Week Five Reflections: Blogging In The Classoom

Will Richardson’s article on blogging, although dated, still provided links to worthwhile sites. Not all sites are active but those that are prove useful.  

About seven years ago I created a classroom website using Scholastic resources. I kept it updated and since I had linked books and games to the site I had my students use it during center time. Unfortunately, I found that not many of my parents availed themselves to this on-line resource. I believe this was due to the fact that at that time not many families had access to the Internet or owned computers. About two years ago, Scholastic took this resource down and I was left without any on-line resource for those parents and students who had used it. Fortunately, my school is now in the process of updating their website and will allow teachers to create classroom sites and blogs. I am eagerly looking forward to this opportunity now that more families have Internet capabilities and own computers.

Betsy Potash’s article on educational blogging showed firsthand how and why to use blogging in the classroom. Her site links were mostly up and very enjoyable to view. Seeing students work and their interpretation of what a blog is was interesting. I especially like the exchange blog link she provided.

Larry Ferlazzo’s response article out-lined very clearly the reasons to use or not to use technology in the classroom. I find I differ on a few points. Having used a tape player to record my students’ reading fluency progress for years, I think it I will now shake things up a bit and use the Fotobabble site in place of the tape player thus substituting old technology for new. (Plus, have your tried to find a cassette tape lately?!) Also, I am experimenting using flashcards on IPads. The response from students is that it is “fun” to do the cards this way and they seem to be remembering the facts better. When the students were told they were the same cards they had been doing on paper stock they seemed to be in disbelief. There again, we are substituting old technology for new and the students appear connected to the learning more!

Week Five Reflections: Challenge To Survive Units 3 and 4

Challenge to Survive Unit 3 left me with a deep sense of  sympathy for the Flathead tribes. The accounts in the text make it appear the Salish were victims of their own appeasement to the white man. The tribes were also blatantly taken advantage of by politicians. Repeated through the sources is a reference to the Salish never having taken a white man's life and  always protecting them from the less than friendly tribes. So in the Native perspective formed by their simplistic view of life, why is a treaty needed if nothing is wrong? In a politician's perspective, a treaty is needed to manipulate the tribes to their liking. The sources also frame the Salish as friendly people who would never take advantage of anyone and therefore believe no one would take advantage of them. Time and time again a politician's promises are not upheld and time and time again the Salish can't seem to phantom someone would not be true to their word. The tribe's appeasements to the political demands was for the purpose of preserving their economic independence but to me it seemed to come at a high price.

Challenge To Survive Unit 4 lead me to wonder, when will Unit 5 be available? Upon reading Unit 4, I am eager to find out in more detail how allotment policies affected the economic, social, spiritual, and cultural lives of the Flathead tribes.
Unit 4 also left me with more questions than it seemed to answer.
1. Why are there no dates for the photos of the Natives?
2. Were the Indian police predecessors of today's B.I.A.?
3. Why was July 4th chosen for a major celebration? Doesn't that date celebrate the independence of a nation that is trying to take over the Native nations?
4 .The word assimilation is never referred to in these units. However, aren't the comments of the boy and girl quoted in Unit 4 Section D reflective of assimilation?
This unit proved to be reflective and thought provoking. Although too advanced for kindergartners, it has piqued my interest in getting answers to the above questions.

I must also thank one of my classmates for giving me an "ah-ha" moment. I have  always wondered why the reservations I travel through appear different in appearance and social climate and her observation made it finally clear to me why. The Flathead tribe's goal of economic independence would have led the reservation to look and feel different from those who are dependent on government assistance. Thank you for your enlightenment, Pam.

Classroom Projects Update

Thankfully, the class planted the Bitterroot seeds just in time for the rain, snow and frost passing through Billings last week! Our hope is that we will at least see some seedlings come next May-

The students love listening to the Native music I have been playing during quiet and center times. They are asking for it if I forget to turn it on! It is great to I hear some of them even humming songs with the Native beat they have been hearing or even making the verbal sounds from some of the songs while they are concentrating on their seat work. Maybe they are finding their own song through this!

I have added the Inca Tarka Magic flute to our exploration of Native music. Tradition says it is carved from wild bamboo cane growing by the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. It is used to play Andean  tunes passed down since the Inca empire over 4,000 years ago. It is much easier to play than the Native flute yet still gives the sound of the recordings the class has been listening to.

