Archive

• A Teacher’s POV on What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education

  November 9, 2014 3:48 AM Comments Off on A Teacher’s POV on What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education

  Winnipeg teacher Chris Harbeck explains how student-teacher communications could be improved with technology.

  https://vimeo.com/110510640

• A Business Leader’s POV on What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education

  3:45 AM Comments Off on A Business Leader’s POV on What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education

  NB innovation leader David Alston shares his vision for what schools should become.

  https://vimeo.com/110510641

• The Challenge to Change: From Vision to Action in Canadian Education

  October 20, 2014 12:00 AM Comments Off on The Challenge to Change: From Vision to Action in Canadian Education

  This report shares the anecdotal research based on feedback collected from over 700 educators, students, and education stakeholders – from across Canada – on their visions for what school should be, the barriers that stand in the way of achieving those visions, and some actions that could overcome these barriers.

  Close to 1,000 individual vision statements, over 3,500 Post-it® notes and references to almost 100 change projects were collected between October 2013 and August of 2014, representing an excellent opportunity to develop themes, trends and a strong sense of where Canadians stand with regard to the process of change in our schools.

  Using a qualitative approach, practically every word written in each of the workshops was entered, coded and analyzed. The following report presents some of the major results from the What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education? initiative. It is not intended to provide detailed analysis of regional results but, instead, offers a way of feeding back the viewpoints of Canadian shareholders right across the country; and to use what has been heard to help frame a strategy for moving forward in local settings, regional levels and, indeed, on a pan-Canadian scale.

• A Vision for Canadian Education

  October 19, 2014 2:59 AM Comments Off on A Vision for Canadian Education

  A variety of education stakeholders share their visions for what school could be like.

  https://vimeo.com/109283558

• CEA: The Honest Broker for Change

  2:55 AM Comments Off on CEA: The Honest Broker for Change

  Participants of CEA’s ‘What’s standing in the way of change in education?’ workshops explain the value of these events.

  https://vimeo.com/109283553

• What’s standing in the way of change in education?

  2:52 AM Comments Off on What’s standing in the way of change in education?

  Teachers, students, administrators and other stakeholders share what they think is standing in the way of change.

  https://vimeo.com/109283617

• Tackling the Challenge to Change Canadian Education

  October 17, 2014 6:35 PM Comments Off on Tackling the Challenge to Change Canadian Education

  From April to August 2014, CEA organized a series of regional meetings across the country so that educators and education stakeholders could answer: What’s standing in the way of change in education? We’ve received much praise and some criticism for daring to ask such a question – and for holding these provocative events – which tells me that this question is as invigorating as it is threatening depending on where you sit in the sector. But there’s no denying that this blunt question produced some very insightful feedback from participants at our events, which we will be sharing with the launch of a follow up report on October 23, 2014 in Toronto.

  I believe that the lack of a sense of urgency and trust are very significant impediments to change in education, yet I often hear from school district leaders that this change has to be “managed” properly if it is to occur throughout the system. But this isn’t just a simple procedure of ensuring that the change conditions are either top-down or bottom-up that will make the difference. It will be by trusting the “Courageous Leaders” (teachers, principals, superintendents, directors, trustees) – the true change-makers that are found in our classrooms who are willing to take risks everyday; who prefer to beg for forgiveness rather than ask for permission, and who don’t tow the party line. Within the Canadian education system, these individuals not only exist, in some limited cases, are actually thriving. But overall, they risk becoming outliers within many school districts that are far more preoccupied with projecting an image of supporting innovation rather than actually scaling it throughout their schools.

  Our research, Teaching the Way You Aspire to Teach, clearly demonstrated that innovative teaching was happening in our classrooms, but that the “system” simply tolerated it until it created waves of disruption. The result, as the research demonstrated, is that such innovative pedagogical practices are kept “under the radar”. If we then couple this research with that on organizational wisdom, which states that systems considered “not smart” value conformity, compliance and control, whereas successful organizations and institutions clearly value creativity, risk-taking and critical thinking are designated as “wise”, you can quickly understand the challenges that we face in transforming a system. We know, first hand, that our school districts are filled with brilliant people working within a fundamentally “not smart” system. How can we emancipate these individuals to be permitted to Teach to the way they aspire and Lead to the way they aspire? Start with trust! Less regulation and more trust!!

  Sadly, the change rhetoric continues take precedence over reality. The significant amount of attention given to exploring 21^st century notions in curriculum and assessment is at the forefront of many educational organizations. When I scan school district websites, I review the content, especially the Visions section and then I conduct the real “litmus test” by checking the schools’ websites within these districts and look for evidence of similar 21^st century learning orientations. Alas, in many cases, I find little to no evidence the district’s vision and even less of such new learning or engagement, but plenty of emphasis on standardized scoring on literacy and numeracy. This too is not surprising since parents want to know about the rankings and how their school fares against others. Hence, we see increasing market-driven strategies that squeeze out any attempts at new learning and pedagogical strategies by teachers, new assessment rubrics that go beyond measuring 19^th century skills and new school and classroom designs that we now know create better environments that are conducive to effective learning. (I won’t even mention a recent OECD report stating that the evidence is pointing out that market driven strategies to improve education are not working. That will be another blog post!) 

  So this is the uphill road that we face – when image outweighs action. Most leaders I speak with will admit to me (after some prodding) that making change is a tough slog, and that they’re barely scratching the surface of where they need to be, particularly when many critics continue to dismiss innovative evidence-based practice, or the latest neuroscience findings on how the brain learns best as “mumbo-jumbo”.

  So successfully transforming the education system remains elusive. As the honest broker in Canadian education, CEA is committed to ensuring that there are well-informed discussions and debates about how we develop conditions for change to flourish in our schools. Many of our regional meeting participants told us that they were already well aware of the barriers to change in the system and didn’t need to develop a vision – they wanted to get to ‘the how’, as in how the heck are we going to work together to change education to where it needs to be for all of our students?

  Our upcoming Challenge to Change Symposium will focus on ‘the how.’ We have a very challenging day planned for our pan-Canadian group of participants. In fact, I’m confident that this will be a very inspiring and positive day for courageous educators who want to contribute to moving a true change agenda forward and I invite you to join our discussion in person or at #CanEdChange on October 23^rd. 

• New Pedagogies for Deep Learning – Innovation and Change Essential!

  October 16, 2014 2:12 PM Comments Off on New Pedagogies for Deep Learning – Innovation and Change Essential!

  Education is at an inflection point. There is an increasing focus on shifting from a system that doesn’t serve the current needs of all students in an increasingly complex world, to one that is driven by innovation and change. Innovation and change is needed because there is not a clear picture of what the new learning goals and pedagogies are that will deliver the Deep Learning outcomes we want for all students, so that they can flourish in this increasingly complex world.

  For me, the heart of this change is a focus on supporting the type of system transformation needed to provide a model where all parts of the system are aligned and working towards equipping students with Deep Learning competencies that enable them to be creative problem solvers who can collaborate effectively within and across teams, and who can pursue leadership for action in a sustainable context. Focusing on developing Deep Learning competencies for the ‘6 Cs’, as Michael Fullan calls them (Citizenship, Character, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical Thinking), and leveraging the increasing digital ubiquity available will require a sustained focus on implementing innovation and change.

  While there is an increasing focus on this work, many people are asking ‘how’ this will be achieved. To help answer that question, I am part of a global partnership with education leaders such as Michael Fullan, that is working at implementing such change across several countries, including Canada. The global partnership is called New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, and we are working with clusters of 100 schools in up to 10 countries to identify the new pedagogies that will deliver Deep Learning outcomes for all students, leveraging digital to accelerate and deepen the learning.

