Bilingual

Bilingual Education Vignette June 2008.



Where are we at now?
 * Structurally = 9 schools + 10 programs. 5 TL& S based program officers
 * Programs in schools with varying delivery quality.
 * Programs in schools with supportive to hostile Principals to program aims and objectives.
 * Ambivalence by DEET. Little to no ‘intellectual’ engagement.
 * Some Government ‘outward’ support though not supported by CM.
 * Seen to be ‘competing’ with other ‘projects’ for time, space etc in schools.
 * Accidental disinfranchising and capacity to school based professional development especially ‘team teaching’; though currently maintaining some key PD ‘structures’ such regional ILC ‘verification’ workshops in Arnhem and Warlpiri Triangle.
 * Need to complete key ‘writing’ tasks of Handbook’ and ILC Renewal. Creates a ‘tension’ between ‘writing’ and ‘in schools’ support time.

What they know about focus of strategic directions?
 * Limited with some ‘organisational’ tensions for a small program in regionalisation eg budget spending, staffing,
 * Some knowledge that “Closing the Gap’ may provide opportunity & tensions. Currently DEET was organisational and sense purpose tensions at both the micro and macro levels of rolling out ‘strategies & initiatives’.
 * The look of the Divison is in current ‘flex’ between ‘who’s going – who’s going’ eg ‘Early Childhood and aspects of MY’ and what will be the short to long term relationship in policy and delivery.

Where we want to be etc? Six Months
 * Operationally consolidated with ‘regionalisation’ settled in terms of structure and processes
 * Handbook drafting complete and available to ‘comment & response’ and have a good view of the scope response ‘tensions’ and ‘affirmations’ and develop and/or modify responses.
 * DEET to have a ‘Languages Policy” that should provide more clear implementation and pedagogical ‘guidellines’ across the ‘programs – projects’ and possibly lead to more collaboration and less competing.
 * Clarified relationship across Remote L Parrtnership Agreements, APIF and “Bilingual Program Evaluations”

2009>
 * Sense of the future …… rather than ‘defending’ a ‘fragile’ status quo’. How? Mmmm
 * Operational ‘clout’ rather than current ‘competing’ status with other projects-initiatives.



Team Synthesis created 26/6/2008:
 * What is valued by our external clients (Indigenous students and their Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators and community members)?**
 * PD**
 * relationships with deliverers
 * butcher's paper (where non-Indigenous team member does not always hold the pen)
 * rich communication about education processes
 * repetition of information
 * access to training
 * targets Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators
 * use of all speakers' languages
 * safe contexts for all people to contribute
 * plain English - explicit unpacking of 'teacher business'
 * consultation on needs / agendas
 * evaluations of all PDs
 * copies of PD materials
 * networking across programs


 * Policy Development and Curriculum Development**
 * being inclusive - represents knowledge wanted / included by Indigenous community leaders\
 * being accessible - plain English versions
 * supported in practice
 * allowing people time & different paces to consider the impact of policy and curriculum development and changes


 * Advocacy**
 * enabling clients to be visible and have a voice about decisions made
 * the visibility and voice is acted upon (often it is not)
 * access to information about education / learning / programs
 * advocacy of the importance of language and culture for their children


 * Reacting to client demands**
 * acknowledge where children are as learners, and what community aspirations for them are
 * responding to providing information

**PD** **Policy Development and Curriculum Development** Lacking / issues:**
 * What is valued by our internal clients (eg in TL&S)?**
 * sharing data
 * opportunity to engage with bilingual theory and student data
 * greater access to information
 * shared understandings about the language contexts of students, and what that means for the education programs delivered
 * shared understandings about the place of language in learning
 * understandings about working with and delivering PD to Indigenous educators and classroom teams
 * clear consistent messages about language acquisition, ESL, the place of L1 and other languages (we need a Languages in Education policy for this to happen)
 * historical knowledge and experiential knowledge shared
 * Advocacy**
 * ? not really done
 * historical knowledge
 * Disjunct in values in our program (Bilingual Education), & what we perceive others hold about it
 * historical knowledge
 * experiential knowledge
 * attention to Indigenous voices
 * strong links within TL&S
 * pigeon-holing of personnel and program
 * knowledge of bilingual education
 * hierarchical communication

- knowing - sharing - understanding - visibility - considerations
 * Solutions through:**
 * sharing
 * wider communication networks
 * making information more accessible
 * opening up opportunities for - thinking
 * **focus on how to do bilingual education well for all involved in schools that have or want these programs**