Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2013 / Winter 2014 Page 7 further research in the area of Aboriginal knowledge and the possibilities for it in a French immersion setting , which was ultimately the focus of my thesis .
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How has your research been beneficial in your professional role ?
My research has changed how I see my role in the classroom and my relationships with my students and their families . I gained much insight into the traditional Aboriginal views of teacher and learner , which has allowed me to let go of my view of the teacher as the sole decision-maker and determiner of what is taught . While I ’ m still in charge of meeting curriculum outcomes , the students in my class are involved in planning what they learn and how they learn it , which has allowed them to take ownership of their own progress . I have been conscious of how I organized my classroom space to make it less fixed and more open to allow for discussion and exploration . My classroom is also one in which we often discuss race relationships , diversity , and student identity within those frameworks . I ’ m most proud of the fact that my students feel comfortable to face controversial issues and lay them out for discussion so that everyone can better understand each other .
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What do you hope your research might accomplish within the educational context ?
Because very little research has been done specifically in the area of anti-racist education in French immersion in Saskatchewan , I would like to see more study into this very specific context . In some way , I also hope to contribute to it . I also see the potential for the work I do in my classroom every day with the students that I teach ; I think that is where I truly have the power to transform .
An excerpt from Mme Carrie Nicole Vany ’ s thesis
Malgré cette présence importante de la population autochtone , actuelle et historique , il existe encore , chez les personnes non-autochtones , la perception que l ’ histoire des traités n ’ intéresse que les Premières nations ( Tupper et Cappello , 2008 ). De surcroît , “ the [ history ] of the treaties themselves are largely missing from the curricula students encounter in Saskatchewan schools ” ( p . 560 ). Pour mieux souligner l ’ importance de l ’ impact des traités sur le vécu de tous ceux et celles qui vivent dans la province , il faut que les citoyens comprennent la signification de ces documents , non seulement d ’ un point de vue historique , mais aussi dans le but de se rendre compte des implications de ces ententes pour notre société aujourd ’ hui et à l ’ avenir . “ c ’ est évident que , comme nous a suggéré Jackson ( 2003 ), ma recherche ne se termine pas avec l ’ écrit de ce dernier chapitre . En effet , je ne cherche pas à ce qu ’ elle prenne fin , car je reconnais que , même si j ’ ai vécu cette recherche pendant au moins les derniers trois ans , je continuerai à chercher et à questionner
dans ma pratique comme enseignante .”
Defended : September 2013
Supervisor : Dr . Lace Marie Brogden Committee : Dr . Andrea Sterzuk and Fadila Boutouchent External Examiner : Dr . Mirela Moldoveanu from l ’ Université de Québec à Montréal