(2011). Indigenizing Assessment Using Community Funds of Knowledge: A Critical Action Research Study. Journal of American Indian Education, v50 n3 p26-41. In light of attempts to build a stronger appreciation for knowledge that is often constructed by the dominant Western culture's standards, this article focuses on the efforts to create agency among classroom teachers who teach in rural Alaskan schools. In discussions around the theories of assessment–the focal point of a summer course examined herein–the seven teachers in this group gained agency and ownership to begin making critical changes toward assessment practices among Yup'ik children in Alaska. Using data collected through student and teacher dialogic reflections, field notes from the classroom, and individual construction of portfolios, the teachers combined elements of funds of knowledge and authentic assessment to reconstruct ways of assessing students' Yup'ik language development and English based on Indigenous ways of learning. The article demonstrates how teachers indigenized assessment by "drawing on the power of their place" to align assessments to the… [Direct]
(2013). Sister R. Leadership: Doing the Seemingly Impossible. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, v16 n2 p33-43 Jun. Sister R., the first author, is a Dominican Sister of Peace. Until recently, Sister R. had been the director of the Maya Ministry Family Literacy Program, working with the Maya Community in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida. She described her work with these indigenous, preliterate, hardworking peoples as "a university of the poor" in which "I do community." She worked tirelessly and lived among a largely "invisible" community, but what she thought and did–as a leader–made the seemingly impossible possible. These case stories will describe how she brought leadership capabilities to indigenous, preliterate peoples, a seemingly impossible accomplishment when leadership is defined by traditional assumptions of power and literacy. As authors, we wrote these case stories specifically for the field of educational leadership, which urgently needs to develop new ideas and practices on how to integrate social justice into "everyday" school… [Direct]
(2013). Diversifying Science: Recognizing Indigenous Knowledge Systems as Scientific Worldviews. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. In this dissertation I examine Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Western science, critically analyzing the underlying values of each, and exploring ways in which both systems can be utilized side by side. In general, Western science has arguably become the worldview utilized in dealing with the many complex multi-level issues of today. Research has shown that as issues increase in both size and complexity, so does the need for cultural and intellectual diverse frames of reference for identifying solutions to problems. By necessity Indigenous peoples have developed their own science-based understandings of the world. Passed on through oral traditions, Indigenous peoples have both maintained and expanded their understandings over time. Until recently Indigenous worldviews have been forcefully removed and placed outside of the realm of science. Focusing on Indigenous stories as scientific knowledge-wells and storytelling as a vital means of transmitting that knowledge, I discuss… [Direct]
(2011). Unsettling Ourselves: Some Thoughts on Non-Native Participation in Decolonization Work. Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education, v23 n2 p4-5 Win. The ecological impact of colonialism is inextricable from empire building, industrialism, large-scale deforestation, and agriculture. Not long ago one could safely drink from nearly every lake, river, stream, and spring, and one could hunt animals as a part of intact ecosystems. Today's world is very different. Colonization alters the reality through one's language and sense of place. Learning the history of the Saugeen Ojibway or the Algonquins, referring to the area as the Saugeen rather than the Bruce Peninsula, and learning how one can assist these nations' reparations is one way of decolonizing the language and sense of place. Decolonizing people's minds has a lot to do with outdoor education work, which has deep roots in ecology and bioregionalism. The author shares some thoughts on non-native participation in decolonization work. (Contains 1 footnote.)… [PDF]
(2015). The Drive to Diversify the Teaching Profession: Narrow Assumptions, Hidden Complexities. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v18 n6 p858-876. In response to increasing cultural diversity within student populations in Australia as well as Britain, Europe and North America, there have been ongoing calls to diversify the teaching profession. Such a strategy is based on assumptions that teachers who are of ethnic and racial minority are well placed to act as role models for minority students, will understand students' cultural practices and beliefs and how they shape them as learners, and will contribute diverse cultural perspectives to school curricula. In this article I draw on data from two separate studies that investigated the experiences of culturally diverse teachers working in Australian schools. I illustrate how the participants are constructed, first and foremost, as ethnic and racialised teacher subjects, a positioning that shapes the nature of their work and professional identities. I suggest that the work of racially and ethnically diverse teachers and the construction of their professional selves are underpinned… [Direct]
