Tag Archives: distance

MODULE 3 WEBLOG

The following are resources (articles, videos, websites) on ideas and initiatives focused on Indigenous knowledge, learners and education:

Conestoga College. (2017, March 20). Indigenizing Post-Secondary Education [Video file].

This video explores the experiences of a few post-secondary Indigenous students, within their courses and on-campus supports. The students provide suggestions on going beyond a Euro-centric style of teaching and infusing Indigenous content and teaching methods into the education system, as well as ways to help build stronger relationships among Canadians.

Project of Heart. (n.d.). Project of Heart.

This is an “inquiry based, hands-on, collaborative, inter-generational activity” that helps students learn about the history of Aboriginal people in Canada, including the legacy of the residential school system. It is tailored to different grade levels, including post-secondary, but is not only tied to educational institutions: it can be used by anyone.

Province of BC. (2013, October 25). Changing Results for Young Readers: Laura Tait, First Peoples Principles of Learning [Video file].

This is a presentation by Laura Tait, an educator and administrator. She covers ideas such as Indigenous identity, pedagogy, reflective practice, relationships and understanding. Tait invites viewers to look at the world through an Indigenous lens. She shares some activities that teachers can use with their students and resources for their professional development.

Simon, J., Burton, K., Lockhart, E. (2014). Post-secondary distance education in a contemporary colonial context: Experiences of students in a rural First Nation in Canada. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 15(1).

This article shares some of the challenges of and opportunities through post-secondary online/distance education in rural and remote First Nation (Indigenous) communities in Canada. The Elsipogtog First Nation community in Nova Scotia is profiled. Student experiences using videoconferencing technology are shared.

University of British Columbia. (2017, February 17). Learning from Story [Video file].

This video is part of a non-credit massive open online course (MOOC), “Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education,” which focuses on strategies, teaching examples and resources supporting teaching and learning of Indigenous ways of knowing. The video focuses on the use of Indigenous storytelling and the benefits of utilizing it as a teaching strategy.

The Journey Continues

I have found that my research gets specific, then general again and so on, in a cycle. Here is a mix of resources that reflect both the general and specific of my iterative research. I had a brief conversation with my vice-principal this week about this course and the research that I hope to continue through to the end of this year, hopefully next. In that meeting, I commented on how much I have learned this term, just enough to know how little I actually know! Here’s to the continued journey.

Grande, S. (2008). Red pedagogy: The un-methodology. In N. Denzin, Y. Lincoln, & L. T.
Smith (Eds.), Handbook of critical and Indigenous methodologies, (pp. 233 – 254).
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Though there are a few pages missing in this google book version, the noble vision of this chapter is evident. Grande (2008) calls attention to the reality that Indigenous scholars and theorists have been focused on social issues in their communities and critical pedagogies have been overlooked. His chapter almost reads as a challenge to indigenous educators, as if he is daring you to grab hold of red pedagogy and see what happens.

McMullen, B. and Rohrback, A. (2003).  Distance education in remote Aboriginal communities: Barriers, learning styles and best practices. Prince George, BC: College of New Caledonia Press.

I was absolutely elated to find this. I have been very impressed with McMullen on a professional level and was thrilled to see that he co-authored a book a few years back. A book that has a poignantly relevant topic. It is one of the few resources that I printed off. I hope it will be good enough to snuggle up with next to the fire this weekend, but I only found it today so can’t speak to it yet.

Gooyers, B. (n.d.) Aboriginal Portal: Providing information and instruction to aboriginal distance students.

A simple guide for librarians in supporting Aboriginal distance students and a great reminder to instructional designers to not forget about their librarian or other student support services when designing a course.

C Pappas. (2014, November 26). The quintessential of the sociocultural learning theory. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/sociocultural-learning-theory

An excellent reminder of the basics of Vygotsky’s theories. We so often apply his theory to early childhood education, forgetting that school aged children and adults are daily faced with learning new cultures and mindsets.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. (2015). Success stories.

I thought it appropriate to end on a positive note and provide a place where we can all go for inspiration.