inquiryBITES

A Must Read - Australian Critical Race & Whiteness Studies Association

Here is another selection for the other resource for the non-institutionally-affiliated-student or Life-Long Learner.

The Australian Critical Race & Whiteness Studies Association examines Whiteness in an Australian context, exploring the racialised nature of our country.

They hold regular conferences with a regular journal published that you can access from the website.

Hey Super Geek! Have I got an untapped market for you!!!

Update 28th August, 2009 Have just found this blog. There is also a free e-book related to free-technology available from the website.

Are you a supergeek service?

You know, the kind that goes around fixing up ordinary folks computers? Or ordinary folk bring their stuff to you? And sometimes their problems are hardware, but quite often is software?

Do your customers struggle with the new-fangled things like that friend-book thingy or that twitter stuff that they've heard about on the news or read in the local paper?

Is this you??

Here's an untapped market - PARENTS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

I reckon there's an invisible wall between home & school in relation to technology and learning. You could be the link. Be able to answer questions like:

1) which kind of computer I should buy on my limited budget.
2) I tried to save money and space on the mini-computer I bought, so i got Compare Office not Microsoft Word, how do I help my kids take their files between two softwares at home & school.
3) What's this blackboard thing about? (or whatever system is used in your community)
4) How do I help my child remember all their passwords? why so many passwords?
5) What's google docs? And other free-software? Should I use it? How do I use it?
6) How do they access email?
7) How do I connect to the internet?
8) What's a modem?
9) How do I keep my child safe?
10) What's a firefox?

See how mundane these types of questions are? Imagine all the learning that is being stifled because these questions are in the way?

You could easily answer those questions & be paid for it.

How would you do it?
* First, you need to get to know what teachers are doing in the classroom. Get around the education networks (#edchat on twitter for instance), know about moodle, edmodo, wikis etc.
* Second, get to know parents - their needs & gaps in their knowledge etc.
* Third, get yourself a parent/family client.
* Fourth, provide them with the BEST service ever, answer ALL the questions. If you can't answer a question, go and find the answer and get back to them.
* Fifth, call them up a week later & check how the family* is doing.
* Sixth, repeat.

I reckon Word-of-Mouth will keep you busy for a long time.

* Notice I changed from Parents to Families - technology (take-up & resistance) influences & involves the entire family. It impacts of family dynamics positively & negatively. Your great service can have a positive impact on individual families & communities.

Schools don't have time, teachers don't have time or the expertise (many teachers are still technology novices themselves), but you school super geek, could fill this gap.

So, if you want to be the SUPER-IST SUPER GEEK in your community, why not niche yourself to become my family's SUPER GEEK.

Remember: No school in Australia would be permitted to endorse you or your services, but official endorsement is not what you're looking for.

Free-Range Scholar Support Service

I'm making up an acronym -  Free-Range-Scholar (I think I've plagarised it from @blogdiva - but because we're free-range its okay). I've referred to myself in recent years as an academic refugee - its like a Life-Long Learner, but kinda not, because despite ourselves, we do look for the rigour of academia (even if we don't always achieve it).

But I think we FRS' love reading academic texts - newspapers really are not enough & some stuff on the web is dodgy (not all - but some. This is fine if you're a university student or staff member, then you will have access to that stuff through your library's databases.

However, if you're NOT then its really hard to access some journals. They cost $$.

So, under the blog category of free-range-scholar, I'm linking good quality writings from the web (readings, journal articles & ejournals) about all kinds of topics.

The first is the International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies. They're based at the Indigenous Studies Research Network based at QUT, Brisbane, Australia.

If you know of any good journals on the web, drop me a line.

Thanks, Leesa

Birrguu Matya: A Wiradjuri Game by Donna Hensen

Birrguu Matya. Have you heard of this game before? Its great. My kids love this game. It comes wrapped in a little foldable felt mat (which doubles as the game board). I hang it up so it doesn't get lost.

I've not been able to find very much information at all about the game, nor its creator Donna Hensen. Well, when I say creator, I mean creator in its current format, as its based on a traditional game from the Wiradjuri people.

I highly recommend this game for students. I'd purchase one or two sets at least for the classroom, then inspire the students to make their own games using whatever is around them.

Here is a summary of the information that I can find about the game, including where you can purchase it.

