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ETEC 521: Indigeneity, Technology, and Education
Assignments:
Finding a BalanceQuestion: How might Indigenous education and use of technology have different goals than “mainstream” educational goals and purposes? In other words, based on the readings, how are Indigenous communities different from other ethnic or mainstream communities with regard to values about progress, tradition, and technology?
For a culture that is so grounded through spatial, social, spiritual, and experiential dimensions, and a mainstream society with completely different values and perspective on life, I would have to conclude that the Indigenous communities are different. Their values and beliefs are so connected to the natural world while “mainstream” communities are so caught up in a virtual world and the reality is that these “two worlds” are so far apart. I learned a lot from this week’s readings and video and it made think about growing up in a world without technology. Life seemed so much more simple, less complicated, and less consumed by Western ideologies and consumerism. Technology has changed the “western way of life” and I can only imagine the battle these communities are having against such a powerful force - technology. But does it have to be a battle? Can there be a balance between their traditional way of life and all the benefits the “modern world” has to offer? I guess this could be my research question! As I reflect upon our education system, the educational goals of an indigenous community vs the goals of “mainstream” society are definitely different. We need to ensure that we are acknowledging these differences so that our indigenous students no longer feel that they are being “excluded”. I know that there is still much work ahead to better understand the culture and values of Indigenous people; however, I do feel that we are taking the right steps moving in that direction. For example, in the Alberta Program of Studies, Indigenous communities are woven throughout the Social Studies curriculum. In my grade one/two classes, we have spent a few months out of the year learning about First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities and their roots in Canada. We have had many artists in residency programs where the students would learn about these communities through the arts, such as drumming and storytelling. I also remember my staff bringing in Michael Kusugak, a Canadian children’s author and storyteller from Nunavut, to share his life story with the students. Having said this, I do feel that there is more to learn in terms of “cultural taboos”, such as Lee Brown’s example of cooperation where the primary value in a tribe is to work together and get along whereas in schools, looking at someone else’s paper is considered cheating and that one needs to learn on his own own and be an “individual”. Hare (2011) also gives an example of a braid being a symbol of strength and unity whereby mind, body and spirit are represented in the three strands of the braid, woven together. I, personally, am not aware of what I should be mindful of and perhaps this would be a great place to start in schools. Before thinking about how to “bridge two worlds”, a foundation of respect and understanding needs to be set first. Then only can we move forward with a more balanced education system. Marker, Michael, "After the Makah Whale Hunt: Indigenous Knowledge and Limits to Multicultural Discourse", Urban Education, Vol. 41(5), 2006, 482-505. Hare, J. (2011). Learning from Indigenous knowledge in education. In D. Long and O. P. Dickenson (Eds.), Visions of the heart, 3rd Edition (pp. 91-112). Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press. Nanook of the NorthWhen comparing the short clip from Nanook of the North to the George Strombolopoulous interview with Mary Simon, one can see how there has definitely been a shift in the way the indigenous culture has been represented over time. Thankfully so, it is changing and is not so much a culture predominantly seen through the Western eye; rather, more united voices are coming out and erasing the stereotypes and biases portrayed on them. Mary Simon does an excellent job of pointing out the misperceptions of her culture and I especially loved the intro where she states that the Inuit don’t kiss with their noses, rather they sniff for their loved ones. George also opens the interview with a short summary of how the Inuit shifted to a community-based existence through colonization. Mary Simon comments that, “the colonization process and residential schools era really destroyed some of the identity. These issues have had severe impact on our people and we are just coming back”. It definitely has been an ugly history for Indigenous people and as Dr. Marker highlighted, we did witness an historic moment in Canadian history with the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Report on residential schools last week. This report does share the horrors of Canada’s Aboriginal children for more than a century and has been disturbing and shocking in many respects. I point this out as viewing media about and from Indigenous cultures more critically is so important for our students to be able to do as then only can they make a difference and move forward with respect, understanding and harmony. With the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Report, and the Indigenous communities now being an important topic on the table for our education system, it is critical for educators and students to better understand the history and life of these communities, and educators need to ensure students are accessing the right information using credible sources.
