I. General Information
School Name: Randerson Ridge Elementary
School District: SD#68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
Inquiry Team Members:
Linda Baldwin: linda.baldwin@sd68.bc.ca
Nancy Burnham / Colton Goldsbury: nburnham@sd68.bc.ca
Darcy Riley: Darcey.Riley@sd68.bc.ca
Alana Lavery: alavery@sd68.bc.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: linda.baldwin@sd68.bc.ca
II. Inquiry Project Information
Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Case Study
Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3)
Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Oral Language, Social Studies
Focus Addressed: Indigenous understandings (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Community-based learning, Experiential learning, First Peoples Principles of Learning, Indigenous pedagogy, Inquiry-based learning, Land, Nature or Place-based learning, Self-regulation, Universal design for learning
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Providing authentic experiences to build knowledge and understanding of local Indigenous culture and their Worldview.
III. Spirals of Inquiry Details
Scanning: We asked the students the four key questions in the fall. We noticed that most of the students were connected to the adults in the building. We realized that there were a few key students that we needed to monitor and notice, and pay more attention to with respect to ensuring they were feeling included, supported, and confident with the learning. Overall though, we were very happy with the relationships that had been cultivated. We developed the inquiry question, “How does where we live, impact how we live?” This question was asked of the students at the beginning, along with “what is a Worldview?”, and “what are some key understandings that you have about our local Indigenous culture?” We recognized that the students had very little knowledge, and planned to build our year so that the learning was integrated across multiple content areas and authentic experiences with our Knowledge Keepers in the community, keeping in mind our First Peoples Principles of Learning. We also ensured that the OECD Principles of Learning were at the forefront of our planning, to ensure effective learning environments: 1) Learners at the Centre, so students could construct their learning through engagement and active exploration, 2) Social Nature of Learning – having well-organized co-operative learning opportunities, 3)Emotions Integral to Learning – recognizing that the motivation is closely tied to effective deep learning, and the connections made for enjoyment, 4) Recognizing Individual Differences – our students come with very varied levels of background knowledge and experiences outside of school, so it was important that we seek to provide experiences so that ALL students could build on knowledge from where they were at, 5) Stretching All Students – we planned for our experiences to go deep, focusing on critical thinking & communication, with 7) Horizontal Connections across topics in the social studies and science curriculum, and students interacting across classes, with multiple community partners, engaging in authentic learning, 6) Assessment for Learning was a key component along the way as we kept coming back to our Inquiry Question to see where the students were at in their learning, and what was next, layering and building on the learning as it was happening throughout the year.
Focus: We had Hul’qumi’num language for the first time this year at our school with Tsumqwatun, a local Knowledge Keeper. We want to build on this knowledge and learning experience and work on integrating Indigenous understandings more throughout our curriculum and teaching. We recognize the value in this authentic experience and noticed the engagement, interest and respect that the students gave to our Knowledge Keeper. We wanted to foster this momentum and learn alongside our students to grow our understanding by providing more land-based learning experiences. Our goal was to take our students to Saysutchun for a land-based cultural tour, and use the grant money to help supplement the cost of this experience. Our goal was for our students to gain deeper cultural knowledge, increase awareness of the Indigenous Worldviews and respect for the land, to support Truth & Reconciliation and environmental stewardship.
Hunch: We know that authentic experiences are effective for the ultimate learner environment. However, we also know that these experiences are very difficult to coordinate, so we often defer to classroom-based learning. Having Tsumqwatun in the school was a huge step in the right direction, as students were interacting regularly with Indigenous culture, learning the language and hearing his stories to gain understanding about Local Indigenous Worldview and Perspectives. They were learning how to listen intently through oral language, and his storytelling, about the land and all that was connected. Our hunch was that if we could provide this type of experience on the land, in an authentic environment, the learning would be that much richer. Student connection was high, and they were showing a real interest and demonstrated respect. We felt that the more knowledge and experience they gained, this group of students would/could grow to be advocates and true supporters of Truth and Reconciliation and stewards of the land.
