Author Archives: joel van sant vi

Module 4 Weblog

  1. Two Eyed Seeing

http://www.integrativescience.ca/

This is a website that I found helpful with my research. I am looking at how 21st Century Learning education and First Nations Ways of Knowing and Learning weave within each other. Two Eyed Seeing is a phrase that was created by Elder Albert. Its to look through one eye with eastern knowledge and look through the other with First Nations Knowledge and weave them together to make the world around you a better place. The website provides resources and articles on interweaving Western Knowledge with Indigenous Knowledge.

2. Australian STEM Programs

http://www.stemiam.com.au/

3. Solid Pathways (Aboriginal Gifted Program)

Solid Pathways   Solid Pathways is a program for high achieving/gifted Aboriginal and Tores Straight islanders students. I appreciated this program because as working in gifted education. You do not see much research or programs for Aboriginal students who are gifted. Which makes me wonder why? Which then leads me to then examine the institutions and how we look at giftedness.

4.  Blackfulla Revolution

https://www.facebook.com/ourcountryourchoice/ Blackfulla Revolution Facebook page is administered by Cally Jettan. The page is an Aboriginal activism and education forum that encourages and supports understanding and resect between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians. I have been reading and learning the struggles with Aboriginal population in Australia. This website has been informational because of the different perspectives of an Indigenous peoples struggle. First Nations and Aboriginal peoples are diverse. They are different from each other and it has been humbling to read other perspectives across the globe.

5. SHOW US THE WAY Music video

N’we Jinan Artists – “SHOW US THE WAY” // Surrey, British Columbia.

Song was written, filmed and recorded with Elementary kids from my school district.

Module 3 Online Exploration

As I am exploring my topic for my research, I am finding myself finding new and unexplored areas of thoughts and ideas and research that I am completely unaware about. As I was focusing on 21st century learning, Indigenous STEAM and Indigenous perspectives of learning. I found myself reading more and more into decolonizing 21st century learning and how globalization is another form of colonization. These following links were ones I found interesting…

A report on the decolonization efforts of the United Nations

The book is a research study on how the UN has contributed to decolonization efforts in the past 10 years. It looks at 3 different critiques about the UN. “The first is the fact that the decolonization process is out-dated, because the Special Committee has to stick to a mandate created in 1960, when there was still a lot of colonialism. The notion is that the colonies that are left can not be treated the same. The second is the fact that the there is a one-size-fits all approach to decolonization. This means that there are only three options in which the remaining non self-governing territories can be removed from the list. The third criticism on the decolonization process at the UN holds that Western interests are still seen as the most important and the non self-governing territories are decolonized according to a Western model.”

Nichee Gear -Possible Controversial?

I found this clothing site interesting. Nichee Gear is a company that was founded by Kendal Netmaker from the Sweetgrass First Nation, Saskatchewan. He donates 5% to proceeds to underprivileged students to play sports. With our BC curriculum, it focuses on entrepreneurship as one of its key focuses for curriculum. I wrestle with this idea because its almost taught in a way to create a product to sell and to “fix’ something.

I posted the site because he is a successful Indigenous entrepreneur. He is giving back to his community and other underprivileged children and focuses on community. Though I wonder though with some of the images that is on his clothing line. Is this a possible contentious issue within Indigenous communities?

 

Project 562

Changing the Way we See Native Americans TED Talk Video

I found the video and website inspiring.. Matika Wilbur is a journalists who started a project to travel the United States and photograph every Federally recognized tribe in the United States and share the diverse spectrum of art, media, curricula and the rich and complex twenty-first century imagery and reality of contemporary Native Americans.

 

Decolonizing the layout of the classroom:

The article looks at a few different areas of the classroom that still continues to be influenced by colonial thinking. It shares a story of a Indigenous student who request the teacher if they could change the layout of the classroom. The student changed the classroom in a circle and pointed out that European centric education is in rows and lecture based. This was new to me because I grew up in this style of learning!

 

 

 

Web Log Module #2

These are my stops that I found interesting during my travels on the web. I found the module 2 to be a major tipping point on my direction for my research question. Before I was focusing on computer programming and indigenous perspectives. Though I was finding it very difficult to research. These sites were helpful where it repurposed my question to be more focused on the relationship between 21st Century Skills with Indigenous Perspectives of Learning.

#1

STEM and TEK: Blazing a trail between 21st century and traditional ways of knowing

This website focuses on weaving together the principals of STEM with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). The website is a culmination of activities focusing on implicit biases that people have and how low expectations has roots of racism. The website has examples of how innovative learning environments can help dismantle eurocentric ideologies with merging STEM and TEK.

#2 Aboriginal Worldview and Perspectives in the Classroom

The document is a resource guide created by BC First Nations Peoples and BC government on creating a guide on Characteristics of Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives. It provides more in depth knowledge for educators who are playing a vital role in designing a responsive schooling for Indigenous youth and all children. Provides language and frameworks on helping educators create lesson plans with being intentional with creating Aboriginal Education for all. I found this helpful because as someone who is not from Canada. This helps me understand the history and atrocities that were committed and where we are at after the Truth and Reconciliation report was given by the Government of Canada.

#3

“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STEM Professional Awards recognise people who have made a significant contribution to key STEM initiatives and demonstrate suitability and capacity to act as a role model for Aboriginal students. There are two awards in this category – the early career award and the career achievement award.” The website is rich with awards that were given to Aboriginal people who have made contributions to the STEM field. There are articles and photos of the award recipients. I found this useful because there are tons of white scientist in textbooks but no acknowledgment about the contributions of Aboriginal peoples within the STEM field.

#4 First Light Initiative

Program is created by an Aboriginal astronomer who works to deliver telescopes to Aboriginal schools. His main focus is to provide the tools for students to have a hands on approach to math and science.

#5 IndigiSteam

While on my exploration of websites I found that a lot of STEAM projects or programs for Aboriginal students were ran by non aboriginal corporate sponsors.  I searched online for programs ran by actual Aboriginal groups. I found this website. It has some cool links that gets you connected with STEAM projects and Indigenous groups.

Web Log Module #1

1# – Cree Code Talkers

Documentary telling the story of the Indigenous people who were used as code talkers for the Canadian/US Military. It wasn’t until recently that their stories are being told. This is a trailer that looks at the lives of the Cree Code talkers and focuses on Charles “Checker” Tomkins who was one of the most influential Cree Code Talkers.

 

#2- Musqeuam Nation

During a Pro-D I had an amazing experience attending Musqueam Nation and learning about their culture. I really enjoyed Alec Dan and his story telling.  I found this video of him sharing how Musqeuam got its name. He speaks about the two headed serpent…. but I will let the him tell it.

 

#3  – Coast Salish Art Resource Page

http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/curated/coast-salish-art

 

Website that introduces art of the First Peoples of wester Washington and southwestern British Columbia.  The website explores the art history of the region.

#4-  Aboriginal Perspectives Website- Aboriginal Mathematic Games

http://aboriginalperspectives.uregina.ca/about.shtml

This is a website where it shares different games that were created by First Nations Peoples.  The math games are broken down in to three sections, chance, strategy and lifestyle mathematics. I enjoyed looking at the strategy games because it makes you develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to defeat your opponent.

This website was designed by the faculty and students at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and from the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Science and the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program.

 

#5- I have put up Surrey School Districts Aboriginal Department. They have been such an amazing resource for me to use in the classroom.  They provide Aboriginal resources in math, science, arts, social studies.  https://aboriginalresourcesforteachers.weebly.com/