Indian Education for All

Week 2 chapter 4 reflection

2009-09-10T15:19:00.002-06:00

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Michael Skeman

2008-12-18T10:47:00.002-07:00

The Indian Education for all act has come a long way over the years. I remember in 8th grade we started to do units on Native Americans. After that every year in school I have had a section or even a whole unit on Natives. I can do a lot with the Indian Eduction act as seeing I am going to be a reading teacher. I can have the class read a non fiction and a fiction book on Native Americans and have them respond to what they read. At the end of the unit there is a lot of potential to have fun with the Natives customs. We could have a Pow wow and do every thing in the way the Natives did. It would be better if I had an actual Native American to come in at some point and teach a lesson and be open for a Q and A. They would also be a intricate role pow wow at the end.

Rebecca M Assignment #4

2008-10-30T16:42:00.002-06:00

I learned that Native Americans are struggling to keep their cultures alive. Every tribe has its own history and beliefs that need to be salvaged including their language. I found it very fascinating that these tribes could communicate to each other without words or a written language. I believe as teachers we need to help be keep this history a part of the American culture by teaching the next generation.

Michael B. Assn. 4c

2008-10-08T11:04:00.001-06:00

I have learned that the IEFA Act has its heart in the right place, yet perhaps needs to limit the scope. That might sound a little ironic at first, but my point is that sometimes the increased focus can make native students uncomfortable, even singled out. A good example is the interpretive center where I used to work. As a joint project between the Corps of Engineers, the MT Fish and Wildlife, and a local paleontology center there was a mix of local wildlife, local history, and paleontology. When students would come through from a reservation school I made it a point to try to let them somehow incorporate their own culture into the experience. Wildlife; this worked. History; this worked. Paleontology; ... not so much. According to IEFA I should be pushing for Indian experience in every avenue of my education attempts, but in this case there is simply no reason to ask, "Gee, what is the Native American perspective on dinosaurs?" I'd likely just get blank stares. I might ask once to see if there's any relevance, but to bend a curriculum in this way for IEFA is inefficient and ultimately insulting to a people that I have a great deal of respect for.

I would like to know if there are clauses within the act that allow for this kind of discrepancy.

Activities with language are always excellent to include native students. (I would usually ask them the names for animals as we talked about them. If there is a Lakota word for T. Rex, I'd like to hear it.)

IEFA

2008-10-06T13:31:00.002-06:00

The last week during the indian education for all activity, there were numerous things that I learned that I previously did not know. It was pretty remarkable that I have lived in Montana for 20 years now and did not know that there are 12 tribes lcated throughout the state. In addition to that I was unaware of the boarding school issue and the intent to try and get rid of all indian culture. It was shocking and I cannot imagine how those children must have felt. The IEFA activity was a very valuable one!

As an elementary teacher there are two activities that I would make sure to do. First off I would find information on the tribes that are located in YOUR state. That is applicable because it is more interesting for your students to learn about their state rather than some other state across the country. In addition to that I would find a video on a pow wow so they can get a better feel of how they work and the environment and all. That is very important.

Jennifer C #4c

2008-10-05T21:45:00.000-06:00

Not being from montana I didn’t know much about the different reservations and tribes existing here. This lesson allowed me to learn some interesting information. I didn’t know that there were so many reservations in montana. I also thought it was interesting to learn about how the tribes communicated with one another. Also that the children of the tribes were taken to be educated. Overall I really enjoyed this lesson. For my class I would have the kids work in either small groups or as individuals and research some of the boarding schools in the country. I would have them find things like where and when the school was established, how many students attended the school, and when the school closed or if it is still running today. Then I would have the kids present the information to the class.

