Instructional Design - Empowering the Spirit

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN encourages culturally responsive instructional designs that recognize and build on the strengths that cultural viewpoints bring to the learning environment to bridge different ways of knowing.

These instructional designs support learning from multiple cultural perspectives to invite deeper learning and exploration of learning outcomes.

Thoughtful and intentional learning designs that enable students to experience deeper learning through a weaving of Indigenous ways of knowing and western pedagogical practices advance the spirit of reconciliation and promote cultural appreciation.

Creating Projects with a First Nations, Métis or Inuit Focus

This learning guide is designed for teachers, learning coaches and school leaders. It explains how to design and engage students in projects that begin with inquiry and end with a product, performance or service that is shared with an authentic audience. This guide is intended to be used as a toolkit, rather than as a step-by-step prescription.

Rupertsland Centre for Teaching and Learning (RCTL)

Rupertsland Institute is the Métis Education authority in Alberta. The RCTL is developing strong Foundational Knowledge Resources, engaging Lesson Plans, meaningful Professional Development opportunities and authentic Classroom Learning Tools that speak accurately and meaningfully to topics in Métis education.

Our Way is a Valid Way

The purpose of the Our Way is a Valid Way courses on the ARPDC Moodle site is to provide educators an opportunity to engage in professional learning in an online environment as part of a professional learning plan.

The Our Way is a Valid Way resource is intended to enhance all teachers’ understanding of the diverse FNMI traditions, values, and attitudes, and of the historical and contemporary realities of FNMI peoples in western and northern Canada. It is only through the increased awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the rich and long-lasting history, culture, and contributions of FNMI peoples that teachers can design learning experiences for all students that contribute to their analysis, understanding, and appreciation of FNMI issues and challenges within Canada’s political, socio-economic, linguistic, and cultural realities.

Our Way Is a Valid Way Professional Educator Resource

This resource is intended to enhance all teachers’ understanding of the diverse First Nations, Métis and Inuit traditions, values, and attitudes, and of the historical and contemporary realities of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in western and northern Canada. The guiding questions in the creation of this resource are:

What aspects of WNCP Indigenous ways of knowing should be weaved into K–12 professional development resources for teachers?
What are the professional development methods of delivery that respectfully reflect the cultural aspects of ways of knowing, intellectual property rights, and holistic learning environments?
What practices promote success for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students?
What supports enhance teachers’ understandings of WNCP peoples?
How can the First Nations, Métis and Inuit professional development resource be effectively implemented in school jurisdictions?

Learn Alberta Sample Lesson Plans

These sample lesson plans support Education for Reconciliation through the inclusion of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives; treaty education; and residential schools’ experiences, with learning outcomes identified in the current Alberta programs of study.

Each sample lesson plan includes content(s) or context(s) related to one or more of the following aspects of Education for Reconciliation:

diverse perspectives and ways of knowing of First Nations, Métis, or Inuit, including values, traditions, kinship, language, and ways of being;
understandings of the spirit and intent of treaties; or
residential schools’ experiences and resiliency.

Links and relevant information in Guiding Voices: A Curriculum Development Tool for Inclusion of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Perspectives Throughout Curriculum and Walking Together: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum are provided to support understandings of First Nations, Métis, or Inuit ways of knowing. Find links to the specific subject area lesson plans in Pedagogy.

Buffalo Trails Public School First Nations, Métis and Inuit Teacher Resource Website

Staff in the Buffalo Trails Public School district have built a website with a large variety of First Nations, Métis and Inuit resources. To honour teachers’ busy schedules, this website is meant to be a one-stop-shop where teachers can quickly access ideas, lesson plans, internet resources, PD options, etc, that include First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and are relevant to all subjects areas of Alberta curricula. Links to district and online edukits are included.

Dry Island Buffalo Jump: Learning From the Land

This video, developed as part of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit Provincial Professional Learning Project with the Northwest Regional Learning Consortium (NRLC) and the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC), features Dry Island Buffalo Jump. This field trip and video was created with Elder involvement to model Learning From the Land as a resource for students and teachers, with PD consultation by Terry Lakey.

Edmonton Public Schools Edukits

Edukits contain cultural items, photographs, books, traditional tools, literacy resources, activities, assessment suggestions and educator’s guide, designed for a hands-on minds-on opportunity for staff and students to be engaged in First Nations, Métis and Inuit education. The kits are shared freely by Edmonton Public Schools.

Cultural Standpoint Questionnaire

These questions are designed for you to reflect on your own unique cultural standpoint, no matter where you are from in this world. The process of constructing an Indigenous standpoint methodology is:

Figure out your ontology (what you believe is real)
Figure out your epistemology (way of thinking about that reality)
From this develop your methodology (tools to make your epistemology further inform your ontology)
Do these steps within a framework of your axiology (ethics and values)

8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning

This academic factsheet explains 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning as one view of Indigenous cultural competence and why it is important for those working with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
students.

8 Ways One-Week Challenge

This document explores daily strategies to embed basic Aboriginal perspectives across your classroom in one week. Follow the steps from Monday to Friday, just fifteen minutes a day to embed Indigenous perspective routines and practices in your classroom.