Cazden, Courtney B. (2003). Sustaining Indigenous Languages in Cyberspace. This paper describes how certain types of electronic technologies, specifically CD-ROMs, computerized databases, and telecommunications networks, are being incorporated into language and culture revitalization projects in Alaska and around the Pacific. The paper presents two examples of CD-ROMs and computerized databases from Alaska, describing how one elementary school produced a bilingual Yup'ik-English CD-ROM for a traditional story. It also examines how in southeast Alaska, Tlingit elders are working as consultants to create a computerized database (a talking map) of sites in the Glacier Bay area of historical and cultural significance to people of the Native village of Hoonah. The paper provides examples of how telecommunications are helping students use computers to write about their Native cultures and to write in their Native languages for distant audiences. It concludes that extending indigenous language use into cyber space will depend on local conditions (e.g., the… [PDF]

Davison, Claire; Stevens, Ken (1997). Mobile Pre-School Units and the Provision of Early Childhood Education in Rural New Zealand Communities. Rural Educator, v18 n3 p28-31 Spr. Mobile preschool units provide a viable solution to the problem of delivering preschool education to isolated rural New Zealanders. Advantages include delivery of bicultural education to Maori children, a low teacher-student ratio, provision of qualified teachers, and enthusiastic parent participation. Disadvantages include inadequate buildings, inability to display children's work, and short time available at each site. (TD)…

Abramowitz, Jack (1989). Readings in American History (In Their Own Words), Book III. New Directions for the United States and Teacher's Guide. This skills-text is the third of four books in the series \Readings in American History.\ The materials allow opportunities to improve reading and comprehension skills in a subject matter context by using certain primary sources related to the topic. Book 3 covers the period from the Civil War to 1900. Each lesson includes short readings with exercises and questions to allow students to explore the topic. The volume includes: (1) \Slavery Divides the Nation\; (2) \Letters and Diaries from the Civil War\; (3) \Emancipation\; (4) \Black Soldiers in the Civil War\; (5) \The Effort at Reconstruction\; (6) \Westward Ho\; (7) \The Black Exodus of 1879\; (8) \A Century of Dishonor Toward Native Americans\; (9) \The Farmer's Revolt\; (10) \The Rise of Big Business\; (11) \The Rise of Labor Unionism\; (12) \The New Immigrants\; (13) \The Election of 1896\; and (14) \Imperialism and Racism.\ A review section, glossary, and teacher's guide are included. (EH)…

Aton, Kanani; Glendon, Crystal; Kawakami, Alice J.; Stewart, Roxane (1999). Curriculum Guidelines: Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development Project. The Na'imiloa (seeker of knowledge) program provides educational enrichment opportunities to gifted underachieving Native Hawaiian high school students. Developed by the University of Hawaii at Hilo and selected high schools, the program was designed to build upon students' talents, develop their self-esteem, and develop an awareness and appreciation of the Hawaiian culture in order to support overall positive achievement at school. Students selected for the program start in their sophomore year. The Na'imiloa classes fall under varying academic disciplines as determined by the individual schools. The foundation of the curriculum is the values embraced by Hawaiians. The curriculum concepts–identity, social interactions, physical environment, and artifacts–provide focus for the development of these values within specific educational activity settings. These concepts may be developed for performance in a spectrum of informal to formal relationships and situations. The culminating… [PDF]

Corson, David; Goldberg, Michelle (2001). Minority Languages Learned Informally: The Social Construction of Language Skills through the Discourse of Ontario Employers. NALL Working Paper. Many immigrants, refugees, and aboriginal Canadians learn their own languages in the normal, informal way. These minority languages learned informally are not valued as a skill that yields returns in the labor market in the same way the official languages or formally learned languages do. What counts as a skill in a society, in a given point in time, is the product of complex phenomenological, social, economic, ideological, and political processes. Discourse is key to this process of social and cultural reproduction. The discourse of Ontario employers socially constructs the definition of what counts as a skill in Ontario workplaces and thus what warrants value in the labor market. The notion of skill is a construction that is socially created and hence changeable. If we want to change the unjust situation that affects the speakers of minority languages, we need to change the discourse surrounding minority languages to one that truly values minority languages as skills worth… [PDF]

Butler, Brian (1993). Aboriginal Children: Back to Origins. Family Matters, n35 p7-12 Aug. The chairman of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (Australia) discusses the struggle to establish adequate child welfare services and education for aboriginal families and their children. Aboriginal people have resisted acculturation and the influence of racism to preserve their culture, identity, and extended families. (LP)…