  Because there is no existing blueprint for the change we hope to enable, we are working with clusters, schools, teachers and other stakeholders in what we call an “innovation implementation partnership.” This means each cluster needs to be willing to challenge current assumptions and orthodoxies, and to learn from the work when answers aren’t always clear. Learning by doing, a willingness to innovate based on collaborative inquiry and a commitment to learning from the other schools and clusters are all key. Combining this with what Michael Fullan’s work describes as the key conditions for Deep Learning at the school, cluster and system level – a clear and agreed vision, focusing on a small number of ambitious goals, building capacity focused on pedagogy, measuring what we value and leadership at all levels – provides new opportunities to extend Deep Learning for all students so they are able to flourish in an ever-changing and complex world.

  You may ask, “What are new pedagogies and why do they matter?” We believe that equipped with new pedagogical models, a growing digital ubiquity and new learning partnerships, students will shift from learning about life to learning being living. Driven by the new learning partnerships – the changing relationships between teachers, students, families and communities, with teachers taking on the role of activators – new pedagogies bring together existing contexts with Deep Learning competency development that leverages digital to accelerate and deepen the learning. In this way, education is not about students ‘learning’ answers to the already known, it is about them applying learning to real-world problems that necessitate the creation of new knowledge. This requires teachers to feel comfortable as part of learning partnerships where they don’t know the answers!

  Leaders wishing to embark on such a journey will need to have the courage to challenge their current situations, let go of what isn’t working, and focus on collaborative innovation and inquiry that will generate the new knowledge to propel their organizations. There is no standardized approach for this journey, and so being ready to be a leader and learner and challenge yourself and those you work with to ask the difficult questions is critical. It is when we admit that we don’t have all the answers that we can truly become learners. 

  As programmer and facilitator of CEA’s upcoming Challenge to Change Symposium, I’m thrilled to be able to weave these Deep Learning concepts into the day to inspire a change mindset among participants, and some good ideas about how they can return to work and make this meaningful change happen.

• Building Community

  September 26, 2014 5:50 PM Comments Off on Building Community

  Around the world, our sense of community is changing. Technology and social media have made the world smaller than ever, and people are building their own communities, regardless of geographic boundaries. School communities are, inevitably, changing too. A more expansive concept of school seems to be emerging, with connections and relationships extending well beyond the school walls to encompass families, community partners and mentors, and “virtual” classmates from schools around the world. Within the school walls, an increasingly diverse student population and shifts in the roles of teachers and learners are also changing the dynamic. In this issue, we wanted to explore how educators can create and support vibrant, positive, creative school communities.

  The articles that were contributed in response are a wide-ranging and inspiring look at what is possible. Chris Wejr (p.12) shares his experience using social media to include parents into the school community and reinforce positive school culture. Ray Derkson (p. 20) describes Manitoba’s innovative approach to ensuring strong community input and participation across a huge and widely diverse school division. And Thomas Arnett (p. 16) presents models of “blended learning” that change the structure of the school day and the relationship between student and teacher.

  One of the inspirations for this issue was a two-day workshop CEA held in October 2013, titled, “What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education?” As part of the process, participants were asked to share their personal vision of “the school of their dreams.” Person after person described schools rich in authentic, meaningful, and personalized learning experiences. But another strong thread had to do with community, as described in the summary report:

  “The schools of their dreams are welcoming, collaborative environments, respectful of the many layers of diversity that now define the Canadian social fabric. They are places where a strong sense of community participation and contribution adds to the rich set of resources that can bring learning to life.”[1]

  There may be a long way to go to fully achieve the “dream schools” described to us in the CEA workshop. But exciting changes are being made right now to create richer, stronger, more responsive school communities, as the examples in this issue demonstrate. Whether at the classroom, school or regional level, there is no lack of exciting ideas. To paraphrase Ray Derkson in his article, “Let’s try them and see what happens.”

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  This blog post is part of CEA’s focus on The New School Community, which is also connected to Education Canada Magazine’s The New School Community theme issue and a Facts on Education fact sheet How does parent involvement in education affect children’s learning?  Please contact info@cea-ace.ca  if you would like to contribute a blog post to this series.

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  [1] Read the whole report at: http://cea-ace.s3.amazonaws.com/media/CEA-2013-2014-AR-Annual-Performance.pdf

• The Challenge to Change Symposium

  September 20, 2014 5:41 PM Comments Off on The Challenge to Change Symposium

  A CEA Symposium that gets to “the how” of education systems change

  https://vimeo.com/106672501

• Futures Start Here

  September 19, 2014 11:54 PM Comments Off on Futures Start Here

  Educators are in constant competition with the ever-increasing wireless and communicative world of students. Outside of juggling fire, performing illusions, and donning a duck costume, teachers are constantly working on engaging students in learning.

  The fact is, students who are not engaged do not achieve. This fact is not lost on the professionals within Regina Public Schools.

  With graduation rates between 68 and 72 percent, the senior administration at Regina Public Schools – one of the largest school divisions in the province of Saskatchewan – empowered students and professionals to challenge the norm. This empowerment has led to the creation of a new learning community in Regina: Campus Regina Public. Campus Regina Public is an interest-based career-pathway option for Grade 11 or 12 students to study within a unique educational community.

  In 2009, the senior administration of Regina Public Schools tasked a group of superintendents, administrators, consultants, and teachers to research new ways to engage students. This task continued through 2014, and is continually evolving. The initial process employed a very traditional model of inquiry involving research, site visits (throughout North America), concept and implementation plans. While this model of inquiry was the needed first step, the professional group realized that a traditional research model would only recreate a traditional learning community.

  The solution, while not necessarily new or innovative, was to focus primarily on the wants, needs and advice of students, in consultation with the advice of industry leaders in the community. Each high school was asked to select 40 to 45 students from various demographic backgrounds to give feedback on the current state of education. There were many themes reported, but overwhelmingly, certain themes were central at all schools:

  • Students believed that teachers were working extremely hard and that teachers cared immensely about their students.
  • Students were bored at school. The term “dying in my desk” was used by numerous students. School needed to be more activity based and less theoretical in nature.
  • Students expressed that the skills they were learning did not meet the needs of ever-changing industry.
  • Students were tired of being asked for input and then having their input ignored because it did not fit into the traditional model each school employed.
  • Students wanted to be challenged to show what they have been taught in a practical sense rather than through a written test.

  Additional focus groups were held with members of various industries in Regina and surrounding areas. Industry participants reported the following:

  • Students need to be taught basic Math and English skills in order to meet the needs of industry. But equally important was the ability to problem-solve and work as a member of a team.
  • Schools need to provide real-world opportunity for students to develop the soft skills necessary to function in every industry.
  • Industry partnerships should be developed with schools directly in the classrooms rather than the traditional corporate sponsor relationships that currently exist.
  • The massive need for skilled employees was not being met within the current education system.

  The next phase was to take these ideas formulated at the division level and implement them at the school level. The findings of the traditional research combined with the use of student and industry feedback became the foundation of Campus Regina Public.

  The challenge was to ensure that the feedback of students and industry would drive the development of the learning environment that Campus Regina Public would become.

  The Campus Regina program

  Campus Regina Public explicitly answers the question every educator has heard: “When will I ever use this in real life?” Students become a part of an educational community that brings together elements of secondary education, post-secondary and industry. Courses are designed to integrate a core credit (Math, English, Science, Social Studies) and an elective credit into a cohesive, relevant and in-depth learning community. Carefully designed industry partnerships and direct industry involvement provide a relevant and authentic environment for student learning. Many of the courses provide students with the opportunity to achieve certifications necessary for industry; for example, WHIMIS, First Aid, CPR, and Scott Safety Training. The learning environment at Campus Regina Public has industry standard equipment and lab spaces.

