ONExEAR: Michael Williams at TEDxBrisbane

Summary

The speaker reflects on their 30-year journey in higher education, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting indigenous knowledge paradigms. They recount an experience where students felt unheard, leading to the development of a teaching philosophy centered on deep listening and valuing personal stories. The narrative highlights the power of indigenous scholarship and the potential for rich, cross-cultural knowledge exchange, culminating in a metaphor of a cave illuminated by collective candles, symbolizing the shared enlightenment through communal learning.

Takeaways

• 🕊️ Respect for silence and storytelling is crucial to understanding Aboriginal and First Nations people's perspectives.
• 📚 The speaker emphasizes the importance of stories in the learning process, not just for indigenous people but for everyone.
• 👥 The speaker's teaching philosophy is based on deep listening, respect, and understanding the knowledge and stories of others.
• 🌐 The speaker's experience in higher education has been shaped by interactions with students and colleagues, highlighting the value of diverse perspectives.
• 🔄 The process of learning and teaching is ongoing and should not be closed off; it requires continuous development and adaptation.
• 👂 Deep listening is a key component of the teaching philosophy, allowing for a better understanding of students' stories and knowledge.
• 🌟 A pivotal moment was the realization of the importance of indigenous knowledge paradigms in learning, which involves permission to speak and the expectation to listen.
• 🌌 Quantum physicists and scholars at a conference recognized the limitations of their own paradigms and looked to indigenous scholarship for further insights.
• 🌿 The speaker believes that everyone has an indigenous past and that indigenous knowledge continues to influence the way we articulate ourselves.
• 🔗 Creating an environment of respect and deep listening can facilitate a rich and rewarding exchange of knowledge across cultures.
• 🕯️ The metaphor of a cave with candles illustrates the power of collective illumination through shared stories and deep understanding.

Q & A

What is the significance of understanding Aboriginal silence according to the transcript?

Understanding Aboriginal silence is crucial as it is a form of communication that, if not understood, can hinder the comprehension of their words and stories, which are integral to their culture and identity.

How does the speaker describe the importance of stories in the context of indigenous and all people?

The speaker emphasizes that stories are very important to indigenous people, including First Nations people, and indeed to everyone, as they are a means of sharing knowledge, experiences, and cultural identity.

What was the speaker's profession for the majority of their working life?

The speaker spent most of the last thirty years working full-time in the higher education sector, interacting with students, staff, and colleagues.

What was the pivotal moment that led the speaker to develop a teaching philosophy?

The pivotal moment was when a student expressed frustration about not being understood or listened to in class, which triggered a process of reflection and development of a teaching philosophy focused on deep listening and respect.

What is the core of the speaker's draft teaching philosophy?

The core of the teaching philosophy is creating a strong, deep listening process that is respectful, understanding how others manage knowledge, and valuing their stories.

How did the speaker's colleagues contribute to the development of the teaching philosophy?

The speaker's colleagues contributed by attending a conference in the United States, where they experienced an indigenous knowledge paradigm of learning through a circle-style discussion, which influenced the development of their teaching philosophy.

What is the indigenous knowledge paradigm of learning mentioned in the transcript?

The indigenous knowledge paradigm of learning is a process that involves deep listening, respecting the other person's story, and valuing their knowledge, which is different from the didactic approach often found in traditional education.

Why did the quantum physicist at the conference mention looking to indigenous scholarship for further insights?

The quantum physicist mentioned looking to indigenous scholarship because their own paradigms and languages of their discipline have taken them as far as they can go, and they believe indigenous knowledge can offer new perspectives for further exploration.

What does the speaker believe about the presence of indigenous knowledge in everyone's ancient past?

The speaker believes that everyone in the room, and by extension everyone, has some part of their ancient past as a First Nations indigenous population, and that this indigenous knowledge still sustains itself within the way people articulate themselves.

How does the speaker describe the potential outcome of respecting and valuing people's stories in an educational setting?

The speaker describes the outcome as creating an environment of rich and rewarding knowledge exchange between people across cultures, where students feel challenged and better for having shared and been listened to with respect.

What is the metaphor used by a student to explain the power of collective understanding in the transcript?

