Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia.
Australian
Curriculum.
September
2013.
Asia Literacy
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Australian Curriculum
• The Melbourne Declaration (2008) identified key concepts that need to be
addressed for the benefit of individuals and Australia as a whole.
• General capabilities and cross curricular priorities are a shared
responsibility. They provide the future focus within curriculum.
• Cross curriculum priorities do not identify additional curriculum material
to be taught. They reflect content already embedded across curriculum
and critically important contexts for teaching and learning.
• “Cross-curriculum priorities are embedded in all learning areas. They will
have a strong but varying presence depending on their relevance to the
learning areas.”
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities
Australian Curriculum:
General Capabilities
These outline the knowledge, skills,
behaviours and dispositions for our
students.
Asia Literacy
• Literacy.
• Numeracy.
• Information and
communication
technology (ICT)
capability.
• Critical and creative
thinking.
• Personal and social
capability.
• Ethical
understanding.
• Intercultural
understanding.
3
Asia Literacy
• Asia literacy is about students engaging with Asia in
the classroom to gain the knowledge, understandings
and skills needed for communication and
participation as global citizens within our region.
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Asia Literacy in the Classroom
• Asia literacy is knowledge, skills and understandings
about the histories, geographies, societies, cultures,
literature and languages of the diverse countries of our
own neighbourhood.
• Studies of Asia provides a context for learning
languages of Asia.
• Asia literacy equips young Australians to make sense of
their world. It is a core part of a future-focused
Australian Curriculum for the 21st century.
Asia Literacy – not just about language.
• Cultural Sensitivity
Family, food and rituals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t82eWkb
_tM&feature=related
© PS 2011
Where is Asia?
In Australian schools, studies of Asia are likely to cover the
sub-regions of:
• North-East Asia including China, Japan, North Korea, South
Korea and Taiwan.
• South-East Asia including Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma),
Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, East
Timor, the Philippines and Cambodia.
• South Asia including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
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Why Learn About Asia?
Australia in the Asia Century: White Paper
• “The tyranny of distance is being replaced by the prospects of proximity.”
• The Federal Government report provides a roadmap for Australia; for
governments, business, unions, the broader community, to become Asia
literate and develop the capabilities and connections that Australia will
need.
Building Asia Literacy through Schools has two objectives:
• “Every student will have significant exposure to studies of Asia across the
curriculum to increase their cultural knowledge and skills and enable them
to be active in the region.
• All students will have the opportunity to undertake a continuous course of
study in a priority Asian language.”
[Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian and Japanese].
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“Within 10 years, the region will have
three of the four largest economies of the
world. A generational shift of financial
might is occurring from the west to the
east”
(Statement of the Business Alliance for Asia Literacy, May, 2009)
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Aust – Asia Links.
• China has more cars on the road than the USA.
• India has over 20 million multi-millionaires.
• Australia's population could reach over 35 million by 2050.
Indonesia’s predicted population by 2025?
273.1 million.
• The sub-continent region is now the largest source of
migrants to Australia, replacing North Asia.
• 2010 - 29.1% increase in Aust students studying in Asia.
In 2011, numbers were up by another 19%.
• Aust now has more speakers of Chinese languages than
speakers of Italian or Greek.
Aust – Asia Links
• The recent change in Labor party policy means Aust. can
begin to export uranium to India.
• The government of Pakistan is now demanding the same
right to access Aust. uranium.
• The Margaret River Dairy Company, Sunbeam Foods,
Chrystal Fresh, Angas Park and Don Vica were acquired
on 30 November 2011 by the Bright Foods Group, 75%
owned by Bright Foods of China.
• Sinosteel Midwest, the third largest steel manufacturing
company on the planet, are proud sponsors of the
Greenough Rovers Football Club.
• US marines now permanently based in Darwin.
Asia’s Rise
• Currently 2/3 of the world’s poor live in Asia.
• China has 250 million people living in poverty, 58 million
“left behind children”, internal security and stability
issues.
• There are significant environmental issues eg 5.5 million
new motorbikes on Jakarta’s streets every year.
• Many Asian nations are vulnerable to climate change.
• Development assistance (more than aid), is an important
part of Australia’s diplomatic relationships within the
region.
• Need to update Australia’s image and update our image
of Asian nations due to rapid change.
Globalisation
“We have a stake in one another, and what binds us
together is greater than what drives us apart.” Barack Obama
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Australian Curriculum: Cross Curriculum Priorities
• One of the three cross
curriculum priorities
focuses on the skills,
knowledge and
understandings related to
Asia and Australia’s
Engagement with Asia
in various social, cultural,
economic and political
contexts.