Hart-Wasekeesikaw, Fjola; Paterson, Barbara (1994). Mentoring Women in Higher Education: Lessons from the Elders. College Teaching, v42 n2 p72-77 Spr. A distinguishing feature of teaching and learning in traditional aboriginal cultures such as that of Native Americans is respect for the learner's unique way of knowing. Such practices complement the feminist perspective of education and are appropriate for faculty mentors of women college students. (MSE)…

Thomson, Sue (2004). Numeracy in the Early Years: Project Good Start. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, v9 n4 p14-17. "Numeracy in the early years: Project good start" was a national project that commenced in 2001, and will conclude this year. The key objective of the project is to improve children's early numeracy outcomes by investigating the practices and learning experiences that support the numeracy development of a sample of children in the year before school and in their first year of formal schooling. Case studies of some of these children were also prepared and analysed. Children's before-school experiences (including at home, and in preschool and childcare settings) and first year of school experiences were examined, with a particular focus on factors affecting early numeracy development. The project investigated the effects of children's backgrounds (for example, geographically isolated, rural, low socioeconomic urban areas, and areas with high indigenous populations); the different numeracy programs that these children encounter; the beliefs of parents and practitioners… [Direct]

Kitchenham, Andrew D., Ed.; Montgomery, Jim C., Ed. (2000). Issues Affecting Rural Communities (II). Proceedings of the International Conference [on] Rural Communities & Identities in the Global Millennium (Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, May 1-5, 2000). This proceedings of a conference held in May 2000 at Malaspina University-College (British Columbia) contains approximately 63 conference papers, abstracts of papers, and keynote speeches. The conference examined issues affecting rural communities, with major themes being rural education, health, human services, families, and the sustainability of rural communities. The conference aimed to foster an international network of rural scholars, which had its beginnings at a 1994 conference of the same name, held at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. Topics of speeches and papers include history of U.S. rural women teachers, rural school reform, public policies affecting rural communities, adjustment of professionals relocating to rural areas, community health services and initiatives, rural community information services, rural studies programs, Aboriginal education in Canada and Australia, information technology use on farms and in rural schools and communities, rural… [PDF]

Manuelito, Kathryn D. (2003). Building a Native Teaching Force: Important Considerations. ERIC Digest. Since 1975, the political climate has increasingly supported the inclusion of American Indian culture and language in Native education and the training of Native teachers. Native teachers enhance the teacher-student relationship for Native students, are role models for Native youth, and are aware of Native learning styles. The ongoing Native Educators Research Project, examining how language and culture are included in the education of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian teachers, surveyed 238 students in 27 Native teacher preparation programs and interviewed program administrators. Although most programs articulated a focus on Native language and culture, course contents and requirements often did not reflect that intent. About half the respondents reported that they spoke and understood their Native language and were knowledgeable about their Native culture. About a third could write in their Native language. Nearly all respondents felt that Native language and culture… [PDF]

Stavenhagen, Rodolfo (1994). Double Jeopardy: The Children of Ethnic Minorities. Innocenti Occasional Papers. Child Rights Series, Number 10. This paper examines the state of current research on ethnic minorities and their children and discusses areas in which further study is needed so that effective policy guidelines may be developed within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. A number of examples of ethnic minority situations are presented to illustrate the particular problems faced by families, children, and youth of ethnic minorities and indigenous and tribal peoples. It is commonly held that the solutions to the problems of these groups lie in their ability and willingness to adapt rather than in actions by the dominant societies. After a description of the ways ethnic minorities are usually categorized (territorial minorities, ethnic and cultural minorities, immigrants and refugees, and indigenous and tribal peoples), the paper surveys theoretical approaches to the study of ethnicity and examines the issue of cultural values in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the…

Fraser, Jane (1993). Outcome Based Teaching Strategies and Evaluation for Computer Instruction in Keyboarding on an Aboriginal Island Reserve. Twenty-eight adult students and four adolescent students were interested in completing computer instruction in keyboarding in their own environment to gain skills and knowledge that would bring them up to date in the information age. The students who enrolled in the keyboarding course were assessed by timed writings, production applications, and personal interviews for grade-level placement. Production assignments were given to students assessed at the advanced level; modeling of function keys and alphanumeric keys and drills were given to students with no previous computer experience. One-on-one instruction was the most common mode of delivery; peer tutoring was next. Students worked at their own pace, since the textbook provided step-by-step instruction. Advanced students were also given the opportunity to complete complex, abstract, and theoretical assignments to achieve advanced level. The students worked in informal groupings that they chose themselves. Community support was… [PDF]

