Tag Archives: Indigenous education

OECD – Supporting Indigenous Students

Module 3 – Entry 3

Tyler Ohashi

As mentioned in my previous post, our school district highly values the 7 Principles of Learning from the OECD. In my journey to learn how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into my practice, I found that the OECD has also looked into how to support Indigenous students.

This article outlines how educators can align their practice with what Indigenous students are reporting is important to them. Indigenous students are reporting that they would like to see schools that:

Care about them and who they are as Indigenous people.
Expect them to succeed in education.
Help them to learn about their cultures, histories, and languages.

Therefore, schools should include practices that include:

Extra support for students: Finding ways to change the experiences of individual students goes a long way.
Engaging families: Mutually respectful relationships between schools and parents can have significant benefits for students.
Monitoring and reporting: Tracking progress with data helps educators and families understand where progress is being made.

Teaching to Indigenous students should include teaching in a holistic manner that promotes well-being, participation, engagement, and achievement.

This article also includes links to other resources located in the OECD library that provide information on how to incorporate Indigenous education in your practice.

Reference

Supporting Success for Indigenous Students. OECD. (2017). https://www.oecd.org/education/Supporting-Success-for-Indigenous-Students.pdf.

M2, Entry 2: Ensouling Our Schools

Module 2: Stereotypes and the Commodification of Indigenous Social Reality

Entry 2: Ensouling Our Schools

I found this resource while searching for resources on Indigenization. I have not read it yet, but at first glance, it has a strong focus on mental health and emotional well being. With respect to my research, I am most interested in the chapter titled, “Programming for Reconciliation and Education for Reconciliation” which will (hopefully) provide me with additional strategies to add to the framework/template/principles I am creating to help incorporate Indigeneity in an authentic way in my classrooms.

Find it here: https://www.portageandmainpress.com/product/ensouling-our-schools/

Katz. J., & Lamoureux, K. (2018). Ensouling our schools: A universally designed framework for mental health, well-being, and reconciliation. Portage & Main Press.

Module 1: Post 5 – Gladys We Never Knew (10 lessons)

While exploring the BCTF website to see what they had on Indigenous Education, I came across Gladys We Never Knew: The Life of a Child in a BC Indian Residential School. This resource consists of ten lesson plans that educators can do with their students. These lessons will allow students to understand the life and story of this one Indigenous student’s life. Students will be able to understand who and why Gladys is important to us, traditional approaches, comparing Gladys’ and our life today, historical relationships, to connect to Gladys’ experience of going away to Residential school, what was faced at school for Gladys and other children, for students to appreciate their school experience from those who went to residential schools, to understand the importance of Dr. P. H. Bryce, to have students recognize when to speak up when something is wrong, to understand the injustices of the Indian Residential School system, and finally to understand the need for Reconciliation. I plan to use this lesson plan package in my classroom.