Posts from — September 2011

This government of Canada Webpage is a part of a collection called the Atlas of Canada which depicts information about Canada and its history through the use of maps. It includes data and information about different indigenous languages where they are/located, what groups spoke what languages and whether those languages still exist. The site contains information from the 1996 census that highlights the decline of Aboriginal languages in areas throughout Canada.

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/auth/english/maps/peopleandsociety/lang/aboriginallanguages/1

This website has been set up as a means of trying to keep Aboriginal culture and language alive. The site recognizes Aboriginal languages as a major part of the education of youth. The site refers to the loss of control over education that Aboriginal people have experienced to date and the belief that resources such as this site will assist youth of today and of the future in reclaiming their heritage. The site consists of lessons with translations, songs, a dictionary, posters and other resources to help individuals from an Aboriginal decent to learn or refresh their language skills.

http://www.firstnationhelp.com/ali/

Language, links individuals to their culture and helps them to associate with and belong to their community. Many Aboriginals have lost touch with their culture due to the injustice they faced. The English language was encouraged as the right language for them to adopt. Society no longer forces Aboriginals to conform to ‘Western’ ideals and customs; thus, allowing for Aboriginals to re-embrace their culture. Various aboriginal dialogues are extinct and others are in danger of extinction. It has become difficult to keep dialects thriving due to the differing lifestyles many Aboriginals lead. Numerous individuals no longer live in communities with their relatives and are not able see them as often. Hence, they may not have access to the knowledge elders could impart to them or have minimal exposure to their native languages.

My research will focus on Indigenous Language Revitalization and how technology can be used as a tool to assist in helping educate modern day Aboriginals who are trying to find a balance between cultivating their culture and the way in which society functions.

The websites I highlight will assist in my research because they will focus on Indigenous languages resources and initiatives employed to rejuvenate Indigenous culture.

Aboriginal Educational Contexts

This site is a rich collection of “school-developed context-based teaching and learning projects collaboratively developed by teachers, Aboriginal education workers and local community members”. It presents projects dealing with Aboriginal Studies, Aboriginal Languages, Aboriginal Art, Quality Aboriginal Languages Teaching (QALT), School and Community Partnerships, and support material to assist secondary school teachers in delivering Aboriginal and Indigenous cross-curriculum content.

An Indigenous Model for Teaching and Learning

“Applied to education, the Medicine Wheel illustrates the necessity of attending to the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of learning and personal development.”

This site gives a very detailed overview of various approaches to instruction in Indigenous education. It introduces concepts such as the Medicine Wheel as a tool encompassing different dimensions of learning and personal development, along with other more familiar strategies such as storytelling, talking circles, concept mapping, concept webbing, critical thinking activities, experiential learning, and so forth.

First Nations Pedagogy Online

This site describes the meaning and importance of experiential learning in First Nations traditional teaching and learning. It presents a different interpretation of the uses of experiential learning that is categorized into four ‘villages’ and defined as “a spectrum of meanings, practices, and ideologies, which emerge out of the work and commitments of policy makers, educators, trainers, change agents, and ‘ordinary’ people all over the world”. The site also introduces the Experiential Learning Model and the First Nations Experiential Learning Cycle, as well as a community building exercise that utilizes these frameworks.

New Learning: Transformational designs for Pedagogy and Assessment

This website focuses on eight aboriginal ways of learning, a set of ‘interconnected pedagogies’ that take different forms depending on the surrounding context including: story sharing, learning maps, non-verbal skills, symbols and images to understand concepts, land links (place-based learning), non-linear thinking strategies, deconstruction/reconstruction of concepts and community links though the use of new knowledge.

Our Voices

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may not remember; involve me and I’ll understand. (Native American Proverb)”

This site introduces the concepts involved in and the meaning of Indigenous Knowledge. It provides brief summaries into culturally based education, oral teaching and learning, experiential learning and holistic/relational learning. It introduces the first signed Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement (AEEA) that is meant to enhance the learning of all students in the Richmond School District and their knowledge about the history and culture of Aboriginal peoples. It also provides an outline of the opportunities available for students to get involved with hands on learning through various summer programs and workshops.

I have been looking at some of the builds and sims in SecondLife that are dedicated to indigenous cultures, and contacting some of the creators of the content. I am curious, about what they think the risk/reward ratio is of putting this material out into a very public and sometimes disrespectful venue. Also, I want to know their thoughts on the educational value of a presence in cyberspace before I get too deeply into academic papers.

For those of you who are interested, these are two of the places I have found (I won’t post any pictures until I have permission)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Native%20Lands/101/128/508  North West Coast Cultural Centre (under construction, but the future home of the immersive indigenous languages project, and the North West Coast Cultural Centre)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Native%20Lands/13/135/24 Red Rock Mesa, at the “Squaws and Cigar Store Injuns” exhibit. The sim (or region) also has a market, a wind turbine and solar panel store, and several educational and ritual spaces.

I find that most people in this class are involved in k-12 education, but as I work in adult education I seem to be focusing more on that and also informal education. I would be interested to know if others feel that this could/should be a part of this course at all.

It is my hope to investigate research that provides insight into the benefits of cultural and/or academic support for our indigenous students (with a technological connection). To limit my search field, I am looking to the Western Canadian Governments

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/documents.htm – BC Ministry of Education

http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/fnmi.aspx – Alberta Ministry of Education

http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/AERN – Saskatchewan Aboriginal Education Research Network(AERN)

There are many links contained within the above sites that link to research.