WCE working closely with Tennant Creek and Alekerenge Schools

Tennant Creek Careers Expo

On Thursday 11th August the WCE Team attended the Tennant Creek Careers Expo to provide advice at the CDU booth along with Mr Peter Strachan from the Alice Springs Campus. There was good interest in the various courses that the University offers in both VET and HE streams. Valda engaged well with local (and visiting) students running a question and answer session before handing out various Whole of Community Engagement merchandise.

Following on from the expo, links have been created between CDU lecturers and the Senior Science Teacher at Tennant Creek High School to expose local students to more science topics.

Teacher forums

WCE staff work closely with interested teachers at Tennant Creek and Alekerenge schools to help develop alternative ways of teaching (pedagogies) and cultural metaphors.

A number of useful metaphors are also beginning to emerge including the following:

• Threads to rope: at present the education system is supported by many individual threads that are fragile and easily disrupted. As a result education performance can be unbalanced or fall when a small number of individual threads break. These threads can be woven into a strong rope which is durable and can achieve much more. (Also spinifex that is less useful as individual stalks but can be woven into a useful basket.)
• The Emu Foot: this highlights three main education pathways – direct employment, VET or higher education

The 8 Aboriginal pedagogies framework has been introduced to local staff to develop general cultural values to build on:

• We connect through the stories we share.
• We picture our pathways of knowledge.
• We see, think, act, make and share without words.
• We keep and share knowledge with art and objects.
• We work with lessons from land and nature.
• We put different ideas together and create new knowledge.
• We work from wholes to parts, watching and then doing.
• We bring new knowledge home to help our mob.