Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Themes

Animation Theme Bundle 6:
Technology and Learning - Best Practices

One of the goals the Animation Theme Bundle 6, is to identify best practices in the area of Aboriginal technology and learning across Canada. The best practices that we have identified include using technology in various ways in order to have a positive impact on social, cultural and economic issues both in their communities and nationally.

The criteria used to evaluate our best practices were developed from an extensive literature review and with consideration for Aboriginal learning preferences.  They include:

1. Local measurement and decision-making.
2. Learning is guided and directed by a vital and active community.
3. Respect of the whole person who is part of family, community, and Nation is demonstrated.
4. Holistic approach is used.
5. Informal learning is valued over structured and formal learning.
6. Exposure to culturally sensitive learning environments emphasizing pride, identity, Aboriginal language and cultural knowledge.
7. Working with Elders, languages specialists, traditional teachers and parents.
8. Storytelling.
9. Innovative cultural programming.
10. Access to local education rather than having to leave community and home.
11. Relevance to work and application.
12. Flexible and community-based approaches.
13. Blocked times of learning with acceptance of blocked time away from "school".
14. Being able to maintain a work schedule while learning.
15. Aboriginal teachers using Aboriginal language with a community focus (not canned or rote).
16. The more Aboriginal language speakers there are, the more successful youth are at learning and practicing language.
17. Bilingual learning – both English and Aboriginal experiences.
18. Distinct language and culture classes.
19. Family and community support is crucial.
20. Family members are the first teachers and the primary educators for sharing traditions and beliefs.
21. A family engaged in the learning process as well as Chief and Council support.
22. School administration must be approachable and continue to "reach out" to families even if the response is limited.
23. Offer full participation in social, economic, political and education advancement.
24. Activities that contribute to free choice of where to work and live.

The following criteria were used to determine our Best Practice examples:

1. Verify that the learning technology in the example functions in one or more of the following ways:
   • as a tool for accessing formal education opportunities
   • as a place to maintain and revitalize cultures
   • to promote Aboriginal political goals
   • to promote intercultural dialogue with the mainstream community to build community and social well-being
2. Aboriginal learners are benefitting from the learning technologies being used based on their communications and learning preferences.
3. Aboriginal peoples are utilizing the technology in a manner that suits their needs and empowers them.
4. Aboriginal learners are able to continuously benefit from their experience with information and other peoples in technological environments that routinely may include computers, Internet, instant communication and multimedia resources.
5. The example supports a multi-dimensional view of learning by providing more than information and data alone.
6. Aboriginal youth who are open to the possibilities of e-learning are well represented in the example.
7. Elders have been involved in the development of learning materials used in the example.
8. The example delivers practical, employment-related skills to male in remote Aboriginal communities.
9. What does the learning technology enhance or intensify?
10. What does the technology render obsolete or displace?
11. What does the technology retrieve that was previously obsolete?
12. Is the program restricted to "Aboriginal content"?
13. Does the program transmit Elders' knowledge/indigenous knowledge?
14. Does the program transmit Aboriginal language/history/culture?
15. Are there personal stories of successful learning?
16. Is affordable and available in-home access to high-speed Internet available to Aboriginal learners?

Best Practices in Aboriginal Technology & Learning Across Canada

ABORIGINAL PORTAL CANADA (Ottawa, ON - National)
A portal is larger in scope than a site; it is a single window to on-line information and services of common interest. The information in this portal is organized and displayed from a user's point of view. The Aboriginal Canada Portal links to the following sites: National Aboriginal Organizations, 12 Federal Government departments with Aboriginal mandates, all Provincial Governments and organizations with Aboriginal responsibilities, as well as all related Aboriginal community information.

This website is a single window to Canadian Aboriginal on-line resources, contacts, information, and government programs and services. The portal offers ease of access and navigation to listings of Aboriginal associations, businesses, organizations, bands, communities, groups, news and peoples.

All Aboriginal stakeholders (Aboriginal peoples, organizations and government policy and program developers) may locate, discuss and share information, views, services, successes and issues amongst one another; and, act as a central gateway to increase the awareness of Aboriginal peoples history, heritage, traditions and Aboriginal community successes among Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/

ABORIGINAL YOUTH NETWORK (Edmonton, AB)
This website focusses on Aboriginal youth across Canada. It uses animation and sound clips to entice young Aboriginal peoples to connect to their culture, community and to explore who they are and may become. The website features blogs and message boards, as well as providing a variety of information on health, lifestyles, careers, education and the arts. To emphasize pride and active participation, the site provides links to cultural sites while promoting traditional activities as "cool". With a wide spectrum of personal success stories, this website is truly interactive and offers the user many opportunities to express their thoughts on a broad spectrum of ideas.

