|
Professional Development Issue 30 Source: Alberta Education Summary: Walking Together: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum is a digital resource designed to:
Talking Together is a discussion guide that accompanies the resource. Authentic information is provided in 12 topic areas: FNMI worldviews, oral traditions, Elders, symbolism and traditions, connection to land, Indigenous pedagogy, culture and language, well-being, traditional environmental knowledge, kinship, Aboriginal and treaty rights, and healing historical trauma. Each topic area features interviews with well-respected and knowledgeable Elders, cultural experts and educators. The resource contains issues that may be controversial or sensitive to some viewers. It was designed as a Professional Development resource for teachers and has not been reviewed for student use.
Issue 28 Source: John Richards. C.D. Howe Institute Summary: While Canada has made progress in the past two decades in terms of lowering high-school dropout rates, those rates remain unacceptably high for boys and certain groups characterized by poverty and cultural traditions that do not stress formal schooling. The male share of the dropout population continues to rise, with five males now dropping out for every three females. As well, some groups of immigrants, those living in rural areas and Aboriginals exhibit a worrisome lack of educational achievement compared with the Canadian average. The author recommends strategies to address the problem. Among them - education authorities should collect and use reliable data on student performance in core subjects, and should experiment aggressively on initiatives targeted to improve education outcomes for vulnerable groups of Canadians.
Issue 27 Source: Brian Schnarch First Nations Centre National Aboriginal Health Organization Summary: The principles of ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP) crystallize themes long advocated by First Nations in Canada. Coined by the Steering Committee of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey, the principles are discussed as an expression of self-determination in research. The key notions outlined in this paper relate to the collective ownership of group information; First Nations control over research and information; First Nations’ management of access to their data and physical possession of the data. Following a critical review of colonial research practices and recent institutional efforts to improve ethics in Aboriginal research, this paper highlights policies and strategies adopted by First Nations organizations – approaches which offer a way out of the muddle of contemporary Aboriginal research and the ethical dilemmas that characterize it. The benefits of OCAP are described including the rebuilding of trust, improved research quality and relevance, decreased bias, meaningful capacity development, and community empowerment to make change.
Issue 26 Source: Ontario College of Teachers Summary: In this 14-minute video, First Nations elders, an Inuit elder and a Métis senator share personal stories of tragedy, experience, wisdom and cultural identity. Their words underline the importance of understanding our Canadian history and the experiences First Nations, Inuit and Métis students bring to our classrooms. These stories will help educators enhance their professional knowledge and practice. The College developed this resource to support the development of Additional Qualifications course guidelines.
Issue 25 Summary: Community prosperity requires that a majority of the adult population have jobs that generate reasonable earnings. Jobs with reasonable earnings are impossible without adequate educational levels. More than any other factor, poor education levels are condemning many Aboriginals to live in poverty. The links among income, employment and education levels exist for Aboriginals, as much as for other Canadians. Among Aboriginals in their prime income-earning years, the employment rate ranges from below 45 percent for those living on-reserve in the three Prairie provinces to above 70 percent for off-reserve Aboriginals in Alberta and Ontario.
Issue 24 Source: William Demmert Jr Summary: This literature review examines research-based information on educational approaches and programs associated with improving the academic performance of Native American students. A search reviewed ERIC's over 8,000 documents on American Indian education, as well as master's and doctoral dissertations and other sources of research on the education of Native Americans. Selected research reports and articles were organized into the following categories: early childhood environment and experiences; Native language and cultural programs; teachers, instruction, and curriculum; community and parental influences on academic performance; student characteristics; economic and social factors; and factors leading to success in college or college completion. The status of research and major research findings are reviewed for each of these categories; brief summaries of research findings with citations are included following the review of each category. Also included are an annotated bibliography of more than 100 research reports, journal articles, and dissertations, most published after 1985; and a bibliography of 23 additional references to other literature reviews and non-Native studies.
Issue 23
Issue 22 Source: Dr. Jessica Ball, University of Victoria Summary: This report summarizes what is known about language and literacy development of Aboriginal children under six years old living in Canada. As well, the report characterizes some of the views on this topic expressed by Aboriginal leaders, parents, Elders, and early childhood educators, as well as by speech-language pathologists who have worked with Aboriginal children in Canada. Research selected for review to inform this report did not include the availability, nature, or impacts of programs for school-aged children or adults, such as basic education, reading recovery, bilingual education, adult literacy, or Indigenous language instruction or immersion. Also, given the rapid development of speech and language in the early years as the foundation for emerging literacy, this report focuses more on speech-language development than on literacy.
Issue 21
Issue 20 Source: Alberta Education Summary: This chapter will help teachers to:
The teacher’s relationship with the student is at the heart of Aboriginal approaches to education. Traditionally, teachers knew each student as an individual, with unique gifts and needs. In this environment, they tailored the learning process to the student’s needs as a matter of course. Tailoring the learning process for Aboriginal students helps to engage their interest and allows them to succeed. To do this, teachers need to:
In Aboriginal approaches to learning, simply knowing information is not enough. Students are supported, encouraged and challenged to own their learning, to bring it into context, to make it part of their experience and to reflect on what they have learned. The strategies explored in this chapter support this kind of learning experience.
