The 8 Ways Model
The 8 ways model has been created based on research by Harris in 1984. The Model demonstrates practical ways in which to engage and differentiate to the learning needs of Indigenous students. In utilizing and incorporating the model into all lessons, indigenous students are able to engage in productive and authentic learning. The model aids in bridging the gap between mainstream learning and indigenous students needs. It plays a fundamental role in the classroom and therefore is a practical and important tool for teachers.
Aboriginal Pedagogies – 8 Ways of Learning
· Story Sharing: Approaching learning through narrative.
· Learning Maps: Explicitly mapping/visualising processes.
· Non-verbal: Applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning.
· Symbols and Images: Using images and metaphors to understand concepts and content.
· Land Links: Place-based learning, linking content to local land and place.
· Non-linear: Producing innovations and understanding by thinking laterally or combining systems.
. Deconstruct/Reconstruct: Modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts (watch then do).
· Community Links: Centring local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit.
Activities/ ways that link to the 8 Ways Model:
Story
- Local Dreaming and oral history stories - written and even painted or drawn.
Learning Maps
- Maps of places and sites
Non-verbal
- Hand-made objects and photos of cultural practices. This can include pictures showing examples of local gestures
Symbol/Image
- Local paintings, pictures, symbols, logos of Aboriginal organisations etc.
Land Links
- Photos or real samples of plants, animals etc. Photos of significant places.
Non-linear
- Information and images of a cross-cultural innovation or program (e.g. Indigenous scouts, cultural website)
Deconstruct/Reconstruct
- Whole-to-part breakdown of community - town, then groups, then families, then key individuals.
Community Links
- Database or chart showing different community knowledge sets and who owns them (local knowledge contacts).
· Story Sharing: Approaching learning through narrative.
· Learning Maps: Explicitly mapping/visualising processes.
· Non-verbal: Applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning.
· Symbols and Images: Using images and metaphors to understand concepts and content.
· Land Links: Place-based learning, linking content to local land and place.
· Non-linear: Producing innovations and understanding by thinking laterally or combining systems.
. Deconstruct/Reconstruct: Modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts (watch then do).
· Community Links: Centring local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit.
Activities/ ways that link to the 8 Ways Model:
Story
- Local Dreaming and oral history stories - written and even painted or drawn.
Learning Maps
- Maps of places and sites
Non-verbal
- Hand-made objects and photos of cultural practices. This can include pictures showing examples of local gestures
Symbol/Image
- Local paintings, pictures, symbols, logos of Aboriginal organisations etc.
Land Links
- Photos or real samples of plants, animals etc. Photos of significant places.
Non-linear
- Information and images of a cross-cultural innovation or program (e.g. Indigenous scouts, cultural website)
Deconstruct/Reconstruct
- Whole-to-part breakdown of community - town, then groups, then families, then key individuals.
Community Links
- Database or chart showing different community knowledge sets and who owns them (local knowledge contacts).