Cazden, Courtney B.; Gray, Brian (1991). Concentrated Language Encounters: The International Biography of a Curriculum Concept. This paper is about a teaching program that was developed at a school in Alice Springs, a small town in Australia that has influenced teaching programs for Aboriginal children in that country. At Traeger Park school, the Aboriginal children speak English, although the speech of many children is characterized as Aboriginal English dialect. The school teaches in English and seeks to achieve mainstream curriculum goals, an orientation supported by the parents. The effect of Cazden's concept of concentrated language encounters on the development of the teaching program at Traeger Park is described in detail. By employing a social construction approach to classroom discourse that concentrated on the scaffolding of common knowledge, a learning environment was created in which different discourse agendas on the part of the children and the teacher could come together in a way that still allowed the cultural goals for school learning to be achieved. (Contains 17 references.) (JP)… [PDF]

Koki, Stan; Lee, Harvey (1998). Parental Involvement in Education: What Works in the Pacific? Promising Practices in the Pacific Region. Increasing parent involvement in the Pacific region requires an understanding of the traditional system of Pacific education. While historically Pacific education involved parents and community members as children's first teachers, the American model of education virtually ignores this tradition. The school assumes the entire responsibility for education, leading to the belief that school and home are separate domains. Interviews and discussions with Pacific residents focused on involving the traditional extended family in education, and identified barriers to and successful Pacific practices in family and parent involvement. Most barriers to family involvement are social and cultural, including lack of cultural awareness among teachers, importance of community and church events over school activities, low priority given to family involvement by some principals, and parental feelings of being unwelcome or uncomfortable in school surroundings. Three successful family involvement… [PDF]

Gage, Susan (1991). Colonialism in the Americas: A Critical Look!. Dialogue and illustrations trace the history of the first peoples of South, Central, and North America and encourage students to look at past and present patterns of colonialism and to view colonialism from the perspective of the colonized. Chapter 1 critiques Columbus 500 years after founding the first colony in the Americas. Chapter 2 presents the indigenous people who lived in South and Central America before Columbus arrived. Following this, chapter 3 explores the structure of the colonial system, and chapter 4 discusses colonialism in North America from 1607 to 1776. Chapters 5 and 6 provide case studies of the native people of Georgia and Alabama and of the Sioux nation. Chapter 7 describes the struggle for aboriginal rights by the first Canadians, and chapter 8 examines the aftermath of colonialism. Chapter 9 discusses second stage colonialism by the United States as internal conquest turns to external expansion. Guatemala is a case study of neocolonialism in chapter 10, and…

Parsons, Jim (1982). The Nature and Implication of Textbook Bias. Savage, blood-thirsty, drunk, monosyllabic, naked, and primitive are the stereotypes of Native Americans in textbooks. These stereotypes are so pervasive that they tend to be accepted uncritically by the rest of society. The evidence suggests that many textbooks are biased and, in a large number of cases, outright racist. The concept of "errors by omission" has been noted as important by several educators. Also, many authors who are critical of textbooks state that texts are written from a white Eurocentric perspective. In the pamphlet "Two History Texts: A Study in Contrasts" (1975), Moore states that judging one culture by the standards of another represents its own type of bias. Hence, Indians are named Indians instead of a name of their own choosing; authors report that"funny sounding" place names come from Indians; Indian religions practices are called myths; and the Indians were "discovered" or "found" by Europeans. Critics of… [PDF]

Bourque, Susan C. (1984). Peru: Affirmative Action for the Majority. This paper discusses affirmative action in Peru and considers what the government must do to solve the inferior status of the Indian majority. Ethnically and geographically diverse, Peru's population is said to be marked by inequities in wealth, education, and employment. The policies developed by Peruvian governments over the past 20 years to deal with these problems are analyzed. The first regime of Fernando Belaunde Terry (1963-68) is contrasted with the revolutionary military government of Juan Velasco (1968-75) and Morales Bermudez (1975-80). Three specific concerns are addressed: (1) policy innovation and its motivation; (2) the complexities of the implementation process; and (3) intended and unintended outcomes on Indian peasants and women. The paper reports that by the mid-1970s, a series of affirmative action efforts were undertaken by Peruvian governments, but considers that not all of these have been successful. One reason for failure cited is the difficulty of…

