Esther – A truly remarkable refugee!

On By fionamo1In Future Learning Space, Refugee PlightLeave a comment

After recently completing a 5 day  PD on ‘Curriculum planning and documentation’ I complimented the very learned presenter Esther on her amazing knowledge and her passion for ‘Curriculum”. Esther has the most amazing theoretical and  practical mind in regards to curriculum planning and her thirst for learning is enviable. Esther has this amazing attitude where she can never see an issue or a block in her life, she simply sees them as exciting challenges she has to overcome.

When complimenting her on the presentation of the PD, Esther’s response in her very distinct accent was ‘When I came to Australia, I had nothing but my mind and intellect. Through education these were the only things I had that I could use that put me on a level playing field with my peers.’

Esther certainly is a truly, remarkable refugee that is an inspiration to all in education!

References:

Firstcovers.com,. ‘Everything Can Be Taken From A Man But One Thing: The Last Of Human Freedoms – To Choose One’s Attitude In Any Given Set Of Circumstances, To Choose One’s Own Way. Viktor E. Frankl’. N.p., 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Future Learning Space Poem

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A Refugees Future  Learning Space by Fiona Moon

Words inspired by Rahma (Year 8)

To my teacher,

My needs are many, my wants are few,

I need your kindness and lots of patience,

This change will take some time,

Please let me just spend time with you.

Don’t give up, just chill and sit with me,

Read my books and take the words slowly,

Explain the illustrations and the inferred meanings,

Connecting my knowledge and skills will be the key.

Show me your country and let me experience,

Let my eyes be opened in your free world,

Allow my anxieties to slowly release,

So I feel safe and secure without interference.

Allow me to grow and develop with your support,

Let me explore and play as a child,

Let me understand myself and my new world,

Through Music, Art, Drama and Sport.

Digital Technologies can connect me to you,

I can share with you where I called home,

Together our journey can be taken,

Where we can share a respectful view.

A device will bring me closer to where I can gain face,

Recorded lessons I can review,

Having my interpreter app in check,

Will allow me to absorb and learn at my own pace.

Please value what I bring to my new home,

My culture, family, values and my mind,

I have much to offer you I just need time,

My thoughts and dreams are now free to roam.

We can change the world you and I,

Educate me so we can agitate,

To bring peace to this unruly world,

With hope and optimism I now can fly.

from Rahma

Please listen to my poem on a refugee’s desired future learning space

http://vocaroo.com/i/s08bvpMyNPbr

The future of 21st century refugees and what might their impact on the world be?

On By fionamo1In edfd459, Future Learning Space, Learning Space, Refugee Plight2 Comments

Anh Doh

Our 21st century refugee can follow in Anh Doh’s footsteps and become stronger, wiser and happier but they will need our support. Past refugees from war torn countries have come through their journey of distress and suffering and have had the determination and ability to leave their mark on the country where they were relocated to. Famous names such as Anh Doh, Rita Orr, Mika, Joseph Conrad and Freddie Mercury are classic examples of refugees who have made it to the top in their particular field.

Fleming (2014)  states that refugees say that education is the most important thing in their lives because it allows them to think of their future and not their nightmare of the past. It allows them to think of hope and not hatred.With hope and optimism refugees will have the capacity to be our leaders in the world.

Fleming (2014)  believes that if we don’t invest in refugees we are missing a huge opportunity. ‘If we leave them abandoned then they risk abuse and exploitation. Leave them unskilled and uneducated and delay by years the return to peace and prosperity in their countries’. She continues to state that ‘how we treat the refugees will shape the future of our world. The victims of war can hold the keys to lasting world peace and the refugees can stop the cycle of violence.’ (Fleming 2014).

As educators we can change the world by providing refugees with the education so that they have the  knowledge and skills to make their world a better place.

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Fleming. M (2014) Let’s Help Refugees Thrive, Not Just Survive, TED Talks

The role of educators

On By fionamo1In edfd459, Future Learning Space, Refugee Plight1 Comment

The role of the educator in my future learning space is to for every participant to achieve the mission statement that is to be given the opportunity to achieve one’s personal best.