The metaphor used is that of a cave with candles, where standing alone with a candle allows one to see only a small area, but standing together with others allows one to see the entire cave, symbolizing the power of collective understanding and shared knowledge.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Embracing Indigenous Silence and Storytelling

The speaker, a senior First Nations man from South Australia, emphasizes the importance of understanding silence in Aboriginal culture as a prerequisite to truly understanding their words. He draws a parallel to the broader human experience, suggesting that understanding silence is key to understanding any person's story. The speaker reflects on his thirty-year career in higher education, where he developed a deep respect for the stories of his students and colleagues. He recounts an incident in a challenging program where a student's plea for understanding and respect led him to formulate a teaching philosophy centered on deep listening and valuing individual narratives. This philosophy was further enriched by an indigenous knowledge paradigm of learning, which was experienced firsthand at a conference with Native American scholars, highlighting the importance of respectful listening and storytelling in knowledge exchange across cultures.

05:01

🕯️ Illuminating Knowledge Through Collective Storytelling

Continuing the theme of storytelling, the speaker discusses the power of an indigenous knowledge paradigm in fostering a rich and rewarding environment for knowledge exchange. He shares his experiences in creating educational programs that challenge and respect students' stories, leading to personal growth and a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives. The speaker uses the metaphor of a candlelit cave to illustrate the collective power of shared stories. When individuals come together with their own 'candles' of knowledge, they can illuminate the entire 'cave' of understanding, suggesting that collective storytelling can lead to a comprehensive and enlightening experience.

Keywords

💡First Nations

First Nations refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. In the context of the video, the term is used to emphasize the importance of understanding the unique cultural perspectives and knowledge systems of indigenous peoples, which is central to the theme of respecting and valuing diverse narratives.

💡Aboriginal person

An Aboriginal person is a member of any of the indigenous peoples of Australia, including the First Nations people. The script highlights the significance of comprehending the silence and stories of Aboriginal individuals as a means to truly understand their words and experiences, which ties into the broader theme of deep listening and cultural respect.

💡Silence

In the script, 'silence' is not merely the absence of sound but a form of communication that carries deep meaning, particularly in indigenous cultures. It is presented as a crucial element to understanding a person's story, suggesting that silence can be as informative as spoken words in conveying one's thoughts and feelings.

💡Story

The term 'story' in the script represents personal narratives and cultural histories that are integral to the identity and knowledge of indigenous peoples. It is emphasized as a vital component in the learning process, illustrating the importance of recognizing and valuing individual and collective experiences.

💡Indigenous knowledge paradigm

An indigenous knowledge paradigm refers to the distinct ways in which indigenous peoples understand and engage with the world, often through oral traditions, storytelling, and deep connections to the land. The script discusses this paradigm as a model for learning that emphasizes respect, deep listening, and the importance of personal narratives.

💡Higher education sector

The higher education sector is the segment of the education system that includes universities and colleges. In the script, the speaker reflects on their experiences in this sector, highlighting the evolution of their teaching philosophy and the incorporation of indigenous knowledge paradigms into educational practices.

💡Teaching philosophy

A teaching philosophy is a set of beliefs and values that guide an educator's approach to teaching and learning. The script describes the development of the speaker's teaching philosophy, which centers around creating a respectful and deep listening environment that acknowledges the importance of students' stories.

💡Deep listening

Deep listening is an active and empathetic approach to communication that goes beyond superficial hearing to truly understand the speaker's message. The script advocates for this method as a means to respect and value the stories of others, which is essential in fostering an environment of knowledge exchange.

💡Knowledge management

Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organization or group. In the context of the video, it refers to the indigenous approach to preserving and transmitting knowledge, which is contrasted with more didactic Western methods.

💡Respect

Respect in the script is portrayed as a fundamental aspect of the learning process, particularly when engaging with indigenous knowledge. It is highlighted as a key component in creating an environment where stories are valued and heard, contributing to a richer and more inclusive educational experience.

💡Cultural exchange

Cultural exchange refers to the sharing of cultural expressions, knowledge, and traditions between different cultures. The script suggests that by adopting an indigenous knowledge paradigm that values deep listening and respect for personal stories, a rich and rewarding cross-cultural exchange can be facilitated.

Highlights

The importance of understanding Aboriginal silence to truly understand their words and stories.

Storytelling is vital to indigenous people and all of us, as it shapes our identity and knowledge.

The speaker's 30-year journey in higher education, influenced by talented students and colleagues.

A student's plea for a respectful space to learn and be heard, highlighting the need for inclusive education.

The development of a teaching philosophy focused on deep listening and respecting diverse knowledge.

The significance of valuing and understanding students' stories in the learning process.

An indigenous knowledge paradigm that emphasizes deep listening, respect, and valuing personal narratives.

