School Name: Mountain View Elementary
School District: SD#68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
Inquiry Team Members: Ulrika Spence: USpence@sd68.bc.ca
Deb Keenleyside: DKeenleyside@sd68.bc.ca
Cindy Haack: CHaack@sd68.bc.ca
Kathy Bergman: kathy.bergman@sd68.bc.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: kathy.bergman@sd68.bc.ca
Type of Inquiry: NOIIE
Grade Levels: Intermediate (4-7)
Curricular Area(s): Applied Design, skills & Technology, Arts Education, Career Education, Language Arts – Literacy, Language Arts – Oral Language, Mathematics / Numeracy, Science, Social Studies
Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Community-based learning, Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), Differentiated instruction, Experiential learning, First Peoples Principles of Learning, Flexible learning, Growth mindset, Indigenous pedagogy, Inquiry-based learning, Land, Nature or Place-based learning, Self-regulation, Social and emotional learning, STEM / STEAM
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Creating a garden where students and staff can learn about Indigenous plants, Aboriginal sustainable practices, and local Hul’qui’mi’num language and understanding.
Scanning:
– We surveyed the staff and students orally, regarding their knowledge and understanding of First Peoples’ learning
– We noticed our community of learners were unsure of explicit teaching and learning of place-based knowledge, language, and sustainable practices
– We viewed a survey, including the learning survey
Focus:
– We connected with interest among the community
– There was a need expressed on increasing learning on ecological and place-based learning, along with language acquisition
– Sustainable practices were a focus in our school community as well
Hunch:
– Lack of connection to the land
– Lack of transfer of knowledge in a Two Worlds Meet study to place-based learning
New Professional Learning:
– Meetings during PLC time and professional development days as a team
– Connecting to our Aboriginal EA and Hul’qui’mi’num language teacher through the year
– Resources from Strong Nations and from in our professional collection
– Planned time to connect and collaborate
Taking Action:
– Students were learning about Two Worlds Meet based on Aboriginal connections to Canada’s past
– Having our Aboriginal EA as part of the classroom learning
– The teachers worked together around the sustainable practices, both as extracurricular and embedded in learning
– Collaborated with District staff
– Connected with RDN staff
Checking:
– More time to develop and implement the learning was needed
– The plan was for more time implementing with students in the Spring
– We were just “dipping our toes” into the learning for ourselves
– Our learners are still emerging due to the change in learning with the pandemic
Reflections/Advice:
– We have learned that there is a disconnect for our students — there is a keen desire to be place-based in our learning and to connect with Aboriginal learning
– We want to continue with our question and add on to the learning
– Stay connected and collaborative!
– Our students showed real care for developing sustainable practices
– We were encouraged to see our students become leaders
We know this is an unusual year and more work is needed.