The educators role is to provide a warm, nurturing, respectful learning space where all participants feel safe and stimulated to learn.

It will  be essential to engage in excursions and many ‘hands on’ activities so that children are able to learn using a sensory approach.

It is important for the educator to ensure basic needs are being met as well. This may mean linking to external services.

The role of the educator in my learning space is exponential. They must

  • facilitate learning and guide the journey through this liminal space
  • be a friend and confidante and work through the emotional layers
  • be the face of optimism, shine the light to that bright outlook on life
  • show compassion and a genuine interest in moving these people to a better place
  • develop life long learners
  • develop the skills and abilities in these children and adults to allow them to  function successfully as global citizens

The educator must provide a relevant curriculum that ensures that the goals of the Melbourne Declaration (2008) are achieved.

Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence

Goal 2: All young Australians become:

– successful learners

– confident and creative individuals

– active and informed citizens

A teacher has many roles
A teacher has many roles

References:
S-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com,. N.p., 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2015.

Describe the educational facilities the space has? Pearltree inspired!

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As the possibility of a number of Syrian refugee families moving into my local community is being currently discussed I am planning my future learning space.

This facility will enable a community based program to support our new families. This program will be a multi faceted approach which will support and assist the development of all needs.

This will include  the coordination of health, education, welfare,  and financial services.

The facility will provide an intensive language centre so all refugees can study the English language in a supported environment. There will be multi lingual and cultural educators that will support the language and cultural interaction of the Syrian people and help them with assimilation into the Australian life. Adults will be given the opportunity to be retrained or to develop skills required to enable them to join the workforce. Life skills such as cooking, budgeting, driving a car will also be available. There will be music, arts, drama, sports and health programs available so that every person has an opportunity to express themselves and find a therapeutic form of activity.

There will be access to technology so that there can be contact with the country these people have left behind,  family that have been relocated around the world and for learning opportunities. Picture books will be in abundance as will local community members who spend time engaging with our new families.  A playground will take pride of place as all the children will be introduced to play based activities which will enhance social and emotional development.

As soon as the children have engaged in an intensivc language program, they will then enter the mainstream public schooling system in a supported manner.

There will be a cultural centre where this community can gather together to share meals, religious services and cultural celebrations.

Each refugee family will be mentored and supported by an Australian family to help adjust and integrate into the community. It is important to note that our local community members will also be welcomed into the facility as we are encouraging the Syrian families and the Australian families to become one community, living and working in unison.

Visit my Pearltree Backpack full of resources for educators to gain a better understanding of the Syrian Refugee Crisis and an educators role in this situation.

Educational Capital of Refugees: Pinterest Backpack

On By fionamo1In edfd459, Future Learning Space, Refugee PlightLeave a comment

The incoming Syrian refugees of school age into Australia will have had varying educational opportunities. Whilst some may have been enrolled it is important to remember that United Nations statistics had only 50% of Syrian children attending school in 2015 and in the hardest hit areas only 25% attended school.

As educators in Australia welcoming these refugees we have to be mindful of what each child brings in terms of knowledge, skills, stage of  language development and their mental health . It will be important to work with the child’s family and to ensure that a community approach is used in regard to the families welfare, health, education  and  supporting integration into the local community.  Within the refugee population that moves into the area it is important to not assume that these people are uneducated. In fact they could be your greatest resource as there may  be teachers, business people, computer experts and adults that would like to be mentors for  the children.

As we have had a large number of Filipino families  move into our community over the past five years, I have had a huge success working with the families. I was very surprised to discover that our parents who are working in a local piggery as a ‘farm labourers’ were highly qualified in the Philippines and if fact were veterinarians, engineers, teachers,  computer programmers etc.

All the  Filipino parents that I currently work with place a very high value on education and believe that education is  the hope to their child having a bright future. This in turn means success for all the family, as the child can then not only support the family long term but also support the extended family that are  still in the mother country. These adults are a huge resource and it is important to engage them with the education of their children.

Back to School: Syria Emergency-Palestine Refugee Children
Back to School: Syria Emergency-Palestine Refugee Children

Visit my Pinterest Backpack to find out more how we can support Syrian refugees entering Australia. 

