Springvale is a vibrant, cosmopolitan and appealing place to visit and live. “It can be argued that thanks to the migrants, Springvale today is a wealthier, more vital and more interesting place with its variety of shops, eating places, churches, clubs, sports and festivals… and that the more perceptive of the City’s residents appreciate this. (Hibbins, 1984, p.224).
Throughout this blog we have been examining the community of Springvale, and in doing so developing our own understanding of the people, their needs and aspirations, and how the different learning sites are working toward meeting these needs.
In realising the extent of people’s culture, background and language diversity, we could begin to appreciate the unique requirements that need to be accommodated within Springvale’s learning sites and the broader community.
LEARNERS
Historically when new migrants arrived in Australia they were expected to “abandon the culture of their homeland, in order to fit into the Anglo cultural norms of majority Australian society. This included children who were faced with the official school curriculum.” (Welch, 2007, p.158). Today Australia is a multicultural country, and increasingly so, yet Welch acknowledges the racial tensions and lack of acceptance that still permeates some levels in society. Welch considers that education is recognized as a powerful incentive for migration, he also questions ‘the role of education in fostering diversity, and building and sustaining identity’ (2007, p.155).
Looking at this in relation to education in Springvale, it is apparent that community diversity is being recognized and accepted. As previously covered in the demographics section, all schools in the area openly promote the diversity of their students, in a manner that is accepting and proud. There is recognition of the challenges that this creates, with particular regard to language and literacy. Schools are all active in engaging appropriate strategies and programs, designed to assist not just students, but also their families. These include necessary language classes and also a range of special programs which support literacy development, along with wellbeing, community, family and parental support. When interactions between learners, the community, and learning sites are respectful and accepting, connections and understanding are developed, providing for learning to take place that is respectful of the learner.
Recognition and respect is hopefully built on an understanding of the learner and their unique situations, circumstances and backgrounds. This provides the mechanism for the learning site to see the learner in their entirety. We could use Bronfenbrenner’s theory to look at the child as a whole entity. Each layer of Brofenbrenner looks at different influences on a child’s life and how this impacts them. We can consider this in the way they learn, especially in a multicultural suburb such as Springvale where one of the most powerful influences on a child’s learning will be their “exosystem – community, society and culture” and “macrosystem – school, family, religion” (Swick and Williams, 2006). These systems are looking at impacts on a child that affect their development and traditionally we would consider the “micro system – biology, cognitive and emotional systems” as having the greatest impact on the development of a child. Because of the situations some of the children living in Springvale have gone through; migrating from other countries, learning new languages and cultures, it is important to look at these “outer layers” to determine how the child is learning.
“Children achieve better outcomes when their diverse strengths, abilities, interests, and cultural practices are understood and supported. Valuing and respecting diversity is vital for children to develop a strong sense of identity. (Saffigna M, et al, 2012, p.5)
Listening to personal stories on http://www.springvalestories.org.au/stories/unity-in-diversity-animated-documentary we learn more about what shapes a child in Springvale and what qualities they are bringing into the classroom. These children bring their own uniqueness with them. They have history, culture, life skills that children in other areas of Melbourne have not had access to. In connecting with children, listening to and understanding their stories, we gain insight which then assists in providing an education that meets the student. Accessing the unique ‘funds of knowledge’ that students own provides so much information from which to scaffold learning that is rich in context, relevant and applicable to their worlds (Moll, 1992, p. 132-134). There are many opportunities for the observant teacher to connect with and utilize the unique strength and knowledge that the students of Springvale bring into the classroom.
Springvale’s uniqueness is not limited to the community that resides there, but is in the community that works, trades, learns, eats, thrives and truly lives within it. This is a community of people who want the Australian life, whilst simultaneously maintaining a deep connection to their culture and language. This is evident throughout Springvale, where features of its people’s backgrounds and cultures abound; in the languages we hear the people speak, the signage we see, exotic market produce, and glimpses of diverse culture in every direction we turn.
This culturally rich environment can assist the student in maintaining a sense of identity whilst embarking on their educational journey. The benefit of maintain cultural ties has been researched, in a study by Wen-Jui and Chein Chung (2010) as cited in Saffigna M, et al, 2012, it has been shown that when children are restricted from using their first language and developing their culture they feel disconnected from their “cultural heritage and family values”. Children who are encouraged to continue being bilingual feel more confident within themselves and more open to learning.
