Week 4 Indigenous Education

1. After examining the TRC’s Calls to Action (specific to Education for Reconciliation), the videos and other resources, what questions or concerns do you have regarding your role as a beginning teacher within the context of integrating Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into your journey?

As beginner teacher everything seems new, how to connect with the elders, how to build a community with different culture background, how much aboriginal content should be included in daily teaching, what is the balance? How to deal with a student who has prejudice about learning aboriginal content who comes from a family background went through residential school. How do other teachers incorporate with aboriginal knowledge in the teaching? So far with grade 3 classroom in the placement

i haven't seen the teacher include the aboriginal knowledge yet.

It seems like a lot of journey will only build through teaching experience.

2. How might you go about resolving your questions or concerns you addressed in question #1?

Ask other school teacher if there is particular elder school invited to have a talk or students have any preference. Invite an aboriginal person for school activity ask about how they will be doing differently. know the students and build community circle to share experience to see what student knows that has prejudice in the history. During prep time may ask other teacher permission to observe other teacher teaching in other classroom. During practicum perhaps plan language or math lesson with aboriginal content. Do more research on what is the balance, teaching strategies for classroom management.

3.How might you incorporate one or some of the resources into your LRP?

• Use school monthly theme with Seven Living

-Respect: include culture theme of aboriginal, use aboriginal books and resources, incorporate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples throughout the curriculum and acknowledge the uniqueness of Aboriginal cultures. • The Aboriginal territory acknowledgment.

-Love:use of a variety of visual organizers and hands-on manipulatives, use reflective of learning for assessment, preference for collaborative tasks (group and pair work)

- Bravery: bring in various Aboriginal resource people to share their knowledge

-Wisdom: create a curriculum include engage the student at a physical, emotional-mental, intellectual and spiritual level, use a variety of teaching methods with a particular emphasis on holism, visual organizers, kinesthetic opportunities and reflection

-Humility: work with Aboriginal organizations to collect or purchase curriculum resources

-Honesty: Value Aboriginal parents and guardians.

-Truth:keep a close eye on the educational directions (graduation, retention, career paths) of Aboriginal students to measure school success

Source:Principleshttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/Toulouse.pdf

• Aboriginal teaching curriculum expectations on each grade:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/aboriginal/elemExpectations.html

• using Aboriginal examples, illustrations, evidence, analogies and cases to elucidate ecological concepts and issues. Seek advice when unsure of how best to include Aboriginal perspectives. collaboration with Aboriginal people and communities

• Use Aboriginal ecological philosophy to teach positive environmental values and attitudes, stewardship, and sustainable consumption and lifestyles.

• Plan and prepare for field trips to ensure cultural sensitivity and respect. Use examples of Aboriginal groups and indigenous peoples outside of Canada who have lived harmoniously with the natural world for thousands of years.

• Employ traditional Aboriginal activities like talking circles and explore their origins and importance to Aboriginal peoples. • Introduce medicine wheels as graphic organizers.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_Teaching_Ecological.pdf

• individualized programs that support aboriginal identity, experiences and relationships with the world. Literacy programs offer differentiated instruction, make real-life connections and involve strategies and resources that are engaging, motivating and culturally affirming.

• Take the first six to eight weeks of school and listen to how FNMI students apply verbs, gender, word omissions and pronunciation.

• Include storytelling as a regular feature of your classroom.

• Create the grandparent’s chair as part of your literacy program and invite First Nation or Inuit elders, Métis senators or other role models to come and share their teachings and/or craft.

• Partner with a local Reading with Pets program where students can share their books and stories with an animal that has been trained to work with children.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_Fostering_Literacy.pdf