Christine Ho Younghusband

Completion

Wow. I feel wonderful. Finally, I have achieved COMPLETION… my 2015 word. Alignment was 2016 and JOY was 2017. I think it’s all coming all together. This is the first time I have felt free from any deadlines or “work” looming in the back of my mind. I’ve just finished my marking for EDUC471, I completed my writing fo the Trustee Study, and I am done my dissertation. That’s it. I’m at a turning point and it feels great!!! This blog entry could be an unofficial year-in-review because I am satisfied with what I have accomplished and I made space to get things done. It’s seems so counterintuitive but the more I took off my plate, the more I accomplished. More is not better. It’s just more.

With a family vacation and international conference on the horizon, I can take a moment to relax and reflect on where I have come from and be open to what’s to come. I have to pay attention to what excites me and brings me joy. These are signals to what I am aligned to. I also have to be willing to let go of the stories of the person who I perceive myself to be. I have learned over the past few weeks that I am capable of achieving anything I would like to achieve. Anything is possible, if I believe it to be, and I am willing to take the steps forward to get where I want to be. This takes vision and commitment.

I look forward to 2018. The year holds lots of promise and I am making space for more opportunities. As I approach the end of 2017, I am hugely humbled by my PLN and those around me who are ROOTING FOR MY RISE. It overwhelms me to know that there are so many people in my tribe who have my back. I feel blessed and honoured. I have no words except for HOPE, love, and kindness. I cannot believe that I am surrounded by so many wonderful people. This is my biggest awakening. Yes, I am having that moment… an I LOVE PEOPLE moment. Thank you all… you know who you are. I am ready for 2018.

2018 Word: CREATE

I know that we are not quite at 2018. It’s only 2-weeks away. YIKES. I still have marking to do, grades to submit, and bags to pack before heading out on a family vacay. No pressure. But of course, everything takes a sidestep when I get inspired to write. I hope this happens to everyone… when you get inspired, stop everything that you do, and just do what inspires you. I am trying to make this a new habit. DROP EVERYTHING and WRITE. It seems like the “write” thing to do. Originally, I had a “CYH stock photo” of one of my scribblings for this blog, but it was from my dissertation. The photo did not “feel” right. I’m done my dissertation. I need to move forward and welcome 2018 with a NEW scribble… and voila. It’s one I’ve just composed before being inspired to write.

For those in education, you can kind of make out what I have written. As you can see, I was not one of those teachers who was blessed with TEACHER WRITING. I’m one of those other teachers, who’s now a doctor, that likes to mimic the classic doctoral scribble as if it had something very, very important to say. Well, I would like to think it does as it sets out the framework for the book I would like to write. It’s funny how good ideas come to you. They just… come to you. I was thinking about this book for quite some time about “math stories” but I could not figure out the SO WHAT. Classic. I think I’ve got it thanks to the inspiration of my EDUC471D100 class. I’m in the middle of reading their final papers and they have collectively pointed out some key points that are worth highlighting.

Certainly, what the students are writing about is based on what I have taught in the course, but what’s amazing is how students articulate some of the concepts and what they found were important. Of the papers that I have read so far, I really think that they get the principles behind BC’s New Curriculum and the various factors that influenced it’s development but also influences it’s implementation. I love their aha’s because it feeds into my aha’s. As much as I used this course (and previous courses) as an opportunity for me to learn as my students are learning, they are willing to engage in the experimental nature of my course to discover something new and self-actualize what is possible.

This brings me to my 2018 Word of the Year: CREATE. The word came to me a few days ago, but I was uncertain and unclear why that would be important to me. I feel that I have achieved other words in the past like COMPLETION, JOY, WHOLEHEARTEDNESS, ABUNDANCE, and AUTHENTICITY. I am rarely motivated by money and power… because I continue to believe and know that the money (and influence) will come when I am doing what I love to do. My ALIGNMENT… as mentioned in my TEDxWestVancouverED talk.

Strangely, I think I did say in my talk… underneath my final mumble… “maybe I’ll write a book.” Now, that’s a broad concept. I do want to be published. I am working on a couple of projects to get my dissertation and another study published. I am presenting both of these studies at the Hawaii International Conference on Education (HICE) in Honolulu in January, a great start to my 2018 year. That said, I am looking to publish and research more. I hope to be teaching more at the university. And yes… maybe write a book which my scribble above so implies. CREATE takes on so many meanings… not just to create in terms of writing and researching… but also create opportunities. That gets me excited.

Anytime I find myself in a fear-based, fixed mindset… I look back. It’s not to say that I was not good at what I used to do or am currently doing. What it does say is, I am worried about what’s ahead and there is an extraordinary comfort in keeping with doing the same things or returning to what I used to know. If I look back and beyond, the path I created is a straight line. One event lead to the next event. Sadly, when moving forward, it NEVER feels like a straight line… and that’s ok. When I decided to turn left, stay left… and trust the journey. Going back to what I used to do will not bring me the joy and happiness I believed had back then. I need to CREATE in 2018. This is the time.

