§ 4: Intrinsic Case Study 1: Arrow Lakes – Aboriginal Inquiry: Lifting All Learners

4.7.4 Leadership

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:48:37 +0000

As this case has made clear, this is a district where learning centered leadership is a core belief and practice; their small size suggests that there are challenges they face, particularly related to resources, but its size has also provided opportunities for innovation and creativity. We saw plenty of both in this school district. As the case above has outlined, the teachers in this district are...

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4.7.3 Innovative approaches to culturally inclusive education

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:48:04 +0000

As noted earlier, we were impressed by the scope and interconnectedness between the AESN inquiries we heard about. There is a strong sense of community in this small district. Partly as a result of its size and partly because of its desire to breathe life to the district motto: “global learning in a rural setting,” the district has cultivated partnership with others in neighbouring schools/

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4.7.2 Emergent evidence of nested, interconnected learning systems

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:47:13 +0000

In exploring how the AES Network operates in Arrow Lakes what becomes clear is how the Network is nested within and amongst parallel systems of support for teachers and district personnel involved in educating youth in this diverse region of the province. While their history of involvement in the Network is relatively short, it is also evident that the notion of culturally inclusive practice has...

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4.7.1 A focus on building self-esteem and self-acceptance amongst Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:46:08 +0000

In our visit to the Arrow Lakes we were repeatedly struck by the ways in which teachers and district staff were able to able to provide evidence of how students (and staff) in their district were becoming comfortable with self-identifying as Aboriginal peoples. This parallels the stories of local Aboriginal people in the Arrow Lakes area, known by members of the community to have hidden their...

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4.7 Key features of the AESN in Arrow Lakes

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:44:49 +0000

In this section we summarize the critical features of the AESN we observed in the Arrow Lakes School District.

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4.6.6 Online Aboriginal literature/information circles: Technologically mediated Aboriginal learning

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:44:23 +0000

While our study has shown that there are many engaging projects and inquiries designed to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal ways of knowing, one of the most interesting and unique projects is the Online Aboriginal Issues and Culture Information Circles and Online Aboriginal Literature Circles co-created by a team of AESN members in the Arrow Lakes school district in...

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4.6.5 Archery – Outdoor Education

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:42:54 +0000

A blended NOII /AESN collaborative inquiry project undertaken by two teachers at different schools highlights and underscores the potentiality of experiential learning in awakening and deepening students’ understanding of Aboriginal culture and history. The joint inquiry project centered on an archery unit that focused on both sport and skill and provided a stepping-stone for understanding First...

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4.6.4 Aboriginal art & woodcarving

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:35:49 +0000

Another AESN initiative was undertaken by a teacher who wanted to incorporate Aboriginal art and culture into his woodworking class. Although he has wanted to bring Aboriginal elements into his teaching for a number of years, he expressed the view that the support of the AESN has helped to bring his ideas to fruition. His students have engaged in a unit that blends the symbolism and meanings of...

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4.6.3 The ethno-botany inquiry project

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:35:14 +0000

As in many rural districts across British Columbia, teachers in the Arrow Lakes School District are responsible for teaching multiple grades and multiple subjects. This provides a dynamic opportunity for teachers and Network members to explore cross-curricular/cross-discipline teaching and learning in an effort to enhance student engagement and success. Experiential, hands-on learning is a key...

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4.6.2 Experiential learning

sabrina — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:34:41 +0000

An important theme that emerged during our study of this school district was the emphasis placed on experiential and place-based learning. As was noted in the literature review in this report, experiential learning (that is, learning by doing/enactment) and cultural immersion experiences are foundational ways in which dominant paradigms and beliefs can be challenged through shared...

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