I came across this paper, “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century”, and it was interesting because it talks about how digital technologies are changing the way youth learn, socialize and participate in civic society and the needed skills necessary in the New Media Culture. A small part of this paper focuses on Judgement and the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources (p.43-46). “Part of the problem is the assumption that children, on their own, can develop the ethical norms needed to cope with a complex and diverse social environment online” (Jenkins, H., 2009, p.12). Jenkins (2009) also states: “to say that children are not victims of media is not to say that they, any more than anyone else, have fully mastered what are, after all, complex and still emerging social practices” (p.12). Buckingham (2005) notes, “children may lack some of the core life experiences and basic knowledge that might help them to discriminate between accurate and inaccurate accounts” (cited in Jenkins, H., 2009, p.45). These three quotes really stood out for me and the truth of the matter is that even though we see our students using their devices and may stand out as being “tech trendy”, doesn’t mean they can think critically about the information they come across. This paper outlines a few examples of what might be done to encourage more critical thinking skills. I am sharing them below as I think they are excellent ideas: • The Boston-based Youth Voice Collaborative has developed an exercise that gives students a range of news stories and asks them to rank the stories according to traditional news standards.The process is designed to encourage students to understand what criteria journalists use to determine the “news value” of different events and to encourage students to express their own priorities about what information matters to them and why. • http://news.google.com aggregates articles from thousands of news sources worldwide. This allows users to compare and contrast the framing of a single issue from different media sources. Students are encouraged to read several articles closely, underlining words they believe might shape how readers understand and feel about what they are reading. • The New Medial Literacies project at MIT has developed a set of activities to involve students in understanding how representations of “truth” and “fiction” vary in different media forms and, therefore, how different techniques must be learned, and choices must be made, when seeking to manipulate meanings by altering representations. For example, in an image manipulation activity, students search for an image of an event (such as the March on Washington, the Kennedy assassination) and are taught how to change the picture in a way that changes the meaning. By manipulating images, students become familiar with the ways images may be altered to persuade and influence. In developing this manipulation skill, students are encouraged to think about why image, sound, and textual representations are altered and what that means to them as consumers, voters, and citizens. • A growing number of teachers are using the Talk Pages for contested Wikipedia entries as illustrations of the types of questions one might want to ask about any information and the processes and criteria by which disputes about knowledge might be resolved. • Tools such as lijit.com allow readers of a website to alert friends who subsequently read the same website that its content may be suspect. Students might also be encouraged to take advantage of sites such as snopes.com, which regularly report on frauds and misinformation circulating online and provide good illustrations of the ways that one could test the credibility of information References: Jenkins, Henry. Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Mit Press, 2009. Empowering the YouthIn the March Point Trailer and Alluriarniq-Stepping Forward video, there are many common themes that emerge from these videos. Both videos speak about their elders and how they have been strongly influenced by them as they have taught them their culture and language. They have also had issues with peer pressure and the loss of their language. As these youth are maturing, they feel strongly that their language and heritage need to be maintained and are looking at what roles they need to play, as well as education systems, so that it’s not lost forever.
In the Stepping Forward video, a few comments really stood out for me: -Teachers play a vital role in education and there needs to be both mutual respect and more personal connections made. Students will feel more connected to their teachers and teachers will be better able to help in sustaining Inuit culture and languages because of this respect. -Parents need to play an active role in their child’s education by being home at night, setting examples for their and children, being more involved. If parents are more visible when their kids come home and start playing a more active role in their lives, youth will be more successful. -More Inuit need to become teachers - they can relate to the students, they know them, their parents, and both feel more comfortable working together. Also, young men are more motivated to stay in school when a range of different programs are offered (i.e. pre-trades) → If more and more Inuit are educated, they can give back to their community and be successful. The youth seem very inspired and motivated to make a change, be successful, and give back to their own communities. It appears that these video projects have been empowering for these youth. As they are motivated and inspired to make a change, that “hook” was there for them. This has been their inquiry project to ask essential questions and get answers from people who have the power to make changes like the senators. The tools are helping them to share their message and as the young boys in the March Point trailer stated: “We get to express ourselves, the way we live, as native people”. Reference PointsTo answer this week’s question Can an individual truly engage with another culture and learn about it without a deep self-examination of their own cultural values? I believe that in order to truly engage with another culture and learn about it requires a deep self examination of your own culture. I find that I am always questioning, comparing, and analyzing other cultures to gain a deeper understanding of them. Isn’t it human nature to have reference points? I find we are always making comparisons to what we know. The more one understands his or her own culture and can draw upon the similarities and differences, the more open and understanding one can become towards other cultures.