Thanks to this Heartlines class I am finding it is getting easier and easier to incorporate IEFA into not only my lessons but into my classroom's daily routines. Once I visualized the big picture, my focus shifted from specifics dealing with a specific tribe to the diverse cultures and traditions of many tribes. I am finding I have a different perspective on everyday occurrences now. For example, when I added new fish to my home aquarium and was observing their behavior I experienced an "ah-ha" moment. Their reactions to each other led me to draw a connection between allotment and the original fishs' displacement by the new additions. A lesson I will soon have the kindergartners experience when we give a fish friend to our lonely Betta.

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5798195585781343537

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5798195585781343537

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5796624707099788769



(See photos added to albums)

Week Four Reflections: Challenge to Survive-History of the Salish Tribes of the Flathead Reservation Units 1 and 2

I have found myself looking forward to reading the units contained in the Challenge to Survive: History of the Salish Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation series. Although they are informational texts, I come away from them with a feeling of reading for leisure. I believe the lay-out and narrative style of the Challenge to Survive units  lend themselves to connecting more with students reading informational texts than the usual "dry" history books.The illustrations and photos will be helpful to struggling  readers and also very helpful in the lower grades. My experience has been that visuals capture the students interest and help reinforce the information they are being exposed to. 

Unit 1 of the Challenge to Survive series is very informative, not only for myself but for my kindergartners. I will be using it as a resource to have them listen to informational text and work through the MCCS and address areas of the Essential Understandings. My kindergartners will like looking through this text as a primary source before I even read them portions of  it.  Without knowing they are doing it, they will be going through the SQRS process (which I will verbalize for them).

When studying the seasons and our planting units, Unit I Section A will be very rich in  informational text along with the illustrations and photos. Most of Unit 1 Section B is beyond my grade level; however, they can relate to the family relationships and the death traditions.Unit I Section C  will relate to them as they learn what children of their age were required to do as an educational experience and as a part of being a member of the community. However, Unit 1 Section D may give them a bit of a start. I am not sure how they will react to hearing stories about a child being left out on his own in search of a spiritual helper.

Unit 2 was more an informational source and added to my background knowledge. Very interesting and corrected some of the misconceptions I had concerning the Native tribes' relationships with traders and religion. I found the Salish's search for a supernatural power and spiritual  guidance to help the tribe through its crisis intriguing.  

I am finding these units a refreshing change of pace with informational texts. The lay-out of the units texts are student friendly and designed to be used by the students not just by teachers to  get information. It would be nice to have a series like this on more Native tribes.

Thanks to this course, I am seeing more and more ways to integrate Native traditions and customs into my curriculum. It is also becoming much easier to do as I am feeling more confident in my background knowledge of Native tribe cultures. If you have a chance to take the course I highly recommend it. It will take a lot of work and reflection but it is worth it!

Week Three Reflections: Treaty Law and Tribal Sovereignty

This week's resources were very informative and reflective.

Although intense, I appreciated Dan Decker's video on Treaty Law and Tribal Sovereignty. He addresses issues concerning the establishment of reservations and also clarified points dealing with sovereignty. His explanation of this topic made me realize that to be fair is not to be necessarily equal. The information presented in the video would be beyond my kindergartners but was useful to me. It gave me a different point of reference in which to view the issues confronting today's tribes. Basically, it is not that the government owes the tribes anything but that by rights the tribes are entitled to certain things because of  their sovereign status, treaties and their existence in America before there was an America.
  

I must applaud Jule Cajune and her efforts to spread the word of the Native American heritage and culture that has been so long ignored by the general population. She is doing it in such a way that I am sure the information will reach a large and diverse audience.

Tammy Elser's Interactive Lesson Structure walk-through was a nice break-down on how to address the Common Core through a study of treaty law. Although it is above my students, I can still apply the principles to my incorporation of I.E.F.A. with the standards. Also, her EduVid on Authentic Literacy is one every teacher no matter how many years they have been in the classroom should view. She is very approachable and clear in the way she outlines how a literacy lesson should be conducted. Her structure for interactive lessons for films is also one I use a watered down version of. I will keep in mind her visual of the Instructional Sandwich, much like the Compliment Sandwich I use with the students and parents, as I frame my lessons.

