SBS Italian news, with a slower pace. This is Slow Italian, Fast Learning, the very best of the week’s news, read at a slower pace, with Italian and English text available.
Italian
Un'australiana è stata nominata come finalista ad un premio internazionale per insegnanti da un milione di dollari.
Yasodai Selvakumaran - chiamata affettuosamente Ms Selva dai suoi studenti alla Rooty Hill High School, nella zona occidentale di Sydney - è entrata fra i finalisti del 2019 Global Teaching Prize.
Oltre 10mila insegnanti da tutto il mondo sono stati nominati, ma Selvakumaran è stata l'unica australiana ad entrare nella top 10.
L'attore Hugh Jackman, famoso per il suo ruolo di Wolverine negli X-Men, ha fatto l'annuncio.
"When I was a kid, there were lots of superheroes that I wanted to be, but I can tell you right now where I stand, with all my experience, the real superheroes are teachers. They're the ones that change the world."
In una scuola dove oltre la metà degli studenti proviene da background non di lingua inglese, secondo l'insegnante di storia e geografia della Rooty Hill High School Selvakumaran insegnare in modo inclusivo è essenziale.
"You know, I have had students say to me that they feel sometimes when we learn about Australian history that they're not included in that Australia. That's why it's so important to teach about the humanities and it's so important for students to be able to actually recognise that Australia is multicultural, and that people do belong here, and that every student at this school is part of that Australia."
Nata in Sri Lanka, quando aveva 10 mesi la famiglia tamil di Selvakumaran si trasferì in Australia stabilendosi nella cittadina di Hay nell'entroterra occidentale del NSW.
La sua motivazione per diventare insegnante - ha raccontato - è stata ispirata dalla grande considerazione che ha l'istruzione nella sua famiglia e nella sua comunità.
"I've come from a family that values education above everything, so when I told my parents I wanted to go into teaching, they were thrilled. I knew that it wasn't just about teaching for me, it was about pursuing history and to be able to actually promote that all stories are important and are a crucial part of national identity and politics and ultimately the world. So if we can't understand ourselves, if society can't include all voices as part of that, then people don't feel values, and that's where there's conflict."
Selvakumaran non è la prima australiana a entrare nella top 10. L'insegnante di matematica di Sydney e fenomeno di YouTube Eddie Woo aveva raggiunto la stessa posizione l'anno scorso.
Quest'anno gli altri insegnanti presenti nella top 10 insieme a Ms Selvakumaran provengono da tutto il mondo, con educatori provenienti da Giappone, Brasile, India, Georgia, Olanda, Regno Unito e Stati Uniti in lizza per il premio.
La responsabile degli studi umanistici della Rooty Hill High School, Thelma Vuki, ha dichiarato che l'abilità di Selvakumaran di connettersi con gli studenti provenienti da ogni tipo di comunità è quello che la rende speciale.
"Over 50 per cent of our students are from non-English speaking backgrounds and so this ability to connect and engage students, to use examples from their context, is what sets her apart as a great teacher."
Selvakumaran si recherà a marzo a Dubai, dove incontrerà gli altri finalisti e scoprirà chi verrà incoronato vincitore dell'edizione di quest'anno del Global Teaching Prize.
Il vincitore si porterà a casa un milione di dollari di premio da utilizzare per un progetto educativo innovativo di sua scelta.
English
An Australian has been named a finalist for a one million-dollar international teaching prize.
Sri Lankan-born Yasodai Selvakumaran has made it to a shortlist of 10 teachers chosen from a pool of 10,000 nominees from 179 countries.
Yasodai Selvakumaran - fondly known as Ms Selva to her students at Rooty Hill High School in Sydney's west - has made the final shortlist for the 2019 Global Teaching Prize.
More than 10,000 teachers from around the world were nominated, but Ms Selvakumaran was the only Australian to make the top 10.
Actor Hugh Jackman, known for his role as Wolverine in X-Men, made the announcement.
"When I was a kid, there were lots of superheroes that I wanted to be, but I can tell you right now where I stand, with all my experience, the real superheroes are teachers. They're the ones that change the world."
At a school where more than half the students come from non-English-speaking backgrounds, Rooty Hill High School history and geography teacher Ms Selvakumaran says inclusive teaching is vital.
"You know, I have had students say to me that they feel sometimes when we learn about Australian history that they're not included in that Australia. That's why it's so important to teach about the humanities and it's so important for students to be able to actually recognise that Australia is multicultural, and that people do belong here, and that every student at this school is part of that Australia."
Born in Sri Lanka, Ms Selvakumaran’s Tamil family moved to Australia when she was 10 months old and quickly settled in the western New South Wales town of Hay.
She said her motivation to become a teacher was inspired by the high value placed on education in her family and community.
"I've come from a family that values education above everything, so when I told my parents I wanted to go into teaching, they were thrilled. I knew that it wasn't just about teaching for me, it was about pursuing history and to be able to actually promote that all stories are important and are a crucial part of national identity and politics and ultimately the world. So if we can't understand ourselves, if society can't include all voices as part of that, then people don't feel values, and that's where there's conflict."
Ms Selvakumaran is not the first Australian to make it to the top 10 - Sydney-based maths teacher and YouTube sensation Eddie Woo reached the same stage last year.
This year, Ms Selvakumaran’s fellow top 10 teachers hail from all around the globe, with educators from Japan, Brazil, India, Georgia, The Netherlands, the UK, and the USA also making the final cut.
The head teacher of humanities at Rooty Hill High School, Thelma Vuki, says it's Ms Selvakumaran's ability to connect with students from all backgrounds that makes her special.
"Over 50 per cent of our students are from non-English speaking backgrounds and so this ability to connect and engage students, to use examples from their context, is what sets her apart as a great teacher."
Ms Selvakumaran is to travel to Dubai in March where she will meet her fellow nominees and learn who is crowned the winner of this year’s Global Teaching Prize.
The winner will take home one million dollars in prize money to use towards an innovative education project of their choice.
Report by Natarsha Kallios and Claudia Farhart
