Working with Aboriginal Learners


Websites

First Nations Pedagogy Online

This site is the culmination of a project funded by BC Campus that allowed two education experts, Sylvia Currie and June Kaminski, representing Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and Kwantlen Polytechnic University to create an online resource that builds on research, consultation, and community-based activities. This site provides best practices and support for online learning initiatives that are intended for aboriginal students, elders, educators, curriculum developers, and educational leaders.
http://firstnationspedagogy.ca/sitemap.html

Center for World Indigenous Knowledge and Research - Athabasca University

http://www.athabascau.ca/indigenous/

Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Center

http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/AboutCCL/KnowledgeCentres/AboriginalLearning/AboriginalLearningHome/?Language=EN

Aboriginal Canada Portal

http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/eng/ao20010.html

Aboriginal Policy page from the Canadian Educational Association

http://www.cea-ace.ca/foc.cfm?subsection=pol&page=lan&subpage=abo

The First Nations Information Connection...

...enhances access to collections and resources Participating institutions share a common web-accessible library catalogue. The FNIC portal provides access to the wide array of online resources licensed through the Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library, as well as a rich collection of aboriginal-themed e-books. Students and instructors have ready access to the academic research environment shared by Albertan post-secondary learners.

...enables access to quality online information and cultural treasures The FNIC portal connects anyone interested in First Nations issues to a multitude of reliable and regularly updated web resources, digitized photographs and artifacts, aboriginal health information, historical and scientific information, reference and community resources.
http://www.library.ualberta.ca/fnic/

Indian and Northern Affairs section on Arts, Culture & Heritage
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ach/index-eng.asp
National Aboriginal History Month
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ach/nahm-eng.asp

Aboriginal Peoples' Program
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/pa-app/index-eng.cfm

Storytellers Native American Authors Online

http://www.hanksville.org/storytellers/index.html

Twinkles Happy Place
According to author: This is an edu-blog which attempts to connect teachers to instantly accessible resources for integrating Aboriginal content and pedagogy into the Canadian school system. The blog includes a mix of resources, lessons, and research, all of which are readily accessibly online for free.
http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/twinkles-happy-place/all/explore/pedagogy/

Documents and Articles (you may need to access these through the library)


Information technology and indigenous people

By Laurel Evelyn Dyson, Max A. N. Hendriks, Stephen Grant
Here are the chapters from Canada:
  • Multimedia curriculum development based on the oral tradition
  • Indigenous Knowledges and Worldview: Representations and the Intenet
  • Portals and Potlach
  • Student Technology Projects in a remote first nations village
Eric ED508855

Battiste, M. (2002). Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy in First Nations education – a literature review with recommendations. Prepared for the national working group on education and the Minister of Indian Affairs, Ottawa. Unpublished. (this is available for download from a Google Scholar search)

Aboriginal Learning and Healing in a Virtual World

John Hodson. Canadian Journal of Native Education. Edmonton:2004. Vol. 28, Iss. 1/2, p. 111-122 (12 pp.)

The Aboriginal Voice Final Report: From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity (i.e., Aboriginal Voice Final Report) released by Aboriginal Education (Manitoba)
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/aed/research.html

Connecting Aboriginal Learners in Remote Communities: An Online Social Work Course
Steven Hick. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 1522-8991, Volume 20, Issue 3, 2002, Pages 267 – 281


Our Words, Our Ways: Teaching First Nations, Metis and Inuit Learners
by Alberta Learning, Edmonton.
This resource will help classroom teachers and staff better serve the needs of their Aboriginal students. The process of development was one of consultation, information gathering, drafting, more consultation and re-drafting. The contributors to this resource include Aboriginal Elders, teachers and psychologists, as well as other members of Alberta's Aboriginal communities. Culturally-relevant approaches effectively serve the learning needs of Aboriginal students. Traditional and contemporary Aboriginal cultures offer a number of frameworks for understanding, guiding, learning from and teaching students. The relationship between student and teacher is the heart of Aboriginal education. The teacher's relationship with each student is based on observing and learning about the individual child and his or her unique learning needs in order to help the child grow holistically--spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. This resource offers information about Aboriginal cultures and perspectives, practical ideas, and sample strategies that will help teachers meet the needs and recognize the gifts of Aboriginal students. Many of the sample strategies are good for all students and are relevant for a range of educational settings and contexts. The guiding principles reflect understanding and respect of diversities of aboriginal cultures, languages and histories, respectful classroom atmosphere, collaborative relationships with families and communities and teacher recognition and continued assessment of the learning strengths and needs of each Aboriginal student. The resource is organized into seven chapters: (1) Worldviews and Aboriginal Cultures: Where hearts are rooted; (2) Aboriginal Students: Who are they? How do they learn?; (3) The Classroom: A community of learners; (4) School, Family and Community: Sharing the responsibility; (5) Learning Strategies for Aboriginal Students: Opportunities to make learning meaningful; (6) Assessment: Authentic reflections of important learnings; and (7) Teaching Aboriginal Students with Learning Disabilities: Recognizing gifts and strengths. Each chapter contains information, sample strategies, shared wisdom from Aboriginal scholars and Elders, and related stories shared by Aboriginal teachers and liaisons. An index and feedback form are included in this document. (Contains 25 appendices.) (Author)
Eric ED491527