Author Archives: Seo-Whi Kwon

M4 Entry 5: Moving Forward

Incorporating Indigenous knowledge, traditions and stories into STEM education must be a collective goal, where Elders, parents, students, communities, organizations, educators, schools, and the general public work together to create a culturally responsive and culturally inclusive environment. As education and educational technologies continue to change, the living Indigenous knowledge implementations in the field of education should continue to be evaluated and analyzed. As we saw in course discussions, there have been cases of increased community control over school curriculum that has resulted in a positive change in creating a culturally responsive educational environment. Although this may not be possible in all educational settings, I am confident to say that incorporating the cultural standards in STEM education will be able to create meaningful learning environments for students. The ANKN (1998) guide for culturally responsive schools is a fantastic resource to use as a checklist for achieving this.

Indigenous STEM is a broad avenue and there are many different pedagogical and implementation strategies to plan, design and facilitate Indigenous STEM education. Throughout the course, discussions and my blog posts, I have come to understand that facilitating culturally responsive curriculum and/or instructions is essential in creating an inclusive learning environment. Students should be provided opportunities to explore their cultural values, discuss their perspectives with others, and learn about their community and the local environment and its’ connection to their lives. This way, they can be engaged in meaningful education where the demonstration of learning is a reflection of their identity and their culture. I am hoping that my final project can act as a useful classroom resource and/or provide some guidance for creating a culturally responsive and inclusive classroom for our learners.

I really enjoyed organizing and planning for my final project with blog posts. It was a valuable experience and I also liked reading everyone else’s posts as well. There were a lot of project topics I thought were very interesting and I look forward to seeing everyone’s final projects! Good luck everyone!

References

Alaska Native Knowledge Network (ANKN). (1998, February 3). Alaska standards for culturally-responsive schools. http://ankn.uaf.edu/Publications/culturalstandards.pdf

M4 Entry 4: The ANCESTOR Program

The ANCESTOR (AborigiNal Computer Education through STORytelling) program was developed by Biin and Weston (2015) to increase digital and cultural literacy. The goal of the program is to incorporate digital storytelling to promote interest in computer science for Aboriginal learners. It is a way to help learners connect “traditional knowledge and current realities into their learning environment rather than being passive recipients of knowledge” (Biin & Weston, 2015, p.98). In their study, they’ve incorporated a culturally responsive approach that was very closely aligned with my project approach and used the First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Model by the Canadian Council on Learning (2007) to emphasize the interconnectedness of life and learning. The model illustrates that “there is not a single, linear approach to learning but rather it encompasses learning experiences at all stages of life in both traditional and non-traditional settings” (Biin & Weston, 2015, p100). Here is the model:

I think the model also summarizes the discussion points and outcomes we have been learning throughout the course and I noticed this diagram on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network website as well. As I get closer to the final stages of my project, I am realizing more that teaching and helping students recognize the connection and the importance between community and individual learning are what leads Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to engage in meaningful learning and help them become lifelong entrepreneurs and citizens.

 

References

Biin, D. & Weston, M. L. (2015). 21st Century skills for middle and high school Aboriginal children on British Columbia’s west coast. In Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D. & Spector, J. M (Eds.), Emerging technologies for STEAM education: Full STEAM ahead (pp.95-112). Springer International Publishing. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-02573-5_7

Canadian Council on Learning (CLL). (2007). First Nations holistic lifelong learning model. Living Draft. http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/RedefiningSuccess/CCL_Learning_Model_FN.pdf

M4 Entry 3: The Learning Circle

The Government of Canada website has teaching resources related to Indigenous cultures and traditions! They have several resources related to Indigenous Peoples Day, treaties and agreements, classroom games and activities as well as lesson plan resources. I was paying closer attention to The Learning Circle resource set, which includes a combination of classroom activities and guiding questions for different age groups. This will be a great resource for building my lesson plans for my final project as well as in my classroom for the next school year! Here is an activity I found very interesting:

During course discussions, I recall discussing the importance of addressing open-ended questions and providing opportunities for students to share any stereotypes or misconceptions of Indigenous cultures. I can see this as a valuable activity in a lesson to help students explore and learn more about how Indigenous cultures are portrayed and build a culturally inclusive educational environment.