A conference experience where indigenous and non-indigenous scholars exchanged knowledge in a respectful circle.

The recognition that indigenous knowledge can push the boundaries of existing academic paradigms.

The idea that everyone has an indigenous past that influences our current knowledge and identity.

The potential of an indigenous knowledge paradigm to foster rich, cross-cultural knowledge exchange.

Students feeling challenged and enriched by a course that respects and values their stories.

The metaphor of a cave with candles illustrating the power of collective knowledge and understanding.

The importance of creating an environment where everyone's story is heard and respected.

The transformative impact of deep listening and storytelling on personal and collective growth.

The ongoing process of developing and refining teaching philosophies to better serve diverse learners.

Transcripts

a senior First Nations man from South

Australia once said if you can't

understand an Aboriginal person silence

you'll never understand their words and

by extrapolation if you don't understand

a person silence you perhaps might

understand their words story story is

very important to indigenous people

First Nations people and indeed story is

very important to all of us as many

people as they are in this auditorium

and outside there are very very special

stories I spent the last most of the

last thirty years of my working life in

terms of a full-time job and being paid

full-time as well working in the higher

education sector and I recall early in

that period working with a group of

people and what I'm saying today is a

tribute to the many wonderful and

talented people that I met both as

students as staff as colleagues over

that period because it's their journey

as well as mine and I'm privileged to be

part of that there were three young

people sitting down at the front very

front of the class and we're asking some

questions and it was a a program that

was challenging a number of levels and

there were people that were very

switched on and neither Pro the issues

quite well and one person stood up after

they every time they asked a question or

most times they asked a question the

other people would be critical in some

way and the person stand up turn around

and said we didn't know where we fit it

into this and we wanted to find out by

coming to this class if we've shut down

and not listen to every time we speak

we'll be getting won't go any further

and that triggered in me a process and

over the next number of years I moved to

a point where I put together a draft

teaching philosophy an ethic of learning

and coming to know

and it rust remain a draft because if I

close it off and say I know it I've lost

the process because we have to continue

to listen and continue to develop now

working with as I said these really

really talented people we were able to

develop that into and that teaching

philosophy was about creating a very

very strong deep listening process a

respectful process and Oh taking care to

understand how other people manage

knowledge and how it's important and how

their story is important to them and

indeed many people that we worked with

as students said with some surprise that

they were we were interested in their

what they knew what they thought their

story so it was an exciting process to

work through and one of the more sort of

important or lightbulb moments for me

was when a couple of my colleagues have

worked with me attended a conference in

the United States and they were invited

by a Native American scholars to sit and

sit in the classics circle style and if

you sat in the inner circle Europe had

to speak if you sat outside you listened

and when you're invited in you were then

had permission to speak all this was

around a process that we ultimately

determined to be an indigenous knowledge

paradigm of learning and coming to know

and I speak about coming to know because

sometimes the learning and teaching idea

can be too didactic and certainly in the

way that we as First Nations people

manage the transmission and movement of

knowledge and that process doesn't work

it's about deeply listening and

respecting the other person's story now

there was a quantum physicist at that

particular there were non-indigenous and

indigenous scholars in that conference

made a very important comment and said

when you speak of the

our paradigms in our language of their

discipline as taken us as far as we go

can go and we're looking to indigenous

scholarship to look further so that says

something to me that the First Nations

peoples of this world and the First

Nations cultures and the knowledge

management processes associated with it

every one of us in this room has some

part in our ancient past a time when we

were a First Nations indigenous

population and it's my view that that

indigenous knowledge still sustains

itself within our the way we articulate

ourselves at various times some more

than others and so on but it's still

there in my opinion for a person to say

that encourages me that what we're

talking about in terms of an indigenous

knowledge paradigm with the notion of

respect deep listening hearing the

stories and valuing the stories of

people you can create an environment of

knowledge exchange and exchange between

people across cultures that is very rich

and rewarding I think if you can put

together a program as we've did it when

working not only at the University of

Queensland but other places where

students in the last week can say I took

a course and I was challenged and no one

had a lot to say I feel I'm a better

person having done this course because

of the way people listen to me with

respect they listen to my story and help

me move my story to another standpoint

and I think finally one student said and

I think this is a beautiful sort of

explanation of it if you walk into a

cave with candles stand by yourself with

a candle you can see itself four or five

people get together you can see the

group but if you all sit and stand

together with your candles you can see

the entire cave

you