Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2011 / Winter 2012 Page 5
Governor General ’ s Award
Sylvia Smith
2011 Governor General ’ s Awards for Excellence in Teaching
Faculty of Education , University of Regina , grad student , Sylvia Smith , is the winner of the 2011 Governor General ’ s History Award for Excellence in Teaching .
The Governor General ’ s Awards for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History were created in 1996 , by Canada ’ s National History Society . Teachers , who excel at bringing history to life for their students , are honoured with this award .
Sylvia Smith is a teacher at Elizabeth Wyn Wood Alternative High School in Ottawa ,
Ontario . Her work , “ Project of Heart , is an innovative educational tool kit designed to engage students in a deeper exploration of Indigenous traditions in Canada and the history of Indian residential schools . Through introducing aspects of the medicine wheel , the kit facilitates a holistic journey for understanding through the heart and spirit , as well as the mind , with facts and dates .
Indigenous concepts of education and literacy , such as Grandmother and Grandfather teachings and reading the environment , are fully integrated into the curriculum . Elders from First Nation , Métis , and Inuit communities become regular participants in classroom presentations and discussions . Students lead many of the project outcomes , demonstrating their learning through videos , multimedia presentations , and decorating small wooden tiles . Each tile becomes a meaningful artifact , representing one of the thousands of young lives lost due to the effects of the Indian residential schools system .
A key objective of the program is to encourage “ ownership ” of this historic injustice by enacting gestures of reconciliation for the past and continued oppression of Aboriginal people in Canada . Project of Heart continues to be shared with elementary , secondary , and post-secondary schools in other regions of Canada . It was showcased at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission ’ s first national event , held in Winnipeg in June , 2010 .” 1
Sylvia received her award during a 2-day Canada ’ s History Awards Event in Ottawa , December 11 and 12 , 2011 . Dr . Marc Spooner , Sylvia ’ s thesis advisor , also attended the ceremony .
1 Retreived from www . canadashistory . ca / Awards / Teaching / Articles / 2011 / Sylvia-Smith . aspx
Photo credit : Shuana Niessen