal people is one of my crucial goals. I decided to use a Song, “Tiddlalick the frog,” by children from Kindaburra Early Learning Centre to achieve this. Songs are important tools for children because they make learning interesting. This explains why the teaching of children embraces the use of songs as an approach to learning. Furthermore, I discovered that curriculum and music thematic units would help children retain information and absorb content. For example, the learners would be able to learn the content of Tiddlalick through the songs. In addition, because the song used was done by other children, the learners would effectively relate to the content.

Aboriginal Voices and Perspectives

Learning cultures is an important practice for promoting reconciliation. Based on this, I have learned that teaching indigenous culture and points of view enhance reconciliation and increases the value to the original inhabitants of the land (Shay and Oliver, 2021). It is also important to use indigenous learning-based approaches because they support the community and allow learners to relate easily to the message. Therefore, I am glad that I would integrate and use indigenous learning approaches in my lesson plan. This is evident through contents such as “Tiddalick- The frog who cause a flood” and a Song “Tiddlalick, the frog.”

Challenges

I have experienced a number of challenges during this program. The first challenge was my lack of confidence in delivering information regarding indigenous culture. As a result, I wondered how I was going to transfer information on history and culture to the learners. However, I believe through extensive research; I would be able to learn everything. I was also afraid of the outcome of the lesson. Finally, I was uncertain whether the designed lesson plans would achieve the intended objectives. However, I believe that the plans would be impactful with the effective implementation of the activities adopted.

Changes

I would like to consider changes in community engagement and integrating indigenous languages. It is important to engage community members, especially the elders, in learning activities. For example, inviting an elder from an indigenous community to talk to the learners promote trust (Shay and Oliver, 2021). I have also noticed the value of incorporating indigenous languages in the plans. Based on this, I would emphasize the type of language used during class and outdoor classes. Therefore, the changes in involvement and language are integral in ensuring that the lesson plans achieve the anticipated goal of enhancing learning.

Action Plan

Conclusion

I effectively used my knowledge of indigenous culture to develop my lesson plans. A lesson plan is useful since it guides educators in determining what students will learn and how the lesson will be taught and evaluated. Prior to submitting my lesson plans, I extensively studied the culture of indigenous people. The information helped me develop plans for effective teaching of indigenous people’s culture and history. However, I discovered the need to include the community in the plan, especially the elders and understand Aboriginal English dialects. Therefore, the lesson plans designed would be able to achieve their intended functions.

Reference List

Chin, K.Y., Lee, K.F. and Chen, Y.L. (2018). Using an interactive ubiquitous learning system to enhance authentic learning experiences in a cultural heritage course. Interactive Learning Environments, 26(4), pp.444-459. Web.

Gholam, A.P. (2019). ‘Inquiry-based learning: Student teachers’ challenges and perceptions. Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education, 10(2), p.6.

Henderson, D. (2018). Cross-curriculum priorities: Stirring the passions and a work in progress? The Australian Curriculum: Promises, Problems, and possibilities, pp.143-159.

Museums Victoria. (2022). Tiddalik the frog. Web.

Sinclair et al. (2018). ‘Coteaching in content area classrooms: Lessons and guiding questions for administrators. NASSP Bulletin, 102(4), pp.303-322. Web.

Shay, M. and Oliver, R. eds., (2021). Indigenous education in Australia: Learning and teaching for deadly futures. Routledge.