Category Archives: MODULE 3

Module 3 – Post 3 – Truth and Reconciliation

I came across this article that focuses on truth and reconciliation from K-12. This article discusses how teachers can become an ally. There were a couple of things that stood out to me. Firstly, I thought it was extremely useful and helpful that there was a complete list of books from K-12 that teachers can use and read in their classrooms to teach students about reconciliation. I appreciate that there are two books for each grade, however I wish there were more than just two. Hopefully in the near future there will be tons more books available that we can use in the classroom. Below are the books for primary classes.

Another section of this article that grabbed my attention was The Sacred Circle. This circle could help educators learn how to become an ally through the spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual teaching. According to this article by Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse (2018),

“The spiritual invites the educator to examine all the opportunities that their lessons, field trips and experiential learning activities offer to link students to each other, their communities and the globe. This aspect of holism in teaching/learning places emphasis on activities that develop deep and meaningful connections with a purpose “greater than the self.”
The physical refers to the classroom space/s where learning takes place and encourages differentiated practices outdoors and in the community. This aspect of holism encourages teaching/learning at sites that make connections to local events, people, places and movements
The emotional concerns the inclusion of Elders, Métis Senators, Cultural Resource People, families and non-human experiences as foundational to the classroom and school year. This aspect of holism values the knowledge that “other teachers” bring to the shared world of education.
The intellectual refers to the provincial/territorial mandated curriculum that the educator is entrusted with delivering to the students. This aspect of holism calls upon the educator to factor in inquiry, curiosity and differentiated evaluation as critical to meaningful student experiences in school” (para. 12).

The more we know, the more we can do. It starts with us, as educators, to have a role to play in this learning process and journey towards truth and reconciliation.

Module 3 – Post 2 – Spirit Bear and Children Make History: Learning Guide

The Spirit Bear and Children Make History: Learning Guide is a guide that focuses on telling the “story of a landmark human rights case for First Nations children at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal” (para. 1). This guide was written to cater the younger crowd and engage them in learning about human rights and to establish the influential role that younger individuals have in the reconciliation movement. On page 6 of this guide, it points out all the outcomes children will have after reading this book (PDF of this storybook in Cree and in English). I wanted to share these outcomes because even though this guide is geared towards younger students, their learning potential is huge.

It states that students will:

“• have a greater understanding of inequities facing First Nations children, which compromise their health, safety, and well-being,
• develop empathy and critical thinking,
• develop citizenship and life skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, understanding of personal and social responsibility, ethics, courage, self-confidence, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills (be able to express themselves and articulate their ideas),
• be able to describe how children can help implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action,
• recognize that their voices and ideas matters and that children have the power to influence the world around them, and
• recognize that true heroes are those who are courageous enough to stand up for what is right and not give up, even when it is hard to be brave” (p. 6).

I like this resource as it provides some school-base activities that you can do with your students to learn about reconciliation through storytelling and engaging activities. This true story book is one that I would like to buy to add to my classroom collection.

M3, Entry 5: Indigital – Using AR for Aboriginal Storytelling

Indigital – a portmanteau of “Indigenous” and “digital” – is an Australian startup that creates mobile phone apps that use AR for Indigenous cultural storytelling (Questacon, 2017). Founder Mikela Jade said she grew up not knowing about her heritage and felt disconnected from her culture; working as a park ranger made her aware of the hypocrisy of viewing the cultural sites through archeological and anthropological lenses without considering the Indigenous ones (Barbaschow, 2019). I find that it is often tensions like these that inspire and compel creators to innovate and develop something that is responsive to cultural and educational needs. Jade expresses a strong enthusiasm in AR technology, as it can be used on a cultural place or object to obtain a deeper understanding of it from the traditional owner (Barbaschow, 2019); through the app, artwork comes alive in different languages through 3D animation and artists have direct input on its design and interactive capabilities (Questacon, 2017).

Although Jade initially had difficulty explaining Indigital’s purpose and capabilities, she was adamant about engaging youth in cultural knowledge translation (Questacon, 2017). The company leverages drone and image recognition technology, 4D mapping software, and cultural law to bring life to cultural sites, and Internet access is not required (Barbaschow, 2019).

Questacon (2017, July 7). Indigital – Using AR for Aboriginal Storytelling [Video]. YouTube.