  Essentially, Campus Regina Public gives students the opportunity to discover if they would be suited to be employed in certain areas. Students are given the opportunity to explore and take risks, while achieving credits toward graduation and learning specific career skills.

  Campus Regina Public offers 20 different career pathway courses, selected to meet student interest and industry need, with such varied options as:

  • Construction Technology (Math and Construction)
  • Financial Services (Math and Accounting)
  • Graphic Design (English and Graphic Arts)
  • Application and Video Game Design (Computer Science and Communication Media)
  • Fire Sciences (Chemistry and Physical Education)
  • Performing Arts (English and Theatre)
  • Oil & Gas Production (Social Studies and Mining)

  Campus Regina Public does not specifically target students; students of all abilities and skills who feel this approach is more conducive to their learning style are welcome.

  Core competencies for curriculum are evaluated based more on performance than on theory.

  Sample courses

  Electrical and Electronics: Students apply mathematical formulas and measurements while connecting basic circuit panels. Students eventually will apply the knowledge gained to perform the wiring of multiple rooms, thus fulfilling components of both the Electrical and Math curricula. Finally, students will be sent out into the field with our industry partner, SaskTel, to learn from actual industry members in the field.

  Cosmetology and Health Sciences: Students collaborate on real-world accident scenarios. The Cosmetology students create the scenarios, fulfilling the English curriculum components of writing and speaking, and apply make-up and prosthetics to actors, thus fulfilling the Cosmetology curriculum components. Health Science students evaluate the scene, diagnose injuries and apply first responder skills, fulfilling both Biology/Health Science and Work Experience requirements.

  One unique aspect of Campus Regina Public is the industry partnerships that have been developed for almost every course. This practice has allowed for a relevant and current industry reality in an educational environment.

  For example, our Law, Public Safety and Security course (LPSS) is a partnership between Campus Regina Public and the Regina Police Service. The Regina Police Service provides a member of the service (who also holds a valid teaching degree) to collaborate with another teacher on a daily basis. The LPSS course is designed to emulate Police College. Students are required to wear uniforms and follow an agreed-upon moral code.

  Another example is a newly developed partnership with Capital Auto Group. Senior management staff from Capital Auto Group have been instrumental in the design of a new lab and in the acquisition of tools and supplies. However the partnership, as with all our partnerships, is based on reciprocation. For example, the automotive facilities will be available for use by Capital Auto Group for their own training when not being used by the school. The Capital Auto Group team has agreed in principal to provide training for our teachers, to provide work experience for our students and ultimately, to interview and possibly hire some students.

  Student response

  In just two years, Campus Regina Public student enrolment has doubled. In the first year over 300 students registered and this year we had over 600 hundred students. The projections for the 2014-15 school year anticipate close to 900 students enrolled.

  Feedback from students has been positive. In a speech to a chapter of the Regina Rotary Club, Riley Wood described her experience:

  “By taking both these classes I was able to explore two careers that were of interest to me, which were Social Work and Nursing. Getting the chance to explore these career paths in detail, while attaining two credit courses as well, was very beneficial to me, especially while approaching my graduating year.”

  Does Campus Regina Public improve outcomes? Ultimately, the program’s success will be measured by students who graduate and acquire employment. Our first two years indicate that the new educational community created at Campus Regina Public is improving outcomes. In our first year, students successfully completed 89 percent of all credits. First Nations and Métis students successfully completed over 65 percent of all credits. In this year, overall successful first semester completion was 91 percent, and 73 percent for First Nations and Métis students; second semester was 92 percent, and 80 percent for First Nations and Métis students.

  Our slogan says Futures Begin Here. At Campus Regina Public, we truly believe that futures do begin here!

  For more information: http://campusreginapublic.rbe.sk.ca

  Photo: courtesy Jason Coleman

  First published in Education Canada, September 2014

  
  

  EN BREF – Le programme axé sur les carrières Campus Regina Public s’adresse à tous les élèves de 11^e et de 12^e année fréquentant actuellement les écoles secondaires publiques de Regina. Offrant des cours spécialisés de deux crédits portant sur des carrières et donnés par des professionnels sectoriels chevronnés utilisant du matériel de pointe, le programme fonctionne en partenariat avec des entreprises et des industries locales afin que tous les programmes de formation procurent aux élèves les compétences professionnelles requises pour travailler. Par la planification de carrières, l’enseignement de compétences, les cours magistraux, l’accréditation et l’expérience de travail pertinente, les étudiants sont prêts à accéder directement à la population active ou à entreprendre des études postsecondaires.

  Le processus de création d’une nouvelle communauté d’apprentissage, qui repose sur la pertinence et l’authenticité, a été déterminé par les élèves et documenté par l’industrie locale. L’article traite de la création de ce programme expérientiel conçu pour aider les étudiants à trouver leur voie professionnelle.

• Teaching and Learning Beyond the Classroom

  11:33 PM Comments Off on Teaching and Learning Beyond the Classroom

  Breaking the mould of K-12 classroom-based teaching and learning is what the University of British Columbia’s Teacher Education Community Field Experience is all about. Increasingly, educators are pursuing opportunities that take them beyond familiar school contexts into alternative, rural, international and non-school-based contexts. The focus on beginning a teaching career in a classroom similar to the one in which one was educated has expanded to a much broader view of where teaching and learning take place and also where a Bachelor of Education can lead.

  In UBC’s recently reimagined BEd program, teacher candidates spend more time than ever in schools, with three practica (weekly day-long visits, two-week fall practicum, ten-week spring practicum). They also undertake a three-week community field experience (CFE) to broaden their concept of educational spaces and opportunities. In most cases, the CFE occurs outside of schools in placements hosted by community partners, while some take place in a school context that is very different from the practicum site (e.g. a secondary level candidate might spend three weeks in a Grade 1 classroom, library or resource room), in rural locations, or internationally.

  The K-12 classroom is a crucially important educational context that provides the backbone of experience for preparing to teach, but there are other sites where education also takes place. The purpose of the community field experience is to expand and enrich the notion of where and how education occurs. Teacher candidates:

  • spend time observing and working in a variety of educational settings;
  • imagine aspects of non-formal, alternative or international education that might inform their classroom practice;
  • recognize and articulate educational community and/or international links to local schools;
  • develop questions to frame an inquiry into places of learning outside schools;
  • collaborate with peers to share observations and develop questions;
  • demonstrate their inquiry and learning through a blog, journal or brief presentation.

  Mwebi and Brigham posit that “preservice teachers, teachers, and others in schools, teacher education programs, and elsewhere have a collective responsibility to ensure that knowledge systems in teacher education are expanded.”¹ Teacher candidates who have practicum experiences in alternative settings are likely to broaden their understanding of formal education and enhance their educational competencies and philosophies. Anderson, Lawson, and Mayer-Smith² conducted a study of teacher candidates in a pilot community field experience in an aquarium setting. The researchers’ intent was to equip the candidates with skills that could be easily transferred across a variety of educational contexts. They concluded that teaching in unfamiliar or non-traditional environments can help educators develop a more holistic view of education. Benefits to the new teachers were both pragmatic – in developing new teaching skills as a consequence of adapting to the new context – and philosophical – in coming to know how individual and collective understandings are constructed.

