How can I foster a more inclusive, culturally responsive, and holistic approach to education that honors Indigenous perspectives and promotes a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories, and ways of knowing?
I feel much accomplished as I reach the completion of this course. All the modules helped me learn and enrich my knowledge about the Indigenous perspectives, their culture, history, resilience and many more topics that were so important for me to learn as an educator. Through this course I was able to understand to make my class more inclusive, culturally responsive, and adapt holistic approach to education that honours Indigenous perspectives and promotes a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories and ways of knowing.
Learning about Indigenous perspectives have broadened my understanding about Indigenous ways of life. I have learnt about how words matter in communicating about Indigenous backgrounds and how important it is to use words with gratitude, respect and humility. Also, I have learnt about what it means to be an ally. Module 1 has helped me understand that how by being an ally I can offer assistance by establishing meaningful relationship with people and communities around. After reading about "The Circle of Courage" and "Seven Sacred Teachings" I learnt about different ways to blend Indigenous ways of education in our current classroom settings.
In Module 2, I learnt about how Indigenous Peoples have relation as kin to land, water and all the natural world around. How they believe in balance with nature and communal harmony. I gained broader vision of two-eyed seeing, how to take strengths of both and Indigenous world and colonized world and how we see through the best perspectives of both the worlds together. Not only this, learning about Indigenous pedagogies was very helpful to understand different ways to implement Indigenous ways of learning in today’s classroom environment. Land based learning, Kinship, Indigenous wisdom and Indigenous leadership resources have helped me deepen my understanding about Indigenous perspectives.
I learnt how I can collaborate with Indigenous community members and leaders in the development and implementation of educational programs and initiatives. I learnt about how their input and expertise can help me in creating a more culturally responsive and inclusive curriculum in my classroom. I learnt how I can ensure that school spaces and resources reflect and respect Indigenous cultures and traditions. This can involve displaying Indigenous art and artifacts, using traditional teaching methods, and incorporating Indigenous languages into daily rituals and activities.
This course has helped me enhance my understanding about how I can Integrate Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum. I learnt how I can incorporate Indigenous perspectives, histories, and ways of knowing into the curriculum across all subjects. Creating different lesson plans were very helpful in deepening my understanding of cross curricular connections and teaching with lessons that are indigenized in its content. This can include teaching about Indigenous languages, art, literature, history, and traditional ecological knowledge. By incorporating First Peoples Principles of learning I learnt how to emphasize the importance of holistic learning – considering the intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of a learner. We can incorporate this approach by integrating hands-on learning, storytelling, and reflection into their lesson plans. These principles helped me understand how to promote experiential learning and hands-on activities as effective ways of learning. I learnt how to incorporate hands-on, practical activities into their lesson plans that allow students to actively engage with the material and apply their knowledge in real-world contexts. Understanding of Two-eyed seeing helped me broaden my knowledge in incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum, that can provide students with a more comprehensive and diverse understanding of the world. This can help students develop empathy, respect, and appreciation for Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing.
I learnt about maintaining relationships with local Indigenous communities to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of their cultures and traditions. This can involve inviting guest speakers, organizing cultural events, and participating in community activities. Offering resources and support services for Indigenous students can help them thrive academically and culturally. This can be included by mentoring programs, culturally relevant curriculum materials, and access to Indigenous language and cultural programs.
Moreover, this course was very helpful in understanding the importance of how and why to create a safe and inclusive learning environment to ensure that the school environment is welcoming and inclusive for Indigenous students and families. This can involve celebrating and honoring Indigenous cultures, traditions, and languages, as well as addressing issues of racism, discrimination, and cultural appropriation.
I learnt about how I can advocate for Indigenous rights and social justice issues within the school and broader community. This can involve supporting Indigenous-led movements, addressing systemic barriers to Indigenous education, and promoting equitable opportunities for Indigenous students.
Hence, by implementing these strategies and approaches, I as an educator can foster a more inclusive, culturally responsive, and holistic approach to education that honors Indigenous perspectives and promotes a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories, and ways of knowing.