Charlie M #4c

2008-09-29T12:27:00.002-06:00

I learned a lot about Indian Education and now understand how important it is. I learned that there are 12 reservations here in Montana, and I also learned about the different tribal dances performed at the Pow-Wows. The War Dance I specifically learned about, and watched a really neat you tube on the actual dance itself. As far as some really cool learning and teaching activities, I went to yahoo kids on Google and typed in war dances. This site gave me several different ideas in which to step by step teach my students the different dances in elementary form. I also liked the idea of watching a movie in class and typing a paper to go with the movie. Having a visual is a very good way for most elementary students to learn.

Chelsea Lehner assign #4C

2008-09-28T22:14:00.000-06:00

I thought that Monday’s class was extremely eye-opening. I had no idea how many young Indians were taken from their families to go to boarding schools. The atmosphere that they were put into must have been very difficult to endure. The idea of “killing the Indian to save the man” is such a racist ideology. Another thing I thought was interesting was that the war dance was actually a representation of each mans encounters during their battle. I think it is critical to incorporate technology when we teach children about Native Americans. I know I wouldn’t have had the faintest clue as to what the war dance looked like without the different videos we found on youtube.

Stacy T - Assign #4c

2008-09-28T17:48:00.002-06:00

Two important things that i learned from the Indian education for all lesson are 1) that many of the tribes' names were based off of misnomers. In the past the Indians used hand signals to communicate. When doing so, others may have confused their signs for something else. Therefore they would have a name different than what they call themselves. 2) When the boarding school for Indians in Pennsylvania was open, it was considered to be a privilege to be admitted into the school. At the time, it was considered to be like our now a days ivy league schools. At these schools they were taught to be more white, which would then allow them to have more jobs in the future.

I am an elementary education major and an art education minor. There are many different ways to go about incorporating IEFA into my classroom. In the art room, we could learn about the art that is created by native Americans. Everything they do is an art. Their clothes, their jewelry, everything that they make has some kind of bead work or painting on it. A great way to teach this lesson is to go to a museum and look at all the works that they have done. Another way to do this in an elementary school classroom is for the students to either work individually or pair up and research different tribes in different areas. They then could write a paper and build a model of what their houses look like. They could use grass, clay, stones or whatever else they may need to create the type of house being built. This would allow the children to actually see the differences in housing in different climates rather than always reading, hearing, or looking at pictures of the houses. This project is also one that uses many different learning techniques for those that learn differently.

2008-09-28T17:00:00.002-06:00

Mark P. Assignment #1

2008-09-28T14:24:00.002-06:00

This past week was very interesting for me both in this class on Thursday morning, as well as in Dr. Carjuzaa's Multicultural Education class. On Tuesday in EDCI240 we discussed the boarding schools that were established around the nation in the late 1800's, and basically looked at the negative side of all of it. I thought it was very strange at first, when one of the groups in EDCI320 began their presentation on the boarding schools because they gave the positive side first. I was just about ready to raise my hand and ask "What about all of the de-culturalization and physical abuse that occurred at the schools?" But before I could muster up the courage to, the other member of the group presented the negative side and our class fell fairly silent.

It has been great learning about IEFA though, and I hope that I can help to successfully and positively incorporate it into my classrooms.

Matt

2008-06-29T16:49:00.003-06:00

Sorry it's late...been out of town.

I feel that the presentations on wednesday were very informative and educational. I learned a lot doing my own presentation and listening to others and a lot of the information was new to me and very interesting.

I think that for the future, the idea of having a classroom pow wow would be fun. We could invite native americans to help us out with the formalities and just have a celebration of being together...or maybe as an end of semester get together to celebrate the class being done.

Sabrina

2008-06-27T07:41:00.000-06:00

I felt that for the most part the presentations given on Wednesday were very informative and interesting.

I found the information on the boarding schools very interesting. I knew that they had existed, but I did not know how much of an atrocity they were.

While preparing my presentation I learned much about the names of the tribes in Montana. It was very interesting to see how their sign language was misinterpreted.

I think the suggestion of journaling is great and could be modified to work well with a variety of grade levels. I think a field trip to a Pow Wow would be an incredible teaching tool as well. In class activities such as learning some Native American sign language and building drums could also be effective teaching tools.