  Community-based contexts

  UBC’s community partners welcome teacher candidates who have completed their final practicum to assist in co-creating and delivering educational programs and curriculum resources for school-age students, pre-school children, seniors, community members or others. The skills and dispositions that teacher candidates bring to these activities are appreciated by community partners, and the benefits to candidates include expanding their vision of learning and teaching in the wider world. Some examples of UBC/community partnerships include:

  • Arts-based settings, such as galleries, arts and music programs in schools, film study;
  • Community service organizations, such as neighbourhood houses, animal shelters, youth detention centres;
  • Early childhood education sites, such as daycare centres, pre-schools;
  • Health and wellness centres, such as Dalai Lama Centre, health authority, kids’ cooking programs;
  • Indigenous education centres, such as Aboriginal health initiative, First Nations band schools;
  • Independent, private and faith-based schools, learning centres and academies;
  • Museums and cultural centres, archives, halls of fame, historical sites;
  • Recreation and outdoor education sites, such as parks, gardens, camps;
  • Science education sites, such as science or ecological centres, space centre, aquarium, marine centre;
  • Special education programs and centres;
  • Sustainability and environmental education sites, schools, and projects, wilderness programs.

  “I learned that I have a passion for teaching students in an outdoor setting and I gained several valuable hard skills that will hopefully assist me in one day constructing an outdoor classroom for future students… I felt reinvigorated as an educator by my CFE experiences.” – Teacher Candidate, Abbotsford Outdoor Education Program

  “Your students are shining stars! They are a great addition to our team. They have jumped right into the program and have already created resources and materials to support our English Language learners! I feel so fortunate to be working with them and learning from them.” – Coordinator, Engaged Immigrant Youth Program

  Rural contexts

  Rural teacher education is an important focus of UBC’s BEd program. Our program in the West Kootenays stresses place-based learning, a connection to community, and sustainability. Rural placements for the CFE are selected by 40 percent of UBC’s teacher candidates. As McMurdo emphasizes when explaining his commitment to teaching in remote communities, it is important to prepare students “who can advocate for their communities and the planet, are capable of critical thinking, understand the social and economic contexts around them, and have the skills and creativity to help their communities grow.”³

  While the rural CFEs are largely school-based experiences, the connections to community organizations are strong, meaning that candidates have opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom walls for their own and their students’ learning. Placements are situated in eight rural school districts, from northern BC to western Vancouver Island to Haida Gwaii. As well, there are three camp locations associated with urban districts that provide place-based learning paralleling a rural context.

  “My rural field experience was terrific for many different reasons. One reason is that it gave me the ability to compare and contrast two different educational systems. It wasn’t that one school or district was better than another but, rather, that the new experience allowed me to reflect on education in much more complex and useful ways.” – Teacher candidate, rural school

  Alternative school programs

  Teacher candidates may spend three weeks in school settings that are different from the regular practicum context, such as a learning resource room, school library, adult basic education program or online distance-learning centre. These CFE placements provide a glimpse into contexts outside the regular classroom where students receive support and where different teacher-mentors can share their wisdom. Candidates who speak French may choose placements in Montreal or Quebec City, or in French immersion or Francophone schools in B.C. or Yukon.

  “Participating in UBC’s community field experience was an extremely rewarding experience for me as a teacher candidate. To branch out and learn about different areas of education dramatically changed some of the ways I view pedagogy.” – Teacher candidate, alternative school

  International contexts

  Opportunities abound for teacher candidates able and willing to travel to Australia, Cuba, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Uganda, the United Kingdom or Switzerland. Research indicates that for teacher candidates, international experiences “increase their self-awareness, and enhance their personal efficacy and understanding of cross-cultural, diversity, and globalization issues, which informs their subsequent teaching practice.”⁴

  “The Ugandan people taught me the power of teaching in a local community with limited resources but the heart to persevere and overcome obstacles with undeniable faith and commitment! It was truly one of the best experiences that I have participated in.” – Teacher candidate, international vocational centre

  Finally, UBC’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Educator5 stream within the Teacher Education Program opens up even more possibilities, in Canada and internationally, both during and after the BEd program. Teacher candidates in the IB stream engage with an international view of education in which the world serves as a broad context for inquiry, for learning and for action.

  “It was amazing to see how dedicated these kids were to their craft. I taught band and found that they were really excited to be there. They were so interested in the material. They got a chance to inquire about the things they were curious about. ” – Teacher candidate in an IB school

  UBC’S Teacher Education program’s mission is to prepare local and global educators for a future where flexible educational programming and varied contexts will likely become more and more commonplace. As CFE coordinator Keith McPherson points out, the CFE provides a flexible learning model that encourages teacher candidates to take a leadership role by collaborating with their community partner to design engaging learning experiences for themselves and their students.

  With the opportunities afforded by the community field experience, preservice teachers can increase their conception of how and where children, youth and others learn within and beyond the classroom as they develop their capacity to be responsive, adaptable educators.

  More information: www.cfe.educ.ubc.ca

   

  Photo: courtesy Wendy Carr

  First published in Education Canada, September 2014

   

  EN BREF – Pendant le programme de trois semaines intitulé Community Field Experience (CFE) de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique, des candidats à l’enseignement découvrent de nouveaux lieux d’enseignement et d’apprentissage qui sont très différents de leurs stages. Ces contextes comprennent des écoles alternatives, des galeries, des musées, des centres de la petite enfance, des centres d’éducation autochtone, des écoles indépendantes, des centres culturels, des centres de loisirs et de plein air, des centres de détention pour jeunes, des organismes de santé et de bien-être, etc. Le CFE est particulièrement axé sur les sites ruraux en Colombie-Britannique et sur des endroits à l’étranger. Il procure aux candidats à l’enseignement des possibilités d’élargir leur conception des lieux pédagogiques potentiels et indique comment ils peuvent s’engager à titre d’éducateurs dans différents contextes.

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  [1] B. M. Mwebi and S. Brigham, “Preparing North American Preservice Teachers for Global Perspectives: An international teaching practicum experience in Africa,” Alberta Journal of Educational Research 55, no. 3 (2009): 416.

  [2] D. Anderson, B. Lawson and J. Mayer-Smith, “Investigating the Impact of a Practicum Experience in an Aquarium on Pre-Service Teachers,” Teaching Education 17, no. 4 (2006): 341-353.

  [3] S. McMurdo, “A Guide for New Teachers and Teacher Candidates in Rural Communities (Vancouver, BC: Office of the Eleanor Rix Professor of Rural Teacher Education, 2012), 3.

  [4] Mwebi and Brigham, “Preparing North American Preservice Teachers for Global Perspectives,” 414.

  [5] UBC offers Canada’s only International Baccalaureate Organization-recognized teacher education program.

• Personalizing Education

  10:53 PM Comments Off on Personalizing Education

  As our modern economy shifts from the industrial era to an age of knowledge workers, we increasingly need an education system that teaches students to work in collaborative teams, master higher-order knowledge and skills, and creatively solve complex technical and social problems. For this kind of education to be possible, we need to be able to customize instruction in order to address each student’s unique learning needs.

  In the last few years, many innovative educators have been leveraging technology to make this type of educational experience possible. They integrate online learning in their traditional schools to create new instructional models that are collectively referred to as “blended learning.” Sometimes people fear that online learning in schools will lead to a dehumanizing experience, where students are constantly plugged into devices and teachers are just passive monitors. In contrast to this conception, the leading pioneers in blended learning find that technology allows student and teacher interactions to be more meaningful and personal.

  For example, high-quality blended learning frees up teachers from some administrative and instructional aspects of their jobs so that they have more time to focus on creating high-value learning experiences for their students. These teachers spend less time lecturing and more time mentoring and coaching. They offload basic instruction to online tools and resources so that they can focus their efforts on developing students’ critical thinking skills and fostering their character development. Additionally, blended learning allows students to take greater ownership of their learning.

  Examples from the field

  CARPE DIEM

  In 2005, Rick Ogston found himself looking for a new campus for Carpe Diem Collegiate High School, the public charter school¹ he had founded in 2002. The owners of the church facility that the school had been renting were selling the property. Finding a suitable school facility was a challenging task, but Ogston seized it as an opportunity to simultaneously transform the school’s instructional model and provide a more student-centered form of education.

