(1995). Conceptions of Nature among Saami Pastorialists. Trumpeter, v12 n1 p27-33. Examines the values of the traditional Saami pastoralists and the effects of modern industrialized society on their culture. Focuses on the Saami conception of nature. (LZ)…
(1999). Research Partnerships with Local People: New Approaches to Research in Indigenous Societies. Convergence, v32 n1-4 p18-32. A researcher's participatory research collaboration with indigenous teachers to develop culturally appropriate practices is used to reflect on the researcher's role as an "inside-outsider." Ways to develop appropriate practices in participatory research are addressed. (SK)…
(2004). Here Comes the Sun. School Arts: The Art Education Magazine for Teachers, v103 n6 p44 Feb. This article describes ones classroom's experience integrating a lesson for fourth grade students that involved creating a new relationship between a fairly modern art medium–colored tissue–and an ancient craft. Yarn painting is one of the more popular art forms of the Huichol, an indigenous people from the western Sierra Madre ranges in Mexico. The Huichol make yarn paintings in the sun by coating a board with beeswax and pressing yarn into the warm wax. The finished pieces were evaluated for design and technique….
(2005). Mother Earth's Children's Charter School in Canada: Imagining a New Story of School. Childhood Education, v81 n6 p343 Aug. Throughout her 10-year teaching career, Charlene Crowe was concerned that the minds, spirits, and physical needs of indigenous children were not being addressed, let alone embraced, through the public school system in Canada. In the fall of 1996, Charlene shared her vision for a better educational approach with two aboriginal Elders. Her vision turned into reality in late August 2003 when over 300 students, teachers, parents, community elders, and researchers gathered to witness the official opening of Mother Earth's Children's Charter School (MECCS), the first indigenous charter school in Canada. In this article, the authors share several stories of how MECCS has touched the lives of the indigenous children in Canada….
(2006). Out of Disaster Comes Opportunity: Initial Lessons from Teacher Mentoring in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education, v4 n2 Fall. On December 26, 2004, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake–the most powerful in more than 40 years–struck deep under the Indian Ocean. It was centered about 100 miles southwest off the coast of Aceh, Indonesia, and triggered massive tsunamis across the coasts of Asia and Africa. In Aceh province, located at the northwest tip of the island of Sumatra in the Republic of Indonesia, as a result of the earthquake and tsunami more than 150,000 people were killed, and more than 500,000 were left homeless. In Aceh, the tsunami destroyed more than 800 km of the coastline, damaging roads and bridges, destroying approximately 2,135 schools and more than 120 health facilities. Reports indicate that over 40,000 students and 2,500 teachers and educational personnel died in the tsunami. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) was one of the NGOs supporting the Achenese people by focusing on protecting and educating children. Throughout the next few months, out of the disaster came the opportunity for IRC… [PDF]
(1999). Monitoring a Maori Teacher Training Programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. For years, Maori tribes have wanted their own people to be trained as teachers and to return to teach their own language and culture in their tribal regions. Many Maori who returned from colleges of education had absorbed too much of European New Zealanders' ways and did not meet their community's expectations. Maori-education preschools were graduating 5-year-olds who were bilingual, Maori-English speakers, but Maori parents and communities became increasingly concerned that state primary-school teachers were unprepared to continue or maintain these students' Maori language development. Maori communities challenged the educational system to become more sensitive to Maori needs. As a result, the Wangunui Regional Community Polytechnic developed an innovative teacher training program. As a relatively new course, it is under the spotlight for various reasons. It is Maori driven and supported; it receives funding that might otherwise go to traditional providers; it is located within a… [PDF]
(2007). The Mauritian Education System: Was There a Will to Anglicize it?. Education Research and Perspectives, v33 n1 p88-114. Clive Whitehead (2005: 315-329) makes an indisputable claim that British colonial education is a controversial topic in the history of education. The macro study of educational systems undertaken within a framework that guarantees a systematic and rigorous approach can offer answers to many disputed issues, but researchers should not underestimate the equally valid contribution of micro investigations carried out on specific issues like the anglicization of "public instruction" in former British colonies. This is the justification for this article on the language issue in the development of education in Mauritius. While positing that scholarly research is directed towards uncovering the truth, researchers have always been preoccupied with the fact that the findings of their work are often ensnared with religious and philosophical beliefs, and ideological and political speculation. When Whitehead talks about the need to avoid investigations guided by the contemporary values… [Direct]
(2007). Teachers' Constructions of Democracy: Intersections of Western and Indigenous Knowledge in South Africa and Kenya. Comparative Education Review, v51 n3 p307-328 Aug. In this article, the author aims to explore the roles of knowledge in constructions of democracy. First, she discusses theoretical ways to differentiate among some of the existing perspectives on democracy and citizenship within democratic states. She also examines Western conceptions of democracy and democratic citizenship, which draw distinctions between the individual and the citizen, to show how they separate the public and private spheres of citizens' lives. From the perspective of these distinctions, local culture and indigenous knowledge are often devalued, and capitalism is paired with democracy to form a closely aligned economic and political structure. Implicated in this totalizing narrative are relations between indigenous and nonindigenous groups and between men/boys and women/girls. Second, she considers teachers' voices from two democratic African nations, South Africa and Kenya. Both countries face challenges to strengthening democratic environments and governance… [Direct]
