|
Culture-Based Education
Checklist for Teachers in Cross-Cultural Schools
Adapted from an Assessment Checklist in the Indian and Metis Staff Development Program,
p.243. Saskatchewan Education, 1995.
Dene Kede: Education from a Dene Perspective, Kindergarten - Grade 6
Culture-based education means that the culture of the community is
the culture of the school. It is reflected in the physical
appearance, the communication style, the leadership style and the
teaching strategies. The school belongs to the community and the
children. Culture-based curricula provide the foundation and guide
for the school program. All other areas of study are integrated
components which are valued equally. Culture-based education ensures
that students will be strong in their own identity first, in order
to succeed and become strong in two cultures.
Dene Kede curriculum, K - 6, encompasses culture, language and the
Dene perspective on Education. It was developed in consultation with
elders representing the five Dene regions Of the NWT and
incorporates the four fundamental relationships within Dene culture:
The purpose of this curriculum is to provide children with the
knowledge, skills and attitudes, which will guide them toward
becoming capable citizens.
Dene Kede advocates experiential learning. Within the context of
"key cultural experiences" students will learn the perspectives that
are distinctly Dene. Related strategies involving discussion,
storytelling, analysis, practice, review and reflection, support and
enhance the key experiences.
- ECE: Kindergarten to Grade 12
Inuuqatigiit: The Curriculum from the Inuit Perspective, K-12
Inuuqatigiit is a culture-based curriculum from the Inuit
perspective. It was developed by Inuit educators and grounded in the
belief of the Elders that education must be community based. This
curriculum is intended to develop pride of identity and language in
the students.
Goals of Inuuqatigiit:
- Maintain, strengthen, recall and enhance Inuit language and
culture in the community and the school
- Enhance unity within Inuit groups
- Create a link between the past and present
- Encourage the practice of Inuit values and beliefs
- Encourage pride in Inuit identity to enhance personal identity
Inuuqatigiit is based on the belief that learning is a process that
takes many different forms.
- ECE: Kindergarten to Grade 12
Aboriginal Language Programs in the NWT
"Ninety-one percent of communities in the NWT provide Aboriginal
language programs. Instructional time averages 120 minutes a week
for second language programs (L2). The emphasis in language
instruction is on oral traditions in the primary grades, but reading
and writing are often introduced in Grades 4 to 6. Overall, nearly
two-thirds of students in Kindergarten to Grade 9 have access to
Aboriginal second language programs. Additionally, two high schools
in Rae-Edzo and Fort Good Hope, offer credit courses in Grade 10 -
12. In communities, 94 percent of students from Kindergarten through
Grade 9 have access to Aboriginal language programs and in regional
centres, virtually all K - 9 students have access to Aboriginal
language programs. Also, in the regional centres, students have the
option of enrolling in either an Aboriginal or French second
language program, and a few are given the additional choice of
English as a Second Language. Each regional centre has a diverse
Aboriginal population, and schools are faced with the difficult task
of deciding which language(s) to focus on in an academic year."
- (ECE, 2000)
Dene Kede and Inuuqatigiit provide a curriculum framework for
Aboriginal Language Programs. Regional Teaching and Learning Centres
develop language programs for the specific Aboriginal language
groups.
(Education, Culture and Employment, 2000)
Teaching and Learning Centres
The mandate of Teaching and Learning Centres (TLCs) throughout the
NWT is: the preservation and enhancement of Aboriginal language and
culture through the promotion of literacy and the integration of
local language and culture in school programs. Their goal is to
support the implementation of culture-based education by producing
books and other materials and by supporting teachers. All TLCs share
this mandate, with some variation reflecting conditions within
individual jurisdictions.
TLCs are generally administered regionally through the Divisional
Education Councils except in the Beaufort-Delta where one is
administered by the Gwich'in Tribal Council and another by the
Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Most TLCs consist of one to three
Aboriginal Language/Program Consultants, except in the Dogrib region
where the TLC is responsible for all regional program development.
TLCs' roles and responsibilities have become more diverse over time.
In the early Days, the major focus was on the development and
publication of books and teaching materials for use in classrooms.
With the development of Dene Kede and Inuuqatigiit, this role has
shifted somewhat to the implementation of curricula, a role which
requires staff to work more closely with school staff through
workshops and other professional activity.
(Education, Culture and
Employment, 1999)
Internet Resources
... back to top
|
