PME 811 Blog e-Journal: Reflection as a Way of Life: Entry #1
As part of an ongoing assignment for PME 811, we are asked to begin a public blog to document our reflective practice as it relates to innovation in teaching and learning. We are asked to identify a question relating to our own professional context or personal interest that we would like to probe at depth and where possible, we should ground our thinking both philosophically and historically and connected to the course readings.
My guiding question is:
How can education be re-conceptualized to include Indigenous knowledge and education and how does this new conception promote innovation in teaching and learning?
Due to the recent discoveries of those children that did not come home, and in the spirit of respect, reconciliation and recognition of Indigenous issues, my school division continues to focus on Indigenous education as one of the district wide priorities.
As a system we understand that a show of support for our Indigenous communities who may be reliving trauma associated with attendance at residential schools, personal family loss and intergenerational trauma is necessary and appropriate.
In this next series of ten blogposts I will share personal reflection, ideas, questions, and considerations on how we might do better at including Indigenous knowledge, education, culture and perspectives in curriculum. I am curious to consider how we might support educators to build their own capacity and knowledge so that as Canadians, we can respond to the Calls to Action.
The Calls to Action specifically related to ‘education for reconciliation’ include:
- Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Indigenous peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for kindergarten to grade 12 students.
- Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.
- Establish senior-level positions in government, at the Assistant Deputy Minister level or higher, dedicated to Indigenous content in education.
The TRC also calls for the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Indigenous education issues, including:
- Developing and implementing kindergarten to grade 12 curriculum and learning resources on Indigenous peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools.
- Sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to residential schools and Indigenous history.
- Building student capacity for intercultural under-standing, empathy, and mutual respect.
- Identifying teacher-training needs relating to the above.
Hi Julia,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your first blog post and think that you brought up a very important question. As a teacher with not a lot of background on Indigenous knowledge, I think that your idea of making age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Indigenous peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for kindergarten to grade 12 students is an excellent idea. I think that school boards should provide professional learning throughout the year, for educators so they feel confident they are instructing the correct information with their students.
Kathleen
This is an amazing topic and I am very happy that somebody chose it. There is a lot that needs to be done within our educational system to educate Indigenous humans along with educating non-Indigenous about their true culture. There needs to be more taught in schools about the cultures that have been here for longer than any other cultures. It is disgusting at how education is lacking in this field. In my class, I have taught different activities for Indigenous studies to my preschoolers, but, I must admit that they are pretty minimal. I have found different activities, but there is really not much out there as resources. It is a part of what we have to know as teachers when it comes to certifications and they give us slim pickings to learn from even for ourselves. The Alberta government just released a new curriculum which, it seems, most schools are against and do not want to try out. They have a part about the Indigenous studies and said that they have done their research and gone to Indigenous leaders for their guidance in it. As far as I know, they gave them only a few days to go over the part of the curriculum that was created to teach the culture of their own people. There is not enough input from the communities. I agree with what you say about the senior-level positions, but I would like to add that those positions should only be taken by Indigenous people. My cousin works for the federal government within the Indigenous sector. He is white, arrogant and lacks empathy to many. I do love him and think highly of him in many ways, but I do not believe she should be representing people that he does not even truly understand. This is why I think this position or these positions should be filled by people who live and breathe the culture.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to all you come up with !
Natasha
Hi Julia,
ReplyDeleteI am teaching in China, and just before I left Canada, BC introduced their new curriculum, which included "Indigenous Ways of Knowing." Like many of my co-workers, I felt woefully unprepared to teach the content and do it justice. I attended a workshop for English teachers and felt the approach they were pushing leaned more to cultural appropriation.
Regarding making "age-appropriate curriculum and learning resources on Indigenous peoples," what help is your district and school providing?
I will follow your blog with interest.
Kind regards,
Susan