author Michelle Strutzenberger
The host of a workshop I recently attended on confronting racism in the classroom began by proposing that educators weave the 7 Grandfather Teachings into our work as a powerful starting point. Rooted in indigenous culture, the 7 Grandfather Teachings are centred on seven ways of being: love, respect, generosity, bravery, humility, wisdom, and truth. According to “An Ojibwe Peoples Resource,” “Many Aboriginal organizations and communities have adopted the 7 guiding principles, in one form or another, as a moral stepping stone and cultural foundation.” Considering the overarching topic of this website, equity and access in online education, could not these same teachings be relevant in this context as well? What if the 7 Grandfather Teachings provided a stepping stone and foundation for efforts geared to addressing equity and access blocks in online education? Going a step further, what if the curriculum and teacher trainer for online courses were rooted in the 7 Grandfather Teachings? Perhaps even more radical, what if these teachings were both taught explicitly and used as a guide for the online learning community? Could we see a melting away of some of the barriers to equity and access in digital learning that currently exist? Consider a hypothetical scenario: Students who have disabilities face barriers to joining a course that has transitioned online due to the pandemic. The barriers include no existing technological resources and minimal technological know-how, among others. Could a response founded on respect, generosity, and wisdom generate what is required for these students to equitably participate in the new learning environment? It seems the potential rewards far outweigh the risks associated with testing such a consideration. Reference “An Ojibwe Peoples Resource.” https://walkinginhermoccasins.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Ojibwe-Teachings-The-7-Grandfathers-Anishnaabeg-BimaadiziwinAn-Ojibwe-Peoples-Resource.pdf
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
USWe are a collective Group of Educators in many different fields, all completing (or have completed) a Masters of Education at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. we all have an interest in teaching and learning with equity in mind. Archives
December 2020
Categories |