Marking Mania

Final Reflection for #EDUC471D100

It’s after midnight and officially December 9th. All final papers for EDUC471D100 were due on December 8th at midnight. Now I have the honour of evaluating my students’ unit plan or term paper. They had a choice. They could apply what they have learned about curriculum development and factors that influence curriculum development by designing a unit or lesson plan. Or, they could have delved deeper into one of the topics in the course syllabus with a research/term paper. It was one way to personalize their learning, but the students had designed and mutually decided on three curriculum competencies to be evaluated on. Therefore, my students are being evaluated on what they have learned in EDUC471D100 and must demonstrate three curricular competencies, which reflect the core competencies, in their final paper. This is what brings all of our papers together.

It was only by today when I finished sending their evaluations for their IGNITE presentations from the last two weeks and evaluated their summative journal reflection. Admittedly, I’m a FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT girl, but the course is ending and I must assess what they have learned so far. The whole goal of the course was to focus on learning and competencies. I’d use formative assessment throughout the course and modelled what BC’s New Curriculum intends in the context of this course. Teaching this course is a friendly reminder to me that education is complex, many variables influence student learning and success, and there are no quick and simple answers. I do possess an expertise and realize that I am motivated by student learning and their success.

I blog about the courses I teach to make teaching and learning visible. With each class, I am learning. This class has humbled me. I have learned that I am making a difference one student at a time. I provide hope and understanding. I am open to discovering student strengths and wonder what is possible. I am so lucky to have students who are willing to play and learn with me. It’s exciting. This is my only opportunity to realize the potential of BC’s New Curriculum. I also realized the influence of my dissertation to my practice. I have a core belief that students have to experience what they are learning. It’s not about reading a paper, memorizing a few facts, and regurgitating it on a final paper or exam. It’s about doing it. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING at it’s finest and my students modelled that too with student-led participation activities. They rose to the challenge.

Take a look at the picture above. This was one of the student-led activities. It was a staring contest, which could have lasted all class but we had to move on. It was a tie. Prizes were given… by the student facilitator. I was so impressed by the creativity and innovation of some of the activities, but also I was so proud of students who “stepped out of their box” to public speak, took and adapted with immediate feedback, and submitted notes for all of us to share online on Canvas. We were an amazing learning community. Our job was to support each other with our learning. We were outstanding and I love that we could have fun with our learning experiences together. It’s a crazy and challenging opportunity to teach and facilitate a course that was not grade or mark driven.

Their job was to meet expectations. My job was to provide students with formative feedback to help them meet expectations. This required trust, mutual respect, and a relationship. I recall that this was a new concept. Learning was a choice and we co-created our knowledge. This was not going to be an “easy A” course if you were not invested in the course. Yet, if you were engaged and actively contributing then the “A” would come relatively easy. I always believed in this concept as a secondary mathematics teacher, but also as an athlete (aka. competitive curler… LOL). When you focus on the outcome, then you are likely to fail or lose. When you focus on your job, your role, and doing your best, then the grade or win will come. I’ve seen this over and over again.

I look forward to reading their final papers and deliberating their final grade for the course. As mentioned, if they focused on the learning and demonstrated their learning well, then the grade will come. What I do appreciate greatly are the kind, thoughtful, and unsolicited emails from students saying thank you, mentioning that it’s been one of their favourite courses, or wishing me happy holidays. It reminds me why I got into education almost 25 years ago. I was tutoring ABE Math at Kwantlen College while I was attending UBC. I loved it. I would help someone with their math and the adult learner would always say THANK YOU or “I get it, thanks!” That’s what makes teaching and learning so rewarding. I have come full circle and I am ready for my next step in education.

THANK YOU EDUC471D100. The feeling is mutual. 🙂

EDUC471D100 IGNITE

Over Weeks 12 and 13 of EDUC471D100 Fall 2018, students shared their BIG AHAs about curriculum development and factors that may influence it under the umbrella of BC’s New Curriculum. IGNITE is one opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding via 20 slides, 5 minutes, 15 seconds per slide. Students collaborated, co-designed, and mutually selected the curricular competencies to be evaluated on. These competencies can also be used as a self-assessment tool for students to self-determine if they are meeting expectations. IGNITE is also an opportunity for students to personalize learning.

Students select a topic that interested them the most and explain the personal relevance of that topic within the framework of the course content and IGNITE. Students also participate in peer assessments by providing formative feedback to each presenter on what they perceived was the BIG IDEA being presented. In turn, students who receive this feedback via anonymous note papers can reflect on their IGNITE by reading these peer assessments and self-assess how well they had conveyed their ideas. As much as I love the IGNITE presentations and learning about what students found important or interesting, the process of creating an IGNITE is where the real learning occurs. It’s been a pleasure teaching this class and I hope that they learned something about curriculum.

