Koori Curriculum Educator Community

The Koori Curriculum Educator Community is our free online Facebook group where we yarn, share and grow together. We began the group a few years ago as a space that was predominately for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators who needed a safe space online. However, as time ticked on there were many desperate calls from non-Indigenous educators who wanted to learn how to respectfully embed Aboriginal perspectives in their curriculum and so we opened membership to all those who wanted to listen and learn.

Most educators join our community after attending one of our professional development workshops to continue their learning journey. I always tell educators that the knowing is in the doing and that we can’t always prepare them for challenges and obstacles that will arise. The Koori Curriculum Educator Community allows us to collectively learn and stay connected to delegates so we can continue to support them.

We have become a lot more tech savvy over the years and have learnt a few tricks along the way. We now encourage members to use a #tag system when posting in the group. At the top of their post they use a # that summarises their topic or question eg #Gadigal, #elders, #acknowledgement or #8ways. By using this system it allows us to file ideas and resources, it also means that down the track when other members are seeking information about the same topic they can type into the group search tab #acknowledgement and all previous posts and resources should appear.

What I have found the most rewarding about the group is being able to watch educator’s practice and confidence grow. Before we had our Facebook community at the end of our workshop’s we’d wave off delegates and never know how they got on with making community contacts or embedding Aboriginal perspectives in their curriculum. Now we are able to see how the same educators who came to us nervy, unsure and worried about being offensive and tokenistic have grown rapidly in their cultural confidence and are now stepping up offering support and guidance to others.

Its been an honour to be a part of a community surrounded by other like minded individuals that are as committed to learning and walking with our countries first nations people.