References

Barbaschow, A. (2019, October 8). Indigital using augmented reality for traditional storytelling. ZDNet. Retrieved from https://www.zdnet.com/article/indigital-using-augmented-reality-for-traditional-storytelling/

Questacon (2017, July 7). Indigital – Using AR for Aboriginal Storytelling [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noPFpWMdWcA

M3, Entry 4: Indigenous Peoples’ March 2019

In ETEC 521, we have spent considerable time exploring Indigenous educational resources that teach about histories, cultures, and languages. Interestingly though, there hasn’t been as much discussion around Indigenous resistance movements and how they can be incorporated into curricula and educational resources. A notable event, namely The Indigenous Peoples March, is comprised of activists, tribal leaders, artists, educators, youth, etc. who are committed to building Indigenous Peoples’ collective power (Cultural Survival, 2018). The March from 2019 was captured and turned into a 360 video with scenes periodically changing to highlight major events, such as traditional performances, protest chants, and speeches (Piech, 2019):

Elena Piech (2019, January 18). 360 Video: Indigenous Peoples’ March 2019, Washington D.C. [Video]. YouTube.

Such grassroots ‘calls to action’ involve defending human and environmental rights, with particular attention paid to the egregious injustices facing Indigenous men, women, and children not only in North America, but also in Central and South America, Oceania, Asia, and the Caribbean (Piech, 2019). To me, a resource like this represents a practical, ‘real-world’ way of teaching about pressing social and political issues to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students: it serves as an effective reminder that they can exercise their right to protest and to illuminate the issues faced by marginalized communities within and beyond Canadian borders.

References

Cultural Survival (2018, December 7). “We Are Still Here!” Indigenous Peoples March Is Heading to D.C. Cultural Survival. Retrieved from https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/we-are-still-here-indigenous-peoples-march-heading-dc

Elena Piech (2019, January 18). 360 Video: Indigenous Peoples’ March 2019, Washington D.C. [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3grxIgAdbXI

M3, Entry 3: Blackfoot Language through VR

Language learning and translation are often taken for granted, especially through Google Translate and apps like Duolingo. As Chaz Prairie Chicken explains, the Blackfoot language is unavailable on Google Translate in addition to a plethora of other Indigenous languages (660 News, 2019). It is a compelling point to consider, especially since many non-Western languages are available such as Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi, etc. These languages are still widely spoken, while many Indigenous languages are at-risk of dying off. To respond to this concern, the graphic novel Thunder has been transformed into a VR experience to teach the Blackfoot language:

660 News. (2019, June 30). Learning the Blackfoot language through virtual reality [Video]. YouTube.

The VR experience provides an immersive world that can be explored by young learners to apply the language in highly engaging and context-specific ways; most of what they learn are the basics, including counting and animals (660 News, 2019). Further, the experience features beautiful landscapes, anthropomorphic animals, and compelling storytelling in keeping with Indigenous tradition (660 News, 2019). The experience can serve as an ideal foundation to inspire a greater interest and further study in the Blackfoot language. It would be intriguing to see similar pursuits in VR leveraged in the preservation and promotion of Indigenous languages for young learners as well.

References

660 News (2019, June 30). Learning the Blackfoot language through virtual reality [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS_xJ5mmTvs

M3: Entry 5 – Google My Maps

As part of my land acknowledgment project, I want to create an interactive tool where students can share photos, videos or written stories to allow them to reflect on the land on which they live. As an online teacher, I have students across the province of Alberta so I have been playing around with a few different online tools such as ThingLink and Genially  to find the best way to share a map that students can add to themselves.  I found that Google My Maps was the easiest solution as it is free to users and quick to learn. It looks like there are many applications of the tool for different subject areas.

 

 

Mr Lee Teaches.   (2018, November 30). Google My Maps| Have Students Create Custom Maps for Any Subject. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvpt18Hi86w

M3: P4 – Augmented Reality Platforms

By no means is this an exhaustive list of AR platforms out there, but these are the ones that I gleaned from the Amanda Almond (2021) paper “We Are All Related: (Re)Storying With Augmented Reality to Build Indigenous-Settler Relations”. These AR platforms in the form of apps virtually augment user experiences IRL, and would offer Indigenous storytelling, hence learning experiences in various ways. I have provided slogans or offerings in quotations below from each website that help explain what they provide. However, one aspect of these apps that I would like to explore is the protection of the user’s data since Indigenous knowledge is kept with sacred keepers, and only extended to certain initiates.

