Tag Archives: BC new curriculum

Building on literacy

Here are my first 5 websites/resources all with a focus on literacy, literature and storytelling with a digital lens:)

 

http://digitalstorytellingforall.weebly.com/

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This website was created as a resource highlighting the history of storytelling and how using digital stories can bring storytelling into the digital age. Storytelling has always been a means to pass knowledge and teaching to the younger generation in Indigenous communities.

With the release of the findings and recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015, these teachings are even more important to preservice Indigenous cultures in Canada to teach youth about ethics, concepts and practices found within each nation.

 

http://canlitforlittlecanadians.blogspot.ca/2014/06/aboriginal-perspectives-in-youngcanlit.html screen-shot-2016-09-24-at-5-44-10-pm

Although this website celebrates many different books by Canadian authors, this link is directly to a celebration of literacy through picture books honoring the heritage, achievements and cultures of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. It was created to celebrate National Aboriginal History month.

 

http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1316530132377/1316530184659#un4

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This is the website for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Here we can find many classroom activities for young children to reinforce the culture of Indigenous groups in Canada in public school classrooms. With an emphasis on storytelling, the 6 major regions of First Nations in Canada are represented. Audio clips of First Nation legends are available for the teacher to use in her learning environment.

 

http://www.fnesc.ca/k-7/

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The annotated listings provided in this guide identify currently available authentic First Peoples texts that students can work with to meet provincial standards related to literacy as well as a variety of specific subject areas.

The guide is intended to help BC educators introduce resources that reflect First Peoples knowledge and perspectives into classrooms in respective ways. The inclusion of authentic First Peoples content into classrooms supports all students in developing an understanding of the significant place of First Peoples within the historical and contemporary fabric of this province and provides culturally relevant materials for Indigenous learners in British Columbia.

chrome-extension://mloajfnmjckfjbeeofcdaecbelnblden/http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/documents/indigenous_pedagogy/storytelling_as_a_foundation_to_literacy.pdf

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This resource examines the importance of Storytelling as the foundation for literacy development for Aboriginal children. There is substantial evidence that Aboriginal youth face serious challenges in schooling, in general, and in literacy development, specifically. Thus, it is essential to design early literacy programs that engage Aboriginal children and produce positive outcomes. In this article, the authors propose that such programs include oral storytelling by teachers and students because it is a precursor to reading and writing across cultures and a traditional Aboriginal teaching tool. Links   to research could support an exploration of literacy development in the Aboriginal population.

 

 

BC commitment to Aboriginal content in Education

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/aboriginal-history-culture-coming-to-b-c-schools-curriculum-1.3121335

I’ve linked an article from the CBC website from June 2015 that highlights the BC government’s new commitment to Aboriginal content in the new curriculum drafts released this past summer.

In the article it mentions how the impetus for this integration in the new curriculum came from the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

As cynical as I am of the current BC government, I have had a look at the proposed curriculum and it does go a long way towards inclusion of different worldviews.

Module 3, post 4curricu

Module 2: Post 4- New BC Curriculum- Aboriginal Focus

Action in British Columbia’s school curriculum seems to be happening based on the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report.

“Aboriginal history, culture and perspectives have been integrated across subject areas and grade levels in B.C.’s new curriculum,” said an Education Ministry statement. (New BC Curriculum will have Aboriginal Focus. June 17th, 2015).

B.C.’s Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister John Rustad said, “classes will give students a more complete understanding of the province’s history with its Aboriginal Peoples and strengthen reconciliation efforts…. Students will study topics such as discrimination, inequality, oppression and the impacts of colonialism.” (New BC Curriculum will have Aboriginal Focus. June 17th, 2015).

The new B.C curriculum overview has sample rationale statements from different subject areas- Math, Social Studies, Science and Language Arts.

The following is a statement from Language Arts-

“Aboriginal worldviews are an integral part of the English Language Arts curriculum, as all students learn about themselves and others as British Columbians and Canadians. Students see their own diversity reflected in what they see and do, and they learn to recognize and respect a range of worldviews.” (Aboriginal History- Transforming Curriculum and Assessment, June 2015.)

BC’s Education minister has also devoted one Professional Development Day for teachers to focus on Aboriginal Education. (http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/142595/A-change-in-curriculum)

References and Educational Links

Meissner, Dirk. New BC Curriculum will have Aboriginal Focus. June 17th, 2015. Globe and Mail, Canada. retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/new-bc-school-curriculum-will-have-aboriginal-focus/article25003962/

Aboriginal History- Transforming Curriculum and Assessment-https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/aboriginal_education_bc.pdf

Shared Learnings- Integrating BC Aboriginal Content- K-10.  http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/shared.pdf

MOE Aboriginal Prescribed Learning Outcomes K to Grade 5

School District 37- Kamloops/Thompson. Implementing Aboriginal Content Across the Elementary Curriculum. Retrieved June 21st.  http://www3.sd73.bc.ca/education/content/fn-cross-curricular-elem-resources

Canadian Press. A Change in Curriculum. June 19th, 2015. retrieved from http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/142595/A-change-in-curriculum