WHAT?English 10/11/12 First Peoples - Summer Institute
WHEN? Wednesday August 18 – Friday August 20, 2010
WHERE?Henry Grube Education Centre
245 Kitchener Crescent
Kamloops, B.C. (North Shore)
WHO WILL BE PRESENTING?
Markus Baer: Markus Baer has a background as a teacher and special educator, having worked with students in Downtown East Vancouver, rural communities in Asia and elsewhere. Markus has an MA in Educational Psychology and Measurement. For the past 10 years, Markus has worked for the BC Ministry of Education designing and developing provincial examinations in a variety of subject areas including: English 10, Social Studies 11, History 12 and English 10 First Peoples. Markus is delighted to be involved with and support the development and implementation of the new English 10/11/12 First Peoples courses.
Chris Bose: Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician and filmmaker, who has read and performed at universities, theatres and coffeehouses at all, points from Victoria to Montreal. He was a literary delegate to the Talking Stick Aboriginal Arts Festival at the BC Festival of the Arts and the Word on the Street Festival in Toronto. Chris continues to create art and music on a daily basis, and is also a workshop facilitator of community arts events, digital storytelling, art workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds.Chris does curatorial work for First Nations art shows and projects, research and writing for periodicals across Canada, project management and coordination, mixed-media productions, film, audio and video recording and editing, and more.He is of the N’laka’pamux Nation in BC, and currently spends his time in Kamloops BC.
Karmen Brillon: Karmen Brillon is from the Gitxsan Nation and has a Bachelor of Education from UBC. She is the Coordinator for the EFP10/11/12 courses and works in partnership with the Ministry of Education for the development of the EFP10/11/12 courses. Karmen was involved in the Advisory, Curriculum, Exam and Teacher Resource Guide development. For the last four years she has travelled all over the province presenting and promoting the EFP courses. She lives in Hazelton BC.
Starleigh Grass: Starleigh Grass, from theTsilhqot'in Nation, is a humanities teacher in Lillooet, BC. In addition to being a member of the English 10/11 First Peoples Curriculum Development Committee she is an advocate for including Aboriginal Literature and pedagogy into the mainstream education system.
Nora Greenway: Nora Greenway, St’at’imc, is a retired teacher who has experience as a classroom teacher, and has held district and provincial Aboriginal Education positions. Her expertise has been in anti racism-curriculum and staff development. Nora was on the English 12 First Peoples teacher training, advisory and curriculum development committees and also was a member of the English 10/11 First Peoples Advisory Team.
Anne Hill: Anne Hill is a K-12 curriculum coordinator in the Aboriginal Education Enhancements Branchat the BC Ministry of Education. She is currently working with the project coordinator team for the development and implementation of English 10 and 11 First Peoples. Anne also supported the completion and ministry approval processes for the English 12 First Peoples curriculum. Anne has 16 years experience working at the BC Ministry of Education in curriculum and learning/teaching resource development and evaluation, as well as in piloting and implementation of provincial curricula. Prior to joining the Aboriginal Education Enhancements Branch, Anne was the K-12 Fine Arts curriculum coordinator at the Ministry of Education and was an elementary/secondary music/arts educator.
Chelsea Prince: Chelsea Prince is a Mohawk of the Bay of Quinte and an Englishteacher in the North Okanagan Shuswap School District (83). Chelsea grew up in the Vernon area and has taught in the Surrey School District and the Nechako Lakes School District as well. She is a member of the EFP 12 and EFP 10/11Curriculum Development Teams and Teacher Resource Guide Writing Teams, and has presented at numerous conferences and workshops. Chelsea has a BA in English, and aBEd in Secondary English Educationfrom UBC. She lives in the Shuswap and is currently working on her MA in Teaching and Learning at UBC Okanagan.
Eden Robinson: Author Biography: Eden Robinson is a Haisla/Heiltsuk author who grew up in Haisla, British Columbia. Her first book, Traplines, a collection of short stories, won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 1998. Monkey Beach, her first novel, was shortlisted for both The Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction in 2000 and named a notable book by The Globe and Mail. Her most recent novel is Blood Sports.
Anne Tenning:
Anne Tenning is a member of the Chemainus First Nation and she has been a secondary teacher for 10 years. Anne works for the Greater Victoria School District as a teacher and Aboriginal academic counselor. Two of Anne’s teaching specialties include BC First Nations Studies 12 and English 12 First Peoples. In 2008, Anne was one of only 6 teachers in Canada to receive the Governor Generals Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History based on her innovative teaching practices in BC First Nations Studies 12. In the spring of 2010, Anne completed her Masters of Arts degree in Education and her thesis was part of the Aboriginal Science Research Project with the Ministry of Education.
Suzanne Winston: Suzanne is of Irish/English and a wee bit of Jewish descent, and is the first Canadian born to her family. Suzanne worked in the Vancouver school district while taking graduate studies in Anthropology, anti-racist pedagogy and Aboriginal education. She moved back to Vernon in 2003 and has spent the last 5 years teaching Senior English at Charles Bloom in Lumby. Suzanne has incorporated English First Peoples into a multi-strand classroom, and she recently piloted English First Peoples 11. Suzanne has a background in Anthropology as well as English Literature, and has found that the 2 disciplines are complimentary, particularly where Literature, Social Justice and English First Peoples intersect. She is honoured and thrilled to be a part of this opportunity for transformative education.