M4 Entry 2: Canoe Building

I’ve learned that one of the important properties of Indigenous learning is the emphasis on the practical application of skills and knowledge. Experiential learning, holistic views, and integration to daily living practices are important parts of education and this is an idea I wanted to incorporate in my STEM lesson plans. I had the idea of using traditional Indigenous technologies and thought of incorporating mathematical and scientific outcomes to design and build a canoe. Here are some websites I’ve found to help me with the lesson plan.

I also came across this short video, of Micah McCarty sharing his story of the design and significance of his canoe. I think this could be a good hook for starting an Indigenous STEM lesson.

M4 Entry 1: Relationship with Water (STEM approach)

As I was looking into building STEM lesson plans for my project, I started looking into stories, knowledge, and traditions related to water. Water is sacred in Aboriginal culture and as we should respect all elements of our surroundings and everything on Mother Earth, water should also be respected. In the Aboriginal worldview, there is a connection between people and water as it is the foundation for all living and non-living things (Native Counselling Servies of Alberta, n.d.). The website I’ve found includes excellent educational videos related to the sacred relationship with water, the relationship between Aboriginal people and the land, the creation story, and more. There are also lesson plans and worksheets that can be used for grades 5 and 6 based on the AB curriculum. Even if you don’t teach in Alberta, I think this could be a valuable resource for infusing Indigenous knowledge and STEM education.

Here is one of the videos I will be using for my project:

References

Native Counselling Servies of Alberta. (n.d.). Why water. The Sacred Relationship. http://www.sacredrelationship.ca/why-water/

M3 Entry 5: The ATA Library

The Alberta Teacher’s Association Library has some great resources for Indigenous Education. There are collections of student guides, teacher guides, and PD resources on multiple topics (i.g. Orange Shirt Day, Residential Schools, etc.) and some resources specifically for Indigenous Peoples of Alberta. I was paying closer attention to the Foundation Knowledge section where resources are categorized into different subject fields. I am going to be exploring Math and Science pages more to help with the lesson planning part of my final project.

Through the library, I also came across a Google Earth activity called, “Celebrating Indigenous Languages” which I thought was a fantastic way of incorporating technology. It’s very engaging and fun to look around the globe to visualize the places and the diversity of Indigenous languages. It’s also fascinating to hear these languages being spoken by an Indigenous person, which I haven’t had a chance to experience a lot before.

M3 Entry 4: Implementing Indigenous STEM

When implementing Ingenous STEM, pedagogical methods should encourage students to discuss topics with family and friends to foster community interest (Stevens et al., 2016) and help students understand western concepts as well as Indigenous concepts and values by exploring similarities and differences (Snively & Williams, 2016).

It’s important to consider limiting factors, like that modern science and scientific views can be completely foreign with Indigenous spirituality and/or a holistic understanding of the world and that there is a lack of culturally appropriate science textbooks and resources (Snively & Williams, 2016). Therefore, including examples that help students see a deeper cultural understanding is a key element in incorporating Indigenous STEM into classrooms. For example, when teaching about solar energy, “students can be asked about how the sun and heat of the southwest desert impact their ways of living, how their ancestors adapted to the intense heat of the desert, how water levels have changed over time, and how the sun has been used as an energy source (Gomez et al., 2015).

Here are some other research papers that outline theoretical frameworks and practical examples of Indigenous epistemologies and implementation strategies.

 

References

Garcia-Olp, M., Nelson, C., Hinzo, A., & Young, D. A. (2020). Indigenous epistemologies: Implementing Indigenous practices and perceptions to the area of STEM. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 22(1/2), 197-337.

Gomez, R., Knox, C., Stevens, S., & Andrade, R. (2015). iSTEM: An innovative hybrid program for diversifying and building capacity in the STEM/ICT workforce. Teacher resource manual. University of Arizona, Tucson

Makonye, J. & Dlamini, R. (2020). STEM education for the twenty-first century. In J. Anderson & Y. Li (Eds.), Integrated Approaches to STEM Education: An International Perspective (pp.21.39). Springer. https://doi/org/10.1007/978-3-030-52229-2_3

Snively, G. & Williams, W.  L. (2016). Knowing home: Braiding Indigenous science with Western science. University of Victoria Press.