When I was reading Indigenous Cultures in an Interconnected World, "History, Representation,Globalisation, and Indigenous Cultures: A Tasmanian Perspective, I found myself thinking about my own culture and making comparisons. My parents moved to Canada from Tanzania in 1975 and I was born in Toronto. I grew up speaking English and would try and catch on to their native language as they spoke to each other. I remember my dad telling jokes in his native language to the elders in our family and they would laugh hysterically. I would ask him to tell me the joke in English and I would not find ithumourous at all! The transfer of language from native tongue to English altered the meaning completely. I guess Julie Gough’s (2000) comment about the English language appearing as the interloper rather than the omniscient inventor holds true in this example. When I read through the questions from Axe Handle Academy, I wondered what the answers from students of diverse backgrounds would be? Can you imagine the knowledge that would build from such a diverse group? And would there be one right answer? Of course not. Sharing the similarities and differences between cultures would be a great activity that leads to respect and appreciation of all cultures. The questions from Axe Handle Academy made me reflect on what education should look like. Situated learning - providing an authentic context that reflects the way knowledge will be used in real-life. With this kind of learning we get to know ourselves better, opening the doors to understanding the world better. References: Scollon, R., & Scollon, S. (1988). The axe handle academy: A proposal for a bioregional, thematic humanities education. Lessons taught, lessons learned. History, representation, globalisation and indigenous cultures. (2014). Retrieved July 23, 2015, fromhttp://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/1093/. |
Is Technology Neutral?Module 1: The Global and the Local in Indigenous Knowledge
Background and Introduction: Indigenous knowledge tends to be place-based; a local knowledge that features understanding the traditional uses of plants and relationships to animals. As Indigenous communities express their identity through digital media and internet representations, they face advantages and disadvantages from technology usage. Some questions are:
In Screen Memories: Resignifying the Traditional in Indigenous Media, Gingsburg (2002) talks about how Indigenous people are using screen media to recuperate their own collective stories and histories (p.40). As this can be seen as a powerful tool to document history, one should not lose sight of the fact that media often does not provide the "freedom" it portrays and that there are "puppets" both behind and in front of the scenes to ultimately, at whatever expense, get the highest ratings which in turn means more money. Although the filmmaker has the best intentions to share his/her culture through this form of media, other influences may impact the final message, which in turn no longer makes this technology neutral. After reading Craig Howe's Cyberspace is no space for tribalism, he speaks of how tribal sovereignty is defined - through spatial, social, spiritual, and experiential dimensions. "The American "technogentsia" argue that if Indians are to be full participants in the modern world, then they must stake out a place in cyberspace" (p.21). I agree with Howe's question of how does traditional tribalism "fit in" cyberspace? If today's youth are to become full participants or "netizens", they begin to start conforming to the mainstream culture of cyberspace which is exclusive of experiencing tribalism in all dimensions. When you think about technology being neutral, think about access to technology all over the world. Do you think that in developing countries where people are dealing with hunger, war and no education are the ones populating cyberspace? Obviously not. I would say it's largely American driven and definitely governed by the marketplace. References: Ginsburg, F. (2002). Screen memories: resignifying the traditional in indigenous media. Media worlds: Anthropology on new terrain, eds. Faye D. Ginsburg, Lila Abu-Lughod, and Brian Larkin, Berkeley: University of California Press, 39-57 Howe, Craig. (1998). Cyberspace is No Place for Tribalism. Wicazo Sa Review, 19-27. Feeling OptimisticI feel the Internet does provide indigenous peoples powerful new means of self-representation. The primary reason for this is that there are no producers, directors, editors behind the scenes to alter their message. Indigenous people can take control of their own representations of what their culture is and share this without stereotypes, misunderstandings or biases (Ginsburg, 2000). It is an opportunity for them to truly portray who they are without the world misportraying them.
