ok
Indigenous Community Research Project: How to Reflect and Create a Relationship With the Land and Community
ok
Please click on the following links to jump to specific information regarding our resource! If you want to see it all, take a scroll!
- Rationale
- Learning Theory
- Learning Design
- Activity/Project Description
- Learning Context
- Technology
- Peer Reviews
- Peer Review Responses
- References
ghj
ok
Rationale
The focus of this Interactive Learning Resource is on the connections we build with local communities and how they affect us as individuals by implementing and participating in indigenous principles of learning.
Students are given the opportunity to explore the land and communities in our society, including:
- their meaning and significance,
- how to properly take care of your community, and
- how to build a relationship with the land.
There is a focus on FPPL within our BC education curriculum and the principle that will be connected to the most within this resource is âlearning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestorsâ (Halbert & Kaser, 2015). This directly relates to our intentions of creating a resource that allow teachers to educate about local communities, their importance, how we can support them and our land, and how they help us become who we are as individuals.
It is our belief that this topic it is extremely valuable for our future generations to understand their community, how to take care of it, and how we, the community, and the land influence each other.
ok
ok
ok
Learning Theory
ok
Our Interactive Learning Resource is based upon the learning theory of constructivism. The central idea surrounding constructivism is that learning occurs when knowledge is created by the learner as they build open concepts and skills by creating meaning through connection with their own background knowledge and past experiences. The following quotes from Ertmer and Newby sum up the key ideas of constructivism very well.
“Knowledge “is a function of how the individual creates meaning from his or her own life experiences” (p.53).”
“Constructivism is a theory that equates learning with creating meaning from experience (p.53).”
Ertmer and Newby, 2018
Constructivism promotes the importance of experiential learning and making the learner a big contributor in creating the knowledge that they gain. They become active participants in their learning and can become responsible for their own learning Students are encouraged to explore and expand into complex concepts, rather than just memorizing information, as well as connect concepts to past and future real-life and personal experiences.
Our learning theory aligns with this learning theory as students have the opportunity to become active learners (working together through discussion, choosing their topics and final products, etc.), be responsible for their learning (pacing of the project and completion of the tasks in each step), engage in experiential and hands-on learning experiences (exploring the community, working with others, etc.), and connect their learning to their own perspectives, ideas, and experiences.
ok
ok
ok
Learning Design
ok
Our Interactive Learning Resource utilized a variety of elements from multiple different learning designs including Experiential and Inquiry-based. These 2 learning designs have many similar elements which is why we believe that a blend of them would fit our ILR perfectly!
As our ILR is both based in inquiry and experiential learning it is important that students are given multiple opportunities and formats to explore and build their knowledge. Therefore, the resource we have created is designed to be a long-term resource that allows students to participate in a variety of different activities of approximately 1-2 hours in length to foster their inquiries and provide them with hands-on experiences. Educators who choose to utilize the resource can either have their students engage in singular activities from this resource or have students complete them all in succession.
ok
Experiential
Quick Description:
- Learn-by-doing
- Constant Learning Cycle:
- Experience â Try it out
- Reflect- Review and think back to gain better understanding
- Think â Think of ways to complete the experience or make it better
- Act â Make the change and revisit the experience
Rationale:
âThis approach aligns with our topic perfectly because, as students are researching about their chosen Indigenous community, [a corresponding] step that could be possible, is for the whole class to go out and experience some basic cultural activities to [understand their significance] and learn about [the land]. For example, native and invasive plants (Lehoux, Oct.15, 2021)â.
Experiential learning provides students with a hands-on and real-life experience in which they can link back to a variety of topics or concepts. Throughout the research process there are many opportunities for individual experiential learning as well as for the teacher to provide whole-class experiences.
ok
Inquiry-Based
Quick Description:
- Emphasizes the studentâs roles in their own learning experiences
- Activating studentsâ curiosity
- Learning-from-doing
- Opportunity to expand deeper into concepts and topics
- Gives students the opportunity to have a say in what and how they learn
- Independent thinking
Rationale:
âIn our Blueprint we discuss how one way we want to teach this [resource] is through âinquiryâ, so it does directly relate. In our [Blueprint] we state that âthe students will have an opportunity to research a community of their choice. They must find the Indigenous background of this community. Next, they will have to share why they chose this community and the meaning of it to them. They then will have to demonstrate how they could provide care to the chosen community and how they built a relationship with the land.â This is a good example of how inquiry-based learning is supported in our [resource] (Krug, Oct.17, 2021)â.
Inquiry based learning emphasizes the active role that students have in their learning and provides students with the opportunity to participate in experiential learning. As students get to choose their topic, how they conduct their research, and how they demonstrate their learning, as well as take responsibility for their own learning (pacing and completion of tasks), students will be engaging in inquiry-based learning throughout this resource.
ok
ok
ok
Activity/Project Description
ok
In short, the activity/project portion of resource intends to give students the opportunity to conduct research based on the following essential questions:
- Why is community so important?
- Why is it important to learn about the Indigenous people who live here?
- How important is the land to your community and your own family?
- What do you think your role is in this community? Are you part of it? Why?
With support from the teacher, students will move through each step of the resource while conducting research using various forms of technology, obtaining and applying feedback, and creating a project of their choice that will demonstrate their learning and understanding of their knowledge.
We have broken down the resource into the following 5 steps (click on each step to learn more!).
