Indigenous education and the integration of Indigenous knowledge are often on my mind as an educator. I teach on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As an educator in Vancouver, BC, integrating Indigenous education into every subject we teach is not only a curricular requirement but also something I feel deeply and passionately about.
For this presentation, I want to share some of the successes I’ve had in my classroom with Indigenous education and mobile learning. I understand that integrating Indigenous education can be daunting due to limited planning time, preparation, and professional development days. Additionally, it can sometimes be challenging to get students on board with the idea of reconciliation and to understand the importance of integrating Indigenous education into the classroom.
I have found that mobile learning and the use of mobile applications can enhance student engagement and help educators integrate Indigenous learning in a meaningful way. This presentation offers a snapshot of how mobile learning supports my Indigenous education journey. While there are many other applications available, my objective is to provide insight into how I personally use mobile learning.
In my Genially media presentation, I feature six apps that I have found useful in teaching Indigenous education in my French, Social Studies, and Contemporary Indigenous Studies classes. I highlight the features of each app and share how I use them in my classroom, offering ideas on how you can use them in yours.
Please let me know if you would like more details on any projects, assignments, or land-based activities mentioned in the presentation. I am more than happy to share ideas and activities that have worked in my classroom!
The mobile applications included in this presentation :
- First Voices https://www.firstvoices.com/apps
- Whose Land https://www.whose.land/en/about
- First People’s Heritage Language and Culture Apps https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/halqemeylem/id467923981
- Reconciliation : A Starting Point https://www.csps-efpc.gc.ca/tools/apps/ils/index-eng.aspx
- PlantNet https://plantnet.org/en/
- Merlin https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
The presentation itself can be found here : https://view.genially.com/6671c96e157fcc001422547a/presentation-indigenous-education-and-mobile-learning
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I would also love to hear from you and your own experiences! Feel free to answer as many of these discussion questions as you wish.
- Have you used any of the apps mentioned in my media presentation? If yes, how have you used them?
- How can you integrate the various apps presented into your existing curriculum to enhance Indigenous education?
- What specific lessons or units in your teaching practice could benefit from using these mobile learning tools?
- How do you think these apps can influence student engagement and interest in learning about Indigenous cultures and languages?