“Teachers are encouraged to provide answers, but they are discouraged from providing questions” (Marker, M., 1992, p.227). More than 20 years after this article was written, I believe our system is changing and more and more teachers are shifting towards an inquiry based model. With this shift, I feel it is important now more than ever for the Indigenous voices to come out strong and unified. This is a time where technology can be a powerful tool for them to share their culture and start erasing stereotypes. As a teacher, I don’t want to use curriculum, stories, movies based on “western perspectives” that tells the generic story that “brims with quaint mountain platitudes and affectionate ethnic stereotypes: the sage Native Americans, the thrifty jew, the silly white folk” (Marker, M., 1992). My students are asking the questions and finding answers using all the resources available to them. I don’t give them the answers, they find them. This is a new age where we don't need to rely on "painted stereotypes" and resources that have been tainted. Yes, they are still out there and plenty of them, but this is our time to teach our students about reliable sources and the credibility they hold. Michael Marker’s (1994) suggestions for educators teaching about First Nations People are amazing ones, especially 20+ years ago! All his suggestions fit well with an inquiry approach and accessing the right resources/experts to learn more. I remember a few years ago, my admin team had a couple of people from the First Nations, Metis & Inuit (FNMI) team with the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) speak to our staff about cultural awareness and sensitivities when working with these children. They had us all take part in a smudging ceremony prior to beginning the session, and the feeling I got in that moment of experiencing another culture’s ritual was so beautiful. I have read about smudging ceremonies but what I gained from actually going through one brought on a whole new level of understanding for me beyond what the text provided. I agree that there is no better way to learn about one's culture than to connect with someone from that culture/an expert directly, whether that’s physically or virtually. References: Ginsburg, F. (2002). Screen memories: resignifying the traditional in indigenous media. Media worlds: Anthropology on new terrain, eds. Faye D. Ginsburg, Lila Abu-Lughod, and Brian Larkin, Berkeley: University of California Press, 39-57. Michael Marker, "The Education of Little Tree: What it Really Reveals about the Public Schools"Phi Delta Kappan (November, 1992), 226-227. Reprinted in Annual Editions: Multicultural Education 94/95 New Haven, Conn.:Duskin Publishing, 1995, 159-160. Law of the LandWhen I first read this question I immediately thought “of course they do, every culture has a right to protect themselves”, but after thinking about it carefully, I believe they still do but to a certain extent. What made me place a limitation on this was thinking about a few cultures where some of their teachings and practices are actually going against the law of the land; therefore, I don’t think they have a right to protect their culture anymore. For example, in some cultures Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is considered a necessary part of raising a girl “properly”. In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a “Global strategy to stop health care providers from performing female genital mutilation”. Interestingly, since efforts have been made to bring awareness to this issue, in most countries now, FGM has decreased and most people in practicing communities are in support of ending its practice (World Health Organization). I believe that it is with education and awareness that people in these practicing communities are in support of ending FGM. When I think about when FGM began, it was during a time (25 B.C.) where the role of women was significantly different than it is today. To think that cultures in 2015 (over 2000 years later) are still practicing such a ritual, it begs the question of whether this is a compatible ritual in today’s day and age. There’s no doubt (in my mind) that a practice like FGM is a violation of human rights.
Another example is about Bill 14 and the proposed amendments to Quebec’s french language. This is a bold move for Parti Québécois (PQ) as I strongly believe that they don’t have a right to protect their French Language to the extent where they deny other Canadians their right to speak English. For example, some of what Bill 14 proposes is that: -Businesses with more than 26 or more employees must make French their everyday language. What if that 27th person only spoke English? And why can’t it stay bilingual? - Military families and other temporary residents would no longer have an exemption allowing them to send their children to English schools - Government, at the minister’s discretion, would have power to revoke bilingual status if anglophonepopulation drops below 50%. Canada is a diverse multicultural country. It is considered a pluralistic society and encourages all cultures to share their heritage but reciprocally living within the laws of the land. There is so much strength in diversity but its strength relies on the right balance of protecting one's culture and still living in harmony with all cultures. Knowledge Is PowerThis week’s readings opened my eyes to ways in which non-indigenous researchers can collaborate with indigenous peoples in more effective ways. It was interesting to read Barnhardt & Kawagley’s (1998) stories of how Indigenous people view and interact with the world compared to the Western world. I think about curriculum and how “compartmentalized” it is, whereas it should be “presented in a way that reflects the interconnectedness of all things”. Non-indigenous researchers have approached their studies in a similar manner, not seeing the “bigger picture” of the situation. Smith’s (1999) questions are valid ones and allow for the researcher to move away from “telling the Indigenous peoples what they already knew, suggested things that would not work, and made careers for people who already had jobs” (p. 3).