• here is a link to a unit on Mathematics in Indigenous contexts at Quirindi School (NSW Board of Studies)
• you can purchase it from Dreamtime Kullilla Art Products , Echidnas on the Loose,   Eco-Toys,    Gecko Educational,  Kangaroo Valley Woodcrafts,   Bud's Toys , and many others. The prices are probably all very similar once you take into consideration credit card fees and postage. Though I've bought mine from Dreamtime Kullilla Art Products as they are an Aboriginal Owned Company (some of the others listed above may be as well, but i've not researched them).

I've not been able to find any further information on the internet about Donna Hensen the designer. But I thoroughly recommend this game to every family. 

Another 31 Great Moments in Blak History by Sam Cook

Here are the second 31 Great Moments in Blakistory fact sheets created by Sam Book from Kiss My Blak Arts. 

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned these sheets contain images and referenes to the deceased. 

1. Aboriginal Tent Embassy 

2. Deborah Mailman  

3. Nathan Jawai 

4. Nicky Wynmar 

5. Evelyn Robinson 

6. Rob Riley 

7. Kelvin Kong 

8. Australian Chapter of the Black Panther Party  

9. Darby McCarthy 

10. Lisa Bellear 

11. Bill Neidje  

12. Ida West AM  

13. Jack Charles 

14. Roslyn Watson 

15. Cummeragunja Walk Off 

16. Professor Martin Nakata

17. Casey Donovan (Not sure if this is a double up from 2008 - but here she is anyway) 

18. Unnaarrimin

19. Blak Resistance to Mutant Message Down Under

20. Ivan Copely

21. Puggy Hunter

22. Archie Roach

23. James Noble

24. Tracey Moffatt

 ... More to come over the next week.

31 Great Moments in Blak History

Sam Cook from Kiss My Blak Arts has developed 62 Great Moments in Blak History fact sheets (31 in 2008 and 31 in 2009) and has generously shared them with everyone via the Blak History Month Facebook Group and through her Twitter stream using TwitPics.

I've collated the first 31 here. Please let me know if links don't work.

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised these articles contain images and referenes to the deceased.

1. Mungo Lady and Mungo Man 

2. Pemulwuy 

3. Truganini 

4. Lionel Rose  

5. Aboriginal Cricket Team 

6. Nova Peris 

7. Graham Farmer  

8. Jimmy Little

9. Pintupi Nine 

10. Marn Grook 

11. Harold Blair 

12. Con Colleano

13. Charles Perkins

14. Ella Ware 

15.  Reginald Saunders MBE

16. Noel Tovey 

17. Vincent Lingiari OAM  

18. Neville Bonner

19. Artie Beetson 

20. Albert Namatjira 

21. Pastor Doug Nicholls KCVO OBE 

22. Yagan  

23. Merv Bishop 

24. David Unaipon 

25. Oodgeroo Noonnuccal 

26. Bob Bellear

27. Bonnar Colleano  

28. Evonne Goolagong 

29. Eddie Koiki Mabo  

30. Mum Shirl 

31. Harold Thomas  

 

 

Get your free downloadable Blak History Month Poster

Go to the I'll be celebrating July as Australia's Blak History Month" Facebook page to download your free poster. Designed by Sam Cook from Kiss My Blak Arts (@kissmyblakarts).

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=62159984672

Embedding New Knowledge - What's YOUR Investment?

Picture this scenario. Kids in bed, its quiet and peaceful, nothing’s happening just sitting in front of the telly, my partner and I reading the weekend papers, drinking tea. And there’s a story on the front page of the paper - a football player (or coach) has managed to get himself into trouble (a spear tackle perhaps? a real cruncher? swapped codes? jumped ship & went off to France?). Its all over the paper, there’s letters to the editor, an editorial, every-one’s got an opinion. Will he be suspended? Will he be allowed to play? Can he keep his contract? Will the club be fined? What should/should not the NRL do about it?

Inevitably, as an avid reader (though in general a sports loather), I’ll get caught up in the issue, and I’ll ask my partner questions and we’ll engage in an interesting conversation (at least for me anyway, I can’t attest to the interest level for him) about the issue. I’ll have an opinion. Then I’ll go to the arts section, and promptly forget the issue, who was involved, what it meant for the game and so on. And this scenario is repeated a couple of times every season and then again for the cricket season.