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home
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Dept Portal - DET Resources Online
National Support: Asia Education Foundation
Information for educators, parents and students
www.asiaeducation.edu.au
Resources include:
• Online materials eg scope and sequence for SOSE, English, The
Arts, plus Units of Work, Intersections of Identity.
• Text reviews, links to related sites, video clips
• Study Tours eg In the Footsteps of Chairman Mao, Geography
and Sustainability (Vietnam), Values and Beliefs (India).
Asia in History : Year 5
The mosque, Marree, South Australia, circa 1884. State Library of South
Australia at:http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/15500/B15341.htm
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National Museum Australia: Making Tracks
Primary School Resource for Australian Curriculum English and History.
• A series of 17 children’s books based on fictional journeys
through Australian history. The stories are told from a child’s
perspective and recreate living in Australia during significant
eras or themes including: the1850s Gold rush; colonial
bushrangers; an Antarctic expedition; Afghan cameleers’; war
and Vietnamese refugees.
• These books are supported by primary resources from the
Museum’s online collection and classroom activities, many
including Flash Interactive materials.
•
http://www.nma.gov.au/education-kids/classroom_learning/activities/makingtracks
Asia Literacy: Engaging
with Asia for Educators.
A curriculum guide.
http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/
asialiteracy/detcms/portal/ Look for the
panda on the portal!
Asia online booklists:
www.australed.iinet.net.au
www.curriculumpress.edu.au
www.asiabookroom.com
http://www.lote.com.au/
Global Education
Teacher resources to encourage a global
perspective across the curriculum
•
•
•
•
Resources including; country
profiles, facts, hot topics, case
studies, image galleries and
videos, and classroom activities
on contemporary global issues.
Case studies reflect the general
priorities, Asia and Sustainability
cross curriculum priorities.
Teaching strategies to build
thinking skills, analyse statistics,
Web 2.0 tools and apps.
Downloadable templates for the
classroom.
Asia Education Teachers’ Association
(Aust) Inc
• Classroom resources written by teachers, for teachers.
• Background information, ideas and downloadable
worksheets.
• $70 membership provides four fabulous
journals per year, eg March 2013 Focus: Japan, June
2013 Focus: Science and Technology.
• Asia news, study tours and conferences.
• Now published online at: www.aeta.org.au
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Need up to date data?
Price Waterhouse Coopers Asialink Index
• The PwC Melbourne Institute Asialink Index provides a clear and
comprehensible measure of Australia's engagement with Asia
across seven key indicators.
• It outlines Australia’s relationships with six of Asia's most significant
economies in graphs, tables, and explanation of trends.
• Accurate, current data on Australia-Asia links in trade, investment,
education, tourism, humanitarian assistance and migration.
• Categories of data for; China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea,
Philippines, Singapore and South-East Asia.
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers(PwC) Melbourne Institute Asialink Index
• http://www.pwc.com.au/asialink/
The Literacy Shed animations
• Other cultures Shed - Birthday Boy - Korean War
• The Thinking Shed - Seeking Refuge, Juliane’s Story, A
journey from Zimbabwe.
• The Adventure Shed – Blackface – colonial hunter in
India.
• http://www.literacyshed.com/
Difference Differently
• Difference Differently aims to improve ways in which schools
develop young Australians’ intercultural understanding.
• It’s a free resource that offers modules in English, History,
Geography and Civics & Citizenship for students in Years 3 to
10.
• It includes videos, online forums, quizzes, and interactive
learning activities for the classroom and a teacher PL
resource.
Available at: http://differencedifferently.edu.au
More Resources!
• The Angkor Project, Children Helping to Rebuild the Schools of
Cambodia.
• One World Centre. Education officers and resources at
www.oneworldcentre.org.au
• Community groups eg Chung Wah Association, Balai Bahasa
Indonesia Perth, Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural
Centre.
• Sister School relationships eg 1000 Sister Schools Initiative –
Zhejiang Province China.
• Professional Organisations eg Japanese Language Teachers’
Association of Western Australia, Asia Education Teachers’
Association.
• Supporting schools in East Timor.
• Supporting Balinese schools eg Adopt A School Association at
www.adoptaschool.org.au/
• Asia Literacy monthly newsletter.
Get involved - join a Study Tour.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrowmindedness, and many of our people need it
sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome,
charitable views of men and things cannot be
acquired by vegetating in one little corner of
the earth all one's lifetime.”
Mark Twain in Innocents Abroad
Review – Focus Questions
• What have I learnt?
• What are the key messages I will take back to
my colleagues?
• What am I going to do to build Asia literacy?