Stevens, S., Andrade, R., & Page, M. (2016). Motivating Young Native American Students to Pursue STEM Learning Through a Culturally Relevant Science Program. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(6), 947-960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9629-1

Tytler, R. (2020). STEM education for the twenty-first century. In J. Anderson & Y. Li (Eds.), Integrated Approaches to STEM Education: An International Perspective (pp.21.39). Springer. https://doi/org/10.1007/978-3-030-52229-2_3

M3 Entry 3: STEM Lesson Plans

My previous blog posts focused on resources related to theoretical frameworks and implementation strategies of Indigenous STEM and as I move on to the next stage of my project, I wanted to explore more resources for lesson planning and more specific and practical examples of classroom activities and resources. I’ve found several great websites and resources for STEM and STEAM related websites.

1. Aboriginal Access Teacher Tools

https://www.aboriginalaccess.ca/

This website provides great STEM resources for kids, youth, and adults. The “Teacher Tool? page is especially useful for lesson planning.

2. U of T, Infusing Indigenous Perspectives in K-12 Learning

https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=251299&p=1673828

A great compilation of games, audios/videos, lesson plans, Indigenous Language materials and other educational resources for K-12 education.

3. Ontario Tech Library

https://guides.library.uoit.ca/indigenous_k-12

Similar to the U of T website with a diversity of resources related to Indigenous K-12 learning.

4. UBC Library Lesson Plan Resources

https://guides.library.ubc.ca/c.php?g=676257&p=4765077

Includes general lesson planning guides and resources, and a page dedicated specifically to Indigenous education for elementary.

5. Share My Lesson

https://sharemylesson.com/collections/native-americans-and-indigenous-peoples

This is a platform where educators from all over the world share their lesson plans and there is a collection specifically dedicated to Indigenous Peoples. I checked out their other collections and it’s a great website to look for additional classroom resources.

M3 Entry 2: FNESC Resources

A lot of you may be familiar with the First Peoples Principles of Learning by FNESC. As I was brainstorming lesson plan ideas for my Indigenous STEM project, I decided to explore the FNESC website further to look for additional resources and I am glad I did because I found multiple great resources useful for various educational settings and goals! Here is the website if anyone else would like to explore: http://www.fnesc.ca/.

The Science First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide (Secondary) provides detailed guidelines on what Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous science are, how to involve Indigenous communities, instructions on using narratives in a classroom, assessment suggestions, and sample activities. I am including 3 specific resources from the FNESC website that I will be including in my project but there are many more resources like Truth and Reconciliation teacher guide and information on Residential Schools. This is a website I will definitely visit more often in the future.

 

References

FNESC. Authentic First Peoples Resources. http://www.fnesc.ca/authenticresources/

FNESC. First Peoples Principles of Learning.  http://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

FNESC. Science First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide (Secondary). http://www.fnesc.ca/sciencetrg/

M3 Entry 1: Weaving Ways

The Alberta Regional Consortia has some great recourses for infusing Indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. Here is their website: https://arpdc.ab.ca/.

In Weaving Ways by ARPDC (2018), it is explained that infusing Indigenous ways of knowing and engaging in practices of cultural appreciation is an essential step in designing learning that is intentional and culturally inclusive. Here is a diagram that simplifies the 4 main components of implementing Indigenous ways of knowing:

Here are guiding questions for each quadrant:

Cultures of Belonging

  1. How can we embrace the Indigenous idea of wholeness in the classroom to support greater belonging for all learners?
  2. How can I draw from the ways Indigenous peoples foster cultures of belonging to compliment the ways I create belonging in my classroom?

Instructional Design

  1. How might valuing Indigenous and other knowledge systems in our learning designs promote cultural appreciation and advance reconciliation
  2. In what way can Indigenous knowledge systems enhance how I design learning for my students?

Pedagogy

  1. How can the Indigenous idea of Two-Eyed Seeing, or Etuaptmumk, support a blended experience in my classroom that authentically respects and builds on the strengths of both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing and learning?
  2. What similarities does Indigenous pedagogy have to my own pedagogical beliefs and approaches?

Sharing Through Story

  1. How can we support deeper connection to learning outcomes for all students through storytelling
  2. Do my current teaching practices and approaches relate to sharing through story? Can I further incorporate this approach?

I think these questions are AWESOME and it provides detailed guidance on the development of my final project on Indigenous STEM and how Indigenous ways of knowing can be integrated.

 

References

Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia. (2018, October 9). Weaving ways: Indigenous ways of knowing in classrooms and schools. https://empoweringthespirit.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Weaving-Ways-Introductory-Document-10-09.pdf