Education News Fall2013/Winter2014 | Page 11

Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2013 / Winter 2014 Page 11 gain powerful insight into the treaty relationship .”
Claire explains the challenges she encountered : “ Beyond a reluctance to engage with the subject matter , there are logistical challenges as well . While First Nations content has been embedded within the curriculum , the actual teaching of the treaties content does not fall within the curriculum . Finding grade-appropriate resources is also a significant challenge . Further , teaching the treaties can be contentious . The interpretation of First Nations issues in Canada is often divisive and teachers are wary of putting themselves and their classes at the centre of controversy .”
As advice on how to integrate treaty education , Claire offers : “ I found the easiest way for me to integrate treaty education effectively into my program was by pairing it with my English language arts ( ELA ) curriculum . Through the strands of reading , writing , listening , speaking , viewing , and representing , we were able to cover both ELA curricular outcomes and meet our treaty education objectives .” There are still some challenges , which Claire is determined to help others overcome : “ Finding grade-appropriate resources continues to be a challenge . It was this challenge that motivated me to extensively document our project on our blog ( http :// treatypeople . edublogs . org / about /) so that other teachers would have some resources to share with their students . In the end , resources that students create themselves will ultimately have a much larger impact than any that I could find for them . Parents were informed via weekly emails and blog posts about what we were covering in class . There were no issues brought forth by parents regarding this project .”
As for evidence of success , Claire says , “ By comparing the beginning and end projects , it is clear that students experienced significant growth in their understanding of treaties and how they are a part of the treaty relationship . Students went from having no idea of what a treaty was , to having a basic understanding that they were Treaty People , to understanding many of the complexities of the treaty relationship . On a basic level , this project was successful because students developed an extensive understanding of what it means to be a treaty person .”
“ Students also developed into competent 21 st century learners . Many students were familiar with iPad technology , had used the internet , and understood YouTube prior to beginning this project . However , few had used these as tools for learning . By the end of the project , students were fluent in the vocabulary and necessary skills required not only for searching but also for interacting with the internet . They had learned the blogging , tweeting , Skyping , uploading , and content creation skills essential for a contemporary approach to inquiry .”
The most obvious and transformative success of this project was the engagement and intrinsic motivation students developed through the inquiry process . Claire says ,“ Once it became clear that I did not have the answers , nor a particular plan for getting them , my students ’ intrigue was piqued . When they discovered that their questions and suggestions were directing our program , they took over . The diversity and depth of investigation in the final projects is a testament to the powerful nature of the inquiry process .”
Another outcome of this project is that Claire has become vocal about the importance of treaty education , speaking and presenting about her experience . She was short-listed for the Canadian Education Association Ken Spencer Award for Innovative Teaching and Learning award ( 130 + applicants nationally ) and received honourable mention .