At every conversation though I’m very much aware that I frequently forget players names, the issues, the rules and my partner (bless ‘im) is forced to repeat the same information over and over again (kind of like when I’ve had a few too many & I constantly have to ask “what’s trumps again?”).

The issue is that I have not embedded new knowledge about the game. I know that any serious embedding of knowledge would require years and years of committed study. My partner has been following Rugby League since he was a boy, first as a junior player, he reads Rugby League Week & other publications, watches games (though not as many as he would like), and discusses issues with his peers. He has invested time, energy, thinking, and a little money into getting to a point where he can have an informed, meaningful and critical discussion about the issues that come up each week and each season.

I’m telling this story, because it fascinates me that many people believe that they can devote the same shallow-curiosity that I have about sport to developing their own understanding and awareness of Indigenous issues.

I am frequently asked simplistic questions in relation to Indigenous issues that indicate to me that the questioner has not given more than a passing thought to the topic. Questions like, “Do Aborigines really want an education?”, “what do Aborigines think about …..” etc etc. Prefacing your question with “I know I’m ignorant but…..” really doesn’t help. And in my experience, “I know I’m ignorant but …” folks generally already have an opinion in their mind anyway.

Of course, being a super polite person, I’ve not yet learned how to “death-stare” these people out of my existence (oh how I wish I could sometimes), and I’ll inevitably attempt to address questions that actually require hours and hours of discussion to get anywhere near to a meaningful answer. But that’s actually not fair on the questioner or me, because I quite honestly do want to answer these questions. I am deep down someone who believes that it’s the small opening of minds that will change the world.

But my request is, if you want to know about Indigenous people, if you’re really truly interested, then you need to think about what you’re willing to invest in embedding new knowledge. Think about how you’ll be challenged in addressing your assumptions, values and pre-existing ideas about Indigeneity and Australian-ness. There are thousands of books, hundreds of movies, many websites that you can use to start your journey. There are many Indigenous voices out there in EVERY level (from children’s literature through to top-tier academic works), but it ultimately is up to you to decide What’s Your Investment?

Wordles #1

This is a wordle created by www.wordle.net. The text is an essay by Professor Aileen Morton-Robinson titled The Possessive Logic of Patriarchal White Sovereignty: The High Court and the Yorta Yorta Decision in Borderlands e-journal (http://www.borderlands.net.au/issues/vol3no2.html).

Doesn't really mean anything - just looks cool!

Wordles are fun and can be used in the classroom in all kinds of ways. (I created a worlde of  my son's spelling list for the term!)

 

26/01 Part 2: Out With the Old?

Mick Dodson, Australian of the Year 2009 in his acceptance speech told how he believed that 26th of January should not be Australia Day. Linda Burney, in an interview with Fran Kelly on Radio National, told how while she was unable as an Aboriginal woman to celebrate Australia Day in the past, today she believes that we should stick with the day. She argued that it is possible for the meaning of the day to evolve to one that is more inclusive of others (including Indigenous People). Her and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd are on the same page.

Is it possible to continue celebrating on the 26th of January with a clear conscience?

Today (this year in particular) has shown an increased display of patriotism. The Australia Day committee (australiaday.org.au) should be proud that they have been able to create in Australians a degree of reverence for this date. I remember when I was a kid (in the 70s), no one bothered about the 26th, it was barely worth mentioning. Mind you, we still sung God Save The Queen back then. (We should also thank the "grog" shops and newspapers that gave away car flags, as well as the "cheap" shop suppliers who mass-produced Aussie flag undies, boxers, boardies, thongs, shirts etc)

Are we just being difficult? Just being wowsers? Does it really matter that a) on the 26th of January the soveignty of our nation was stolen and b) we didn't actually become a nation, only a colony of Great Britain? Perhaps I'm just being pedantic.

Isn't it enough that the PM said Sorry, the Australian of the Year is an Indigenous person, there a numerous Indigenous politicians (in states/territories), a couple of Indigenous people have a few gold medals now. Can't we all rally around the flag?? Can't we just get over it???

Well - I guess that's the beauty of being human. We get to create our symbols. The flag, the day, everything is created. None of its natural or truthful.

So bugger it, I think I'll stick with marching on the 26th of January, and fight and wait, patiently and non-violently, for the CHANGE.

Always was, Always will be…. Aboriginal Land.

Michael at Brisbane Invasion Day 2009 march. He asked me "Mum, all the people who celebrate Australia Day, don't they know about the Aborigines?"