https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YZjzLKy0iXSh50NFPdkZLr1TNyCS25ZX6V_EW33Oiuo/edit?usp=sharing

My summary or learning outlines the work I did this semester with my high school students. It was a learning experience that was enjoyed by all who participated in the lessons. Thank you for watching my video submission.

Achieving Student Success: Native Studies 10 Unit (incorporating digital and media literacy)

Writing a unit based on curriculum outcome with digital/media literacy indicators is the focus of my EC&I 832 final project. I am near completion of the outcomes I want to include in the Community & Kinship unit project and am writing the portion for incorporating digital/media resources….I anticipated this part to be easier than it is turning out mainly because my go-to resources are the human voice/perspectives and books. I am shifting my indicators to using tech tools for students to navigate through curriculum content.

Example: Outcome: FNMI philosophy of land; respect for the environment. Indicator: Interview an Elder and record the interview in two ways: voice/audio record and create a slide show using Power Point or Canva.

Digital Citizenship: Access – will my students have equal access to the tech devices required to complete the indicators? In order for all students to participate equally in this assignment, I will alter assignment to accommodate the digital divide: take my class to visit an Elder in the community and assign a recorder, photographer, or videographer to compile the interview material to be shared in the classroom.

Resources and media: Although this activity may seem like common sense (and it is), what makes a media literacy approach sensitive is the “oral tradition of the spoken word” when using Elders as a resource. Many times, students will not find these words on an internet search so they become creators of content using the authentic voice of the oral tradition, participants in cultural protocol, and active learners.

My academic mentor, Mrs. Linda M, Goulet, has co-written a book titled, “Teaching Each Other: Nehinuw Concepts & Indigenous Pedagogies” (2014), which starts with the acknowledgement to the Elders and their teachings as influential to her own teaching career. This is the cultural protocol that starts any cultural engagement activity; the ways of knowing and voices of the Elders.

At times, I long for an old school textbook! I was educated in the classroom where lessons were presented from the pages of, say an old Understanding Science book series (Sampson Low Pub, 1960) and a teacher that was well informed (prepped) to teach us about the Bunsen Burner, plate tectonics or the compound microscope. I don’t think any foundational science knowledge is wrong and certainly has its place in today’s classrooms. Let’s make everything old new again!

In the today’s digital age classrooms, we ask student’s to engage with technology that can snap up information from multiple websites, with the expectation to trust the source….after all, it’s from the internet!

Student’s are fortunate to have digital citizenship lessons that shed light on important skills, such as cyber etiquette, laws, security and rights and responsibilities (to name a few of Ribble’s 9 elements). But what about media literacies and the topic of fake news? In week 9 catalyst presentations we were asked to look at the challenges of medial literacy in a “fake news” world.

Kim’s article discussed the problem student’s face with disinformation and a media literacy approach of teaching them how to critique and eventually discern a source/content as credible. An important approach given the vulnerability of students possibly being fed misleading information, with potential emotional and social effects. Do content creators intentionally create damaging material? I think the answer is yes because any browser search will pull up misleading and “fake news”.

To test this, I did a search on the Buffy Sainte-Marie “pretendian” controversy and found content related to her ancestry, her personal life, Hawaii, books she wrote, Sesame Street…an extensive amount of information. Now, given the seriousness of the controversial “pretendian” (the real issue), a search may lead an inquiring mind to a website that may glamorize or garner empathy, which takes the focus off the real issue. A site that I visited was boobingit.com that discussed a Sesame Street segment and interview where Buffy Sainte-Maire was breastfeeding her baby boy on TV. This particular website had links (click bait) to personal products for breastfeeding mothers. So basically, the website used the media popularity of Buffy Saint-Marie to sell their products. https://boobingit.com/buffy-sainte-marie-opens-breastfeeding-baby-boy-sesame-street-1977

Is this “fake news”? It may be or it may be not….but it has the same psychological challenges of cognitive overload and decision fatigue. Students might not be able to make quality decisions when serious topics are overloaded with viewpoints/perspectives that mislead and incite emotional responses rather that critical analysis. As a teacher, my media literacy challenge is to teach students the skill of critical evaluation and analyzing content for authenticity. I would be interested in hearing about any strategies or lessons that teachers have tried with their students. Please share!

As we get nearer to the date of submitting our projects, I am a mix of excitement and anxiety. Excitement that I get to share my passion for teaching First Nations content and engaging this online community with some resources. Anxiety with presenting in a digitally-created way. I am learning with my students – I cannot ask them to be media literate creators if I am not stepping up to the task.

To the actual project: It is exciting to find new resources, as the Native Studies 10 suggested resources are outdated, but still relevant today. I was talking with a trusted colleague and I was advised to not sway from documents that are time-honoured, but to add to/enhance the resources. This view supports the First Nations philosophy of seeking wisdom from knowledge keepers (kehtwaywak) and learning.

Media literacy week: Reflecting on what it means to be a media literate student in today’s digital world/classrooms.