Nicole

2008-06-26T17:17:00.002-06:00

I learned a lot about Native Americans on Wednesday. I knew that they had hard times, but I never knew the harsh things they had to go through. I can't believe that the whites put Indian children into what was basiclly a work camp and took their identity. It must have been so sad to be taken away from home and live in such hard living conditions. I also learned how special a Indian Pow Wow was to the Native Americans. The music, traditions, and dance are very similar to how it was many years ago. In PE, an activity idea is to have the students learn and preform an Indian dance. Another idea is to have the students play traditional Indian games that the Native Americans partake in.

Angie

2008-06-26T17:07:00.001-06:00

I learned a lot of new information about the Indian Education For All program after doing my own presentation and listening to others. I did my presentation on the differing viewpoints in history between the Indians and the Non-Indians. I learned that teachers are going to have to work very hard to give both versions of our nation’s history; just teaching strictly from a textbook is no longer going to suffice. I also learned a lot about the Indian Boarding Schools. I took the Native American Studies Class my freshman year, where my teacher talked about the ones here in Montana. But, I had know idea where they originated from. My teacher talked a lot about the toll it took on their mental health, and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them. Some different activity ideas that I have for my students is to have an Indian tribe come and do a powwow for my students. I like the idea of a tribe coming to the school, because it would reassure me that they really want to share their culture with us. I would also like my students to study and maybe even make some Native American Instruments (i.e. a drum, rhythm maker, etc...).

Ben

2008-06-26T14:54:00.002-06:00

In my research I was able to explore the official definition of 'Tribal Sovereignty.' I found that not all tribes have the same rights as others and the extent of those rights is severely limited by the US Government. Some tribes are allowed to establish laws that overrule state laws such as hunting/fishing regulations and gambling regulations. Other tribes are only given say in matters that directly affect the tribe such as membership and government structure. Another interesting fact i came across is that some tribes choose to govern in a traditional sense where others have a more conventional, modern government body. Some activities I thought of: 1 Research a tribal government and compare it to its historical government. 2 Watch a movie/documentary on that tribe and determine how accurate it was in its portrayal of its government structure.

Morgan

2008-06-26T10:38:00.002-06:00

During the presentations I learned a number of new bits of information that I did not know about Native Americans. By the way good job everyone on those! So, just two things that I learned yesterday: Is that the history told by whites is different than the history told by native Americans of how things happened in the beginning. Another thing I learned is that there is no genetic American Indian, all tribes and individuals are different, no two are the same. Ways to promote native Americans education into activities for a class you could havethe students place on a map where all the different tribes in Montana are located and the helps with mapping and learning the tribes that share Montana lands with us. You, could also have the students write a small essay or paper showing some of the different cultures of native Americans.

Brenna

2008-06-25T08:50:00.003-06:00

After listening to other presentations and doing some research on my own the importance of teaching Native American history and culture was reinforced. I never thought of communication difficulties that might exist between tribes and how they managed to create a system for communication in order to trade. I was very surprised to find that these sign language systems still exist and are struggling to stay alive. Unfortunately I was not able to watch every presentation but from the one I saw, I learned a lot about the boarding school system that was put into place. As discussed in class, journaling would be a great way for kids to reflect and have a chance to know what it might feel like to be away from their family in a boarding school. Creating Native American based pow wow dances or sign language stories are also a great way to introduce the 7 Essential understandings of of Indian Education. Making connections to contemporary Native American issues is also very important as students need to understand that Native American culture and peoples are not something of the past.

Brenna

2008-06-20T07:29:00.002-06:00

I believe that it is incredibly important to have Indian Education for All. It not only gives the Native American students in a class to have a chance to share their heritage, it makes all of us aware of Montana's history. Growing up in Montana, I have taken many classes on Montana history and Native American culture and I believe that they have helped me to understand the place where I live and the history. Understanding the native culture, regardless of where you are is important.