  The moment one walks in the door of a Carpe Diem school, the differences from the traditional classroom model are apparent. In Carpe Diem’s school in Yuma, Ariz., the center of the building is a large room filled with individual computer stations. On the periphery of that room are breakout rooms where teachers lead collaborative workshops.

  Every 35 minutes, the students rotate among the computer stations and the breakout rooms according to individualized learning “playlists.” On the computers they learn using Edgenuity software, with paraprofessionals on hand to assist them if they get stuck. The software adjusts to the students’ learning needs by letting them test out of lessons they have already mastered, and provides them with rich video content of real teachers to explain the concepts they still need to master. In the breakout rooms, a face-to-face teacher reviews or applies the material introduced online through discussions and projects. The teachers are also aided by the software’s teacher dashboard, which alerts them when they need to intervene to help a student.

  This model allows Carpe Diem to achieve noteworthy results. In 2010, Carpe Diem’s school in Yuma ranked first in its county in student performance in math and reading. Businessweek recognized Carpe Diem as one of the top high schools in America in its 2009 report, and U.S. News & World Report gave Carpe Diem the same recognition in 2010.

  With online learning as the backbone of Carpe Diem’s instructional model, the role of teacher is substantially different from that of traditional teachers. Carpe Diem’s teachers do not have to present every single concept their students need to learn. Instead, they focus on figuring out how to intervene when students are struggling and how to push students to deeper understanding. Ogston explains that when online learning is used to provide basic instruction, teachers then get to do the exciting part of teaching, which is making the content applicable and relevant to students’ lives.

  Blended learning affects not only how Carpe Diem’s students learn, but also how teachers and students interact with each other. As Ogston said, “When you’re leveraging technology like we are, people want to look at us in terms of technology. But the secret sauce is not the technology, it’s the relationships.”²

  Carpe Diem’s teachers are able to spend more time working with students in small groups and on an individual basis. Carpe Diem’s online learning software also helps teachers better understand their students’ learning needs. The data generated by the software lets teachers know on a daily and hourly basis exactly how students are progressing in their learning and alerts them when they need to intervene. As one student describes it, “Here the teachers know where you’re at exactly, so if you have a problem they’ll talk to you about it and they help you with it.”³

  Carpe Diem’s model also fosters longer-term relationships between students and teachers. Each school has one teacher per subject for all students in grades 6–12. As teachers work with students across multiple years, they get to know their interests, their career goals, their families, and their individual learning needs. They also get to see their students’ growth across their entire high-school experience. Luis Vanhook, one of Carpe Diem’s teachers, says that seeing students grow across multiple years “is the most beautiful part about my job.”⁴

  SUMMIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  A number of years ago, a group of parents from the San Francisco Bay Area came together to re-imagine the public middle and high school experience. In 2003 they founded Summit Prep, a charter school with the mission to prepare a diverse student body for success in college and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society. Today, Summit Public Schools operates six middle and high schools and enrolls 1,600 students. Its schools are some of the best in California, as they score consistently well above average on state tests and have over 96 percent of their graduates accepted into at least one four-year college or university. In 2011 Newsweek listed it as one of the top ten most transformational high schools in America.

  Yet despite these successes, Summit’s leaders noticed a few years ago that many of its graduates were struggling to complete college. To address this problem, they began thinking about how to better prepare students with the content knowledge, cognitive skills, habits of success, and real-world practice necessary to succeed in college and as adults in 21^st century society. What resulted was an innovative blended-learning model that aimed at helping students become self-directed learners.

  To create its blended-learning experience, Summit had its teachers spend a summer writing out the learning objectives students needed to master each year and then developed online assessment items for measuring mastery of each of those learning objectives. The teachers then curated playlists of free online content – including articles, websites, videos, and web apps – to cover each learning objective. With these tools in hand, they redesigned their physical space and their instructional time during the school day to create a unique, student-centered learning experience.

  Instead of assigning students to individual teachers and sending them to learn in separated classrooms, Summit’s students work in large, open learning spaces, and its teachers work as a team to serve the students they share. When students arrive at school, the first thing they do is power on their computers and sit down for an hour of “personalized learning time.” During this hour, they work through Summit’s playlists in order to master their personal learning goals for the current week. The playlists offer them multiple learning resources that they can choose among for learning the concepts they need to master. Once students feel they are ready to pass a learning objective, they go to their teacher to get the assessment for that objective unlocked. After taking assessments, they see their results immediately, along with a detailed explanation of their performance. This short-cycle feedback loop gives students actionable data on their progress that allows them to feel ownership over their learning. After the hour of personalized-learning time each morning, students then spend the rest of the day working with their teachers and fellow students on project-based learning activities. This gives them needed opportunities to apply what they have learned in a relevant, off-line context.

  Summit’s blended-learning model has radically changed the roles of its teachers and their relationships with their students. Because teachers no longer spend the majority of the school day planning and delivering large-group instruction, they focus instead on developing personal, deep relationships with students as their mentors. Each mentor has stewardship over 10 to 15 students and meets with them at least weekly to review their progress toward their learning goals. Mentors also act as academic coaches, college counselors, family liaisons, and advocates for their students. School leaders knew that when they changed their model to put students in charge of their own learning, mentors would be vital to help them make progress toward rigorous but attainable goals.

  For teachers, another benefit of Summit’s blended-learning model is that it relieves them from the siloed isolation of traditional single-teacher classrooms and gives them valuable opportunities to learn from each other. Emily Swegle, one of Summit’s teachers, says that co-teaching at Summit has allowed her to develop a trusting relationship with her co-teacher in which they each draw on their unique experiences and expertise to give each other ideas and constructive feedback.⁵

  Summit’s founder, Diane Tavenner, acknowledges that when Summit first switched to a blended-learning model, the shift was difficult for teachers, but ultimately proved to be rewarding. “Teachers first had to mourn a little bit because they have this image in their mind of who they are, and now it suddenly looks a bit different. But our model has more of the stuff that teachers got into education for. There’s more meaningful one-on-one work, more opportunities to get to know their kids very well.”⁶

  The future of personalized learning

  Schools like Carpe Diem and Summit offer a promising glimpse of what our education systems might look like in the future. They are showing that personalized education is about not only personalizing the instruction students receive, but also the ownership students feel for their work and the relationships between teachers and students. Fortunately, we live in a unique time in history when the technology finally exists to make this kind of personalized education possible.

  Not many teachers or school leaders have the operational freedom to create blended-learning models that are as radically different as those found at Carpe Diem or Summit. But many educators from around the world are finding creative ways to implement blended learning within their existing classrooms and schools. Some are setting up computer stations within their classrooms and then having students rotate in small groups between teacher-led instruction and personalized online instruction. Others are finding ways to leverage their existing computer labs to create tighter integration between what students do during lab time and what they do in their other classes. Still others are finding ways to “flip” their classrooms by assigning students to learn core concepts online for homework and then refocusing class time on applying that learning to solve problems, work on projects, and collaborate with their teachers and classmates. In all of these cases, educators are leveraging technology to create innovative learning environments that better address their students’ needs.

  Making the shift to blended learning

  Blended learning is a powerful enabler of personalized instruction, but the shift to high-quality blended learning is no small task. It is not merely a matter of purchasing devices and licensing good online learning software. Major shifts in aspects of school operations are often required, such as the schedule of the school day, the grouping of students, the roles and responsibilities of teachers, classroom procedures, classroom management strategies, classroom culture, and the architecture and layout of the physical learning environment.

  Because blended learning is still a relatively new phenomenon, resources and best practices are just now emerging from the field. Fortunately, as more and more schools experiment with blended learning, successful models are providing lessons that can help streamline the planning and design processes for other schools that are looking to make the shift. Even so, the work of developing a successful blended learning model requires significant research, planning, collaboration, and reflective execution.