A common thread throughout our discussions so far has been around the idea of respect. Smith (1999) truly captures the essence of why there is so much resistance when she states: “It appals us that the west can desire, extract and claim ownership of our ways of knowing, our imagery, the things we create and produce, and then simultaneously reject the people who created and developed those ideas and seek to deny them further opportunities to be creators of their own culture and own nations” (p. 1). People like Mary Simon and Lorna Williams have been a part of the revival of Indigenous cultures and it is apparent that better relationships are starting to form between the Indigenous communities and the Western world. Mary Simon’s interview with George Strombolopoulous is a strong example of maintaining one's culture and still being a part of the Western world. Barnhardt & Kawagley’s (1998) also highlight how the Western world is starting to learn from Indigenous people by sharing their example of the Minto people and how The fish and game people couldn't see beyond their constituent parts to connect with what the elders were trying to tell them. It took time for that trust to build and now they see how the elders and other people from Minto can offer “a new set of lenses through which to view the world”. References: Kawagley, Angayuqaq Oscar, and Ray Barnhardt. "Education Indigenous to Place: Western Science Meets Native Reality." (1998). Smith, Linda, Introduction to Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples, London: Zed Books Ltd, 1-18 Place, Action, Inquiry, Relationships, and StoryworkIn Nicol, Archibald, and Baker’s (2012) article, teachers began their project unsure and hesitant about drawing upon the community to teach math concepts. Their experience with mathematics varied and even those successful in teaching math did not always enjoy it. This reminded me of a post I made a few weeks ago when I mentioned how “compartmentalized” our education system is. In all respects, teaching in a structured manner does not allow for a student-centered learning experience. As McGregor (2012) highlights some of the challenges within an Inuit framework, one of the main challenges are the ways in which teachers can create student-centered learning experiences. When we connect mathematics to the “real world”, students then have a purpose and interest in an authentic learning experience. I also agree with McGregor (2012) that: “change happens in the ways students and teachers and the community engage each other in learning” (p.299). The participants in Nicol, Archibald, & Baker’s (2012) article used the story Raven Brings the Light and went through their own inquiry, connecting with community members, stemming from the essential question “What might an emotionally healthy mathematics classroom look like?” Going through this process allowed them to “recognize their need to learn more about Indigenous knowledges and culture and how they might, as Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal teachers, gain access to and teach through such understanding”. In both articles, effective training for teachers to better understand Indigenous People and their Land (IPL) was emphasized in order for the success of authentic learning to take place. I love the key aspects of culturally responsive education mentioned in this article: place, action, inquiry, relationships, and storywork. These ideas truly cultivate personalized learning and are “ideas that teachers could consider toward becoming culturally responsive teachers”. I also believe this is what leads to rich and invigorating learning experiences for all students.
References: McGREGOR, H. E. (2012). Curriculum change in Nunavut: towards Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. McGill Journal of Education/Revue des sciences de l'éducation de McGill, 47(3), 285-302. Nicol, C., Archibald, J., & Baker, J. (2013). Designing a model of culturally responsive mathematics education: place, relationships and storywork. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 25(1), 73-89. Back To The RootsAfter reading Ginsburg’s (2008) article and reflecting upon Bill Gates’ statement about the Digital Divide and the reality of the conditions of the globe’s poorest people, I was reminded of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Initiative which I learned about in ETEC 510. Although the idea of providing laptops to children in third world countries sounds like a fantastic idea, there are definitely issues to consider aside from access alone. I look at our Indigenous communities and although access is an issue, similar to the OLPC project, there are much more significant ones to reflect upon. Issues from maintenance and sustainability to language and cultural impacts on the divide are “top of my head” issues to consider. What stood out for me was the notion that the Indigenous elders don’t want thecommodification of their knowledge under the Western systems of intellectual property (Ginsburg, 2008). Going through this course and discussing at a much deeper level the issues which the Indigenous communities have been and are still facing, I can understand why they would want to limit the circulation of their ideas, knowledge, and cultural materials. For them to question who has the right to control knowledge? and what are the consequences introduced by digital technologies? are questions rightfully asked. The Western world has already stripped so much away from them, why would they want conform to mainstream society and be influenced by technological determinism?
Tim Michel speaks about the digital divide and how considering the communities and their socio-economic reality needs to be looked at prior to addressing how technological advances are going to make a difference in these communities. He also mentions that technology favours the younger generation because they have grown up with it, but the elders are having a harder time knowing what is happening at the ground level. As I reflect upon this course, I realize that there is much work ahead in reviving this culture beginning at the roots. Engaging in conversations, being culturally aware, upholding respect, building relationships and trust, redesigning curriculum and being culturally responsive are only some of the movements that need to take place for the revitalization of this culture to occur. Having said this, I do agree that technology can provide indigenous peoples powerful new means of self-representation. The primary reason for this is that there are no producers, directors, editors behind the scenes to alter their message. Indigenous people can take control of their own representations of what their culture is and share this without stereotypes, misunderstandings or biases (Ginsburg, 2002). I have said this before that it is an opportunity for them to truly portray who they are without the world misportrayingthem. References: Tim Michel, Video Interview Ginsburg, F. (2002). Screen memories: resignifying the traditional in indigenous media. Media worlds: Anthropology on new terrain, eds. Faye D. Ginsburg, Lila Abu-Lughod, and Brian Larkin, Berkeley: University of California Press, 39-57. Ginsburg, F. (2005). Rethinking the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.philbu.net/media-anthropology/ginsburg_digital_age.pdf Nicol, C., Archibald, J., Baker, J. (2013), Designing a Model of Culturally Responsive Mathematics Education: Place, Relationships and Storywork. Mathematics Education Research Journal. 25(1), 73-89. |