New Professional Learning: The Professional Learning that was most effective was our learning alongside the students, especially during Hul’qumi’num language classes, listening to stories integrated with learning the language. “The Language comes from the land” – utilizing a variety of local resources and learning from our Knowledge Keepers (Snuneymuxw, Snaw-Naw-As and Stz’uminus First Nations). As one of the teachers involved in the Inquiry, I am a part of a district professional learning committee that has partnerships with key stakeholders in the school district. We are making plans to actualize our Syeyutsus Reconciliation Policy & Framework, and this process involves ongoing learning from our Knowledge Keepers, so that we can gain more understanding. We have been in the process of developing the Syeyutsus Learning Principles which will lay the foundation for learning across the district. Our hope is that we can make plans to provide authentic learning opportunities, so that teachers & administrators across the district can gain understandings and feel more confident integrating local Indigenous Worldview across the curriculum. We used many picture books and shared resources, including the My Seasonal Round (www.openschool.bc.ca), and Pearson Inquiring Minds – Our Ancestors Our Families, The Land is Our Home, Our Words Our Stories, Honouring our Ways. We also used the resource Sacred Gathering of the Freshwater and Saltwater – Coast Salish Art and stories at Beban Pool, which provided local Indigenous connections to our local landforms – Mount Benson, Departure Bay, and the Nanaimo Estuary. Teacher learning is the most important part, so that we can then “Notice & Name” features of the Indigenous Worldview when we are facilitating the learning with our students in the content areas of Landforms, Ecosystems, and Food Webs. We also watched the National Film Board Documentary Totem: The Return of the G’psgolox Pole, and Totem: Return and Renewal. This relatively local story helped to make a lot of connections for both teachers, and students. We watched in small sittings, and talked through parts to explicitly make the connections with the students, as they are only in Grade 3.
Taking Action: We used a year-long inquiry question, “How does where we live impact how we live?” to guide our work and integrated curriculum across the Science and Social Studies curriculum. In one of the classes we looked at the physical regions of Canada and students worked in collaborative groups to learn about their specific region. Students looked at the environment (land and climate), specific landforms, the ecosystem (animals & plants), and then applied this learning when they made connections to the Indigenous Groups that lived on the land and their ways of living and knowing. The strategies utilized, enabled students to make connections between concepts and comparison between the regions which really solidified a deeper understanding of the larger concept – connection to the land. We were very lucky to work with another teacher, who was able to support with extra rich discussions in the small groups. We worked hard to minimize writing and emphasized oral language – asking questions, sharing ideas, listening and taking risks in the small groups. Our goal was to culminate this learning in a land-based experience to Saysutchun. Unfortunately, planning was very challenging with such a large group. We would have had to take multiple ferries to accommodate numbers, and the timing was challenging with bus transportation and guide schedules. It would have been amazing to spend the day on the Island, a local landform with rich cultural significance in our local area and for the Snuneymuxw People. Instead, we were gifted the opportunity, by our local Elder, to go to Snaw-Naw-As Campsite and spend the day there. We were welcomed onto the territory and experienced stories of the local landforms, dancing, singing, and exploration of the beach ecosystem. The learning stations and authentic food were prepared and led by the local Elders. It was a lot of work organizing but the students were very privileged to have had this experience. After learning language from Tsumqwatun at Randerson all year, the 3 grade classes had a beautiful connection, and even greater respect and appreciation for the land after this experience at Snaw-Naw-As. We live on incredible land and are privileged to have the mountains and the water in our backyard; the students’ understanding of the landforms and ecosystem and all that is connected, gave them a much deeper respect for our environment and why it is so important to take care of it.
Checking: After the experience, we reflected on the knowledge that we gained and how it applied to that specific location. We also looked at the key features of the Indigenous Worldview and the students considered each one, and what they learned from their experiences (eg. What stories did they learn about the local landforms?”). With respect to the regions of Canada that the students studied in collaborative groups, we looked back on our Inquiry question. Students recognized how the land impacts how the people live, and how the climate and landforms impact the ecosystem, and the ways of the people (shelter, transportation, food, clothing, etc…). The students gained a broader understanding of how vast our country is, and how different it is across Canada. They recognize that the Indigenous groups in Canada are unique, but also have shared worldview connections. As students engaged in the competencies of both the Science and Social Studies curriculum, they compared and analyzed, and made inferences with new information. They made connections across their learning, as well as with their local environment, and community members. Although the implementation differed across the three classes, we believe that these three classes of grade 3 students have a solid understanding to build on as they continue to learn more about Indigenous understandings and perspectives in the years to come. We were very grateful to have some extra funds to help us with transportation, food costs, and honorariums so that we could show our respect to the Knowledge Keepers for their participation.
Reflections/Advice: Relationships played a huge part in being able to organize this field experience. Our resident Elder was a key resource in organizing and working with me to provide this opportunity for our three classes. Communication and protocols are important aspects to consider as part of the planning process. It is also important that the students are clear on the expectations and prepared to show respect for learning directly from the Indigenous Peoples. It is a learning journey and each authentic learning experience deepens understanding. Learning alongside students will build teacher confidence.