Due to COVID-19, teacher candidates in the 2019/20 Bachelor of Education program have had to quickly adapt their teaching and learning styles through the use of online platforms. We are showcasing some of the wonderful examples of projects created by them as part of the community field experience.
Cheryl Chu
BEd Elementary & Middle Years (IB-PYP)
- What is the name of the community partner or group you are working with?
- Non-Indigenous educators
- What is your project’s subject area(s)?
- First Peoples Principles of Learning
- Tell us about your project!
- It is only in recent years that Aboriginal Education has become a focus in BC K-12 and teacher education, which means that teachers certified before 2016 were not required to take a class in Aboriginal Education in their certification programs, nor were they required to embed such knowledge in their classes. As a result, many non-Indigenous teachers are unprepared to deliver a curriculum that relies so much on a teacher’s sensitivity to Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. It is my hope that this project will ease some of that initial discomfort, and pave the way for teachers to contribute to truth and reconciliation.
- Did you face any particular challenges in the planning, making or delivery of this project?
- I think I was a little over-ambitious when planning for this project. For one, what I had in mind for the infographic and what I ended up with are two vastly different things. I somehow forgot that I am not skilled in graphic design, nor do I have much experience, so the end product looks simpler and plainer that I would have liked. I have definitely put more than 12-15 hours into this project, and I still think it can have more content; on the other hand, this was meant to be a short handbook, not a comprehensive guide. So maintaining that balance was difficult, especially since the bulk of the work took place during the last few weeks of practicum.
I also felt that I should not be creating this project, as it was not “my place” to assert expertise on Indigenous matters as a non-Indigenous settler. Then again, it is precisely because I am non-Indigenous that I should work on educating myself and other settlers, instead of waiting for Indigenous educators to perform that labor.
- Can you tell us about a highlight of creating this remote lesson plan?
- Finding new resources
- What media did you use to create your project?
- Microsoft Word
- Where can we view your project?
- drive.google.com/drive/folders/19ZIaMDa6kQSwjOlm3vA1Q-hJbHxHyAU7?usp=sharing