  For more information on blended learning, please visit: www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning

  ---

  Photos: courtesy Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation

  First published in Education Canada, September 2014

   

  EN BREF – L’apprentissage hybride, un modèle pédagogique novateur, intègre l’apprentissage en ligne à l’enseignement en personne afin d’engendrer des possibilités d’apprentissage personnalisé pour les élèves. De nombreuses écoles primaires et secondaires utilisent l’apprentissage hybride pour transformer les environnements éducationnels à l’école et pour aider tous les élèves à mieux se préparer aux études supérieures et à l’environnement de travail du 21e siècle. Un apprentissage hybride de qualité libère les enseignants de certains aspects administratifs et pédagogiques de leur travail de sorte qu’ils peuvent se concentrer davantage sur le mentorat et l’encadrement de leurs élèves. Il peut également aider les élèves à acquérir plus d’autonomie en tant qu’apprenants et engendrer des liens plus personnels entre les élèves et leurs enseignants.

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  [1] Both of the schools described in the article are U.S. charter schools. They are publicly funded and operated by private, non-profit organizations. They have open enrollment for any students living within their geographic areas, they do not charge tuition, and when they receive more applications than they can accommodate they admit students based on lottery.

  [2] Frederick M. Hess and Bror Saxberg, Breakthrough Leadership in the Digital Age: Using learning science to reboot schooling (Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin, 2014), 19.

  [3] Ian Murray, Carpe Diem Learning Systems (video, 2013), 7:14. http://carpediemschools.com/videos/

  [4] Ibid.

  [5] Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute, Case Study #1: Teaching in a flex model at Summit Public Schools (video, 2014), 7:56. www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/ssf-cci/sscc-teaching-blended-learning/sscc-blended-case-studies/v/sscc-blended-summitteach

  [6] Hess and Saxberg, Breakthrough Leadership in the Digital Age, 156.

• Building Community

  8:58 PM Comments Off on Building Community

  Around the world, our sense of community is changing. Technology and social media have made the world smaller than ever, and people are building their own communities, regardless of geographic boundaries. School communities are, inevitably, changing too. A more expansive concept of school seems to be emerging, with connections and relationships extending well beyond the school walls to encompass families, community partners and mentors, and “virtual” classmates from schools around the world. Within the school walls, an increasingly diverse student population and shifts in the roles of teachers and learners are also changing the dynamic. In this issue, we wanted to explore how educators can create and support vibrant, positive, creative school communities.

  The articles that were contributed in response are a wide-ranging and inspiring look at what is possible. Chris Wejr (p.12) shares his experience using social media to include parents into the school community and reinforce positive school culture. Ray Derkson (p. 20) describes Manitoba’s innovative approach to ensuring strong community input and participation across a huge and widely diverse school division. And Thomas Arnett (p. 16) presents models of “blended learning” that change the structure of the school day and the relationship between student and teacher.

  One of the inspirations for this issue was a two-day workshop CEA held in October 2013, titled, “What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education?” As part of the process, participants were asked to share their personal vision of “the school of their dreams.” Person after person described schools rich in authentic, meaningful, and personalized learning experiences. But another strong thread had to do with community, as described in the summary report:

  “The schools of their dreams are welcoming, collaborative environments, respectful of the many layers of diversity that now define the Canadian social fabric. They are places where a strong sense of community participation and contribution adds to the rich set of resources that can bring learning to life.”[1]

  There may be a long way to go to fully achieve the “dream schools” described to us in the CEA workshop. But exciting changes are being made right now to create richer, stronger, more responsive school communities, as the examples in this issue demonstrate. Whether at the classroom, school or regional level, there is no lack of exciting ideas. To paraphrase Ray Derkson in his article, “Let’s try them and see what happens.”

  Write to us!

  We want to know what you think. Send your letters or article proposals to editor@cea-ace.ca, or post your comments about individual articles on the online version of Education Canada at: www.cea-ace.ca/educationcanada

  Photo: Dave Donald

  First published in Education Canada, September 2014

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  [1] Read the whole report at: http://cea-ace.s3.amazonaws.com/media/CEA-2013-2014-AR-Annual-Performance.pdf

• The Challenge to Change: Discussion Guide

  August 1, 2014 12:00 AM Comments Off on The Challenge to Change: Discussion Guide

  The Challenge to Change
  The Discussion Guide Version 2.0
  August 2014

  Published by:
  The Canadian Education Association (CEA)
  119 Spadina Avenue, Suite 705, Toronto, ON M5V 2L1
  www.cea-ace.ca

  A Conversation About Change is Developing…

  On October 23, 2013 over 300 teachers, students, parents, policy-makers, education leaders and community groups gathered in Calgary to join the Canadian Education Association (CEA) in a conversation around the question, What’s Standing in the Way of Change in Education? It’s a provocative question, to be sure, and one that continues to draw interest and attention from individual citizens and stakeholder groups right across the country. For this reason, CEA has designed several ways for you to contribute to the conversation.

• Getting to a Deeper Level of Knowing

  June 24, 2014 10:00 PM Comments Off on Getting to a Deeper Level of Knowing

  Remembering my first year teaching more than four decades ago, Aboriginal education issues and challenges did not figure among the priorities of my school system or in staffroom conversations with my colleagues. Save for the Indian residential school down the road and the single Aboriginal student in our otherwise all-white elementary school, Aboriginal education matters were not on the agenda.
  (more…)

• Bringing Spiritual Teachings into Education

  June 12, 2014 6:23 PM Comments Off on Bringing Spiritual Teachings into Education

  Having been involved in Aboriginal Education for most of my life, from attending Indian residential school to working on the development of First Nation-controlled post-secondary institutions, I would like to focus on an issue that is not often mentioned: the importance of spirituality in education.

  First Nation elders assert that spirituality was a special gift given to Indigenous peoples as a way to maintain strong and healthy nations. In pre-contact societies ceremonies, which were mechanisms for maintaining relations with the spirit world, dominated daily and seasonal life and marked progression though the principle stages of personal development.

  Spiritual teachings were derived through vision, ceremony and meditation, and stressed the need for establishing good relations as they pertained to personal and community behaviour. These teachings reflected traditional values including bravery, love, respect, honesty, generosity, humility and wisdom.

  Education theorists write about the importance of having a positive self-concept in order to learn most effectively. I believe that a key to restoring what has been referred to as the “learning spirit” is the rejuvenation of Aboriginal spiritual beliefs. Elders and many educators talk about the need for holistic education – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

  It should be noted that Aboriginal spirituality is not about religious dogma, but rather is about establishing healthy relationships with all things, including one’s relatives, one’s nation, and the natural environment. The elders confirm that all things have spirit and that humans are really spirit beings on a physical journey. As we navigate through life, we are here to learn how to have proper relations with all things. The elders also say that learning, including school learning, is a fundamental part of the purpose for living. It is a sacred mission in life.

  Unfortunately many Aboriginal youth today have lost touch with their spiritual heritage, and elders believe this is the reason why so many turn to substance abuse, crime and involvement in gangs. We as Aboriginal people need to heal ourselves by focusing on the spiritual mission of education, which often gets lost in the clamour for more funding and the politicization of schooling. The elders tell me that it is now time to research, write about and teach the principles of Aboriginal spirituality, something which I and other academics at the First Nations University are attempting to do.

  ---

  This blog post is part of CEA’s focus on aboriginal student success, which is also connected to Education Canada Magazine’s aboriginal student success theme issue and a Facts on Education fact sheet on what the research says about how can we create conditions for Aboriginal student success in our public schools. Please contact info@cea-ace.ca if you would like to contribute a blog post to this series.