H.B.O. Films: Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

Just finished viewing the H.B.O. film Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. I think that having gone through the allotment and sovereignty lessons in this Heartlines course gave me some of the needed background knowledge to connect and understand the Native perspective of Wounded Knee. I cannot be a judge of its accuracy but it seemed to align to most of what we have been discussing. (As a sidebar: I was also astounded to learn there is no word in any Native language that means to own land or to own the earth.)

The bonus features are a must to view. I regret not watching them first because there is an interactive on-screen historical guide where "throughout each episode a feather icon will appear over certain scenes allowing you access to jump-out menus. These menus offer an in depth understanding of the personal lives of historical figures, the dynamics of the political climate and the richness of American Indian culture." I will view it again with this option on!

I also thought The Heart of a People bonus feature which gave a Native perspective by the Native actors in the film enlightening. In it, one actor states that some Natives believe these events of allotment, boarding schools, Wounded Knee, etc. never happened to their ancestors. Another gives the reason behind the Ghost Dance as a remedy for social ills and a psychological pick me up. Yet another comes to the theory that allotment wasn't just to separate out the land but also in separating land you in turn separate the people and make them easier to assimilate.

The film's main purpose is to give the Native perspective of events and tell the story of survival not decimation. It wants to get across the Sioux's ability to overcome barriers put before them and live vital lives while bringing back their customs and language.

This film is a must-see for any history buff or one seeking background knowledge on why Wounded Knee happened in the first place.

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5801867938147998337

Ledger Art

Check out my Leger Art Photo Album-

I created two pieces during the M.E.A. Conference in Billings.

Both are propaganda pieces. (Remember, propaganda is not always bad!)

One has to do with the allotment of Native lands and the effect on the Shell tribe and the other is an unfinished piece about the wolf.

I hope they spark some conversations-

I am making plans to integrate Leger Art into my kindergarten class. They won't be doing propoganda pieces but tell a story with symbols they create.

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5800999452015546625

(Please check out the Ledger Art Photo Album in the photo section of my blog!)

Bitterroot Seeds Are Planted !!!!

What perfect timing! The Bitterroot seeds arrived along with the cold front!

Since the forecast finally is calling for rain and snow, the students planted the seeds today. They had a great time gathering the soil, the gravel, mixing the soils, measuring, and counting and planting the seeds.

I found two different ways to germinate the seeds so we planted two pots using both methods.

Hopefully, at least one pot will take and we will see seedlings in late spring!

I will keep you posted-

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5800060853424314209

(Please check out the photos of the planting activity in the Bitterroot album in the photo section of this blog.)

Week Two Reflections: The Politics of Allotment

This week was full of information and thought provoking issues.

Personally, I found the focus on allotment timely. Columbus Day has been observed and I am reminded how America is the world's leader in freedom and justice. But at what cost? The Native Americans paid the price of this status with their loss of total freedom and sense of justice. However, without European advances into the Americas and the attitude of expansion and independence pervasive in the following generations our country probably would not be in existence as it is today. In my view, this "discovery" of a new land was a double-edge sword. It gave  independence, freedom and a new way of life to future Americans while taking away the land, health, traditions, and cultures of the indigenous people. Are the actions of previous generations and its current justified because Americans are free citizens and the U.S. is a powerhouse?

"The Worst Thing They Ever Done" video was presented from the Native perspective on allotments. You come away from its viewing feeling that the treaty that created The Flathead Reservation, The Flathead Allotment Act and The Flathead Irrigation Project were bait and switch tactics on the part of the politicians.

Sam Resurrection impressed me with his fortitude and ability to say it like it was. He summed up the Native perspective and actually made me feel anger and contempt at how he and the tribes were treated. It would have been nice to have had the commissioner's response to Sam's letter documented.

The Politics of Allotment was eye-opening. I found myself wondering how could politicians feel so superior and narcissistic that they ruined a way of life and economic structure of a culture they felt was inferior.The perseverance of the Flathead Tribes buying their own land back is inspiring.

Connected To Everything  (Jennifer Greene) was haunting and heart-wrenching. I could picture and feel the mother's helplessness, even hopelessness, and feel the children's sense of pain and loss over their forced relocation. I am planning on incorporating a version of this lesson into my kindergarten students' ELS learning.