(1999). Nyungar Education in a Southwest Australian Location: A Perspective. Nyungar is the name used by the Aboriginal people of southwest Australia. A 1993 ethnographic study conducted for an Aboriginal university group, corroborated by 1996 data, suggests that a reasonable number of non-Aboriginal teachers believe that assimilation of Nyungar students is essential for their success at school and in future life. This belief is translated into assimilationist teaching practices and school culture, which in turn results in low academic success, very low retention, and much higher than non-Aboriginal rates of disciplinary action. The 1993 study indicated that rapport between student and teacher significantly increased student success. The rapport could occur within any model of teaching, however it was more likely to occur when students' Aboriginality was respected, and when learning processes were used that were compatible with Nyungar cultural practices, such as sharing, cooperation, and respect for students' will and responsibility for self. The study… [PDF]
(2009). A Qualitative Evaluation of the Views of Community Workers on the Dental Health Education Material Available in New South Wales for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities. Health Education Journal, v68 n4 p314-319. Objective: To record the views of individuals whose main professional role is community liaison on dental health education material for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Methods: Tape-recorded interviews were undertaken, reviewed by two individuals and themes identified. Results: Twenty four individuals were interviewed out of a possible 30 potential participants. Three main themes emerged: translation and use of language; inappropriate use of illustrations; dental problems inadequately addressed. There was consensus that the majority of health education literature produced by a multitude of health care agencies was patronizing, inadequately tested and gave little thought to different end-user groups. Conclusion: Producers of dental health information literature should research their potential user groups more carefully…. [Direct]
(2002). Indigenous Teaching Programs: The Benefits of Teaching Indigenous Australian Studies in a Cross-Cultural Context. An Australian national survey of 10,019 primary and secondary teachers suggested that preparation in Indigenous Australian studies held the lowest ranking of national priority items. In addition, a national qualitative study identified inadequacies in teacher preparation for teaching Indigenous Australian studies, especially in secondary schools. At Griffith University in Brisbane (Queensland), non-Indigenous preservice teachers receive cross-cultural training from a team of five Indigenous educators. Indigenous teachers use an interdisciplinary approach to teach students their worldview more than specific facts or knowledge. An Indigenous worldview is the relationship of priority, importance, and responsibility to the human and physical world. An Indigenous worldview requires students to accept the concept of difference. The greatest understanding students need to achieve is that knowledge is created through individual or group perception and that truth is a perspective. Indigenous… [PDF]
(2007). The Praeger Handbook of Education and Psychology. Volume 1. Praeger Cognition, mind, counseling psychology, lesson plans, learning styles, and Vygotsky are just a few of the many subjects discussed in this exciting work. Educators, students, counselors, parents, and others will find new understanding as they read and browse. How does the immigrant experience affect student outcomes? What are the effects of poverty on standardized testing? How can a teacher or parent develop study skills in the special needs learner? What is the effect of the school environment on students? What are the larger issues at work in educating students of diverse race, culture, and class? This work, a rethinking of the field of school psychology, will be an essential resource for anyone interested in teaching and learning. It combines effective, traditional knowledge with contemporary insights into the nature of today's schools and students. Currently, there is an information gap between scholars and practitioners in the field of educational psychology concerning recent and… [Direct]
(1993). Aboriginal Education and the Arts Policy (Draft). This document outlines a policy for the art education of and about Aboriginal people. Teachers in art education should have an understanding of Aboriginal education issues, and developers of art programs should consult with Aboriginal people before beginning work on a program and continuously throughout development. Teachers should take into account differences in the preferred learning styles of Aboriginal students. Aboriginal artists should be encouraged within the teaching/learning environment. Art teachers should be aware of sensitive issues such as: authenticity, accuracy, and cultural specificity. Spiritual significance, correct terminology, and the meaning and translation of "The Dreaming" also should be considered by the art educator. (MM)… [PDF]
(1997). Listening, Heeding, and Respecting the Ground at One's Feet: Knowledge and the Arts across Cultures. Philosophy of Music Education Review, v5 n1 p14-24 Spr. Outlines Australian Aboriginal perspectives, groundedness in particular, on life and the world around them. Shows the need for adopting Aboriginal conceptions and ideology in western industrialized societies enabling those cultures to experience the textures of life. Emphasizes the role of listening as a way for other cultures to adopt Aboriginal notions. (CMK)…
(2008). The Librarian as Bridge-Builder. Public Services Quarterly, v4 n2 p177-185. Libraries transform communities by providing well-organized information resources and services. Conversely, communities can also transform libraries if librarians appreciate the rich diversity of the communities' information needs, acting as bridges between communities as well as enabling and facilitating community-building. The roles of librarians are to show that the libraries of today are more than providers of information but are also facilitators for information flow across communities. In this essay, the authors explore how the libraries can act as bridges to facilitate community transformation through teaching and learning, using emerging technologies, maintaining supportive organizational structures, and becoming strategically innovative. Such connections and moves offer libraries boundless ways to expand services and offerings by enhancing the ways in which librarians offer instruction, technology access, and collections of materials in a value-added, Web-enabled library… [Direct]