The following video was inspirational to me at the beginning of this research journey. I actually came across this video after completing Module 1 Weblog post. This type of dancing was actually performed for a school I previously worked at, and I remember it being mesmerizing.
My dilemma in this assignment was connecting this course to something relevant to my area of teaching; physical education. Not only do I teach PE, but I teach it at an elementary level so it is sometimes difficult to find activities all the students will be successful at. Having taken several dance courses during my kinesiology degree and through professional development activities, I thought this was a great place to start. I began looking for first nations dance resources online, I found many for the elementary classroom, but not specifically for dance.
I have always been passionate about physical education and most recently as a physical literacy mentor, teaching students fundamental movement skills in creative ways. I feel this is how I will touch upon the topics explored in this course, indigeneity, technology and education.
My idea for this project is to develop a resource specifically for teachers looking to use first nations dance to teach a variety of fundamental movement skills. Over the years, I have found it difficult to find great PE resources that are also cross curricular and are laid out in a user friendly way. My hope is to create something that highlights first nations culture while exploring fundamental movement skills students require for lifelong health and wellness.
There are many resources, including the substantial article, In Our Own Words: Bringing Authentic First Peoples Content to the k-3 Classroom that can modified or tinkered with to apply to the physical education curriculum. Also several articles which link dance to health benefits, something I feel teachers will find useful when completing assessments.
Hooper, D., Hunt, J., & Smith, J. (2012). In Our Own Words: Bringing Authentic First Peoples Content to the k-3 Classroom. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from
http://aboriginal.sd34.bc.ca/sites/default/files/In-Our-Own-Words-final-Apr-16-web_0.pdf
Takeuchi, C. (2009, February 4). Cultural dances offer a world of benefits. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from https://www.straight.com/article-199683/cultural-dances-offer-world-benefits