(2014). Don't Forget, Thursday Is Test[icle] Time! The Use of Humour in Sexuality Education. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, v14 n4 p387-399. Sexuality and humour share a fraught relationship at school, so that how humour might be productively employed in sexuality education constitutes a "risky" consideration. This paper explores the role of humour in sexuality education as observed in a Year 9 New Zealand health class. Adding to existing literature emphasising students' use of humour at school, it also considers how teachers might productively mobilise humour in the classroom. Findings reveal that while humour serves established purposes for students such as consolidating heterosexual masculinities, securing peer group hierarchies and disrupting learning agendas, it may hold other pedagogically productive possibilities. Potential uses include the relief of monotony, engaging with the needs of particular cultural groups of students, reinforcing taught information and reducing apprehension around potentially uncomfortable topics. Via this empirical exploration of the mobilisation of humour, the paper endeavours… [Direct]
(2015). Education as Reconciliation: Resorting Inuit Nunangat. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, v4 n1 p56-67. Education is stated as the number one priority of the Government of Nunavut's "Sivumiut Abluqta" mandate. The Nunavut education system is seen by many as failing to provide Inuit with the promise of supporting Inuit economic and social well-being. Today in Nunavut, there is a growing awareness of the effects of past colonialist polices and the need for individual and group healing. However, within the current education reforms, there is little discourse that reflects this colonialist history and how it continues to shape education in Nunavut. This paper seeks to answer the following questions: How did the transition from an autonomous lifestyle on the land, to a dependent lifestyle in communities, affect Inuit society? How are the intergenerational affects of this transition manifested in the classrooms of Nunavut? How can the education system facilitate a public discourse that supports healing and reconciliation? As a high school social studies teacher in Nunavut, I am… [PDF]
(2015). Epistemological Considerations for Approaching Teaching in an On-Line Environment Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teacher Education Program: Reconsidering TPACK. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v40 n9 Article 4 Sep. This research inquiry explores teacher educator knowledge, understandings and beliefs informing their teaching in a web-based Australian teacher education program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Through the use of a phenomenologically aligned interview process, the study investigates instructors' consideration of practice for teaching in an on-line environment. Using the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as a lens for analysis, what emerges from the data is how lecturers' knowledge and beliefs about students influences the roles they adopt as educators, and how this influences, in turn, what and how technology is used to support student learning. The study ends by critiquing and re-conceptualizing TPACK and providing insights that program developers and teacher educators need to consider in the conceptualization and enrichment of web-based learning, especially those which engage with minority students, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander… [PDF]
(2017). ACER 2015-2016 Annual Report. Australian Council for Educational Research The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is one of the world's leading educational research centres. ACER's mission is to create and promote research-based knowledge, products and services that can be used to improve learning across the life span. This annual report describes ACER's milestones and accomplishments for the 2015-2016 academic year. Ongoing priorities included: building the breadth, depth and reach of research; expanding professional resources and technologies in support of assessment for teaching and learning; providing leadership in school-community partnerships; enhancing the role as education adviser and commentator; addressing disadvantage; and consolidating the role as a higher education provider. [For the report from the previous year, "ACER 2014-2015 Annual Report," see ED582349.]… [Direct]
(2016). Inuit Voices on Quality Education in Nunavut: Policy Implications. International Journal of Educational Methodology, v2 n1 p31-44. This paper is based on a research that explored how Inuit community members in Nunavut Territory, Canada, conceptualized quality education in the socio-cultural context of the territory. Data were collected through telephone interviews of 13 Inuit community members in Nunavut and document reviews both of which were conducted in 2010. The data analysis showed that Inuit community members are gravely concerned with:(1) the low grade twelve graduation rates and high dropout rates in the territory schools;(2) School improvement planning that engages Inuit communities; (3) Integration of school with the larger community; (4) Communicative engagement with parents and other community stakeholders; (5) Culturally relevant school programming and pedagogy; and (6) Culturally appropriate disciplinary methods. In the conclusion, the paper spells out the policy implications of the findings…. [PDF]