Wikitude: “Create unparalleled AR experiences with state-of-the-art technology to enhance the world around you.”

Actionbound: “Take people on real-world treasure hunts and guided walks.”

Ruptersland: “Rupertsland AR is an augmented reality app that is contributing to breaking new ground in Métis education with innovative tools for engagement and community building.”

Beaconstac: “Your entire proximity marketing solution [is] seamlessly connected to deliver the best customer experience.” Proximity marketing is a wireless means of communicating advertising to devices with compatible equipment. 

Roar: “Scalable Cloud based SaaS Augmented Reality Content Creation Platform for Your Brand.”

Zappar: “The world’s leading augmented reality platform and creative studio.”

awe: “Your awe web app makes it easy for you to deliver Mixed Reality experiences through standard web browsers. Create and design your Mixed Reality content on almost any device, using only your web browser and awe.media.”

izi.travel: “We believe that every site or work of art has a story waiting to be told. That stories bring art, streets and cities to life. And that stories connect people.”

Reference

Almond, A. (2021). We Are All Related:(Re) Storying With Augmented Reality to Build Indigenous-Settler Relations (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/4a4675d1-cdb5-4b15-8a6f-c708b0c948c1/view/990435ed-0a71-43d1-908a-fd9f45af05bb/Almond_Amanda_202103_MA.pdf 

M3: P3 – Niantic

When I first posted my intentions to look at augmented reality (AR) in helping preserve Indigenous knowledge and understanding in time and place I must admit that I immediately thought of the AR game “Pokémon GO”. As I researched Pokémon GO I realized it has an interesting backstory. Pokémon GO is the brainchild of Niantic. Niantic is an offshoot of Alphabet Inc. (Google and its subsidiaries), and as such uses a derivative of Google Maps to run its AR games. I digress, Niantic is known for its AR games such as Pokémon GO, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Ingress. Most importantly, Niantic’s intention with these games is to get the user out into the environment to play, just as Indigenous ways of knowing and being (and really all learning) should be experienced. 

Finally, and congruent to my interest in researching Niantic for my final project, the name “Niantic” has Indigenous origins. I’m not too sure whether the people at Niantic know this, because they cite a ship called the “Niantic” on their “About” page, but it’s also the name of a vanquished Algonquin group that lived around Connecticut and Rhode Island (Niantic People, 2021). Perhaps one day Niantic will create an AR story about the Niantic peoples.

Reference

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, June 30). Niantic people. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:14, July 10, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Niantic_people&oldid=1031154708

M3: P2 – Art Processors

Art Processors is an Australian creative technology company that focuses on enhancing visitor experiences in museums and galleries alike. Of the several projects that they showcase on their “Our Work” page on their website, three are Indigenous based: “WA Museum Boola Bardip”, “Josh Muir: What’s on Your Mind?”, and “Awaken”. In boasting that their “work strives to create a harmony between people, place, content and technology”, Art Processors incorporates the holistic approach of Indigenous knowledge and understanding, meanwhile building it with digital technology.

 

M3 P1: Seven Sacred Teachings

I was part of ETEC 565S this summer which was the Summer Institute on Digital Gaming. In the course, I was introduced to the Seven Sacred Teachings through a game designed by my classmates called Dani the Dinosaur. It was created on a program called Twinery and it teaches primary grade students (Kindergarten/Grade 1 students especially) about the Sacred Teachings that are deeply rooted in Indigenous culture. The game can captivate the attention of the younger audience and motivate them to learn more about the 7 Teachings. It has an engaging story with excellent voice narration and eye catching animations. As our projects only needed to be a minimum viable product, only the first level out of the three seen works. Even though there is only one working level, it shows the potential that digital games can have to teach Indigenous teachings to students.

This blog doesn’t let me put the HTML directly on here so I had to make it into a Zip file. If you would like to try and play the game, right click on the file below and choose Save Link As to download the .zip file, extract it, and then double click to play.

Dani the Dino – Game

Additional information about the Seven Sacred Teachings can be find here: https://empoweringthespirit.ca/cultures-of-belonging/seven-grandfathers-teachings/

References:

Cameron, S., Carr, S. & Fung, J. (2021). Dani the Dino. [Video Game]. Twine.