Issue 19 Source: First Nations Caring Society of Canada (FNCFCS)
Issue 18
Issue 17 Acting on this commitment, the Ministry of Education has identified Aboriginal education as one of its key priorities, with a focus on meeting two primary challenges by the year 2016 – to improve achievement among First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students and to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in the areas of literacy and numeracy, retention of students in school, graduation rates, and advancement to postsecondary studies. The ministry recognizes that, to achieve these goals, effective strategies must be developed to meet the particular educational needs of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students. The Ontario First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education Policy Framework, as presented in this document, is intended to provide the strategic policy context within which the Ministry of Education, school boards, and schools will work together to improve the academic achievement of the estimated 50,312 Aboriginal students who attend provincially funded elementary and secondary schools in Ontario (18,300 First Nations, 26,200 Métis, and 600 Inuit students who live in the jurisdictions of school boards, and 5,212 living in First Nations communities but served under a tuition agreement). The framework also clarifies the roles and relationships of the ministry, school boards, and schools in their efforts to help First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students achieve their educational goals and close the gap in academic achievement with their non-Aboriginal counterparts.
Issue 16 Focus: Teachers of Elementary and Secondary students Source: Ontario Ministry of Education
Issue 15 At the launch of the framework, the ministry committed to reporting publicly on implementation progress every three years. This report provides an overview of the steps the ministry, school boards, schools, and community partners have taken to implement the strategies outlined in the framework and to support First Nation, Métis, and Inuit student success. This report is not intended to be an evaluation or an assessment of individual boards. Rather, it offers an update on the progress made to date, and shares recommendations on ways in which all partners can work together effectively to reach every student, build capacity, and raise awareness.
Issue 14 Source: Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse, Laurentian University, Ontario Focus: Teachers and Administrators Summary: The connection between Aboriginal student success and self-esteem (identity) are explored and discussed in this article. The framework in which this paper is structured follows the seven good life teachings of the Ojibwe people. Each teaching has a companion principle which is the implication for educational practice. Each section is supported with research and offers strategies for student success. The question of ‘What works?’ is central to this discussion.
Issue 13 Since 1995, work has continued. There are 647 photographs entries, 363 archival materials, and 527 law cases. The University of Saskatchewan Libraries and University of Saskatchewan Archives began this project because of the enormous increase in demand for First Nations materials, from the University, First Nations communities and the general public. Providing electronic access to materials by, for and about Saskatchewan First Nations peoples through indexes and full text documentation to these materials would be a cost-effective means of increasing their availability.
Issue 12 Source: Alberta Education, Alberta Focus: Elementary and Secondary Teachers Summary: This instructional resource will help teachers to encourage Aboriginal students to become independent, strategic learners by presenting a variety of approaches and learning materials that will support the learning needs and strengths of Aboriginal students. At the same time, teachers will gain a better understanding of the unique worldviews of Aboriginal students.
Issue 11 Source: Environics Institute Focus: Teachers and senior students Summary: In the 2006 Census, a total of 1,172,790 people in Canada identified themselves as Aboriginal persons, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuit. As of 2006, half of the Aboriginal population in Canada lived in urban centres (including large cities or census metropolitan areas and smaller urban centres).
Issue 10 Source: This publication is a collaborative effort of: The Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) Programme, Natural Sciences Sector, The Intangible Heritage Section, Culture Sector, and The Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, Culture Sector Summary: Education, as it is understood in a Western context, is highlighted by many as both a major cause of the decline of indigenous knowledge, and also as a potential remedy for its demise. This 124 page document discusses the loss of specialized knowledge of nature and how it is a grave concern for many indigenous communities throughout the world. The document is organised into three sections. The first addresses the link between indigenous knowledge and indigenous language, and explores the opportunities this interconnection provides for understanding and countering declines in both. The second section examines how the loss of indigenous knowledge due to insensitive school programmes may be countered by integrating indigenous knowledge and languages into school curricula. The third section explores the need for the revitalisation of indigenous ways of learning, generally outside of a classroom environment, and how this may be practically viable in modern contexts.
Issue 9 Source: Canadian Teachers’ Federation supported by the Canadian Council on Learning:
Issue 8 Source: Canadian Council on Learning (CLC/CCA) The new framework incorporates the elements common to all three learning models, while acknowledging and integrating elements that are unique to the learning perspectives of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. It also provides a shared tool for monitoring progress in Aboriginal communities for future years. The three main components of the Holistic Lifelong Learning Measurement Framework are: Sources and Domains of Knowledge, The Lifelong Learning Journey and Community
Issue 7 Source: A partnership between the Australian Academy of Science (the Academy) and the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). Focus: Elementary school teachers Summary: ‘PrimaryConnections: Linking science with literacy’ is an innovative approach to teaching and learning which aims to enhance primary school teachers’ confidence and competence for teaching science.
Issue 6 Summary: Increasing success rates for Aboriginal students is one of Canada's most pressing educational challenges. As the acquisition of literacy skills is fundamental to student achievement, it is important to build our knowledge base about what works in K-12 literacy and language instruction in Aboriginal settings.
Issue 5 Source: Council of Directors of Education, Ontario
Issue 4
Issue 3
Issue 2
Issue I
|
||||||||||||||||||