• Indigenizing Education

  June 10, 2014 9:13 PM Comments Off on Indigenizing Education

  No simple answer is adequate to respond to a complex question. However, in my view, a major barrier to Aboriginal students’ success is their resistance, either overt or intuitive, to being absorbed in a world of knowledge and a society that appear to have no place for them or their people. The change I would propose is to Indigenize education in Canada. Indigenizing education means that every subject at every level is examined to consider how and to what extent current content and pedagogy reflect the presence of Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples and the valid contribution of Indigenous knowledge. Such an examination would shift the focus from remediating deficits in Aboriginal students to addressing bias and omissions in the educational system.

  The beginning of change does not have to wait for regulations or funding from on high, although curricular standards and appropriate resources will be essential to systemic change. An obvious place to begin is in the teaching of Canadian history. Recent research confirms that students graduating from high school are ignorant that the peaceable character that we like to claim as a nation is fundamentally a legacy of treaties negotiated by First Nations in good faith, shamefully ignored for a century, and now the basis of legitimate claims for reparations.

  Public approaches to health and justice are beginning to recognize the insightfulness of Aboriginal understandings of whole health, encompassing body, mind, emotions and spirit, and the effectiveness of restorative justice. Indigenous writers, filmmakers and artists are now represented in national galleries and on the podium for prestigious awards. Yet, despite the evidence that Aboriginal people are participants and contributors to the vitality of community in Canada, the prevailing public perception is that we are problems resistant to solution and impediments to economic development. Content about Indigenous societies, coloured by the perspectives of Indigenous knowledge and woven through the curriculum, could diffuse or dispel the residue of colonialist arrogance that maintains stereotypes and prejudice.

  I am heartened by the gains that have been made over the 40 years that I have been involved as a parent, teacher and advocate for Aboriginal education. I am also deeply moved at “the power of one” to rally support for a dream. I watch the annual parade of students on my home territory of Tyendinaga wearing T-shirts and carrying banners proclaiming “Our Dreams Matter Too.” With those words, Shannen Koostachin, a Cree 13-year-old from Attawapiskat, challenged the Minister of Indian Affairs to provide “safe and comfy schools and culturally appropriate education for First Nations children and youth.” She died at the age of 15, but Shannen’s Dream has continued to inspire students, teachers and their federations, and school boards across Canada. The announcement of more equitable funding for education on-reserves, made in the 2014 federal budget, is evidence that students and educators joining their voices with Aboriginal advocates can exercise influence well beyond the walls of their schools.

• An Opportunity to Redefine

  June 9, 2014 9:05 PM Comments Off on An Opportunity to Redefine

  Change. It is a word used so freely in relation to education that it has perhaps become a cliché. However, to Indigenous persons living in Canada and many other countries, that word carries with it a variety of important meanings.

  Above all, change is hope: a hope that the historical and ongoing experiences and contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people to what people today call Canada will be recognized and understood.

  Education is a powerful tool that can lift a person to realize great opportunities and fulfilment; it can also be used as a powerful weapon to remove the identity and spirit of entire cultures. As Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, stated, “Education is the cause for much of the challenges faced by Aboriginal people today. However, it is also the solution in moving forward.”

  Recognizing the irony, I would use the questioning teaching method of Socrates to challenge each person who has an interest in this area. I would ask: “What do you truly know about First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples? Whose truth is it? Whose interests does this truth serve?”

  In this country, individuals hold differing and sometimes intransigent opinions on Indigenous people based upon their knowledge. Again, I would ask: “Knowledge gained where? And from whom?”

  I realize that it is rather provocative of me to challenge folks about their personal values and experiences, but I do so with the intent of asking us to reflect on what has historically been a negative educational context for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. This experience colours our opportunity for an appreciative relationship – for example when I say the term “Indian,” what comes to your mind? Is it appreciative or deficit thinking?

  In the education world we are quite comfortable with the term evaluation. I would encourage people to evaluate and reflect on their current paradigms in Aboriginal Education, to take an honest look and reframe those views in a place that starts from mutual respect. There is a requirement to rebuild trust, which can only happen if we are willing to work together to create shared understandings that support each other. It cannot be an either/or pathway any longer if we wish to achieve success.

  Simultaneously, I would ask that we seize the opportunity that is before us to use the education system as the means to ensure everyone enjoys all the hope and prosperity this country has to offer – and I am defining prosperity beyond the simple economics to include positive social interactions, self-worth and positive community engagement.

  The manifestations of change provide us with our greatest opportunity to see every child succeed. Education is the societal agency of change that we ourselves control and that we can indeed ensure is the “solution in moving forward.”

  ---

  This blog post is part of CEA’s focus on aboriginal student success, which is also connected to Education Canada Magazine’s aboriginal student success theme issue and a Facts on Education fact sheet on what the research says about how can we create conditions for Aboriginal student success in our public schools. Please contact info@cea-ace.ca if you would like to contribute a blog post to this series.

• Two–Eyed Seeing

  8:02 PM Comments Off on Two–Eyed Seeing

  Such a language would be… one that grows in the middle.

  (Ted Aoki, 1993)

  My (Michelle’s) grandmother would always tell me, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” when I was impatient about the slowness of change, when it seemed so obvious in my inexperience of youth “what needed to happen.” I would refute with, “But look how long it took to build Rome.” Her reply was always, “Yes… but it was built, wasn’t it, and it has stood the test of time.” Some three decades later, I often think back to those words, when I am frustrated with the slow progress I have been witness to in enabling Aboriginal success in education. How can something so obvious be so slow?

  This year I had the opportunity to be part of two key announcements at Kainai High School on the Blood Reserve in Southern Alberta: former Prime Minister Paul Martin’s Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program (part of the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative) on January 21st, 2014; and the February 7th, 2014 unveiling of an agreement towards the proposed First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act. These two long overdue initiatives made me reflect that perhaps my grandmother is right; while slow, Rome is finally being built, and hopefully in a different and better way than the atrocious legacy of Aboriginal education. In light of historical education practices, both these initiatives can be deemed as progress, creating a new educational space for Aboriginal learners.¹ But where do we start and how do we do this?

  Both Paul Martin and Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledge that Aboriginal education is best developed and implemented by Aboriginal people themselves. While indisputable, this understanding needs to extend even broader and deeper. Is it only Aboriginal people who need to be educated? If we truly want a population that can live together with respect and understanding in the 21st century, if we truly want to rectify the inequity at all levels, do we not need to simultaneously educate both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples? In listening to and respecting each other’s stories, ways of knowing and coming to know, can we create a third space, a liminal space, in which we build a sharing relationship while maintaining the integrity of each identity and voice?

  Two-Eyed Seeing

  “The foundational basis for any relationship is an exchange of stories,” says Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall. He and his wife Murdena are working at the kitchen table with Cheryl in their home in Eskasoni First Nation in Unama’ki (Cape Breton, N.S). It’s winter 2014 and once again we are pondering how best to convey the message of Two-Eyed Seeing to a new audience; this time for Aboriginal fishers and managers involved in the commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada. Albert coined the phrase as a guiding principle years ago and it has now been picked up across Canada by organizations and individuals interested in transcultural collaboration, many of whom are asking to hear more. Two-Eyed Seeing refers to a traditional Mi’kmaq understanding about the gift of multiple perspectives – a gift treasured by many Indigenous peoples. In Mi’kmaq, this is called “Etuaptmumk.”