All students will discuss and brainstorm as a class the given essential questions. Students may participate by contributing personal experiences, new ideas, connections, asking questions or providing best guesses.
All students will engage in their own research using guiding questions as well as the given essential questions and using a variety of tools and technologies.
Students will have the opportunity to explore their community as well as interview community members and other professionals to support their research, gain new perspective, and expand their thinking.
Students will create a visual, written, or auditory product or presentation that will ultimately demonstrate their learning. Students must be able to explain what they learned through their research and exploration as they present or display their product. (Ex. If they create a piece of art. Students must still be able to explain what they learned and discovered as well as how their artwork connects to their learning and research.
Students will reflect on their research experience and their final product individually with the help of questions and comments from peers.
As students move through each of these 5 steps sub, they will work to complete a checklist of tasks that specifically align with the prescribed learning outcomes. Once the task is completed, the student will receive a check mark. Once all check marks are acquired, students can then move onto the next step. This facilitates constant dialogue between the student and educator, and ensures that they are focused on the learning process, rather than the outcome.
When a student believes they are ready for the next phase, the educator and student will review their work together, and the teacher will then provide them with feedback. This gives students an opportunity to practice and improve, so educators are sure they are confident. The checklist will include both the task and related learning outcome, so the teacher and student are clear on the expectations that need to be met.
ok
ok
ok
Learning Context
ok
This ILR is designed to be used within an Elementary graded classroom 3-7. While this resource was created specifically for students in grades 3 and 4, it has an open and inquiry-based, and student centered structure and therefore adaptions and modifications can be made to adhere to older graded students and their curricular needs.
Suggested modifications and adaptions for all students especially those with visual impairments as well as those who are deaf and hard of hearing can be found throughout the resource.
okay
ok
ok
Technology
ok
In regards to our technology choices, we opted to use a variety of platforms within this resource.
Within the resource, students are asked to conduct extensive research using a variety of tools. Technology and platforms that students can use to complete their research and present their findings is up to the student as long as it is confirmed by the teacher and they recognize the platforms and information gathered to be reliable. We believe that it is important that students have the opportunity to try using new tools and platforms as well as ones that they feel comfortable with. It allows students to build a Personal Learning Network and build digital literacy and digital citizenship.
Technological tools students may use throughout this project:
- iPad
- Tablet
- Laptop
- Camera
- Video Camera
- Phone (Interviews), etc.
Online Platforms that students may use:
- Padlet
- Flipgrid
- Google Slides
- Google Docs
- iMovie
- Google Search
- Google Drive
- Canva
- Miro
- YouTube
- Twitter, etc.
*Teachers, you know your students, please use your discretion.
In regards to sharing and presenting our resource, we chose to create our own blog website. We chose to display our ILR in this format as it allow us to share it easily with others as well as organize the various aspects of the resource in a clean and easy to follow fashion.
ok
ok
ok
Peer Reviews
ok
Peer Reviews for our Interactive Learning Resource:
Aneka – Peer Review (for Pod #3)
Slater – Peer Review – Pod #3
Mahi – Peer Review: Pod 3
ok
Peer Reviews for Pod 2, written by members of our Group:
Kate – EDCI 335: Peer Review for Pod 2
Kayla – EDCI 335 – Peer Review for Pod #2
Lizzie – EDCI 335: Peer Review for Pod 2
Emily – Interactive Learning Resource- Peer Review for Pod 2
ok
ok
ok
Peer Review Responses
ok
would like to thank EDCI 335 Learning Pod #4 (Aneka, Slater, and Mahi) for providing our group with some great feedback that allowed us to improve our Interactive Learning Resource. Thank you for taking the time to look over our resource and help us out!
In response to Mahi and Slaterâs comment regarding the length of our resource, we have added some information here as well as under Learning Design in our Resource Overview as to why our resource is of a considerable length. As our ILR is both based in inquiry and experiential learning it is important that students are given multiple opportunities and formats to explore and build their knowledge. Therefore, we have created a long-term resource that allows students to participate in a variety of different activities of approximately 1-2 hours in length to foster their inquiries and provide them with hands-on experiences. Educators who choose to utilize the resource can either have their students engage in singular activities from this resource or have students complete them all in succession.
Other comments that we have acted towards include:
- Removing a blank bullet point under Teacher Resources in the Exploring Our Community activity (Slater and Aneka).
- Created anchor links to subheadings under Resource Overview rather than create links for separate pages (Slater).
- Clarifications regarding whole-group and small group work in the activity description of the Opening Discussionactivity (Aneka).
- Clarifications surrounding when self-reflections, peer reviews, and teacher feedback and marking will occur within The Reflection activity (Aneka).
ok
ok
ok
References
Ertmer & Newby (2018) Chapter 11: âBehaviorist, Cognitivist, and Constructivistâ. in West, R. E. (2018). Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology (1st ed.). EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations
Lehoux, E. (Oct.15, 2021). Experiential Learning Theory: Indigenous Pedagogies. WordPress. Retrieved from: https://indigenousstudieseducation.opened.ca/2021/10/15/experiential-learning-theory-indigenous-pedagogies/
Krug, K. (Oct.17, 2021). EDCI 335- Blog Post 2 â Learning Design. WordPress. Retrieved from: https://kaylakrug.wordpress.com/2021/10/17/edci-335-blog-post-2-learning-design/
ok
ok
ok
Recent Comments