Ben

2008-06-19T23:48:00.002-06:00

Any attempt to educate students of the many cultures on this planet is a worthy cause. The Indian Education for All Act is a great beginning and a perfect example for what the future should hold. I feel it is very important for today's youth to know the history of this country and it's roots.

Sabrina

2008-06-19T22:45:00.002-06:00

I believe that having a rounded education is important, so I would agree that the Indian Education for All is a worthy cause. I also believe, however, that multi-cultural education in general is terribly neglected in our school systems. If the lack of Native American studies is a concern I believe that the lack of studies of other prominent (and more obscure) cultures should also be a concern.

Matt

2008-06-19T11:01:00.002-06:00

In attending schools in Bozeman ever since I was in kindergarden, I've experienced a lot of education about Native Americans. My freshman year of high school was the year that they instated that all freshman take a Montana Studies/Global Studies course...and most of the focus for the Montana Studies class was typically about Native Americans. I think that it is important for us to learn about it in the University scene as well because we do counter more ethnic differences than I did throughout my public school years. Indian Education for All is important because of where we live, but it makes me wonder if this is happening in other places around the globe.

Angie

2008-06-18T12:08:00.003-06:00

I feel that the Indian Education For All is a great idea. It is important for students (Indian or not) to learn the history of both our country and the state of Montana. However, I have some concerns about every reservation giving information for Montana teachers to use. If we as teachers receive information from one tribe that contradicts another tribe we are left in a tight spot. I wonder if the reservations work amongst themselves to make sure this problem does not occur? The cost of this program is also a concern to me. But, only time will show if Indian Education For All is worth the money and efforts.

Morgan

2008-06-18T09:49:00.007-06:00

My reaction to the idea that all schools have to have Indian education put into the curriculum is strange. I personally don't get why it is mandatory, but I feel that it is a great idea to give people more knowledge on their culture. I think though that it should be optional. I think there should be more of an area to learn about all different culture not just the native american culture.

Nicole

2008-06-18T09:49:00.006-06:00

I feel that Indian Education in schools is very important. A huge part of not only Montana's history but also population involves Native Americans. I feel educating our students will not only keep Native americans in school, but also make them feel more comfortable attending and maybe lower the drop out rate.

Another Post

2008-06-18T09:49:00.001-06:00

Blah blah blah

Lauretta Hill

2008-04-29T10:10:00.000-06:00

Here is the NRCS Soil Survey Resource.
http://soils.usda.gov/survey/printed_surveys/

Here are the directions for the Apple activity
http://www.farmland.org/images/flash/apple.swf

Here are the directions to Mechanical Soil analysis
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/how-to/articles/hows-your-soil-texture.aspx

Sharing Unit Plan Showcase Resources

2008-04-27T14:26:00.002-06:00

Hi All EDCI320 Students,

This post was created so all of you can share the excellent web resources you've found to go with your unit plans. You all have shown us some great sites. Please comment back to this post with links to the websites you shared in your presentation so we can all keep them to use in the future. Thanks for sharing!

Greg Hamley

Ignore this post

2007-09-05T22:41:00.000-06:00

Just adding labels

First Student Post

2007-07-02T11:48:00.000-06:00

This is the first post from the student account. This picture is taken from "Long Ago in Montana" a film available through the Indian Education for All Program at the Montana Office of Public Instruction. For more information and to view the 30 minute video online, go to:
http://opi.mt.gov/indianEd/Video.html

Indian Education for All Blogging Assignment

2007-06-26T09:39:00.000-06:00

Assignment #3b. 8 points Blogging on Indian Education for All

4 pts- blog content, 4 pts reply to others Write your blog within the next two days so there is time to read and reply to others before class next week.
Enter your blog. Write at least two things you learned about Indian Education for All and at least two ideas/activities that you might use with your students—math. Language Arts, music, health enhancement, reading, science, etc. Read the blogs of two others and provide comments to their ideas.

Click on the POSTING tab, click on CREATE, type your blog. Click on PUBLISH POST at the bottom of the window when finished.