RIESSMAN, FRANK ISSUES IN TRAINING THE NEW NONPROFESSIONAL. THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE PRESENTED IN THIS MODEL FOR TRAINING NONPROFESSIONALS FOR JOBS IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN SERVICES ARE BASED ON A "NEW CAREER" CONCEPT, WHERE THE JOB ITSELF PROVIDES MOTIVATION FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TRAINING, UPGRADING, AND EDUCATION. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAMS IS GIVEN TO THE RECRUITMENT OF SENIOR TRAINERS ("TRAINERS OF TRAINERS") FROM NONTRADITIONAL SOURCES, THE SPECIALIZED TRAINING REQUIRED BY THESE TRAINERS, AND THE KIND OF KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO HAVE ABOUT NONPROFESSIONAL TRAINEES. SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED IN THESE GUIDELINES ARE THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF TRAINEES. RECOMMENDED TRAINING METHODS INCLUDE ON-SITE TRAINING, BRIEF PRESERVICE ORIENTATION IN A "PROTECTED" BASE, A PHASED PROGRAM AND SYSTEMATIC INSERVICE, JOB-RELATED TRAINING CONDUCTED IN TEAMS OR GROUPS. SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS ARE ILLUSTRATED BY REFERENCE TO THE EXPERIENCES OF THE LINCOLN NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY…. [PDF]

Grosser, Charles, Ed.; And Others (1969). Nonprofessionals in the Human Services. In fourteen in-depth studies, this book explores problems and possibilities in employing nonprofessionals in such human service fields as social work, mental health, and psychology. It analyzes the effects of social change on professional structures and practices and, in turn, the social implications of nonprofessional staffing and career development: liberation of the poor (especially inner city Negroes and other disadvantaged minorities) from chronic unemployment; the rational use of manpower; the extension and improvement of services to poor and affluent alike. Difficulties stemming from emphasis on certification and status are considered, followed by training and manpower development efforts, issues in formulating social policies, professional attitudes in clinical psychology, Federal legislation since 1965, and nonprofessional training programs within the Federal government itself. A great need is seen to convince professionals in all fields that, by using nonprofessional aides…

Anderson, Scarvia B. (1969). From Textbooks to Reality: Social Researchers Face the Facts of Life in the World of the Disadvantaged. This report, addressed to graduate students who intend to enter into field research in inner-city settings, details some of the personnel and community relations problems and logistical and financial challenges encountered by a research team, which undertook an evaluation of early education programs, basic research on child development, and social action. Hiring community workers for local management and data collection was found to present problems. The evaluation staff underestimated demands placed on the local coordinator, whose loyalty was divided between the community and the project. Delays in bimonthly pay checks created serious hardships, and were responsible for absenteeism among black mothers hired as testers. Chaos and violence in these women's lives were noted to affect their work. Securing adequate office space, transportation and communication facilities, children's furniture, estimation of petty cash needs, and the establishment of trust between the project evaluation… [PDF]

Riessman, Frank (1969). Strategies Against Poverty. The major antipoverty strategies of the 1960's are analyzed–the conflict model of Alinsky, the welfare crisis approach of Cloward and Piven, and the new careers viewpoint of Riessman and Pearl. The latter strategy is said to have a greater "multiplier effect" on poverty than other approaches. Discussed are such specific strategies in the human services areas as mental health, education, and family planning. (NH)…

Hooley, Neil (2002). Participatory Action Research and the Struggle for Legitimation. There is little reason why educational research in Australia should be progressive and highly developed, given that its history and direction are subject to the economic and political determinants of an increasingly globalized and uncertain world. Educational research cannot be a neutral endeavor; it demands that researchers identify a political perspective or world view from which new knowledge is described and interpreted. Such fundamental questions have confronted the design and implementation of Nyerna Studies, a bachelor of education program being conducted in partnership between Victoria University of Technology and the Koori people of the Echuca region of Australia. The program is highly innovative and community-based, pursuing holistic and enquiry learning and projects that are negotiated around integrated areas of student interest. "Naturalistic inquiry" processes are more appropriate to generating community knowledge than the more formal processes of the physical… [PDF]

