Julie Kertesz

WELCOME  Q: How do we authentically embed the First Peoples Principles of Learning in our classroom while maintaining an inclusive environment? Step one: Educate ourselves. Look and examine your local area. IF YOU DON’T KNOW, ASK. Step two: Practice. Use the First Peoples Principles in your Unit Plans/Unit of Inquiry. Ex.’MASH UP’. Step Three: Practice and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Step Four: Use the resources! RESEARCH. Step Five: Practice. Going Beyond Tokenism; Aboriginal Education in BC Many years ago, classroom resources had few references to Aboriginal people or,…read more

Last week I attended the opening night for Vancouver’s MASH UP at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This art collective was the perfect analogy for embedding the First Peoples Principles of Learning into BC’s New Curriculum. Below is an example of how we can ‘mashup’ modern day artists, Aboriginal art, and PYP. Looking through an IB lens: How We Express Ourselves  Central Idea: Experience and culture can be conveyed through art Examine various Artists: Prototypes for a New Understanding Brian Jungen ‘The central work to Brian Jungen’s series, Prototypes for a New Understanding (1998-2003), Nike Masks (1999) present…read more

  Workshop led for Teachers at the BCAIBWS PYP Extravaganza on Saturday, February 20, 2016.   I attended a very useful and engaging workshop on embedding Aboriginal Perspectives into the PYP in Vancouver, B.C. By diving into this particular research, I am becoming more comfortable with using the material in my lesson plans. Like anything, the more you practice, the easier it becomes.  The biggest take away from this workshop was about unpacking the principles one-by-one to really understand them. Similar to unpacking our IB central ideas, by moving slowly through…read more

Viewing the shift in curriculum as a mindset shift • Changing a curriculum is only one part of changing the way subjects are taught – it also relies on the teacher’s inspiration to teach the new content. • BC’s new curriculum encourages the development of “Big Ideas” as opposed to Prescribed Learning Outcomes • It fosters a growth mindset towards learning, but also relies on teachers embracing a growth mindset. Teachers will need to collaborate and communicate. Aboriginal Education Through the revised curriculum, we will be promoting greater understanding, empathy and…read more

Remember…that we are all indigenous to some place.  The word Canada comes from the Iroquois word kanata meaning village, settlement or land. My Inquiry Question: How do we incorporate First Peoples principles of learning in our curriculum while maintaining an inclusive classroom environment? Growing my Inquiry Question As non-Aboriginal educators, we might ask – What should dialogues look like if they were framed in the indigenous way of knowing? Research in the making- Moving Forward  I came across the video below while searching for classroom Aboriginal resources. The UBC Aboriginal studies department was my…read more