Potter’s (2010) take on media literacy places our role as a teacher in a position to find the balance between how we teach with technology and what skills students know or bring into the classroom. To build up skills for literacy we must assess what we are working with. My classes are diverse. On any given day I might have a student with beginning computer skill: navigate a browser, hunt and peck keyboarding or lack of troubleshooting confidence. Then flip to a media literate student who can surf, navigate and produce media artefacts with fluency and confidence.

Why such a gap? Potter’s (2010) article talked about a common ground to build effective literacy and intervention as a focus of curriculum design. The place where our students can be taught and assessed for those key literacy skills of accessing, analyzing, evaluating and communicating media messages. The gatekeepers of social media are in our classrooms. Their social worlds are tech based, where they can easily surf, navigate and produce artefacts and are active, engaged messengers and recipients. How can we channel that energy into learning? Integrating some digital citizenship and media literacy lessons gives the classroom a space to discuss how tech impact our/their world and identity. Building a common ground and classroom landscape of learning with technology in today’s digital world.

My project will be to embed media literacies into my favorite Native Studies 10 unit: #2 Community & Kinship. I like the content of Aboriginal worldviews, traditional education, the role of families and languages. Students are guided to reflect on the universal experiences of First Nation, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) peoples traditional survival on the land that creates kinship bonds and builds community. A key understanding in this unit is the commonality of Canada’s diverse, geographically separated FNMI communities in relation to the land. Searching for and finding a common voice is where media literacies and information/communication technologies can be beneficial to the learners as they create artefacts that link the diverse voices.

I will investigate how media resources, such as AI Chat GPT, Canva, Jamboard, Youtube and other presentation software, can assist students to explore how media can create artefacts from their research.

This major project encourages me to work more with technology. I hope to create unit resources that I can use next semester. Things will probably change as I work through this process, but I feel motivated because of my passion for FN education. Thank You! Megweech!

Reflecting on my personal use of technology and evaluating my personal digital citizenship this week! My introduction to technology use was a land line telephone, television, radio, cassette tapes and typewriters. Yes, I am a baby boomer! Fast forward to the digital age today where all my communication is by cell phone and laptop computer. I consider my digital identity to be clean, polished, safe and responsible because of my value system and how I project these values in society. Technology has not changed who I am. The practical use of tech as an Entrepreneur is important to run our family owned business, communication and managing finances. Professionally, I use tech daily and take a serious view of role modelling responsible use with my students and school staff. I am learning with tech alongside my students!

Everything seems new to me! My children were born into the tech driven, digital age as Gen Y and Gen Z. They talk about a “paperless” society and following “influencers”. Going online for me is communication, online learning and information sourcing. Technology is a learning tool and less for entertainment or sharing artefacts. My personal internet use is youtube videos, finding concerts or listening to audio books (to name a few).

Identity is shaped by many factors. Participation in society and community culture shape relationships by exposure to such things as team sports or attending events to interact physically with people. Internal influences can be self-expressions and media. This is where digital identity can be shaped. Our students/children are using the social network to express who they are by creating artefacts and posting/sharing. Being a citizen in the digital age and living with technology is challenging for children and I feel teaching responsible use is a partnership between the home, parents and the school. We can be the influencers and model safe skill and behaviors.

This weeks inquiry question asks us to take an evaluative look at the 9 Element of Digital Citizenship (Ribble, 2007). When I consider the suggested framework that can be used to identify current areas of need/support to implement technology, I see important areas that need attention in our school.

Access: Internet/wifi is widely available in our community with excellent connectivity at our school. What we lack are tech tools (computers, laptops, and chromebooks). Students own personal devices (cellphones and ipads) and log in to school wifi to access information for research (google it), but rarely use productivity software. To achieve Ribble’s ideas of full electronic participation in society, our school needs to address the accessibility deficit. While we cannot solve the issue of home access to technology tools and internet, we can lessen the digital divide in the classroom by purchasing computers and setting up professional development training for instruction, to encourage tech use in the classroom. Model a learning process by finding strategic ways to embed tech into every lesson.

Communication: Instant messaging has its pros and cons when using it for communication with the home and parents. The instant access feature does come with some costs! When we reach out through a social network (messanger, texts), we risk our digital identity possibly becoming compromised. Teachers and school staff must practice professionalism and adhere to the guidelines of effective communication. Expecting our students to act responsibly by teaching and modeling responsible behaviors for using tech devices as part of learning can deter inappropriate use in the classroom. Our school gives some freedom to use cell phones outside the classroom, but lets teachers decide on use of the devices in their classroom. When we have a lack of computers for class use, our teachers adhere to the “only use your cell phone and wifi for assignments”. Short term answer only!

Literacy: This is an area that needs attention in most classrooms. Teaching our students the appropriate way to use tech to support and enhance their learning is done while learning with technology – but this is not often the case. My students often resort to what they think is the easiest and fastest way to finish assignments – google research! Taking the time to engage with digital technology and its intended outcome to support learning will require classroom instruction. The lack of computers or laptops places a demand for students to use their personal devices more often, which raises the question of who can access their information when its being stored on their devices. Professional development is needed to help teachers understand how technology can support curriculum.