INDIGENOUS EDUCATION
Indigenous Education seeks to improve success and supports for Indigenous students, and increase the presence of Indigenous culture, languages and history for all students. It also aims to help teachers bring Indigenous knowledge into their teaching practice.
The province of British Columbia has long had the goal of improving school success for all Aboriginal students. To do this requires the inclusion of the voice of Aboriginal people in all aspects of the education system, increasing the presence of Aboriginal languages, cultures, and histories in provincial curricula, and providing leadership and informed practice.
The Ministry will proceed with these directions during the education transformation, looking to include Aboriginal expertise at all levels, ensuring that Aboriginal content is a part of the learning journey for all students, and ensuring that the best information guides the work.
How Play is The Way embeds Indigenous Education
One of the biggest pillars of Play Is the Way is the emphasis that is placed on the Life Raft Activities. The concept of “Life Raft” is literally the idea that we are providing students with a Life Raft, so they do not drown in the difficulties of life.
The Life Raft activities revolve around 5 key concepts and as students develop a deep understanding of these concepts and naturally a safe school environment will start to take shape. Each concept is developed through activities, scenarios, reflection, and critical thinking.
Students inevitably build a propensity to talk about issues of concern. They learn to question the motives behind behaviour and learn to see challenges from all perspectives; thus, further developing their social emotional skills.
Play Is the Way has Indigenized the Key concept posters to encompass components of Aboriginal Culture. Play Is The Way seamlessly, through Life raft activities, incorporates story telling (character teaching) by Elders, field trips that bring students to indigenous communities where they can learn the history of our Aboriginal Peoples.
For us here in Merritt, BC we have pictographs throughout our region that tell stories directly tied to the key concept posters and I can almost guarantee that every Aboriginal community across Canada has an Elder or an Indigenous resource person who could enlighten your students like they do here in our small community.
One of the biggest pillars of Play Is the Way is the emphasis that is placed on the Life Raft Activities. The concept of “Life Raft” is literally the idea that we are providing students with a Life Raft, so they do not drown in the difficulties of life.
The Life Raft activities revolve around 5 key concepts and as students develop a deep understanding of these concepts and naturally a safe school environment will start to take shape. Each concept is developed through activities, scenarios, reflection, and critical thinking.
Students inevitably build a propensity to talk about issues of concern. They learn to question the motives behind behaviour and learn to see challenges from all perspectives; thus, further developing their social emotional skills.
Play Is the Way has Indigenized the Key concept posters to encompass components of Aboriginal Culture. Play Is The Way seamlessly, through Life raft activities, incorporates story telling (character teaching) by Elders, field trips that bring students to indigenous communities where they can learn the history of our Aboriginal Peoples.
For us here in Merritt, BC we have pictographs throughout our region that tell stories directly tied to the key concept posters and I can almost guarantee that every Aboriginal community across Canada has an Elder or an Indigenous resource person who could enlighten your students like they do here in our small community.