References:
Visualizingpalestine.org,. ‘Back To School: Syria Emergency-Palestine Refugee Children’. N.p., 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2015.

What an education may need to provide to refugees

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Community based programs that focus on education and mental health support within a culturally sensitive  environment will be crucial to allow the refugee children to integrate into the Australian education system. The United Nations suggest that  only 50% of Syrian refugee children were enrolled in school in 2015, with figures as low as 25% in the hardest hit areas. These students will require targeted support to: bridge the gaps in their education, learn the English language and to also build resilience by addressing the trauma and other mental health symptoms.

A community based program will need to provide support for entire  families ensuring their physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs are met. It will be important for schools and health services to work together with Syrian professionals to provide culturally appropriate treatments and to provide training to those working with the refugee children to recognise and treat trauma. It will be important to help the students embrace their new home  and learn the English language, however it is also important for them to maintain their connection to their and Syrian culture and the values that they bring with them to Australia.

A holistic setting such as Candlebark School or Fitzroy Community School would be ideal as the refugee students will need a nurturing and secure learning environment. It will be very important for the school setting to focus on ‘mindfulness’ and building student resilience. Allowing students to develop these skills through a ‘play’ oriented curriculum would be beneficial.

The 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning would also be a useful tool and would assist with connecting the Australian and the Syrian culture.

8 ways diagramhttp://tlweb.latrobe.edu.au/education/EDU2CII/EDU2CII-065.html

The Context – Syrian Refugees coming to Australia

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Welcoming Syrian Refugees to Australian classrooms will require a holistic approach where the whole student’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs are met. As the refugees will have been in a liminal state for a lengthy period they will require a multi faceted approach to assist them in resettling into their new country. As these people have been forced to flee their homeland they will bring with them their culture, maybe some family members,  their values and intellect.

Teaching in a small, rural Victorian school I have not had any experience with teaching refugees and so I contacted my daughter who teaches at a large secondary school that is very multicultural.  I asked her to interview one of her refugee students and provided her with a list of questions so that I could gain an understanding of how refugees cope with transitioning to the Australian way of life. I strongly believe that before we begin any education process with refugee we do need to engage with them and ask what their needs and wants are. Please meet Rahma, an Iraqi refugee, who has moved through the liminal space and proves to me that whilst scarring can occur it is possible to regain optimism and lead a truly inspiring life! Please watch the  interview video with Rahma.

Thanks

My Future Learning Space

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Mission Statement:

To provide excellence and equity in  education so as to inspire a world where all refugees are afforded the opportunity to achieve their ‘personal best’.

Vision Statement:

A holistic educational experience where the emotional, social and cognitive needs of each refugee met. We aim for each refugee to develop self confidence and inner resources so that they become a responsible and active global citizen.

The Liminal Space

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The term ‘liminal’ is a transitional space that you move through when you move out of your comfort zone until you become comfortable and secure in the space you have moved to. I guess we all experience this “liminal” space  and experience the anxiety that accompanies it. During this unit I feel like I have been in the “liminal” space for weeks as I have stepped out of my comfort zone and entered a whole new world of online learning.  The anxiety I have experienced at times seems debilitating however the thought  of the weeks counting down keeps me upbeat. This “liminal” space i am occupying is only in one part of my life. I cannot even to begin to understand how a refugee would feel as they are living in the “liminal” space in all areas of their life and have no timeline or guaranteed outcome. In terms of the “liminal” within the learning spaces in the future, teachers will need to make sure the students who are in this transitional ‘liminal’ phase are well supported and that structures are put in place to assist these students. Schools may have to setup transition programs eg EAL intensive program, welfare program’s to support students in the “liminal” space. The teacher must ensure that the classroom and school space are welcoming and friendly and that there is strong sense of routine so that the students feel safe and know what is going to happen next. The school may also have to put in program’s to ensure the students basic needs are being met,  This may mean; breakfastclubs, support for uniforms, school supplies. In today’s rapidly changing world we are all forced into the “liminal” space at times and it is so important that we have strategies we are able to adopt,  so as to ensure we successfully move into the space we feel comfortable in!