IMPulse is a mentorship program that connects indigenous youth to university mentors in the field of STEM. This service provides 1-on-1 or group sessions which allow both mentors and mentees to develop strong relationship and build discussions around STEM. This program is FREE to join and will give youth an opportunity to get advice from the mentors to help make key decisions about their future or from choosing a university to moving away from home.
https://stemfellowship.org/impulse/
“Stepping Stones is a publication of the Alberta Teachers’ Association Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation and is intended to support certificated teachers on their learning journey to meet the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competency in the Teaching Quality Standard.”
This resource is helpful in providing a detailed overview of various topics including, but not limited to, terminology, Treaties, Canada’s history, First Nations Traditions and culture, and residential schools.
This website houses some amazing information for Indigenous Education.
A school is also highlighted on this website:
“Nala’atsi is a school based in Courtenay, British Columbia for students with Indigenous ancestry in grades 10 to 12. It is a 10 month program that provides individualized support for students whose needs have not been met in a mainstream classroom setting. Nala’atsi aims to give students a sense of community and belonging, a safe and compassionate learning environment, as well as access to a variety of exciting cultural activities within the community and beyond.”
“Our educational playlists are selections of films on themes that tie in with Canadian curricula and address the important issues of the day. Many of the playlists are also linked to our study guides.”
Within the “Indigenous Voices and Reconciliation” tab, some playlists that I have flagged for review are:
https://www.nfb.ca/education/educational-playlists/#indigenous-voices-and-reconciliation
Indigenous Culture-Based School Mathematics in Action: Part I: Professional Development for Creating Teaching Materials
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/tme/vol18/iss1/9/
Meyer, Sharon and Aikenhead, Glen (2021) “Indigenous Culture-Based School Mathematics in Action: Part I: Professional Development for Creating Teaching Materials,” The Mathematics Enthusiast: Vol. 18 : No. 1 , Article 9.
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Indigenous Culture-Based School Mathematics in Action Part II: The Study’s Results: What Support Do Teachers Need?
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/tme/vol18/iss1/10
Meyer, Sharon and Aikenhead, Glen (2021) “Indigenous Culture-Based School Mathematics in Action Part II: The Study’s Results: What Support Do Teachers Need?,” The Mathematics Enthusiast: Vol. 18 : No. 1 , Article 10.
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*June 20 – Edit*
I came across this resource that pulls together the above two pieces of research. It is from the McDowell Foundation, which provides grants for teacher-led research projects in Saskatchewan.
Culture-Based School Mathematics for Reconciliation and Professional Development
First People’s Principles of Learning
“The professional practice of all Alberta teachers is guided by the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS). This standard is the basis for certification of all Alberta teachers and holds them accountable to the profession and to the Minister of Education.”
In 2008, a sixth competency was added: Applying Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit. As it is important for all teachers to keep up to date with their professional practice, the TQS is an important document that I will be referencing throughout this course.
Alberta Teaching Quality Standard infographic
The more I learn, the more I realize I do not know. Dr. Lee Brown’s interview and Michael Marker influenced this post. I think until we understand, or try to understand, the past we cannot effectively move forward to a better future. One that portrays collaboration, cooperation, and more than one perspective.
“… an informed historical awareness of any cultural group is essential for distinguishing between minority cultures and mainstream American culture, the situation is amplified with regard to local indigenous people because their histories are enmeshed with the ecological history of the land”. (Marker, 2006, p.495).
Indigenous Canada is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. Click on the picture above to go to the website. I think it may be a great place for many to start if they are unfamiliar with the history of Indigenous Peoples of Canada. I personally did not experience any FNMI education in my elementary and secondary schooling, and if I did it was incorrect, misrepresented, and very stereotypical. I believe there is a large percentage of the adult Canadian population who would benefit from a course like this, and it’s FREE!
References
Indigenous Canada (n.d.). University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html
Marker, M. (2015). Borders and the borderless Coast Salish: decolonizing historiographies of Indigenous schooling. History of Education: Journal of the History of Education Society, 1-23.
In ETEC 510, I came across the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Initiative. The idea of providing access to a laptop to every child in developing countries sounds like a wonderful idea. Given some communities have the similar issue in accessibility in devices, I wonder if this is something that is embraced and welcomed by Indigenous people? The reason is that Ginsburg (2008) mentioned the notion of Aboriginal people viewing media and technology, which are dominated by western ideals, as a mean to “wash out” indigenous lives and cultural practices. They don’t want their traditional knowledge to be under the Western systems of intellectual property. Hence, I am intrigued to explore the effect of this initiative in aboriginal communities further more.
Reference:
Mmnationtalk (2013, May). Students of First Nation School receive laptops from One Laptop per Child Canada. Nation Talk. Retrieved from https://nationtalk.ca/story/students-of-first-nation-school-receive-laptops-from-one-laptop-per-child-canada
In this first module, a guiding question we had was, “How might Indigenous education and use of technology have different goals than “mainstream” educational goals and purposes?” Keeping this in mind, I began my dive into the web looking for current opportunities for Indigenous Youth when it comes to technology and what the impact of mainstream education on those opportunities looks like.
I first came across a site created by June Kaminski and Sylvia Currie who at the time were from Kwantlen Polytechnic and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. The site is called First Nations Pedagogy Online which you can access HERE. The purpose of the site is to provide “best practices and support for online learning initiatives that are intended for Indigenous students, Elders, educators, curriculum developers, and educational leaders.” This particular resource is extremely beneficial for developing an understanding of First Nations Pedagogy and all that it encompasses, including culture.
Ultimately, to the indigenous peoples of this planet, culture is living, growing, and ever evolving.
I created a screencast of the website focussing on how mainstream culture has impacted Indigenous Education and Peoples as well as a brief explanation of all the opportunities for learning within the site.
– Sasha Passaglia