(2016). Longitudinal Effects of a Two-Generation Preschool Programme on Receptive Language Skill in Low-Income Canadian Children to Age 10 Years. Early Child Development and Care, v186 n8 p1316-1326. We explored longitudinal effects of a two-generation preschool programme on receptive language scores in children (n = 78) at age 10 years, living with low income. Scores at four time-points, programme intake, exit, age 7, and age 10 years were measured using the "Peabody picture vocabulary test" (3rd ed.). Effects of culture (Aboriginal, other Canadian-born, and recent immigrant), and gender of the children were explored. Between programme intake and age 10, scores improved significantly, F(3, 75) = 21.11, p < 0.0005. There were significant differences among cultural groups at all time-points except age 10. Scores differed significantly for girls, but not boys, at age 10, F = 5.11, p = 0.01. Recent immigrant boys reached the Canadian average, while girls were two-thirds of the standard deviation below average. Early intervention programmes must include a focus on the unique circumstances of recent immigrant girls; supportive transition workers in schools are one… [Direct]
(2011). Stories of Reconciliation: Building Cross-Cultural Collaborations between Indigenous Musicians and Undergraduate Music Students in Tennant Creek. Australian Journal of Music Education, n2 p11-21. In this paper I look at what happens when a university music classroom is exchanged for a remote Indigenous community. I explore what happens when pedagogical practices are decolonised and placed into the hands of Indigenous Elders and musicians, and reveal the sorts of musical interactions that transpire when students and Indigenous musicians are given the opportunity to spend time together and collaborate. In order to do this, I describe a cross-cultural project I facilitated between Indigenous musicians at the Winanjji-kari Music Centre in Tennant Creek and undergraduate music students from Brisbane. In the paper, I bring these interactions to life for the reader through my own personal observations, and the words and experiences of my students and our collaborators. I construct a narrative that explores the centrality of relationship building, issues of colonial guilt, the construction of Otherness, and the impact that this kind of cross-cultural engagement can have on the ways… [PDF]
(2011). Localization of Open Educational Resources (OER) in Nepal: Strategies of Himalayan Knowledge-Workers. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Brigham Young University. This dissertation examines localization of Open Educational Resources (OER) in Himalayan community technology centers of Nepal. Specifically, I examine strategies and practices that local knowledge-workers utilize in order to localize educational content for the disparate needs, interests, and ability-levels of learners in rural villages. This study draws on insights from non-formal education (NFE) stakeholders in Nepal, including government, UN, international and national NGOs, local knowledge-workers, and learners from different villages. I specifically focus on a sample of seven technology centers to better understand how localization is defined, designed, and executed at a ground level. I illuminate obstacles knowledge-workers face while localizing content and strategies to overcome such barriers. I conclude by offering key principles to support theory development related to OER localization. This study is anchored in hermeneutic inquiry and is augmented by interpretive… [Direct]
(2011). Coming, Ready or Not: Aboriginal Children's Transition to School in Urban Australia and the Policy Push. International Journal of Early Years Education, v19 n2 p145-161. Concern that too many Australian children, particularly Indigenous children, are not ready to start school has spurred a series of changes to the pre-school sector. Included among these changes are nationwide mass surveying and the introduction of a unified curriculum framework together with moves towards standardised entry assessment. Focusing on Indigenous children in mainstream schools in settled Western Australia, it is argued that such measures have a limited capacity to address misplaced notions of deficit and assist Indigenous children in making the transition to school. Currently missing from policy and profession is a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture and language use. (Contains 7 notes.)… [Direct]
(2014). What Kind of International Interchange Is Beneficial? Experiences of Taiwanese Indigenes. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, v7 n2 p155-164. Because of globalization, international interchanges among indigenes in every country have become more frequent. Influenced by international multicultural trends, Taiwan's government not only supports indigenous populations to revive their traditional cultures, but also encourages the promotion of the international interchange activities among indigenous populations. This research focused on specialists familiar with indigenous relative affairs to evaluate the benefits and the order of international interchanges. A self-developed questionnaire was used and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and descriptive statistics were employed to measure the relative importance of the factors and international strategies chosen by the indigene affair specialists, respectively. The correspondence analysis aims to explore the relationship between the goal and strategy of indigenous international interchanges. Finally, based on the findings and discussion, some suggestions are provided for… [PDF]