e.g. Orange - Wiradjuri

Yiradhu marang! Good day!

This is how we did a learning map for the program design for Yala! Wiradjuri (Talk! Wiradjuri) Wiradjuri Language & Culture Program for all students in Years 5 & 6 at Orange Public School for two terms 2010.
The learning map below shows everything that was covered (content/work) throughout the two terms with each 5/6 class (180 students in total) receiving 40min lessons once a week.
Underneath is the explanation for the learning content of the map and how it relates to the eight ways. All teachers, parents, community members are more than welcome to use the attached files for Wiradjuri language & culture programs or any other learning where it may assist you and/or your students/children.

(I couldn't get the 8 ways symbols to copy in with the above information so if you are interested check out the PDF file attachment above where the symbols are included for the above program design/content.)


Explanation for Learning Map & “Eight ways of Aboriginal Learning” Program Design
for Yala! Wiradjuri at Orange Public School 2010

I picked the Dillybag (Narrbang) and the gathering of bush tucker into the bag to use to describe our learning aspects & content for the Wiradjuri language & culture course because of the following:

• A Journey (the footsteps around) to provide nutrients, sustenance & growth (can be applied to food & knowledge)
• Gathering from the abundance of land (country) to feed the people and make strong the people
• Carrying from one place to another – gathering for the purpose of sharing back at camp (learning for the purpose of giving back to the community)
• Learning as a collective activity, collaborative and not in isolation (as in older women teachers of the necessary aspects of land associated with each bush tucker and the stories associated and older women followed by younger women & children)
• Food is collected not for the self alone but for all
• The hands below the journey of learning represent the balance of giving and receiving – the balance of taking and sharing
• The journey is a circular one as we return to each of the sites of bush tucker gathering (sites of learning) again and again throughout this course and throughout a lifetime.
• Culturally the journey circle is actually a spiral like a DNA shaped spiral where each time we return to the same “site” of learning we return at a higher level of understanding than last time we were present at that “site”.

Birds & Eggs – birds represent our songs and the eggs creating something new from the studying the whole song the students then pulled apart each sentence, studied grammar and created many new sentences of their own.

Seeds – represent essential knowledge, the beginnings of creating a new understanding in students (and therefore community) minds by knowing a bit more about Wiradjuri country and our Wiradjuri contributions to Australian language & culture.

Yams – grow under the ground and represent the connection to mother earth and this section is about Wiradjuri places of significance in country. 

Fruit – represents the “fruits” of our effort and this is how we will share everything gained with the rest of the school community, parents & broader community, broader schools communities & as individuals how it will change our actions & sharing in the future.

Written and Designed by Fleur Magick copyright 2010 - Wiradjuri & Ngemba descendant who is not primary school qualified and has not had access to any 8 ways training or primary teacher training of any kind. Qualifications are in Adult Education, Community Management & Aboriginal studies. Although I was accepted and enrolled in a Masters of Primary Education at CSU via distance education I found it it too difficult to do time wise at this stage on top of being a mother and working. All teachers/parents/community most welcome to use any of the above information for educational purposes for students/children. I think this design (dillybag n bushtucker) could well be adapted to suit a range of learning contents/subjects. Looking forward to your feedback.

(Above is just the learning map section names if you wish to use the map and add your own content)

Mandaang guwu - Thank you to all contributors for the learning I have gained from reading this site.