 | Outdoor Ed at Queen Elizabeth: A Natural Choice (slideshow) |
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. Click here to open the slideshow... Repect, Relationship, Reciprocity and responsibility are the 4 R's of indigenous learning. In the slide show I have posted I have hopefully visually explained these key concepts of learning. The Indigenous learning programs we have developed have been based on these key teachings and the four key concepts within those teachings are Culture, Language, Land based teachings and Community. These key concepts form the basis of Indigenous curriculum. What I believe we need is a paradigm shift. We often look at culturally responsive curriculum as activities. Set the fish net, go on a partridge hunt, look at a book in our language, or follow the native studies curriculum (those all have their benefits). We need to look at it not from the stand point of separate activities but connect all activities within an Indigenous curriculum model. I will give you an example, a class might decide to learn to tan a hide. They have to build a sense of community in the class first so all students understand how to work together re spectfully and understand each others talents and gifts. They might then learn the cultural teachings that go along with harvesting and tanning a hide (community elders, teachers, etc.) both languages are developed along the way through journal entries and direct discussion. Students begin to learn the relationship they have with the land and the moose and learn to respect the gifts the moose gives (hide, meat, bones, hair,etc.) They then learn to share their knowledge back by incorporating all their cultural, language and land teachings in a documented little book they produce for the Cultural resource center or a web site for KNET. By doing this they come back and complete the circle by sharing their experiences and reciprocating their learning to their larger community. To often we begin with our Provincial Curriculum and try to add cultural content, we need to turn it around and begin with an Indigenous curriculum model and add the Provincial Curriculum. Check out the slide show and I would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers, Darren |
 | Re: Outdoor Ed at Queen Elizabeth: A Natural Choice (slideshow) |
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Hi Darren, Thanks for sharing this... Sometimes people think creating a culturally appropriate curriculum is adding some "colour" to math books or substituting "trap line' for "subway line" but you make the case its a lot more than that... and I agree... You've been doing this kind of work with Elders and students for years... How have attitudes of other teachers, principals and directors of education towards your efforts changed over the years? Brian Walmark |
| Re: Outdoor Ed at Queen Elizabeth: A Natural Choice (slideshow) |
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Hi Darren, I'm happy to hear of the support that you have recieved from the educators that you have worked with over your career... I asked because I listened to a presentation at the Faculty of Education a couple of months ago on teaching science in high school... The presenters told us that many science teachers who tried to change the way science was taught in high school faced lots of opposition from department heads, principals and senior administrators... These science teachers were all working in the public and catholic school systems in Thunder Bay... It was nice to hear that you were able to work with more supportive people... Brian |