I also had an epiphany this week!!

I have been focusing so hard on integrating the Crow tribe information into my I.E.F.A. units that I have lost sight of the big picture. My goal is to integrate Native culture into my units as long as it is not offensive to the Crow tribe. Following this logic, I believe my life will be easier in finding ways to incorporate I.E.F.A. and building the foundations my students will use to build competence on which to understand future, more complex concepts relating to the U.S. treatment of Natives.

Music CDs

I went to the Billings Parmly Library and checked out several Native American song recordings. I was excited to see many had linear notes that were very informative.

Navajo Songs (recorded by Laura Boulton in 1933 and 1940) was beautiful. The linear notes translated many of the lyrics and gave the history behind the songs. Talking Spirits-Native American Music From the Hopi, Zuni and San Juan Pueblos also has fascinating linear note and photos of the singers and dancers. It tells the history behind the songs but doesn't translate the lyrics and does have the Zuni Sunrise Song on it. Pow Wow Season (Indian Creek Singers-Northern Dineh) contains music I have heard from various Pow Wows I have attended and the group performs the Creation Song and the Prayer Song. By far my favorite is the Spirit of the Native American Indians (Music of the World). It has songs we have all heard (Jingle Dance, Round Dance, Social Dance, Zuni Sunrise Song)  performed by members of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Navajo tribes. The linear notes show photos and give information about the songs and performers.

Soon I will be playing these for my students. I am very interested to see how they react to the music. Namely, if they recognize any of them or if they begin to dance to them (as they have in the past when drum beat music is played).

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5796624707099788769

(see photo in photo link)

Native American Flute Has Arrived-

My Native American Song Flute is here! I am enjoying trying to learn how to play it. It is really not that much different from the C Flute I play - you just hold it vertically and don't use your little fingers or thumb.
My sound is no where near as beautiful as the music CDs we listened to in my Heartlines class but I am enjoying discovering if there is song within me.

Hopefully, in a couple of weeks I will be ready to present it to my kindergartners. I am sure they will love to give it a try, especially after we have been listening to the Heartlines CDs.

https://plus.google.com/photos/112773087102570095357/albums/5798195585781343537

(photo on photo link)

Good evening everyone!

      I am looking forward to sharing with you my experiences as I navigate my new on-line class, Heartlines: Engaging Students with Tribal Materials and Common Core Skills.

  I will be sharing my thoughts and plans on integrating I.E.F.A. into my kindergarten curriculum as I progress through the class. Currently I have a class of ten great students, most of which are Native American. My school is located on the outskirts of Billings, MT near the Crow Reservation.

   My goal is not only personal enrichment on my quest for more knowledge of various Native American Tribes but also to help others on their road to understanding the unique customs and heritages of the tribes.

Planting Bitterroot Seeds!

   I am so excited!

  Just found a website (Plant World Seeds)  where I ordered  Bitterroot plant seeds. I know they need to be planted at the beginning of October but they should arrive in about 3 weeks. (I am sure I can find space in the refrigerator to make up for the lost weeks.)

   My Montana State Flower lesson incorporating The Gift of the Bitterroot for my kindergartners seems to be falling into place. I really think they will love it since they will be using the picture book, viewing the video and getting dirty planting.

Week One Reflections: Music and the Bitterroot

   I found this week's resources highlighting the Navajo, Zuni and Salish tribes very enlightening and informative. The music and stories were not only calming to me but made me personally feel empowered. They reminded me to stop and realize how connected we are to nature and how believing in something bigger than yourself gives you the power and the strength to fight  for what you believe in.
     I am planning to incorporate The Gift of the Bitterroots (retold by Johnny Arlee) into my class study of Montana. The Bitterroot is our state flower, it would be remiss of me not to read the story to the students and have them explore it. 
   I was enthralled by the history of the Native American flute and the spirituality/traditions behind the songs. I only wish more of the song lyrics were translated. I also purchased a Native American style flute for my kindergarten class. My plans are to have each student try to play it and see if they have their own song within themselves. I play the flute myself  and am eager to try this style of flute myself. Maybe there is a song within me waiting to come out!

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