On this page, you will find our course overview, schedule, information about your instructor, and Portland State University Policies. From here, you can access the Weekly Course Content from the class dropdown menu.
Course materials will be available to you on Monday mornings each week, running from Monday to Sunday. Most students find that they need to visit the Google site several times a week to view readings and videos and access the Zoom links for class.
Zoom: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/84520780762
Flip: https://flip.com/33f85fcb
We are excited to be in this learning community with you all!
As always, let us know if you have any questions or need support to complete our classwork online.
Valeria
Undergraduate Class
ECED 410
TOP: NATIVE WELLBEING, PART 3
CRN
Graduate Class Class
ECED 410
TOP: NATIVE WELLBEING, PART 3
CRN
Course Description
This online class is for those interested in working with young children, 0-5 years. It will support students in successfully navigating online coursework while exploring their professional identity and working as early childhood educators. Guided by Indigenous research and methodology principles, we will focus on the development of skills, reflective practice, and emotional wellbeing in early childhood settings.
Course Background
This course is an outgrowth of the Indigenous First Steps Project, a community collaborative project designed to promote culturally specific early learning programs for Native children in the State of Oregon. The primary aim of the project is to develop a community-designed 12-credit Early Childhood Professional Development Certificate that will focus on Native language, culture, histories, knowledges, and both written and oral stories from Native communities for recovering and sustaining lifeways and lessons that serve to address contemporary issues.
Acknowledgment
Portland State is located on the traditional homelands of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tumwater, Watlala bands of the Chinook, the Tualatin Kalapuya, and many other indigenous nations of the Columbia River. We acknowledge the ancestors of this place and understand that we are here because of the sacrifices forced upon them. By recognizing these communities, we honor their legacy, their lives, and their descendants.
Each week, you will see a drop-down menu. Our courses have a format to make them easy to navigate.
Introduction to the topic - Here you will find the weekly expectations of what will be completed each week for class. Primary Discussion posts are due Thursday and responses to colleagues are on Saturday. Assignments are generally due Sunday.
Instructor notes - an overview of key concepts for the week
Readings & Resources - these are the materials that you will be reading and exploring for the week. Materials include readings, websites, and videos. You will generally find that you need to read and digest these materials prior to posting your discussion.
Class Meetings and/or Flipgrid - Much of our class time is connected to the Class meetings or Flipgrids where we come together to share ideas. Since the Flipgrids represent the classroom component of our online learning, it is important to remember to check back frequently. Much like you would not say your piece and then get up and leave a live class, we don't share our Flipgrids and then not check back for the week. Responsibilities in the Flipgrids include developing your posts, watching other posts, and responding to selected posts in a meaningful way.
Email: skoyano@pdx.edu
Office Location: TBD
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: valer2@pdx.edu
Office Location: TBD
Office Hours: By appointment
Sara was born in Canyonville, Oregon, and is a citizen of the Nahánkʰuotana (Cow Creek People) with Cree, Kalapuya, and Cow Creek ancestry along with French and Scots-Irish.
Sara is a current PSU education leadership doctoral student who earned her master's in inclusive early childhood education from PSU in 2019. In addition to being adjunct faculty at PSU, and UCC, Sara is involved in the PSU Indigenous First Steps research projects. She has worked as a human services case manager, a preschool teacher, and as a mental health therapist with young children.
Most recently, she has been engaged in youth prevention/wellness and opioid education in her local community. Sara has a special interest in education, Indigenous issues, disability, mental health, and substance use. Since September 2023, she has been learning the Nahánkʰuotana traditional language, Takelma.
Sara lives in Roseburg, Oregon on Nahánkʰuotana Traditional Territory with her husband, two of her children (ages 13 and 19), a dog, a bunny, five cats, and six chickens. She loves spending time outdoors enjoying the beauty of the Umpqua Valley and also loves spending time with her family and working in her garden. Sara is the mom of five (Jessie, Zack, Payton, Bailey, and Carly) and the grandma of two (Tyson, and Enzo).
Valeria was born in Vancouver, Washington, and is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. She is a bi-racial Indigenous, Mexican and Colombian self-proclaimed Native Mama Scholar.
Valeria is a current Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at PSU and has been involved in the Indigenous First Steps program serving as a faculty and member of the peer learning community. She has worked in human services for more than 12 years for both tribal and state agencies in various roles seeking to transform educational practices and centering holistic wellbeing to better serve Indigenous children and their families.
Most recently, she served as the Tribal Affairs Director for the Department of Early Learning and Care engaged in working with the nine tribal nations in Oregon to bring policy and administrative changes that support tribes in their sovereignty and inherent right to self govern.
She currently works with Zero to Three as a Senior Technical Assistance Specialist pairing Part C IDEA services and Child Care nationally and is the Principle Consultant and Owner of Native Mama Scholars, LLC.
She lives in Keizer, Oregon and is a proud parent to two young children, Safia, age 7 and Amira, age 5. She most enjoys spending time with her family and community attending cultural events and gatherings, reading in her spare time and learning to bead.
Valeria is bi-lingual in english and spanish, learning her native language Chinuk Wawa and hopes to learn more languages in her lifetime.
PSU values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to fostering mutual respect and full participation for all students. My goal is to create a learning environment that is equitable, useable, inclusive, and welcoming. If any aspects of instruction or course design result in barriers to your inclusion or learning, please notify me. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) provides reasonable accommodations for students who encounter barriers in the learning environment.
If you have, or think you may have, a disability that may affect your work in this class and feel you need accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center to schedule an appointment and initiate a conversation about reasonable accommodations. The DRC is located in 116 Smith Memorial Student Union, 503-725-4150.
If you already have accommodations, please contact me to make sure that I have received a faculty notification letter and to discuss your accommodations.
Students who need accommodations for tests and quizzes are expected to schedule their tests to overlap with the time the class is taking the test.
For information about emergency preparedness, please go to the Fire and Life Safety web page for information.