https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun Your ponderings, connections, questions, implications go here. en-us 2021-09-20 20:10:26 UTC 2026-02-04 01:13:16 UTC hello@padlet.com learn4life https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755547077 blah]]> 2021-09-20 22:46:50 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755547077 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755553271 I connected with the point of naturally being a stranger and having limited opportunities to connect with people with Indigenous backgrounds. What are some ways to stay in relation with Indigenous individuals or groups in areas that are culturally/ethnically homogeneous? The fact that there are so many questions regarding the ability to teach this area or with this framework implies the huge need to co-learn and to do personal research into material or opportunities to connect with Indigenous experiences or individuals. An openness to learn with.

In the discussion about familial, personal and collective histories, our group discussed similar topics as the talking circle about how learning about our own histories requires repeated connections to our family connections, and this implies that the learning that is done here and the work in restoring requires a deep amount of time. This transmission's rhythm and pace is led by the storyteller and the learner's role is in their own openness of reflecting and asking questions to open up the story more, creating a type of a natural hierarchy. Is this hierarchy desirable, optimal, or malleable?

]]> 2021-09-20 22:52:12 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755553271 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755554751 With limits - what are the solutions or ways of moving through those limitations? 

Connection - Indigenous learning is more than just learning about the history (while still vital), talking about resiliency and current contexts and embodying ways of indigenous learnings in all subjects. Also important to reflect on ones personal story and history as a starting point while embarking on being a co-learner with our students. ]]> 2021-09-20 22:53:34 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755554751 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755558688 It’s important to not only “read” the history of Indigenous people, when in reality there are activities to bring wholeness to the classroom, of Aboriginal education. It’s vital to touch on reconciliation AND resiliency, since I think they both go hand in hand so students don’t forget the atrocities that occurred but also don’t forget that the Indigenous peoples of Canada continue to fight to recover what was taken from them. ]]> 2021-09-20 22:57:06 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755558688 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755558937 What I connected with was having multiple areas where I learned about some indigenous groups and cultures of Canada but rarely did I learn it from someone who has an identity in one of those cultural or ethnic groups. So my knowledge of indigenous peoples of Canada was somewhat there however it would have been tenfold if I learned it from personal encounters with members of the Canadian Indigenous groups. ]]> 2021-09-20 22:57:20 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755558937 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755559393 I really related to the point where learning comes through relationship as we all understand and empathize with others better through connection. I wonder how these relationships can be fostered without unintentionally treating Indigenous peoples as "tokens" or a "tool" for classroom learning. ]]> 2021-09-20 22:57:46 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755559393 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755559860 I can relate with Christie that I didn't have any personal connections with an Indigenous friend growing up and that the majority of my learning about Indigenous education was through textbooks, but I was recommended to watch "We were Children" on Netflix, and this was a powerful documentary that taught me more than reading textbooks and articles. I highly recommend watching this documentary if you haven't already!]]> 2021-09-20 22:58:12 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755559860 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755562907 Connection - we as Canadians are supposed to be multicultural full of diversity but what does it even mean to be Canadian? This is an ongoing conversation that I think will take our whole lives to truly figure that out and create the connection between the land and ourselves. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:01:07 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755562907 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755563005 I see connections between story weaving, re-storying and restoring.  Perhaps the retelling of our own stories in honor of Indigenous practice can be a way of including the indigenous practice of story telling and retelling of stories into our ways of being and knowing and also classroom practice.  
I find the posters that were up today in the classroom to be a great beginning point when considering how to bring Indigenous practice into the classroom in a coherent and mindful way.]]> 2021-09-20 23:01:13 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755563005 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755563075
I connected with the idea of feeling very limited in my knowledge of Indigenous people because growing up I didn't have an Indigenous friend or family member. Most of my knowledge of Indigenous people and history came from school however, it wasn't touched on that much especially in elementary school. I feel like it wasn't until I was in University that I started to gain more knowledge. I also agree with the point that it is on us to do our research and to learn for ourselves. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:01:17 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755563075 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755564168 Connection: I connected specifically with how we need to make our connections to the land, ourselves, and the space around us because we are related to everything and everyone around us whether if it was in the past or present. However, I also need to keep in mind (and also learning from the reading) that even as a minority, everyone is just as complicit of what has happened in the past because we are occupying unceded territory. It was an eye opening topic to say the least. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:02:20 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755564168 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755564420 We talked about how it can be difficult to broaden your lens when you’re deeply passionate about a specific field (special education for me). We discussed how it’s important to draw connections in order to build intersectionality so that strategies and curriculum can benefit everyone. 