Kickett-Tucker, Cheryl S. (1999). School Sport Self-Concept of Urban Aboriginal School Children: Teacher Influences. This paper examines the self-concept of urban Western Australian Aboriginal school children, aged 11-12, in school sports settings. Most students were from the Nyoongar Aboriginal community of southwestern Western Australia. Data were collected from interviews with Aboriginal students and parents, class teachers, and sports teachers, and from observations in the school sport setting. Overall, school sports contributed favorably to Aboriginal students' self-concept and feelings about their Aboriginality. Sports activities generated enjoyment and provided opportunities for students to demonstrate their sport and physical competencies. Although males and females differed in their sports preferences, basketball was a favorite of all Aboriginal students, regardless of gender or ability. All students reported positive expectations about their ability to perform well in sports in the future. However, the school did not meet student needs to develop their sports competence. The school's… [PDF]

McInerney, Dennis M.; And Others (1997). Cultural Perspectives on School Motivation: The Relevance and Application of Goal Theory. American Educational Research Journal, v34 n1 p207-36 Spr. Whether goals held by students from diverse cultural backgrounds differ and the relationship of these goals to school motivation and achievement were studied with 2,156 Australian (Anglo, immigrant, and Aboriginal), 529 Navajo, and 198 Canadian Montagnais Betsiamite Indian secondary school students. Cross cultural and educational implications are discussed. (SLD)…

Fraser, Barry J.; And Others (1990). Tertiary Bridging Courses in Science and Mathematics for Second Chance Students in Australia. Higher Education Research and Development, v9 n2 p85-100. Programs designed to enable Australian aborigines who had not successfully completed high school to qualify for science- and mathematics-related courses in higher education emphasize diagnostic testing, individualized instruction, short-term goals, and learner independence. Tutors have instructional, management, and support roles. Some early program success is evident. (Author/MSE)…

Johnson, Linda G. (1992). Food on the Move. Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society, v34 n1 p27-28 Spr. Presents a classroom lesson that teaches about the transfer of plants and animals between Europe and the Americas as a result of the Columbian voyages. Includes a list of teaching resources and step-by-step procedures. (CFR)…

Driben, Paul; Simpson, Leanne R. (2000). From Expert to Acolyte: Learning To Understand the Environment from an Anishinaabe Point of View. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, v24 n3 p1-19. A land use mapping study in an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) Indian Reserve in northern Ontario attempted to satisfy the demands of both academic and Aboriginal communities. Community elders provided extensive knowledge of the local environment, its history and cultural and spiritual significance, and the links between environmental and community well-being during a collaborative process that produced a bilingual cultural atlas. (SV)…

Hinton, Leanne (1995). Current Issues Affecting Language Loss and Language Survival in California. Southwest Journal of Linguistics, v14 n1-2 p29-42. California is extremely linguistically diverse, with one of the largest numbers of deeply endangered indigenous languages. None of its 50 living Indian languages are being learned at home by children, with few native speakers left. Outlines some language activism that native Californians are using to help develop new speakers and save their languages from extinction. (Author/SM)…

Ladhams, Jan (2005). Teaching Children to Understand Operations in Early Childhood. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, v10 n4 p19-26. The author discusses teaching early child mathematics in an environment of unique challenge in a remote region of Western Australia. The challenges include: (1) a high proportion of transient students; (2) a student population that is forty percent aboriginal, many for whom English is a second language; (3) students who consistently perform below the general student population in numeracy assessments; (4) teachers who are experiencing professional isolation; and (5) high financial costs, time commitments, and logistical difficulties in gathering personnel at central meeting places. In such an environment, teachers use a wide range of pedagogies in their classrooms, becoming more diagnostic in their approach to teaching the operations and using successful learning experiences to initiate purposeful mathematical dialogue, arouse curiosity, challenge thinking, and actively engage students in learning. By noting specific weaknesses, listening to the kinds of questions students ask, and… [Direct]

Dick, Alan (1997). Village Science. Teacher's Edition [and Student Edition]. This science curriculum was written to inspire rural Alaskans, primarily Alaska Natives, to find science in their local environment. The author lived a subsistence lifestyle in the Alaskan bush for over 30 years and claims that understanding science has often kept him from being stuck out in the woods. Section 1, Skills, Tools, and Craftsmanship, contains seven chapters covering cutting and drying fish; sharpening tools; nails, pegs, and lashings; falling trees and small-scale logging; guns; chainsaw clutch and chain; and ice picks. Section 2, Shelters, covers wood stoves, wall tents, steambaths, insulation and vapor barriers, and gas lamps and stoves. The final section, Ways and Means of Travel, presents 12 chapters that address piloting a boat, boat design, basic concepts of gasoline engines, dog sleds, snowmachine tracks, snowshoes, and winter trails. A notation at the beginning of each chapter explains which academic standards and scientific concepts are addressed. The… [PDF]