Draft Program
The Lakes resort, Westlakes, Adelaide 23rd October
“Identifying and Catering for the Gifts and Talents of Indigenous
Students”
8.30am Welcome to Country
8.40am Opening Remarks
8.55am Keynote – Graham Chaffey – University of New England
The lower than average academic outcomes for Australian Indigenous children in our
schools is overshadowed by the low numbers of Indigenous children participating in
programs for the gifted. In fact, in many areas there are very few, if any, Indigenous children
being identified as academically gifted and even fewer actually participating in gifted
education provision.
The consistent identification of academically gifted Indigenous children has proven to be a
major barrier to the inclusion of Indigenous children in programs for gifted children. Often
used identification methods such as one-off IQ tests, teacher nomination and checklists
have proven to be inconsistent, at best, for Indigenous children.
9.45am Workshop Breakout 1
a)
Cheryl Best – School Education Director – South West Sydney
The South Western Sydney Region Aboriginal Education portfolio priority is ‘to deliver
education and training that inspires students to succeed and fosters high expectations.’ A
strategy was developed in 2006 to address the needs of gifted and talented students in Year
6 within the region and to meet the needs of these students in innovative and engaging
activities which include partnerships with community and developing a deeper cultural
understanding.
b)
Sharon Williams – Sunshine Coast Indigenous Education Unit
This program is for Year 4, 5 and 6 Indigenous students who have been identified as having
high learning potential using Dr Graham Chaffey’s – Coolabah Dynamic Assessment Model.
Once identified, the children are engaged in a program that targets cognitive efficiency,
metacognitive skill development, academic self-belief and other issues that may make the
children reluctant to engage in academic pursuits.
10.35am Morning Tea
11.00am Keynote – Bill Campbell – Peel Technology High School
Our school was the first High School in NSW selected for the Schools in Partnership Program
(SiP) we have become a school selected as having the Best Practice model for Personalised
Learning Plans. Our ideas have been adapted by other regions and by private consultants.
This has been a major feature in promoting leadership and selection of Indigenous students
for extension programs.
11.50 Workshop Breakout 2
a)
Graham Chaffey – University of New England
The lower than average academic outcomes of Australian Indigenous students is well
documented and is a problem that is proving to be a persistent, defying all attempts to
create major improvements. Have our educational bodies been looking for ‘hard’ answers
when it is really much simpler? Have the real issues been masked by well meaning, but
misguided attempts that have led to what are really blind alleys? The key to reversing this
unacceptable situation may well abide in the very straightforward but little recognized selfefficacy construct. In this workshop Dr Chaffey will provide powerful evidence to support
the view that low academic self-efficacy is the precursor for disengagement and, therefore,
underachievement.
b)
Robin Clarke – Education Research Solutions
The interactive workshop will focus on an ‘easy to use’ process to identify and develop
learning programs are appropriate to the interests, talents and stage of development of
individual children.
The process adopts a ‘constructivist’ approach to curriculum development - that
acknowledges a student’s current stage of development and internal sources of motivation,
and builds upon these foundations to enable students to move along a developmental
pathway.
12.40pm Lunch
1.25pm Keynote Sharon Cooke – Wii Gaay – Armidale Catholic Education Office
The Catholic Schools Office, Armidale has developed a program involving Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students from across the Armidale Diocese, known as the “Wii Gaay”
program. “Wii Gaay” is Gamilaraay Language for “Clever Child”. This project has operated
within the Armidale Diocese since 2002.
The “Wii Gaay” program was developed to culturally and educationally support identified
Gifted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the Armidale Diocese.
2.15pm Workshop Breakout 3
a)
Alyson Whiteoak – Jervis Bay School – ACT
Set within the beautiful location of Booderee National Park and HMAS CRESWELL, Jervis Bay
School is a unique teaching and learning environment. Jervis Bay School currently has a 70%
Indigenous student population with other students coming from Defence Force families,
Jervis Bay village and surrounding NSW towns. It is within this context the Booderee Junior
Rangers Program has been created.
b)
Lindsay Donnan and Colleagues – Sydney Catholic Education Office
The Integrated Underachievement Model (IUM) uses pedagogical and affective
interventions to increase the academic self-efficacy of underachieving students with a
special focus on gifted underachieving Indigenous students. Dr. Graham Chaffey’s provision
model has had a profound influence on the development of the pedagogy underpinning this
model.
3.05pm Keynote Ms Delsie Lillyst and Dr Susan Nikakis – Catholic Education Melbourne
This workshop will inform the audience about programs and identification methods
currently used in Victorian Catholic Secondary schools.
The workshop will focus on models implemented in a number of schools to identify
Indigenous gifted students. Latest research will be presented and discussed by all
participants.
3.55pm Workshop Breakout 4
a)
Reconciliation Australia – South Australian Office
Workshop the Reconciliation Action Plan with a focus on OPPORTUNITIES and the related
ACTIONS and MEASURABLE TARGETS. This area of the RAP program allows a school to be
creative about the ways they can provide opportunities to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students to develop their gifts and talents. Schools are encouraged to develop
actions through consultation with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait talents and
leadership of their students.
b)
Jodie Maymuru - Sharing Cultures
The presentation will introduce our latest project, the Sharing Culture e-Learning System.
The multipurpose System is an interactive teaching and learning tool, delivered through the
Internet, designed to be customised and controlled by communities. The System acts as a
tool to aide in the revival and maintenance of Indigenous Languages, Cultural Knowledge
and Local History.
4.45pm Closing Comments
4.55pmpm Conference Close