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 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?

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.