Agenda
Day 1 – Wednesday, August 18
*Breakfast and Lunch provided
8:00-9:00Registration and Breakfast
9:00-9:45 1. Welcome and Introductions – Karmen Brillon
9:45-10:30 2. Group Activity - EFP Principles of Learning–Chelsea Prince
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45–12:00 3. EFP 10/11/12 Integrated Resource Package and Teacher Resource Guide – Anne Hill
12:00-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2:30 4.Residential School- Group Panel
– Nora Greenway, ChelseaPrince and AnneTenning
2:30-2:45 Break
2:45-3:155. “Step into the Circle” group activity – Chelsea Prince
3:15 -4:156. Story Circles – Book Discussion –ChelseaPrince
4:00-4:15 Daily Evaluation and “Dismissal”
Day 2 – Thursday, August 19
*Breakfast and Lunch provided
8:00 – 9:00Breakfast
9:00 -10:00 7. EFP10 and the Provincial Exam–Markus Baer
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-11:30 8. Instructional Sessions
A – Interactive Lesson Plans for Teaching English 12 First Peoples Anne Tenning
B – Workshop B: First Peoples Pedagogy as Non-fiction Texts:
Starleigh Grass
11:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:15 8. Instructional Sessions
B –Workshop B: First Peoples Pedagogy as Non-fiction Texts
Starleigh Grass
A –Interactive Lesson Plans for Teaching English 12 First PeoplesAnne Tenning
2:15-2:30Break
Day 2 – Thursday, August 19 - continued
2:30-3:458. Instructional Sessions
C –Workshop C: Memory, History, and Story; Using the First Peoples Principles of Learning and First Peoples Texts to Help Develop Student SocialResponsibility-Chelsea Prince
D –Workshop D: Teaching English First Peoples: It’s Not as Difficult as You Think! - Suzanne Winston
3:45-4:00 Daily Evaluation and “Dismissal”
Day 3 – Friday, August 20
*Breakfast and Lunch provided
8:00 – 9:00Breakfast
9:00-10:308. Instructional Sessions
D –Workshop D: Teaching English First Peoples: It’s Not as Difficult as You Think!-Suzanne Winston
C – Workshop C: Memory, History, and Story; Using the First Peoples Principles of Learning and First Peoples Texts to Help Develop Student Social Responsibility–Chelsea Prince
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 9. Group Presentation– Chris Bose
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-3:0010. Haisla Protocol & the Writing of Monkey Beach
- AuthorEden Robinson
3:00 – 3:15 Break
3:15 – 4:00 Closing: Final Evaluation/Prizes, Talking Circle Closing, and Goodbyes
Descriptions of the Sessions
1. Welcome to the EFP 12 Summer Institute:
During this time we will bring you greetings from the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and the Ministry of Education (MEd). You will be welcomed to the English 12 First Peoples Summer Institute, and the traditional territory will be recognized.
Karmen Brillon
2. Day One Group Activity – The First Peoples Principles of Learning and Embracing the Pedagogy: During the creation of the IRP for English 12 First Peoples, the Advisory Committee created a list of Principles of Learning, which are common to First Peoples cultures across the country. This list became the foundation for the course and the subsequent courses, and as such, will be the foundation for everything we do at the Institute. In your binders you have a sheet of paper listing the First Peoples Principles of Learning. We are going to take some time to first reflect, and then discuss, what those principles will look like in the classroom.
Chelsea + Facilitators
3. The EFP10/11/12 Integrated Resource Packages and the Teacher Resource Guides
The English 10/11/12 First Peoples Integrated Resource Package (IRP) and the Teacher Resource Guide (TRG) were developed through a partnership between the First Nations Steering Committee (FNESC) and the BC Ministry of Education. While at first glance, the EFP 10/11/12 IRP looks much the same as any other IRP, there are some integral differences. As a group, we will review the components of the IRP, looking at what makes this curriculum unique in content, format and pedagogy. Time will be given to discuss the learning outcomes. Information will be provided regarding learning resources. A copy of the English 10/11/12 First Peoples IRP will be provided for you. We will answer the question that comes up over and over regarding this course: What is different about this curriculum? In the desire to give teachers of EFP 10/11/12as much background as possible to teaching the course, FNESC (the First Nations Education Steering Committee) headed the creation of the EFP 10/11/12 Teacher Resource Guide, which contains complete teaching units, as well as First Peoples pedagogy, text and learning resource recommendations, and information about protocol and communication with parents. We will examine this document, and discuss its use with you. You will receive a copy the English 10/11/12 First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide for your own use.
-Anne Hill
4. Panel: Topic - Residential School / Apology
The presenters will bring the topic of Indian Residential Schools to the participants through a panel format. A brief description of Indian Residential Schools will open this presentation. Each presenter will provide suggestions for teaching this sensitivetopic from their personal experiences so that teachers will leave with some ideas on how teachers may comfortably present this topic to their EP10 and 11 students.
