Margaret (Butler) James 1972
Date Released: Thu, 14 March 2013 09:43 +0200
Since completing her (M.Ed (TESOL) QUT 2001) she has been involved in a number of fields in various positions, has attained qualifications in Psychology and Linguistics (Rhodes) Choral Conducting, Voice and Vocal Issues (Qld Conservatorium/Griffith), Montessori Education (London Montessori Centre) Languages (UNE) Education and English as an Additional Language (Queensland University of Technology) and has been fortunate to have travelled extensively.
For the past 10 years she has worked in Indigenous education in Australia, lecturing on B.Ed and adult literacy programs; teaching singing; writing curriculum material, story books and lyrics. Her latest project, the Honey Ant Readers Indigenous Literacy program, has had great success around Australia and earned her a nomination for the 2012 Northern Territory Australian of the Year.
The Honey Ant Readers is a research-based program that includes a set of 20 beautifully illustrated and scaffolded reading books and other teaching resources that use unique teaching theories which focus on Indigenous learners and their languages, interests and life experience. These resources help learners to build vocabulary, decoding skills and confidence towards reading success. The Honey Ant Readers (HAR) were developed in collaboration with Central Australian Indigenous elders and community members at Yipirinya School in Alice Springs. What started as a school/community-based program quickly gained popularity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners and teachers in schools in Alice Springs, spreading to communities in the Northern Territory in 2010 and by 2012 the HARs are being used in roughly 20 communities and nearly 60 schools covering every state across the country. Her work is having inspiring impact on literacy learning in remote communities, and among young and old learners around the country. She has also started a series for speakers of Mandarin, based on the same rationale, and is keen to begin work on a series for South Africa learners. Both her illustrator and graphic artist are based in South Africa.
In recognition of this work, Margaret was a finalist NT Australian of the Year 2012 and she recently received Queensland University of Technology's Outstanding Alumni Award for Education and the project is undergoing so many exciting developments this year!
For more information about the project, please visit the websites below:
http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/?m=margaret-james-2012
http://www.qut.edu.au/alumni/alumni-achievers/outstanding-alumni/2012-winners#h2-2
Submitted by: Emma Browne
