For my final Weblog post, I wanted to share a site that I have found powerful in my research for my final paper. There are many parts of this course that have resonated with me, but one of the ideas that has rung the loudest bell in my mind is how culturally important storytelling is to many indigenous cultures, but how, ironically, the cultures that rely on this practice are at odds, so to speak, with the technology that surrounds them. This quandary makes my final paper difficult, but fascinating. This site, First Nations Pedagogy Online, offers much in terms of knowledge, support and resource. Here is part of the site’s philosophy:

“This Community has been built to offer a secure collaborative space
for interactive sharing and collaboration between educators, Elders, leaders, and students interested in furthering the knowledge available related to teaching First Nations learners in the online environment.”

One of the parts of the site that I appreciate is the opportunity to just sit and listen to stories. You can do that here. The stories take different forms, but that is testament in part to how the medium itself is always changing, and through my research, I have seen storytelling experiment with different forms.

I like this site because it is clear, direct and packed with different kinds of resources and opportunities to share – I hope you enjoy it as well.

Many thanks to you all for your wonderful weblog posts this semester!

I wanted to post this site Aboriginal Learning Links because I am very interested in knowing what extension opportunities are available for aboriginal learners in Canada. We have spent a fair bit of time in our course discussing the tragic number of Canadian aboriginal students who do not graduate, but I was thinking about the ones who do, and the students who are on a trajectory to be successful in academia. This site is useful to aboriginal learners who do graduate or intend to, and who are looking for some financial assistance through bursary or scholarship opportunities. The site provides links to key institutions (colleges and universities), and information about transfer details. The site may be useful to ambitious students, motivating teachers, parents, even interested friends.

There is also a simple survey tool in the margin that asks potential students to register what they perceive as a challenges to their educational path. This may help to chart paths, opportunities and support for aboriginal learners. Some of the site’s entries are dated, but the links are current and provide a wealth of information about how to move forward.

When researching, I came across a series that Tyee contributor Katie Hyslop has written called Call of the Spirit: Ideas for Improving Aboriginal Education. She profiles six Aboriginal post-graduates, interviews them about their formative experiences, and asks them this common question: “How would you change post-secondary education to make it a more welcoming and viable option for Aboriginal people?”

It is fascinating to read these peoples’ open, frank stories as they synthesize for readers how they arrived at where they are. This Tyee series seems to be another modern way in which different types of stories can reach an audience.

Shawn A-in-chut Atleo (National Chief of Assembly of First Nations)

Karen Hall

Megan Moody

Sophie Pierre

Linc Kesler

I also included this graphic from the first profile with Shawn Atleo – a staggering look at, among other topics, the disparity between aboriginal youth and other Canadians. Before starting this course, I had no idea the graduation rates were so different, and it is a fact that I will not forget.

BBC: Mining firm desecrated Australia Aboriginal site

I thought I would include this BBC story that aired today about a landmark ruling in Australia where a mining company called OM Manganese was warned years ago (2011) that they were beginning to damage sacred Aboriginal land, and is held up to financial penalty for causing further destruction.

Here is a brief excerpt:

“Kunapa community representative Gina Smith said: “It will always remain a sacred site to us, but it has been ruined and we don’t know what to do because this has never happened to the old people.

“It has been there for thousands of years as part of our culture and our story.”

Indigenous Australians believe the land is the mother of creation, and is a living, breathing mass full of secrets and wisdom.”

When I read the article, I thought about discussions we have had in our course about the responsibility of younger generations of indigenous peoples to protect and advocate for their cultural heritage, and I felt this when I read the reference to the fact that ‘this has never happened to the old people.’ Also, as I work on my paper, I am reminded in this case that storytelling is so intimately linked to the land, and how difficult a time modern technologies have in trying to move such a naturally situated process into the digital realm.

Earlier this summer, I attended a conference at the University of Warwick in the England on the topic of giftedness in education, and the role technology could, or should, play in modern education for bright students. One of the first things I realized was how controversial the term ‘giftedness’ is, particularly in the UK. If a student is described as ‘gifted’, it can be argued that students who are not considered ‘gifted’ are constrained in some way as they do not have the same potential – that sums up the argument I heard against the term. Of course, as I was sitting there in session after session, I couldn’t help but thinking our many interesting discussions in ETEC 521, and I wondered about how giftedness is addressed in indigenous education. I located this site: http://www.fnesc.ca/publications/pdf/gifted_students.pdf

This is a publication by the First Nations Schools Association (2002) – quite a dated document. Interestingly, it is based on British websites, and does not really mention any attributes of First Nations learners, specifically. I hope to show development in this in other weblogs in this Module.