-Nora Greenway, Chelsea Prince and Anne Tenning
5. “Step into the Circle” Activity/Game
This activity has been proven to promote compassion and to build community within a group, helping us to break down stereotypes and show that despite our differences, we are all interconnected. Participating in “Step into the Circle” involves trusting each other and being very honest. In this activity the facilitator reads a list of statements; as she reads each one, if you can respond with a “yes”, step into the circle silently. To thank everyone for taking the risk to be honest, those still on the outside of the circle will applaud and those who stepped forward will step back to the places. Stepping into the circle with the remainder of the group surrounding you symbolizes that we are still a cohesive whole and you are supported. Questions vary and build in intensity as the game progresses. As a note – we do not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. If stepping into the circle discloses part of yourself that you do not want others to know, please feel free to stay in your place on the outer circle. This is an activity that can be used in the classroom; however, you should use your discretion as to which questions should and should not be asked in your communities, and it is essential to spend some time debriefing at the end, as we will do as well.
-Chelsea Prince
6. Story Circles – Book Discussion
Some of the novels in the Teacher Resource Guides for the courses include Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach, Richard Wagamese’s Keeper ’n Me, Drew Hayden Taylor’s The Night Wanderer, Thomas King’s Medicine River, and Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. If you have time before the Institute, please read at least one of these novels and think of a few instructional ideas that could accompany them. Based on your interest, you will join a story circle group and discuss the novels, brainstorming ideas for instruction. At the end of the session, we will share the ideas with the larger group.
-Chelsea Prince
7. English 10 First Peoples and the Provincial Exam
During this session you will be given an overview of the English 10 First Peoples provincial examination. The background and rationale for the exam will be discussed, along with a description of the development process, as well a comparison to the English 10 examination. This session will provide you with a set of materials, including copies of the new sample exam and response booklet. These materials will be used to engage in a dialogue and discussion in which participants will offer feedback, suggestions and recommendations for the future of the English 10 First Peoples Examination.
-Markus Baer
8. Instructional Sessions: (Workshops A, B, C and D)
Instructional techniques you will learn about over the course of the Institute. All of these sessions may fit into an English 10/11/12 class, but will be connected back to the First Peoples Principles of Learning which form the framework for the entire course. You will be split into two smaller groups to allow for more intimate conversations during these sessions. All sessions will be repeated.
Workshop A: “Interactive Lesson Plans for Teaching English 12 First Peoples”:
This workshop will consist of an overview of different interactive lesson plans that I have used in teaching ENFP12 at Victoria High School in Victoria, BC. As I am sure many teachers out there can relate to, the students that I teach in ENFP12 represent a very diverse population, including Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, ESL, gifted, designated learning difficulties, and everyone else in between. These lesson plans work for a wide range of learning styles and abilities. Participants in this workshop: you are also welcome to share a lesson plan of your own that was successful in your ENFP12 class.
-Anne Tenning
Workshop B: First Peoples Pedagogy as Non-fiction Texts:
This workshop will look at several recent models of First Peoples Pedagogy (Inuit IQ, Métis Holistic Learning Tree, Head start’s Beliefs about Children, and New Zealand's 8Ways) and explore activities that students could do in the classroom to deepen their understanding of First Peoples pedagogy.
-Starleigh Grass
Workshop C: Memory, History, and Story; Using the First Peoples Principles of Learning and First Peoples Texts to Help Develop Student Social Responsibility:
Learning about social inequities through literature is a way of teaching students to value diversity in ways they are willing to hear them. Chelsea’s Master of Arts thesis looks at the integration of First Peoples texts and teaching using the First Peoples Principles of Learning as a way of promoting student social responsibility, particularly valuing diversity and respecting human rights.
-Chelsea Prince
Workshop D: Teaching English First Peoples: It’s Not as Difficult as You Think!
Offering the English First Peoples courses is challenging in some schools. This interactive round-table workshop looks at the model of integrating the outcomes for English First Peoples and English into a unified whole that honors the Principles of First Peoples Learning. Suzanne uses her own experiences with the challenges and triumphs of doing so as a stepping toward offering the course on its own. Bring your own triumphs, lessons and ideas for sharing in this collaborative look at how Suzanne got the ball rolling in her school. Lessons and unit overviews are available for sharing.
-Suzanne Winston
9. Group Activity/Presentation with Chris Bose:
Chris Bose will facilitate a poetry/creative writing workshopthat is totally engaging as he invites participants to play a game called "Bingo Poetry" where the participants enter their names in a hat, which he draw randomly, and whoever is drawn, has to read a poem. This "breaks the ice" for the readers, and gets them ready to write their own poem which they will read at the end of the workshop. Chris uses selected works of aboriginal poets/authors, and then quickly does a brainstorm session with the group. Afterwards everyone writes a poem, or some form of creative writing based upon four basic themes in writing. The session is closed with a circle reading and everyone gets a chanceto share their works.
-Chris Bose