www.ayn.ca/

FIRST VOICES (Brentwood Bay, BC)
First Voices is a suite of web-based tools and services designed to support Aboriginal peoples engaged in language archiving, language teaching and culture revitalization.
The First Voices Language Archive contains thousands of text entries in many diverse Aboriginal writing systems, enhanced with sounds, pictures and videos. A companion set of interactive online games is designed to present the archived First Voices language data in creative learning activities. Some language archives at First Voices are publicly accessible, while others are password protected at the request of the language community.

www.firstvoices.ca/

KEEWAYTINOOK OKIMAKANAK (Fort Severn, ON)
Keewaytinook Okimakanak, which means Northern Chiefs in Oji-Cree, is a non-political Chiefs Council serving Deer Lake, Fort Severn, Keewaywin, McDowell Lake, North Spirit Lake and Poplar Hill First Nations. The organization is directed by the Chiefs of the member First Nations who form the Board of Directors.

Through its close awareness of community needs and its team approach, the Council advises and assists its member First Nations. The Council provides services in the areas of health, education, economic development, employment assistance, legal, public works, finance and administration, and computer communications (K-Net Services).

This website can assist Northern youth to strengthen their families and community bonds as well as their linguistic and cultural knowledge, while completing their secondary school education at home. Secondary school course delivery via telecommunications capitalizes on the technological capabilities of the participating First Nations to ensure that youth utilize their full potential and the technology available.

www.knet.ca/

THE KTUNAXA FIRST NATION (Cranbrook, BC)
The goals of the Ktunaxa Nation Council (KNC) include preservation and promotion of Ktunaxa traditional knowledge, language and culture, community and social development and wellness, land and resource development, economic investment and self-government. The programs and services of the KNC and its affiliates are available to KNC member Bands, Nation members living on-and off-reserve, and to other status and non-status persons living within Ktunaxa Traditional Territory.

Initially, the Ktunaxa First Nation pursued the development of this broadband network to help preserve and sustain the Ktunaxa language.  However, it has now grown to a much larger project. The focus has expanded to pursue economic, educational and health-care options that never existed or were very difficult to access before. The Ktunaxa Nation will benefit of broadband that will provide business and social opportunities that eluded these remote communities before.

www.ktunaxa.org/

ATLANTIC CANADA'S FIRST NATION HELPDESK (Membertou, NS)
First Nation Help Desk is a Regional Management Organization (RMO) located in Membertou, Nova Scotia. Like other First Nation RMOs across the country, it has an agreement through Industry Canada to deliver the First Nations SchoolNet Program (FNS). RMOs like First Nation Help Desk offer a localized approach to determining what First Nation schools and communities need. They work with other organizations – federal and provincial government, the private sector and Aboriginal groups – to pool resources, cut duplication and costs, and offer faster service.

Atlantic Canada's First Nation Helpdesk's goal is to offer career, educational and cultural opportunities to First Nations People. Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey Atlantic Canada's First Nation Help Desk offers contests, video conference sites and archives, Aboriginal Language resources, digital video training, student news services, Elder stories and math professional development.

http://www.firstnationhelp.com/

MI'GMAQ-MI'KMAQ ONLINE TALKING DICTIONARY (Listuguj, PQ)
The talking dictionary project is developing a 6,000+ word Internet resource for the Mi'gmaq/Mi'kmaq language. The site includes songs, stories, word by word and search functions.

Each word at the Mi'gmaq online site includes:

• Mi'gmaq spelling for the word and sentence
• English glossary of terms (meanings) and a translation for the word
• English translation for the sentence
• List of M'gmaq voiced files for word (different speakers) and sentence (one speaker)
• Plural spelling (nouns) or examples such as first person singular, first person plural (verbs)
• Part of speech
• Pronunciation help spelling
• Dialect
• Literal translations (where applicable)
• Notes on a word (e.g. variant spellings, borrowed word, cross-references)
• Inclusion in Word by category list (semantic domains)
• Optional graphic

www.mikmaqonline.org/default.html

SUNCHILD E-LEARNING COMMUNITY (Rocky Mountain House, AB)
Sunchild is an Alberta Learning accredited grade 7-12 private school, capable of operating within a work environment and in overseas locations. Sunchild's mandate is to provide high-school education and post-secondary entrance requirements via an online community that is dedicated to excellence in education. Since 2000, nine corporations and 23 First Nation communities are involved with the Sunchild E-Learning Community.

The Sunchild model is based on teachers using synchronous technology to teach and interact with students. The program is conducive to meeting the needs of marginalized students because it is accessible, responsive, flexible and respectful of cultural differences.

www.sccyber.net/

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