Also, I had never really made the connection between stories and how it’s connected to an Indigenous principles of learning. We can incorporate and connect Indigenous values with our own personal knowledge and passions, it’s not necessarily about starting from scratch.]]> 2021-09-20 23:02:33 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755564420 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755566227 Limitations- I have somewhat limited exposure to people with Indigenous backgrounds like some of my other classmates. My cousin is half Indigenous and lives on Reservation lands, however, even with this familial exposure I feel as though I have not engaged with Indigenous cultures enough. My education was extremely limited growing up, perhaps linked to my schools affiliations? We need to facilitate co-learning environments, we can be humbled to know that our knowledge is limited and that we should learn alongside our students. I acknowledge that my learning of Indigenous culture and teachings always have the opportunity to expand and take in more knowledge.]]> 2021-09-20 23:03:25 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755566227 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755566979 After today's discussions, I have realized that there are so many ways in which I can incorporate Indigenous education throughout my classroom. It doesn't always have to be about exposing the history, although this is very important as well. For example, the class activity where we passed around the paper silently. Something as simple as this incorporated characteristics of Indigenous knowledge. We had to work together collectively in order to achieve the activity's goal. We had to practice patience, etc. This makes me feel a bit more at ease about being able to thoroughly encompass some of these important morals within my classroom.]]> 2021-09-20 23:04:02 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755566979 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755569097 When discussing continuous education I have been really thinking about being honest with my students and questioning the assumed hierarchy within the classroom. I think we all have limitations on the amount of knowledge we bring, and though I feel anxious about not knowing everything, I think it is important to show myself students that learning is continuous. 

Also I think learning through relationship and personal knowledge is so important but I want to be very careful that if I am teaching in an ethnically/culturally homogenous that I am not using Indigenous education to tokenise Indgingenous people or education. For example having public speakers to tell their story but providing a greater context of knowledge along with a personal account to ensure my students don't think that the individual represents their culture.]]> 2021-09-20 23:05:38 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755569097 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755569511 I also can relate to learning most about indigenous peoples through history textbooks and articles. Most of the time we learned about what the europeans did to the Indigenous peoples and while that is certainly important, it does not tell the whole story and we tend to lack any connection to indigenous culture. I think it would be extremely helpful in creating a better learning environment if we could immerse ourselves in indigenous culture and it would certainly help in building interest in our students. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:06:02 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755569511 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755569643 I agree with the point that was said that it's on us to educate ourselves and verify information we hear from the media. I think we are lucky to have the resources that we have on this campus and we should take advantage of that while we are here. We can't rely on courses to fill the gaps of our knowledge. I also related to what Emily said about how there are certain topics we may be passionate about and that's okay but we also need to be aware of other topics. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:06:10 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755569643 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755572695 After listening to what Christie shared about feeling limited because the only Indigenous education she has experienced was through textbooks in school, it made me think about the importance of initiating and building relationships with Indigenous peoples. I watched a documentary called the 8th fire where one thing I learned was that there are spaces, such as community centres where Native and non-Native kids can play together. The parents of non-Native kids talked about how valuable it was to learn about other cultures in a way to counter racism. There is also a sense of community/belonging too from programs like these. Connecting back to what Christie said with the example from 8th fire, I think there is an important lesson of getting to know our neighbours. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:09:01 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755572695 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755573194 Fantastic discussions today. This is an important journey that does not have a clear starting or ending point. It is an exciting journey in which there is always something new to discover and learn.

