Cluster focus
Our focus: Development of explicit pedagogy through professional learning in deep mathematical knowledge and embedding 8ways of Aboriginal learning.
The key focus areas include:
- culturally responsive pedagogy through cooperative partnerships
- community engagement
- professional learning
- teaching practices and
- collegial planning leading to innovative and dynamic classroom practice.
Orange Public School acknowledges the work of Dr Tyson Yunkaporta. We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Aboriginal nations of Western NSW who own the knowledges on which the "8 Ways" is based.
This knowledge came together in an interface with systems used by DET NSW, Western Region. Mainly, those systems were Quality Teaching (Ladwig and Amosa) and Reading to Learn (David Rose).
Why we did it
During 2008-09 there was an increased awarenss within the school of Aboriginal education. This led to engagement with the Stronger Smarter Institute and Dare to Lead, and a determination to improve strategies and outcomes at OPS.
How we did it
With the foundations grounded in Dr Tyson Yunkaporta’s research into the 8ways of Aboriginal Learning - and aligned to the NSW Mathematics syllabus, numeracy continuum and Quality Teaching Framework - the school designed their own culturally responsive maths units based on 8ways of Aborignal learning and their own Learning Map.