[Edited extract from public address]
This month we look at what Harmony Week means post-Covid, visit Lake Mungo, hear Indigenous stories and discuss blended learning. We also share our April reasons to celebrate.
Harmony Week | 15-21 March 2022
At Cultural Infusion, March is our busiest month. Harmony Week, celebrated around Australia, and Cultural Diversity Week in Victoria are popular dates for schools and early learning centres to recognise the many cultures that make up our multicultural country.
This year, as we slowly emerge out of the pandemic, it will be a different kind of celebration as these past two years have highlighted that we are not in it together.
Not everyone starts from the same place and cultural differences not only impact your experience but even your chance of survival with a death rate three times higher for migrants compared to those born in Australia. Supporting our community members, regardless of what language they speak, the colour of their skin or the way they dress, is our only way forward as a multicultural society.
It also allows us to learn and understand different perspectives and discover cultural celebrations from all around the world.
- Explore our Cultural Calendar
Unearthing the treasures of Lake Mungo
Last month, around 25 educators participated in a webinar on our online learning platform Mungo Explorer.
Based on the founding work of the respected scientist Jim Bowler, in consultation with Elders from the Willandra World Heritage Elders Site and provides a rare opportunity for students to access the work and knowledge of a scientist who has worked alongside Traditional Custodians for more than 50 years. This inquiry based resource is aligned with the Australian curriculum and covers Year 4 First Contact and Year 7 Ancient History. It also allows teachers to share Indigenous perspectives, historical and scientific thinking to teach students about the remarkable story of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady.
Through Mungo Explorer, students can access personal narratives, photos, videos, graphs and evidence of occupation as they journey through a window into Australia’s past. Teachers are supported with lesson plans, teacher reference sheets and student study sheets. Cultural Infusion hosted two webinars with Jenny Bowler, Jim's daughter, who helped create the program. This deep and personal exploration of Australia's past and the ancient lifestyles of Indigenous peoples helps and supports teachers.
"This is everything we have been wanting to do but weren't able to do ourselves, and the interactive technology also engages the students which is great."Rebecca McClure from Irymple Secondary
- Discover Mungo Explorer
Gene Blow visited the Cultural Infusion Collingwood office recently
This Indigenous Elder and Cultural Infusion presenter shared stories and sessions with the team including the story of how the kangaroo was named, the origin of Melbourne's Moomba festival and this tale about fishing at Moreton Bay.
- Book an Indigenous Presenter
Blended learning and prioritising music education
Our Education Strategist Nisha Feik explains why policymakers should prioritise music education in this piece written for the industry publication Education HQ.
As students head back to school and debate continues over the content of Australia’s new curriculum, a blended learning approach needs to be prioritised to ensure intercultural understanding is instilled as a core value and key competency of global citizenship among our school communities.
"Blended learning – especially in the context of music education – involves using technology to enhance musical skills and provides music teachers with a balanced approach to curriculum planning and content delivery. This allows challenging lessons to be taught without taking away too much practical application, while providing extra depth and ensuring we prioritise music."
April Dates to Celebrate
April is packed with significant dates from our Cultural Calendar, including Ramadan. To celebrate, we invite you to enjoy Cat Steven’s Ramadan moonshadow and learn the significance of the moon in Islamic storytelling.
There are also many more celebration dates to look forward to next month:
- Kha b-Nisan (Assyrian New Year), 1 April
- Ramadan, 2 April to 1 May
- Fan Dance Day, 3 April
- Children’s Day (Hong Kong and Taiwan), 4 April
- World Art Day, 15 April
- Easter Sunday, 17 April
- Chinese Language Day, 20 April
- World Creativity and Innovation Day, 21 April
- Spanish Language Day, 23 April
- Orthodox Easter, 24 April
- International Dance Day, 29 April
MORE:
Cultural Infusion (CUIN)Address: Suite 2, 273-277 Wellington Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066
Email: info@culturalinfusion.org.au
Website: https://culturalinfusion.org.au