Ep. 71 – Embedding the Acknowledgement of Country in pre-service teaching: a transformative approach
In this episode, we explore how Jo and Glenn have designed their units to embed the Acknowledgement of Country into the curriculum for pre-service teachers. Jo and Glenn, from the School of Education, share how their work focuses on language, literacy and literature in education, with a focus on the Acknowledgement of Country.
As non-Indigenous Australians, both Jo and Glenn share the importance of positioning – both themselves and their pre-service teaching students. They talk about how they guide their students to critically think about the implications of the English language on their beliefs and how that may inform their teaching practice. They encourage students to question their own positioning and reflect on their education in relation to marginalised communities. They highlight that this can be uncomfortable for students so their role is to foster an environment where students can build their experience and embrace discomfort as an essential aspect of their learning.
This has been a well thought out design process that seamlessly embeds the Acknowledgement of Country across the curriculum. Each week, a different aspect of acknowledgement is explored, weaving connections with the focus of the content that week. By exploring themes of social justice, and Indigenous perspectives, Jo and Glenn foster a transformative learning experience for their students.
Listen to episode 71 to hear from Jo and Glenn about how they are encouraging pre-service teachers to become more inclusive, culturally aware, and effective teachers.