Cohort 21 is where the Magic Happens

 

Seth Godin summed up my thoughts on my Cohort experience in his blog today.  In a cohort or a workshop model, Godin sees opportunity for connection and to experience new ways of thinking through the sharing of ideas with your peers.  Thank you Cohort 21 for providing the space to ask questions, to enjoy the messiness inherent in the learning process including being comfortable with making mistakes. For me, it was a combination of the supportive environment of the F2F and virtual sessions and the protocols we used that infused a true spirit of inquiry into the Cohort experience. On that note, I believe Cohort 21 is a compelling example of what great inquiry practice can look like. We were asked to experience a number of provocations to kickstart learning. Our coaches and facilitators provided mentoring, guidance and learning alongside us and ultimately after deep exploration in several areas, we were asked to develop a plan to act on our learning.

With that said, here are some thoughts behind my 2019 Action plan:

UCC’s plans to address Truth and Reconciliation inspired me in a number of ways. First, the contemporary art installation, We Call, created on our campus, acted as a catalyst to build my awareness of UCC’s planned multi-year action plan to address the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action (TRC). We Call originated out of the collaborative work of students in our UCC Amnesty International Student Club, several UCC faculty and visiting artist, Cathy Busby.

Displaying We Call: Upper Canada College, in the student centre serves as a daily reminder of the College’s commitment to ongoing dialogue and action to address truth and reconciliation. The installation prompted conversations that led to my membership on our school’s Council for Reconciliation. In particular, discussions about the call to address curriculum development and to identify and support teacher-training needs resonated for me. I asked myself if I felt equipped as a teacher to include Indigenous lenses in the curriculum I designed and taught? What did I need to know?

And so the Inquiry began….I began to tease out the facets to figure out which experiences I needed to better understand the issues around effective teacher practice in Indigenous Education.

Inspired by Gord Downie

The late Gord Downie’s approach to uploading himself on issues connected to Indigenous education probably represented my first inspiration to dig in and learn more about how to teach and include Indigenous perspectives in a respectful way. The album, the Secret Path started out as 10 poems to tell the story of Chanie Wenjack who tried to follow the train tracks to return to his home when he escaped the residential school he was forced to attend.

Downie then collaborated with Jeff Lemire to write and illustrate a graphic novel that became the basis on the film that aired on the CBC.  Through his inquiry and action, Downie added to and informed the national conversation about Indigenous issues and provided us with a challenge to uncover our past and celebrate the brilliance of Indigenous people.

Learning Alongside Students

Attending the Kairos Blanket experience with all of the IB1 Theory of Knowledge students was a way to simulate 500 years of Indigenous history from pre-contact to present day.  As the experience progresses, student see that the blankets they have been standing on at the beginning of the activity representing an abundance of land, water and other resources are slowly taken away through the Land Treaty process and other Government interventions. In the debrief after, students were grateful to understand the timeline of events and see this period of history from the perspective of colonization and the loss of agency.

OISE Associate Teacher Conference

Attending a conference  OISE/UT set up for Associate teachers in their Practicum program provided an unexpected burst of PD.  It was wonderful to connect with @mhamilton and @mbrims at the event that presented a number of critical approaches and resources available to support teachers who want to engage in this work. For me , one of my big takeaways was the importance of focusing on a balanced and a variety of perspectives when teaching Indigenous education.   I think there is a real opportunity to weave Indigenous education on a conceptual level across disciplines instead of siloing the work in the Humanities department. Several key resources we were given include:

Deepening Knowledge Project

Dr Jeffrey Ansloos Importance of Indigenous Content in Classrooms

Biidibaan – Interactive VR exhibit Lisa Jackson

 

 

Questions I still have as I pursue this work:

How do we effectively build relationships in Indigenous Education? Effective partnerships with outside agencies are a key part of designing rich and meaningful curriculum experiences. I wonder when we should choose to pursue partnerships with Indigenous communities and what teaching opportunities can non-Indigenous educators pursue on their own?

I still have questions about the distinction between appreciation and appropriation as we figure out what educators need to know so that those lines are not blurred.

I am really excited that we have high school students who will attend the Student Decolonization Conference on April 25 that the Wandering Spirit School is hosting in partnership with Branksome Hall. They are also offering Professional Development on that day for teachers.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to reflect on my Cohort journey.  I feel more connected to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and clearer in my role given my spheres of influence in this work. I hope to continue my partnerships with my Cohort network, OISE/UT and with Indigenous educators and Elders to forge a path forward that is meaningful and inclusive.

My slide deck is here