TEACHERS
According to Hughes (2004) a “good teacher” must have humanity and warmth. They must know what students are doing and care about what they are doing. (as cited in Pearson, 2012, p.37)
Looking at effective teaching theories for student’s learning and development in a suburb like Springvale we need to look beyond earlier theorists such as Piaget and incorporate more dynamic theories that consider all aspects of a child’s development not just their developmental stages. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory extends upon Piaget’s theory and “emphasises the role that culture and language play in developing students’ thinking and the way teachers and peers assist learners in developing new ideas and skills.” (Hammond et al, 2012, p. 7). Springvale is largely made up of students that have either recently arrived into the area from other countries, or students that have been born in Australia but whose parents are non-english speakers. When considering these types of learners we need to factor in their past experiences, culture, previous learning opportunities, and all the things that will influence their ability to learn. It is not as simple as looking at what developmental stage they have reached (as thought by Piaget), other socio-cultural factors need to be consider. A good teacher needs to delve into their situations deeply to recognise the many extra influences on their lives that may impede their learning opportunities, as well as those unique influences that can be built upon, providing a rich foundation to continued learning. In the words of educational theorist Dewey (1964, p.438) “only through continual and sympathetic observation of childhoods interests can the adult enter into the child’s life and see what it is ready for, and upon what material it could work most ready and fruitfully.”
Looking further into these theories, in an ideal scenario classrooms should be student led not teacher led and post structuralism should be considered to ensure more diversity and openness occurs. We need to look at the pedagogy of the post structuralist model which looks at differences within individuals and what makes them different. As teachers we need to notice children’s gender, culture, religion etc. and work with the differences, incorporate them into the learning within the classroom, rather than trying to teach all children one particular way. Value each child for their unique qualities that they bring and work with these to build on their strengths and abilities and work with their cultural values and interests.
The guidelines written within the Early Childhood Early Years Framework (EYLF) reflect this thought. “Belonging, Being and Becoming clearly suggests that all children, regardless of their abilities, the family constellation to which they belong, or the community in which that family resides, have a right to simply belong, be and become….therefore need to create equitable and inclusive learning environments that acknowledge human diversity in all its many forms.” (Richardson, C, 2011, p. 7)
From our research, the schools in and around Springvale offer many opportunities and encouragement for students to learn and provide extra assistance as required, this includes: literacy programs, reading recovery, multilingual staff and many other services. Residents seem to be reasonably content, as according to the 2030 vision schools were not thought to be of concern to the residents. The 2030 study found that the people living in the area were generally happy with their primary and secondary schools.
There are also many opportunities for families to be engaged in their child’s learning. There are well-being and parenting programs offered within many of the primary and secondary schools, strong parental involvement is encouraged, especially within the primary levels. The schools also create a link with the local community, encouraging the students to engage in activities within the local area, including inter faith activities and seminars held at the school incorporating local services.
The local kindergarten and childcare centre is a warm and welcoming building that seems to cater for all cultures and nationalities. It has been created as a children’s services hub to offer a number of services on the one site. (Arthur et al, 2012, p. 3) They have staff speaking a variety of languages on duty at all times, there are a variety of interpreters available within the building speaking a range of languages including Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Burmese. The meals cooked on site are considered to be culturally sensitive and the centre attempts to create an atmosphere that welcomes everyone. There is a world map on the wall, signs in a variety of languages, books have been chosen carefully to engage a wide range of nationalities. (Nichola Marriott, Manager Springvale Services for Children, 2013) The centre offer parents information sessions, playgroups in a variety of languages and additional support with the Maternal Child Health Centre operating from the same building. Kernan (2010) thinks it is the responsibility of early childhood professionals to provides spaces that are respectful, inclusive, inspiring and ones that offer a range of experiences. They need to encourage interactions with others and their environment and allow children to experience the world as their own.
THE COMMUNITY
The way we as a group looked at Springvale changed dramatically for, I think, all of us as we spent more time in the area. We thought more about Springvale through the eyes of a teacher and with some of the theory we have learnt so far. “The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework recognises that the communities in which children live and the diverse cultures in which they grow are fundamental to children’s learning and development.” (Saffigna M, et al, 2012, p.5)
Our thoughts on Springvale after spending time there are as follows:
My impressions of Springvale have changed dramatically since the start of this research. I have always enjoyed visiting areas like Springvale and especially showing my children areas like this to introduce the concept of different cultures and diversity. However I believe I have been doing this on quite a “snobby” level as I was fine as long as it was not happening in “my backyard”. I would now definitely consider working in an area such as Springvale. I love the feel of the place from and educational perspective. I love the drive and passion of the teachers, community members and parents that we met in the area. (Gita Pearce, 2013)
After spending 4 solid days in Springvale mixing with the community, trying typical Asian cuisine and observing how people treat others and me, I feel somewhat ashamed at our badly I labelled Springvale. It is nothing like I had imagined in my mind and clearly the things I had heard about it must have come from people who had never bothered to go there and find out from themselves what Springvale is truly like.
