Tag Archives: TeacherRoles

M4, P5: The Role Educators Play Towards Reconciliation

The First Peoples Principle of Learning, “Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge” highlights the importance of us as educators making sure we educate ourselves first when it comes to Indigenous knowledge before trying to integrate Indigenous perspectives and content in our teaching practices. Jo Chrona (2016), who is the Curriculum Manager for the First Nations Education Steering Committee, when explaining the significance of this principle, states that there needs to be a “willingness of educators to see themselves as learners, and seek to develop their own understandings first.” I think taking this course, for me, is one way I can do that, as well as through my own research, but that is not enough. I realize this learning continues. I found that there is a free 6-week MOOC available through UBC on Reconciliation through Indigenous Education, which seems to offer much value through the course description. I see there are also similar courses offered at other universities in Canada as well.

Have any of you taken this course or a similar MOOC—if so, how did you find it?

Chrona, J. (2016). First Peoples Principles of Learning. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/

Reconciliation through Indigenous Education. (2021). Reconciliation MOOC. UBC. https://pdce.educ.ubc.ca/reconciliation/

M3, P2: Incorporating Indigenous Perspectives in the Classroom

Growth

“Growth” by AdamSelwood is licensed under CC BY 2.0

My final paper explores how to embed the First Peoples Principles of Learning in my classroom community, which involves incorporating Indigenous perspectives within my teaching practices. When looking into ways this has been implemented, I found an article based in Australia, which shares some of the same ideas we have been talking about in our discussions within this course when it comes to our problematic educational system. Neil Harrison’s chapter, “Teaching Indigenous Perspectives in the 21st Century Classroom: An Exploration of Quality Pedagogy in Australian Schools” (2009) reveals that within education, Indigenous people are often referred to in the past tense and there is not enough of an understanding of Indigenous knowledge or ways of doing to be appropriately shared or represented within teaching and learning. Harrison reveals the importance of the role teachers play in developing relationships and understandings between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. He also asks teachers to “reassess their own place in history” and invest in learning, both during pre-service teacher training and after. I think this is very valid as I know  reconciliation really does start with us educators and the education system.

Harrison, N. (2009). Teaching Indigenous perspectives in the 21st century classroom: An exploration of quality pedagogy in Australian schools in V. Green & S. Cherrington (Eds.), Delving into diversity: An  international exploration of issues of diversity in education (pp. 99-108). Nova Science Publishers. http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/28470/1/1.pdf.pdf#page=130