Cairns Workshop - Focus on indigenous learners

10 people participated in the Cairns PfP workshop.

Connie Fuerst (Cairns Business College), Susan Hurley-Luke (Tropical North Qld TAFE) and Crista Dight (Tropical North Qld TAFE) are collaborating on strategies for gaining participation in online activities by mature aged students enrolled in Certificate 111 level courses.

Narelle McClusky (Senior Instructional Designer) and Sue Jackomos (Instructional Designer - Indigenous Studies Product Development Unit -ISPDU) will review the learning guides they are using for courses conducted by their Institute (Tropical North Qld.)

Narelle McGlusky (Tropical North Qld TAFE)will continue her collaborative work on the development of an e-learning Enterprise Unit for indigenous learners. The project is a joint venture involving CDEP, Education Queensland and TAFE. It involves a teacher as facilitator, teleconferencing, chat rooms, VOIP, local site tutors (sometimes teacher aids or peer mentors)and incorporates extensive use of colour and graphics.

A number of participants referred to the FLAG project on indigenous engagement being conducted by Roxanne Lutzen (OLI). This Certificate 1 in Workplace Education has been trialled in remote areas. The project team customised the relevant Toolbox for indigenous students and incorporated CD's of stories of "dropouts" and "dropins". Trials have included areas such as Blackall and Maleny.

Martha Goldman, Narelle McGlusky and Sandy McCoy will continue to liaise with schools re the needs of indigenous learners. Narelle spoke of schools experimenting with linking "Your Future, Your Choice" with Secondary Education Training Plans (SETP). "Your Future, Your Choice" is an online product that deals with issues such as self-confidence, cultural identity and pathways. This e-product also helps to establish pathways for disengaged, indigenous learners. It is available on the website of the Indigenous Studies Product Development Unit (Tropical North Qld TAFE):
http://www.ispdu.com.au/future/

Other resources for indigenous learning and teaching were also identified:
Learning Engagement Centres:
http://education.qld.gov.au/information/service/libraries/atsi/

Indigenous Education and Training Alliance (IETA)
http://www.ieta.ash.org.au/

Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP)
http://www.ratep.jcu.edu.au/

Marcella Thompson (Kuranda High) who has developed profiles of 50 role models.


Other issues raised in this workshop included fair treatment for casual hours worked (e.g. out of hours online chats) and teacher development for online learning.