  For our current times, Elder Albert explains that “Two-Eyed Seeing refers to learning to see from one eye with the strengths of, or the best in, the Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye learning to see with the strengths of, or the best in, the Western (mainstream) knowledges and ways of knowing, but, most importantly, learning to use both these eyes together, for the benefit of all.” Two-Eyed Seeing implies responsibilities for reciprocity, mutual accountability, and co-learning. It is key to the First Nations’ lifelong learning philosophy, and the concept (albeit not by the name Two-Eyed Seeing) features prominently in the key educational documents recently produced by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).² As former AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo said in his address after the Prime Minister’s announcement of the First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act, “What was done in the past was wrong and we need to make it right and we need to do it in partnership. It requires we attend to the seven teachings: truth, honesty, courage, love, wisdom, humility and respect.”

  So, what might we as educators contribute to the discussion for success of Aboriginal students in light of historical patterns, the latest announcements, and our own experience? As a non-aboriginal university professor, Cheryl (now retired) has taught over 100 Mi’kmaq First Nations students in first-year science, as well as some thousands of non-aboriginal students in a BSc-Biology program. Michelle, a Métis professor, has taught an equal number of Aboriginal, largely Blackfoot, and non-Aboriginal students in chemistry and biochemistry. We both agree wholeheartedly on the importance of First Nations’ control for K-12, while recognizing the challenge it represents for non-indigenous, post-secondary educational institutions. We both strongly support the creation of semi-to-fully autonomous First Nations entities within post-secondary institutions. We fully endorse the suggestions and insights of Elder Albert and embrace Two-Eyed Seeing for all students and educators, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, alike.

  However, the implementation of these principles is going to require many changes in the development and delivery of curriculum, courses and programs. The government has moved towards putting Aboriginal education back into the hands of Aboriginal peoples on-reserve. However, if we are to do this right – and it is critical we get it right this time – we must put mechanisms in place and encourage the requisite transcultural consciousness to provide for the meaningful, participatory, and sustainable engagement of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders. This can’t be an abdication of responsibility on the part of the government, but rather must be a concerted effort of all educators and policymakers at all levels. We must build bridges to understanding the ways of knowing and learning that enable Aboriginal academic success, such that doors of access to post-secondary education, and the opportunities that education affords, are opened in a more equitable way. While Prime Minister Harper in his announcement said that putting Aboriginal education back into the hands of Aboriginal peoples “is the right thing to do,” it is incumbent upon all to become educated in the “Other”³ in order to grow and move forward together.

  Within educational arenas, the issue of “success” is constantly and appropriately invoked. With these new and desperately needed initiatives, there are many questions around measurement and standards. How are we to measure success? Who and what will define it? How can it be measured in a different system and how do we compare them? Who will set the standards? Moreover, how will we create a liminal space of possibility, one that is not perceived as a gap (because that is the risk if we don’t work together) but one that is truly inclusive of Two-Eyed Seeing? True Two-Eyed Seeing requires that both parties commit to and continually partake in the conversation. It is not a linear beginning-to-end process, as is the Western paradigm of assessment, with targeted outcomes. Rather, it is process-oriented, much like the continual cyclical philosophy and teachings embedded in the Aboriginal medicine wheel. The Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) report, Redefining How Success is Measured in First Nations, Inuit And Métis Learning, points out that “current research and approaches to measuring Aboriginal learning in Canada often are orientated toward measuring learning deficits; do not account for social, economic and political factors; do not monitor progress across the full spectrum of lifelong learning; do not reflect the holistic nature of First Nations, Inuit and Métis learning; and do not reflect the importance of experiential learning.”⁴ Aboriginal control of Aboriginal education provides a possibility to redefine success in terms of Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and Learning, encompassing the key attributes of Aboriginal learning as identified by the CCL⁵ including also language and spirituality; and to develop tools and means of assessment that address the lifelong learning model of Aboriginal peoples. This is critical for engagement, retention and the success of Aboriginal learners in education. In Elder Albert’s words: “Seeds germinate when the environment is appropriate.”

  After the fisheries meeting was over, Cheryl said to Elder Albert, “I find this really awkward in that, as a white person, I am pushing hard for the communities to revitalize and embrace their own knowledge and ways for fisheries management. But the interest seems indifferent and tepid. Although I believe in it passionately, is there not something really weird about it being me pushing? Should it not be Mi’kmaq scholars doing this, or Mi’kmaq students, or the Mi’kmaq fishers?” Albert’s response was: “Well, Cheryl, you know the Haudenosaunee two canoe statement? One with whites in it and one with Haudenosaunee, both going down the same river, side by side, with the understanding that you don’t try to paddle my canoe, and I won’t try to paddle yours. But that does not reflect what we’re doing here. It’s a sled we’ve got – representing our passions for ensuring the ecological integrity of Mother Earth. We, the Elders, are dragging that sled with all our might, and you need to help us by pushing as hard as you can on the rear of the sled. But, it is we, the Elders, who will determine where it goes.” This metaphorically translates to education. While Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and Learning and Western Ways of Knowing and Learning are different, when it comes to the education of our children, Chief Atleo says, “We need to be in this together.”

  Inclusivity and true relational understanding can only come from continual and cyclical commitment to Two-Eyed Seeing at all levels by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders: students, parents, community, government and Canada as a whole. And the time to undertake this work is now. As Kainai Chief Charlie Weasel Head said in this past announcement, “We cannot afford to lose another generation of children.”

  E’kosi & Msit No’kmaq.

  Photo: Michelle Hogue

  first published in Education Canada, June 2014

   

  EN BREF – Cet article présente notre réflexion, en tant qu’éducatrices d’étudiants universitaires autochtones et non autochtones, à propos de nos expériences en classe et dans les collectivités, en fonction de l’approche de la covision (Two-Eyed Seeing) préconisée par l’aîné mi’kmaq Albert Marshall et de ses propos concernant la réussite. Alors que nous commençons enfin à constater un mouvement positif en éducation autochtone, nous reconnaissons la nécessité d’instruire simultanément les peuples autochtones et non autochtones. Nous devons donc jeter des ponts pour comprendre les manières de connaître et d’apprendre menant à la réussite scolaire des Autochtones, de façon à leur ouvrir plus équitablement les portes permettant d’accéder aux études postsecondaires et aux possibilités que procure l’éducation. En écoutant et en respectant nos récits respectifs, nos façons de connaître et d’apprendre à connaître, nous ouvrons la porte à un troisième espace, un espace liminal où nous bâtissons une relation de partage tout en maintenant l’intégrité de chaque identité et de chaque voix.

  ---

  1 On May 2nd, 2014, Shawn Atleo stepped down as AFN National Chief in light of controversies surrounding the “process” of establishing Prime Minister Harpers’ new education bill. Prime Minister Harper, in response, has tabled the bill for the time being. There are both applauses from original critics and outcries from supporters. However, what remains is that Aboriginal people across Canada feel strongly about Aboriginal control of Aboriginal education and how that process should happen. While seemingly a step backwards, going forward in a cautionary (building-Rome-like) way to attend to all voices, might ensure we do it right this time in a way that truly attends to “Two-Eyed Seeing.”

  2 AFN (Assembly of First Nations), First Nations Control of First Nations Education: It’s our vision, it’s our time (2010), www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/3._2010_july_afn_first_nations_control_of_first_nations_education_final_eng.pdf; AFN, Taking Action for First Nations Post-secondary Education: Access, opportunity, and outcomes (discussion paper, 2010), http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com; AFN, Supporting First Nations Learners Transitioning to Post-Secondary (2012), www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education2/postsecondarytransitionsreport.pdf

  3 P. Riceour, Oneself as Another, trans. K. Blamey (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007).

  4 Canadian Council on Learning – Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre, Redefining How Success is Measured in First Nations, Inuit and Métis Learning, Report on Learning in Canada (Ottawa: 2007), p. 8. www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/RedefiningSuccess/Redefining_How_Success_Is_Measured_EN.pdf

  5 Canadian Council on Learning, Redefining How Success is Measured in First Nations, p. 5.

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