It is actually a culturally rich environment, full of lovely, predominately, Asian people, who didn’t make me feel uncomfortable or unwelcome at all. During one of our visits we were invited to play table tennis in the Cambodian Friendship Association, well they certainly put the word friend in friendship as they were some of the nicest, sweetest, and welcoming people I’d ever met. Down the road from my house you have to pay to play table tennis and they certainly don’t welcome you in, while in Springvale they couldn’t get us in the door fast enough. I don’t feel this sense of belonging or community involvement in any other Melbourne suburb I’ve been in.
I was also surprised to hear a huge mixture of Asian and English language being spoken all around town, in particular while we were having lunch one day an Asian family sat down behind us and their little boy, who must have been about 4, began speaking in English, while his parents spoke in a mixture of Asian and English. There went my ideas of only Asian was spoken in Springvale.
While most of the restaurants were predominately Asian with Asian menus I realized that is what makes Springvale so unique and special. It must be hard to leave your home country and come to a place where you don’t speak the language and being able to go to a restaurant and not having to worry about not being able to read the menu and ordering the wrong thing, must be relaxing for those, especially for the older generation who were not given the opportunities to learn English as well as the new generation.
Having said this, while there is a lot of Asian language around, on the street signs, in shops, everything is translated into English and the library is just like any other library with books in English, children’s holiday programs and activities and support programs for the young and old are all in English. Thus, demonstrating the community are trying to assimilate the migrants and second and third generations into our Australian community, while at the same time keeping a little bit of their Asian culture, history and values in place.
Overall, my preconceptions of Springvale have completely changed and now I think Springvale is a unique, culturally and diversity rich community with lots of history. I would be feel comfortable going back again and again and wouldn’t hesitate buying or renting in the area. (Yalenka Clement, 2013)
Springvale has made a real impression on me. Far exceeding my original expectations and opening my eyes to a rich community. There was great eating as I’d expected, and 4 days did not enable me to fully take advantage of this. But Springvale is so much more than that. I also realized my original expectations of there being a seedy underside was completely unfounded, those days having long gone.
What I really learnt was more significant and related to the sense of community and connectedness within Springvale. I realized that I’d been thinking of the area more in terms of a place where ‘other’ people lived, in very abstract and disconnected terms. Other people, with other issues, in another world. Completely separate and isolated from me, my issues, and my world.
Each visit to Springvale contributed further to my comprehension that this area was alive with a spirit and real energy. The cultural diversity here is unique, it shapes and drives a connectedness that comes from within the community. It creates a need that learning and community centers are consciously and willingly meeting. All the various services are not operating in isolation but working together, fine tuning the services they do offer and referring people in the appropriate direction for their specific needs. I really sensed that people were being fully supported within a caring community network. (Jane Deering, 2013)
I feel this assignment has opened my eyes to other cultures within Australia. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to change my preconceived ideas about Springvale and my judgment of those who live there.
The study has highlighted to me the benefits a community has when it is full of so many cultures. I am amazed at how all the different cultures and religions within Springvale seem to work in harmony with each other. Springvale is such an interesting area with so much to offer and there are so many support groups within the community.
The assignment has also opened my eyes to the complexities of teaching. If a teacher does not understand her students, their background, their cultural and religious beliefs how can they possibly teach a child properly? It has made me realise the importance of understanding the community you will be teaching in and to respect the members within it and the beliefs they may have. (Leah Sharp, April 2013)
It was evident from visiting the Springvale area and from looking back at our initial assumptions and thoughts about the Springvale in general, the community has both surprised and inspired us. The initial research in relation to the demographics highlighted to us that the area was multicultural, however it wasn’t until we immersed ourselves in the community that we truly realised how diverse the area is.
Senior Sergeant Alan Dew (interview, 24 March 2013) highlighted to us that despite the many different groups within the community of Springvale, there was no evidence of racial tension or violence. This demonstrates the positive culture the community has created and the ability for an area to accept and promote diversity. The Greater Dandenong Council promotess the diversity within the community, explaining that “the combination of influences makes Greater Dandenong a vibrant and exciting place to live and work.” (Greater Dandenong, 2013)
Our experiences and research in Springvale strongly supports that diversity within the area is encouraged and embraced. This is an important factor in promoting learning within the community. The range of services available which promote and enhance learning and inclusion is more evidence of the community supporting learning for all members of the Springvale area. As Killen explains (2013, p.77) “Inclusive teaching practices should explicitly recognise and value students’ diversity, and encourage the participation of learners from all the social and cultural backgrounds represented in the class.”
In terms of the study of Springvale and how it may have changed our approach to teaching, it has opened our eyes to the complexities of the teaching profession, and to the importance of understanding each child within the classroom and the community in which they live. The culturally rich area of Springvale has highlighted the ways in which one’s culture and background must be taken into account when teaching a child, and the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion within the classroom. Killen also highlights the importance of cultural knowledge and “communicating with students in ways that demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and making use of culturally relevant examples to enhance learning.” (Killen 2013,p.77)
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