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Project of Heart With High School and University Students
Dr . Jennifer Tupper , Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Human Resources and Associate Professor of Social Studies Education ( ESST ), in response to Sylvia Smith ’ s master ’ s thesis workshop entitled , Project of Heart ( POH ), and the Faculty ’ s commitment to Indigenizing education , began to wonder how she could take up Project of Heart in her own Social Studies Education courses . Project of Heart is “ an Indian Residential School ( IRS ) Commemoration Project that seeks to raise the awareness of non-Aboriginal people in Canada about a part of our history we know relatively little about , and which , until recently , has not been considered important enough to be a part of mainstream curriculum in our schools ” ( Sylvia Smith , Nov . 23 , 2011 , YOURblog ). With the hope of involving a classroom of high school students , Jennifer called F . W . Johnson teacher , Heather Findlay , whom Jennifer was also supervising for her master ’ s thesis . Heather was teaching an English Language Arts ( ELA ) 30 course , and though she had already been teaching about residential schools as part of her course , she readily accepted the invitation to participate in the project , seeing it , “ as a great way to enhance my teaching in this important area ,” says Heather . Jennifer was also teaching an ESST 300 course with grad student Keith Adolph assisting her as a Teaching Assistant . Keith was able to participate , support , and photograph the experience . Jennifer then contacted Sylvia Smith who sent the tiles and Project of Heart kit .
The project began in early October , with Heather ’ s students writing letters of introduction . There were six visits to F . W . Johnson Collegiate high school . This involved some juggling because the university students ’ schedules did not match with the ELA 30 students ’ schedules . Thus , the university students came to the high school on different days and at different times to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to participate in the project . Heather noted that the F . W . Johnson students were particularly interested in the university students ’ stories of their personal journeys in learning about residential schools and their growth as social justice educators . The university students ’ stories were about how not hearing about residential schools in their K-12 education was a disservice to them . Heather says , “ This allowed my students to reflect on their own school career and ... what gaps they saw in their own education .” Also regarding student response , Keith observed that “ whenever material like this is taught , I think the most significant part is watching the transformation some of the students go through . At times , our students from the university were challenged by Shuana Niessen
as much as those at Johnson .” Further , he observed that , “ Some students are uncomfortable with the idea that their society was involved in something as abhorrent as residential schools . There can be guilt and even anger .” When students experienced these responses , they were attended to by Heather and Jennifer .
An unexpected benefit observed by Heather was that students were becoming metacognitive about their own learning . Heather says , “ Because my students were aware that the university students were simultaneously learning about how to teach and deliver content , our conversations turned to pedagogy .” Throughout the project , there were conversations regarding learning , and understandings developing that “ learning happens in a multitude of ways that cannot always be measured through the completion of a worksheet .”
On November 8 th , as a culminating activity , the F . W . Johnson students spent the day on the U of R campus . During their visit , they participated in the First Nations University of Canada ( FNUC ) Remembrance Day service ; experienced a Blessing , Smudging , and Round Dance ceremony led by Joseph Naytowhow , a renowned Cree knowledge keeper and storyteller , who was assisted by Dr . Patrick Lewis ; toured the University ( some for the first time ); painted the
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