FNMI integration in the classroom


I recognize there has been a movement of learning and integrating First Nations, Metis, Inuit (FNMI) studies into our classroom. This is not a new movement and has been an area of focus for Canada for sometime. I remember when I was completing my undergraduate degree in History, there were many required Canadian History courses needed to obtain my degree and two of them related to Canadian Aboriginal Studies. I remember thinking, why do I need to take these courses, and it wasn't until I stepped into the classroom that I truly realized the roots of our beautiful country start with the FNMI. I was grateful to be a part of these courses because there was so much that was not referenced in High School. I'm glad to see that it has become embedded into our curriculum and I recognize that I need to be a part of incorporating FNMI into my own teaching practice, because as of right now, I have not been making FNMI a part of my teaching. 

 As a read some of the resources I identified as that teacher who is afraid of "getting wrong." However, I found and article "Aboriginal Education. Our moral imperative to teach our shared Canadian history"   and as the questions that Brooke Moore posed, I saw myself mirrored in these questions most foremost the question "How do I do Aboriginal education right?" The insights that she took away from her learning are valuable and I encourage you to read her take away. The point she makes which I look forward in including into my own teaching practice is: 
  • "It isn’t my job to teach students what to think – nor do I want to – but it is my job to teach students how to think for themselves, how to critically engage with Aboriginal texts and ways of understanding the world."
FNMI studies to integrate into my English classes would be to include FNMI texts. Goodminds seems to be a good place to start for some teaching resources I can use. Once students gain more background knowledge I can use the internet to connect with guest speakers or workshop leaders. A few sources that may be useful to set this up would be Reconciliation Canada and NOII. 

I am hoping to incorporate 
FNMI ways of understanding the world. There are posters of Anishinaabe art available through OCT for teachers. You get 8 different posters and each poster references a
different standard of teaching- to the right are the ones I purchased.  I have purchased some of the pieces and many of them display interconnection, collaboration and mindfulness. I am currently looking into social-emotional educations and resiliency among students. I believe the FNMI have a lot of offer in terms of mindfulness and resiliency and would like to incorporate this into my teaching practice.

One way could be through the artwork, by reaching out to those who created them and having them explain the meaning, their understanding of the world and it's relation to being mindful. Technology can help facilitate this through Skype conversations, online discussions and email conversations.  Perhaps students can collaborate and create art together that is meaningful of their learning experiences. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Parent-Teacher-Community Communication

Image
Parent-teacher, parent-child, teacher-community, teacher-student...we are all working to mold youth into active and responsible citizens but sometimes we don't work together. I know in high schools it's pretty uncommon for a regular classroom teacher to have an open dialogue with parents about a students behavior socializing online. We might discuss distractions (video games, videos) and overuse of technology during work periods or class instructions, but I'd say that is the extent of the conversation for the most part. That being said, with new technologies, it's important that all of us work together to guide students towards safe practices. I think at a high school level, the best way to do this is through guidance, community initiatives and administration. For example, we have community members like York Services host parent information nights on things like: Being Digital Citizens, Bullying Prevention, Drugs and Alcohol  and I have seen information posters up thr...
Read more

Exemplar Blog: Media Campaign Critique

Image
Grow Your Mo! Smashing Sucess!  It's November, you take a look around and see various forms of facial hair growing on the men around you, maybe you are thinking- makes sense! It gets cold in Canada in the winter, they want to protect there face -you'd be wrong, they are actually supporting   Movember! What is Movember? Movember is a campaign that works towards preventing men from dying too young from prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide. Their website's mission statement says: "Our fathers, partners, brothers, and friends face a health crisis that isn’t being talked about. Men are dying too young. We can’t afford to stay silent." The video below tells all! Background:  Movember originated back 2003 when two Australian friends,  Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, were inspired by their friend's mother who was raising awareness about breast cancer. These two men realized that men's health is an issue which needed more ...
Read more

Cultural Pedagogy

Image
After reading a few articles on cultural pedagogy, I have a few thoughts to share. I read the Ontario Ministry's information on Cultural Pedagogy ,   Learning Disabilities and Diversity: A Culturally Responsive Approach,   and watched a video on mindfulness and how it supports students. I am a SERT and teach Special Education so naturally that articles on learning disabilities (LDs) interested me.  I enjoyed the article for a number of reasons, the first being that when I was reading it, I felt like they were talking about a group of people themselves. It's interesting to be talking about background and different influences which shape students' knowledge of the world. I recognize and have encountered different perceptions on what an LD is, resistance to being  identified, and hearing both parents and students' say- I don't want to be labeled as different. What  I liked about  this article though, is it reminds me of an inclusive community. Where student...
Read more