My question: what do I say to a learner who asks, "if we are acknowledging that we are on unceded territory, why do we not simply return it to the people from whom we took it?"
This may seem like a very simple question, but sometimes when I hear the land acknowledgement I imagine that as a child it might sound something like: I am announcing that I live in a stolen house, but I have no intention of giving the house back to the rightful owner". How can we unpack this?]]> 2021-09-20 23:09:28 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755573194 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755574317 Growing up, the way I was exposed to news and information about indigenous peoples of Canada was severely limited and did not foster a deep understand of their cultures and history. The grave injustices faced by them and the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma were either downplayed or completely ignored. I feel a need to address these issues by learning and understanding more about the different groups of indigenous peoples of Canada (now I know they are not a monolith). We need to understand before reconciliation. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:10:28 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755574317 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755574428 The idea of critical pedagogy and critical reflections seems important to me if we really want to disrupt the dominant discourses and cultural myths around Indigenous Peoples. As educators, how can we co-create a space where we are open and tolerant of Others, where Others feel safe, welcomed, and respected. How do we create values of connectedness and reciprocity and incorporate other Indigenous ways of teaching in our daily routine in a way that it becomes a natural part of our pedagogy.]]> 2021-09-20 23:10:34 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755574428 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755575357 My dad grew up in a community where there was a large population of Indigenous peoples. I didn’t connect this until today’s conversation, but the way he teaches/tells stories has many similarities to Indigenous education. He always starts at the very beginning, even if you don’t want him to, because he thinks its important to give information as a whole for understanding. He also has strong connections to land/nature. I wonder if this is something he picked up within his community, in school, or is entirely unrelated. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:11:28 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755575357 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755590123 When I think about how my knowledge of Indigenous People has been constructed over time I realize that most of my knowledge comes from history textbooks. I feel that I did not learn very much about Indigenous culture until post-secondary. This makes me feel limited in my abilities to implement Indigenous Education. I like the idea of approaching Indigenous Education as a co-learner with my students and to approach my learning and teaching from a place of humility, bravery and curiosity.]]> 2021-09-20 23:24:45 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755590123 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755605976 I agree with the point about how it is up to us to put in the work and provide a safe space for other voices and stories. Being patient, aware and vulnerable needs to be a priority for all so we can learn and teach our children to restore the heeling that needs to take place. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:38:37 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755605976 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755606198 I leave today’s class feeling much more empowered to bring Indigenous teachings and ways of being not only into my teaching practice, but also in my own daily life. I appreciate and realize now, after today’s reading and discussions, that Indigenous Education is not just history and culture, there is so much more - such as “learning involves patience and time”, “learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational”. These principles can guide our pedagogical narratives all the time. ]]> 2021-09-20 23:38:48 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755606198 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755765094 During discussion today I connected with what my group mates were saying. I wanted to share my thoughts and continue to add on to all their insights but didn't get the right timing. I really connected with the point made in class about educators are constantly learning with their students. We don't have to be an expert to teach. One part that got me thinking from the reading was ''Naming all Aboriginal people ''Indian''. This got me thinking about categorizing a group of similar people together. This also ties in with storytelling. If one person tells a story about their history and experiences it should never correlate to another person's experiences and stories who's ethnic background may be the same. For example, if I told a story about my experience and culture of China it should never represent Chinese people as a whole. Everyone has different stories and experiences even if they come from the same place. I don't have much knowledge on Indigenous studies nor have I ever made friends with someone who is Indigenous so all this is quite new to me. During the reading I couldn't help but relate it to myself and how I can incorporate this into my classroom setting in the future.]]> 2021-09-21 01:24:10 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755765094 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755834977 With each class, I am learning the differences between Indigenous ways of knowing and the Western ways. In addition, I am recognizing the different ways Indigenous ways of knowing can be included in the classroom, in hopes to deliver them effectively as our professor does.

For example, the concept of time can be compared with Western time. In our class we don't keep a strict time frame for when our class starts or ends, whereas in the Western worldview classes are much more linear. In our class we make space for everyone to speak with open communication. Also, the activities we do can be used in various different classes as they resemble forms of Indigenous ways of knowing. ]]> 2021-09-21 02:03:46 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1755834977 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1756211410 The question as to what it means for us to work with Indigenous teachers who want to disrupt the system, and how we work with those who takes the position of "perfect stranger" was intriguing for me. As we are learning about inquiry as a teaching practice, I'm thinking that one approach is to try different things, learn in that process, and see how that contributed to our learning. I think I can always rely on fellow Indigenous teachers, listen and learn from them and consult with them as to how I could integrate the important principles of Indigenous education we looked at today. With non-Indigenous teachers that I may collaborate with, I'm thinking that I can start from having conversations and building good relationship with them. I don't think it always have to happen in formal spaces like workshop or in meetings - it could be casual and it could take time. We can get to know one another, and share our experiences and stories - like we were given opportunities to do in this CITE cohort. Through having conversations, we can learn from each other's experiences, help one another reflect and re-learn our perceptions and positions to Indigenous people.]]> 2021-09-21 06:01:18 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1756211410 https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1757266346 I realize how my views have changed regarding teaching Indigenous Education or using their principles. In the beginning, I am hesitant just like the paper describes and many of my peers are as well. I feel like the biggest limit I have is myself because I also took the position of the "perfect stranger" before. Not wanting to engage, afraid of offending, and cultural appropriating. We are surrounded by opportunities, I need to take the initiative to learn more about it. ]]> 2021-09-21 14:02:02 UTC https://padlet.com/learn4life/s101trialrun/wish/1757266346