Copyright (c) 2011 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann Recent documents in Soenke Biermann en-us Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:33:52 PST 3600 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/8 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/8 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:10:29 PST Soenke Biermann http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/7 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/7 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:28:54 PDT IndIgenous academics over the past decade and a half have been focusing strongly, in terms of theory development, on Indigenous' epistemologies and research methodologies. What has not been given equal academic attention is the theoretical articulation of Indigenous pedagogy, not only as a valid system of knowledge and skill transfer, but also as one that conveys meaning, values and identity. In this paper, we want to explore some of the. practical aspects of Indigenous pedagogy in a tertiary setting by way of a student-teacher dialogue and also discuss the wider implications of a theoreticaL articulation from ol1r perspective as researchers and academics. We argue that at the intersection of the discourses on transformative pedagogy and Indigenous education in Australia lays an unexplored concept which, properly articulated and implemented, could have great benefits for all learners. Having been afforded attention elsewhere, particularly in North America, it is time to discuss Indigenous pedagogy as a teaching m.ethodology based on Indigenous values and philosophies in Australia today. Soenke Biermann http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/6 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/6 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:51:35 PDT As part of the process of developing transformative pedagogies in the 21st century, the important question arises for us – as teachers, learners and researchers – of how to better align education with the diverse realities of students’ lives and the places they inhabit. Conversely, we might also ask how we can value and harness this diversity in background and locus as a pedagogical tool for facilitating experiential, groupdynamic and student-centred learning experiences. The answers to these questions are of great importance in terms of how we address the growing rejection of, apathy towards and alienation from the education system felt by many students, particularly among disadvantaged groups. In order to address these questions, it is necessary for us to re-evaluate existing models of teaching and learning, and re-conceptualise alternative pedagogies and their underlying epistemologies. In this paper, I will focus on exploring the principles that underpin Indigenous pedagogies and environmental education, and their potential to complement one another in a transformative endeavour. Soenke Biermann http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/4 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/4 Thu, 07 May 2009 21:40:40 PDT There is an urgent need to move the dialogue about Indigenous education beyond short-sighted ethnocentric curriculum development and policy making that continues to marginalise Indigenous teaching philosophies and practices. The United Nations support the rights of Indigenous peoples to not only access education but to also determine the nature and the process of that educational experience. The significance and outcomes of this right need to be incorporated into education design, development and delivery in Australia. In order to establish truly collaborative Australian education processes the value of Indigenous ways of teaching, relating and experiencing must be recognised and respected within the nation’s mainstream education systems and institutions. Only then will all Australians have the opportunity to access and experience Indigenous philosophies, values and processes as they relate to learning at personal, family and community levels.In this paper we want to explore and highlight via seminar presentation, the potential for Indigenous teaching and learning processes to make a unique and valuable contribution to the depth, sophistication and quality of the tertiary learning experience. In doing this we will explore how Indigenous and non Indigenous teaching staff and students are able to draw on Indigenous philosophies, values and traditions that may challenge, contradict and subvert the dominant paradigms established within the institution. This allows all participants to engage in the process of reflecting on their own values and traditions whilst consciously contributing to the development of outcomes that continue to strengthen and highlight the importance of sharing experience, knowledge and power. Glenn Woods http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/2 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/2 Thu, 07 May 2009 21:40:39 PDT Soenke Biermann http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/1 http://works.bepress.com/soenke_biermann/1 Thu, 07 May 2009 21:40:38 PDT In her insightful book Ornament of the World, Maria Rosa Menocal describes medieval Andalusia where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived and thrived together as a ‘culture of translation, [that was] perforce a culture of tolerance’ (2002, p. 197). The collective act of translating, Menocal implies, necessitates tolerance towards the ideas and the bodies of the other culture, even if there are deep disagreements on existential religious or political questions. Beginning from an understanding of human rights in terms of the quality of people’s lived realities, this paper argues that developing a culture of translation leads to a more tolerant society and that multilingualism is a vital part of such a project. Taking that idea as a starting point, this paper will present an inquiry into the possibilities a dialogical cultural translation process may offer in terms of a human rights-oriented and decolonising approach to education in a contemporary multicultural Western society such as Australia. As part of this process, it will consider the tension between multicultural realities and monocultural educational traditions and discuss the possibilities and constraints of developing a culture of translation. Soenke Biermann