During our second F2F, we had the opportunity to really delve into the Design Thinking Process. This approach to learning was one that I have not experienced before and allowed for both meaningful conversations with the sharing of ideas as well as the process of self-reflection on my role as an educator.<\/p>\n
Coming into Cohort 21, I knew I wanted to focus on developing a strategy to further relationships with indigenous communities and deepen our community’s understanding of indigenous ways of learning and leading.<\/p>\n
A little bit of background on my worldview when it comes to indigenous learning and leading. I completed both my undergraduate degree in Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism as well as my Education degree at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. I was lucky enough to learn from elders as part of my classes, take electives in courses such as Indigenous Women and Health and connect with students and staff at the school on Lac Le Croix First Nation along the Ontario-Minnesota border while completing a dogsledding trip in my third year. These educational experiences provided me with a small sliver of knowledge when it came to indigenous learning.<\/p>\n
Skip forward a few years into my professional life when I returned to Southern Ontario after years spent in Thunder Bay and New Brunswick when I started working with the Bronte Creek Project with the Halton District School Board (a program that I attended when I was in Grade 11). The program had shifted to include a program for Grade 10’s and through the work of inspiring educator Doug Jacques, had changed the Grade 11\/12 program to include an Indigenous Literature Course (course code and the name have now been changed with the new curriculum released in 2019). HDSB was very intentional in the course shift and had 2 elders from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation work with the students throughout the year as well as have the students visit the First Nation during each semester to complete a sweat ceremony and experience teachings in the roundhouse.<\/p>\n
I left my position with HDSB and joined the Global Citizenship Team (then Global Studies) and was fully thrust into experiential learning at SMLS. My focus was still on Outdoor Education but had the opportunity to learn more about Global Initiatives and Real-World Learning.<\/p>\n
In 2017 I was approached to take the lead on an exchange program to Kugluktuk, Nunavut alongside UCC. In March of 2018, we had 3 SMLS and 3 UCC students travel to the northern territory where we spent a week in the community participating in school activities, and land-based learning opportunities. We then returned to Ontario with 6 Kugluktuk students and 2 teachers where we had students home staying with our families and experiencing Toronto life including Raptors Games, visits to the CN tower, etc., and classes at our respective schools.<\/p>\n
As we headed into the years 2020 and 2021, many of our experiential learning opportunities were put on pause due to cohorting, travel restrictions, etc and many of us had the opportunity to take a step back from what was done in the past and a greater spotlight was shown on social justice issues and where systemic changes needed to be made.<\/p>\n
Events such as George Floyd, and unmarked graves being found at several former Residential School sites across Canada, have caused many of us to examine and reexamine our approach to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at our schools.<\/p>\n
I personally have been wrestling with ways that we can integrate and be conscious of integrating indigenous education into our educational practices.<\/p>\n
Through Cohort 21, I have been provided with excellent resources that I am (albeit slowly) making my way through.<\/p>\n
Here are the current resources on my kitchen table that are needing digesting as a wrestle with my Design Thinking question.<\/p>\n
I have also been making my way through some of the resources available at https:\/\/www.fnesc.ca\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n I am looking forward to our next session on January 27th where we will return to our Action Plans and support each other as we work as a collective to support each other’s Professional Development this year.<\/p>\n
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