Nuu-chah-nulth

A wonderful project between the Nuu-chah-nulth tribal council and Department of Canadian Heritage through Canadian Culture Online. Links to culture and language as well as a pull down menu which discusses items such as Information Technology and Infant Development. It’s incredible and uses Quick Time technology. All sections of the site have sound files done in English and the Nuu-chah-nulth language as well as an option for French language. Definitely worth taking a look at.

http://www.ser.org/iprn/founder.asp

This is another site that fits nicely with our Module 4 focus on Ecological Issues in Indigenous Education and Technology. Dennis Martinez, chair of the IPRN, discusses the rising interest in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). He suggests that TEK offers a complementary approach to Western Science in the quest to understand our natural world. He notes that Indigenous societies were the first to notice the effects of climate change, and that they have a wealth of environmental information base on the observations of countless generations.

Martinez goes on to discuss how TEK is being threatened by globalization, which has often resulted in Indigenous groups losing control over their ancestral lands and resources. He stresses the need to restore and repair the relationship between nature and humans.

There is a wealth of additional information on this website, organized through numerous links on the left side of the homepage. Well worth a look – so much to learn and consider here!

Pathways to Technology initiative is to connect First Nations communities to the world.  Working to bring reliable high-speed Internet, they  recognize connectivity as paramount to closing the socio-economic gap between First Nations and other British Colombians.  The First Nations Technology Council (FNTC) and the First Nations Health Council have stated that broadband connectivity as a priority for First Nations.  Through the dedicated work of the FNTC and its partners, $22.5 million was granted to begin to provide connectivity to all 203 First Nations.  Pathways to Technology  is the overall initiative’s name.  The benefits of broadband the site lists are related to: health care, education and skills development, cultural preservation and revitalization, economic development, land and resource management, and critical infrastructure monitoring.

Links include:

All Nations Trust Company & All Nations Development Corporation

First Nations Technology Council

First Nations Health Council

BC Connectivity Map

Pathways to Technology logo [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Pathways to Technology website. http://www.pathwaystotechnology.ca/

You have got to watch this, it is amazing!!!

A TED video about a technology that allows the user to use/find digital information while  in her/his physical environment. The learner in the physical world interacts with digital data using physical gestures. No longer will we need desktop computers or laptops. No longer will we have to sit for hours in front of a machine interacting with a machine (computer). We can get information while interacting with our physical world.

Pranav Mistry, an MIT graduate student has created a device called the SixthSense that uses our physical gestures and interactions with real-world objects and integrates/combines them with data (digital information) for ‘just in time” knowledge building.

He hopes that this will solve the digital divide. All equipment needed is extremely cheap and the software is open source. You only need a wireless connection to the internet.

Near the end of the video he shows how his device makes working with digital data the same as working with information in a physical form (on paper)

I love it. I can hardly wait until it becomes the norm.

I think this fits in well with aboriginal pedagogy. The learner can be in the natural environment and interact with digital information at the same time.

The March Point official site includes a link to the trailor and  a synopsis of the story of how the became to be made.  The creation of the March Point documentary is an excellent example of how the use of technology can facilitate a more balanced education and healthier student .    The filmmakers, three once ambivalent and troubled teens from the Swinomish Indian Tribe, combined film production skills with traditional knowledge to heal and gain vision for their lives as they created a documentary centered around the disastrous effects of oil refineries on their land.

Links available on the site include:

Native American Public Telecommunications

Independent Lens

All Roads Film Project

March Point logo [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2009, from March Point website. http://marchpointmovie.com/

Open Learning Exchange Nepal

Open Learning Exchange (OLE) Nepal is a Nepali non-governmental organization dedicated to assisting the Government of Nepal in meeting its Education for All goals by developing freely accessible, open-source Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based educational teaching-learning materials.

This is directly taken from the “Who We Are” page on their website that also explains their mission and organization.  They also have a “How We Are Doing” page with a workflow chart to graphically describe the process they use to develop teaching materials.  Objectives and goals along with a prospective timeline are outlined on their “What We Are Doing”.  Finally and possibly most useful to my research is the page on “Why Open Learning” where they justify the use of ICT and open source educational materials.

They have recently launched a digital library and include a link on their homepage.  This is also a great resource as it contains: literature, art, course related materials, reference materials, other educational materials, teaching support materials, newspaper and magazines, maps, videos, etc.  Be sure to click on the British flag in the upper right corner if you can’t read Nepali.

http://www.wetsuweten.com/departments/article/human-and-social-services

I think this website is a prime example of an Indigenous group using technology in positive way. I like how the site contains various links, even to Wet’suwet’en on Facebook and a “Word of the Day” section.

There seems to be a high level of determination among the Wet’suwet’en people to preserve their culture, to encourage healthy lifestyles, and to work toward a successful future for their Nation.

I would encourage viewing of the embedded YouTube video clip that focuses on the important role of tradition – very inspiring!

American Indian Science and Engineering Society.  

Founded 30 years ago to address the problem of underrepresentation of the American Indian in the fields of science and engineering. They offer financial, academic and cultural support to American Indians interested in pursuing careers in science and engineering.

The site offers links to programs, scholarships and  career opportunities. The AIESES membership includes students from high school through post graduate work. The site also includes a link to Member of the Month which I believe would serve as an effective source of positive role modelling and mentoring.

The AISES celebrates the accomplishments of the past 30 years and looks to the future. Now, more than ever, as we deal with issues of climate change, AISES believes that the global community stands to benefit from Native scientists and their traditional knowledge.