The Legacy of Hope website relates back to my final question of how technology can be a tool to inspire social action in my students. The 94 calls to action are a great resource for teachers but the language is overwhelming for students. What I appreciate most about the Legacy of Hope’s Get Involved page is that it provides small steps in simple language that grade 4/5 students can understand and act on. When inspiring social action at this age, there can be a push pull with the parents. These steps range from small to large and tie nicely into other areas of curriculum to further buttress against any parent complaint (which unfortunately does exist at times).
Author Archives: KatharineRader
Module 2 – Post 4 Decolonize Technology
While not focused specifically on Indigeneity, this blog by Beatrice Martini offers some hard truths and a well-developed reading list on how to decolonize technology use. I particularly appreciate the introduction to the term “borderless colonial phenomenon” as a result of digital technology. Understanding how technology continues to impart colonial values throughout the world can only help enhance my understanding of its use within Canada and my classroom.
Module 2 – Post 3 Personal Reading Recommendation
Pulling Together: A Guide for Teachers and Instructors
This professional learning series has four sections beginning with locating yourself within history and indigenous practice through to building an indigenized practice. It offers the reader opportunities to pause, reflect, and reread before placing the information within an educational context. I found Chapter 6, Knowing yourself in relation to Indigenous People particularly interesting as a teacher. Chapter 7, Holding Space for Humility and Other Ways of Knowing and Being, had some great starting questions for considering, especially as I move to decolonize my technology use.
Module 2 – Post 2 Social Media as a resource?
I had never considered the possibility of posting an Instagram or TikTok account in a university discussion, but here we are 🙂
Peter NotSo White was introduced to some of my students with social media by a classmate. Since being introduced, his posts have sparked discussion and learning both in class and at home. He presents small but timely information bits on many different aspects of indigeneity, including where does knowledge on indigenous people come from and some of the stereotypes people are exposed to. He also uses story time to deliver messages about life that students in my class really connect with. His content is mostly age appropriate for grade 4/5 (scan first – I have not watched all of them) and his tone and manner are engaging.
His account, and others like it, is an important part of decolonizing my classroom. Relying on outdated texts that tell us a colonial view of history does not help move reconciliation forward. Neither does using texts or media created by non-indigenous voices. The Government of Canada, for example, has a plethora of information available but who benefits from its use?
Module 2 – Post 1 Colonial practice and Minecraft
While the days of Oregon Trail are well behind us, Minecraft has stepped in and filled the “exploration game” void. One of the most popular Microsoft games available for children, my school district has encouraged widespread use of Minecraft Education for socials and STEAM studies. And I happily jumped on the train: what a great way for students to be passionate about learning!
Like all technology, however, it requires a critical eye.
As we have discussed, technology goes not exist in a culturally neutral void and Minecraft is no exception. This infographic was shared by a colleague and, while simple, it effectively helped connect the game to our colonial history. There is a growing discussion about the use of Minecraft as a conquering game and who’s agenda is being pushed. Certainly, this infographic and the supporting documents I have attached have given me pause for classroom use of Minecraft. I do not believe the game itself needs to be thrown out. Rather, what conversations am I having with my students about the messages the game portrays? What activities am I asking them to do? What standard of behaviour is being set?
Further reading:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1555412016655678
Module 1 Post 5
My heart is heavy this week as news breaks of the children found at a former residential school in Kamloops. And once again I look to my role as an educator within a system that has failed so many. Further, Lee Brown’s interview has served as a reminder that the “traditional” forms of education only serve those that see themselves represented within the system. And so I continue to reflect and change my practice. I come back to the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and their guiding principles on learning. This website also provides rich resources for helping to move First Nations education in BC. While it is generalized in that it attempts to reflect a collective First Nation practice as much as possible, it serves as a reminder of the approaches I take in my classroom.
Module 1 Post 4
Hidden History is an interactive e-book that offers resources to educators on the history of residential schools in Canada, which is part of the grade 4/5 curriculum I teach. It includes information on the formation of residential schools, the practices within, and consequences. It also looks towards reconciliation and the role of teacher in this process. I found the six steps outlined by project of the heart particularly impactful as action that can be taken within the classroom. It expands beyond “teaching about” and gives teachers a stepping stone for helping students listen to the stories of survivors and to take social justice action. It is a collaboration between the BC Teacher’s Federation (BCTF) and Indigenous peoples of BC, and offers some authentic voices along with a western written history.
Further resources related to Project of the Heart
Module 1 Post 3
The Path of the Elders provides an opportunity for deepening knowledge of First Nation studies in the classroom through guided activities. It includes teacher programs for grades 4 to 10 as well as an introduction to language considerations. I appreciate that this is geared towards the students themselves and gives them an opportunity to engage with the content either on their own or as steered by the teacher. I appreciate both the breadth of knowledge and the way in which it is presented. From a technology perspective, it is fun and engaging, with good graphics and few glitches. From an education perspective, it offered an authentic voice, games with clear rules, and lots of information for students of all ages.
Module 1 Post 2
This virtual museum provides information on Métis history and culture. It presents collections, exhibits, learning resources and some information on Michif, the orally based language of the Métis. Returning to the idea of presenting and preserving culture in its many forms, this is an interesting resource for deepening student understanding of Métis people. I found it particularly relevant for a French immersion classroom, given the history of the French on the Métis. I think the use of primary documents is of particular importance as we gain growing awareness on who’s voice is being heard when history and reality are being taught. From a technology standpoint, it is an interesting blend of visual, audio and video files including oral history interviews.
Module 1 Post 1
As a French Immersion classroom teacher, I have been interested in the protection of French culture and comparative lack of protection of indigenous culture within Canada. The immersion program was initially designed as a way of preserving and maintaining Quebec-French culture in Canada. No such program exists with the same participation or funding for protecting First Nation traditions and cultures, though they can exist to some degree independently.
In my first year of teaching, I worked at a school where the students learned Salish as their second language instead of French. I saw firsthand how it helped to grow and expand their understanding of the complexities that existed around them. First Nations students in the class felt represented by the curriculum and their peers gained a cultural lesson while all students benefitted from increased understanding of local history and current reality. As a teacher, it was both humbling and illuminating to have my local knowledge challenged and expanded so quickly.
This interactive website presents some important “first step” information to learning about one of the Nations on who’s traditional territory my school is located: the Sto:lo Nation. I appreciate that it is an authentic voice that can help guide class learning.