Beyond the Wake

BEYOND THE WAKE. This is an opportunity to let go. As mentioned in my previous blog entry, Living in the Wake, it’s easy to go back to things that you know and are familiar with. The wake provides a place of comfort and certainty. Post dissertation and defence, I returned back to curling and tutoring, for example, to pick up where I left off. Returning back to the classroom to teach secondary mathematics also seems like a viable option, but I’m not the same person as I was 7-years ago. My level of understanding of teaching, learning, and education is somewhere else, thus MY PLACE is likely somewhere else.

Admittedly, I am panicking about what’s next. I want to control of the outcome and it’s not in my control. It’s challenging to just “let things go” to allow what’s next to come. I have applied to a few tenure track positions, considered returning back to the K-12 system, and thought about entering politics. I have many possibilities and wonder what I am meant to do. I love teaching, learning and leading. I feel incredibly fortunate to have met so many people and tried so many things that I am wondering where MY PLACE is.

What impact do I want to make on student learning?

Ironically, I am brought to my TEDxWestVancouverED talk on ALIGNMENT and “finding your place.” Your place changes over time. This sounds obvious and yet not so obvious when you find yourself clinging to what was instead of looking at what is or what could be. The path is not straightforward or clear… and it’s not meant to be. As much as I want to return back to teaching mathematics, I know that being a mathematics teacher… a mom… and school trustee informed my doctoral research and where I am today.

The research poster (see above) I just made for the Hawaii International Conference on Education (HICE) 2018 in January reminds me of what I can do and what I am willing to do to teach, learn, and lead. I do have much on my plate still that I need to complete. My EDUC471D100 course at SFU is ending this week and I have another study to complete in preparation for the HICE2018 conference. I am also in the midst of pursuing postdoctoral opportunities and hope to write a book (as mentioned in my TEDx). My job right now is to be PATIENT and listen. I love what I am doing and I am WIDE OPEN to what’s next.

Living In The Wake

I have a zillion things to do but I choose write when I am inspired. So, here I am. I just returned from the BCSTA Academy, a provincial-wide professional learning event for school trustees. The academy is an opportunity for trustees and senior management to gather, learn, and connect. I love reconnecting with friends, regardless of title, to check in to see how they are doing. There are such good people in education and these events offer me hope, inspiration, and happiness. I have such a good time at these events.

Admittedly, I had mixed feelings going to this event. It’s my first provincial event where I am not part of the Board of Directors. I was able to spend more time with my local board and other school trustees… and I had less meetings, which was nice. On Thursday, I ate lunch at the restaurant and worked on my UBC MOOC course. It was a great way to reunite with trustees as they arrived to the conference. On Friday, I had to teach and missed the plenaries by Ivan Coyote and Dr. Evan Adams. I’ve seen them both before and heard great things. I did attend my Board of Education’s session on creating Communities of Learning, had dinner with my Board, and watched We Were Children at movie night hosted by the BCSTA Aboriginal Education Committee. My weekend conference concluded with Vaughn Palmer and Dr. Shimi Kang on Saturday, which I really enjoyed.

So why am I blogging? I realized that I am LIVING IN THE WAKE. I appreciated all of the accolades and kinds words on completing my dissertation and doctoral work throughout the weekend. I loved how some trustees wanted to know more about my dissertation and my research, I also struggled with questions about what’s next. I felt uncertain and had nothing to report. My answers were: “I don’t know.” “I’m undecided.” And, the classic, “Maybe.” I almost felt like I was letting people down with my uncertainty or lack of commitment. In truth, I went to this conference intending to find answers, look for clues, and gather information with hopes of finding some direction to what’s next.

I had a long conversation with someone about why they completed their doctorate and why they had decided what to do what they are doing. I talked to trustees about their WHY and why they became school trustees. I shared some of my uncertainty of what’s next with others and possible directions I could take hoping to receive some feedback on what they thought was important. What caught my attention was one comment made to me by a school trustee after movie night. She congratulated me on my doctorate and asked what I am doing with all my time now. I responded with “I don’t know.” She said, “you are closed;” I am not open to listening to what I need to hear on what I am meant to do next. This spooked me out. She named it. I am looking, but I am closed.

Throughout the conference, I wanted to hide. I didn’t want to talk about myself or what’s next. Weird, I know… especially for those who know me or who where at the conference. I am visible, present, and apparently loud. I love how my secretary-treasurer said that he could “hear SD46.” A colleague said that she new I was around because she could hear my laugh. My board chair points out my extroversion at a meeting and mentions that there’s much to learn from someone who is extroverted. I get it. I am out there… but I did not want to be open with others. I just wanted to reconnect with others and hope to hear what I wanted to hear. Hence, the mixed feelings, as mentioned earlier.

I keep looking back and thinking about returning to the math classroom or what I’ve done before. I think about the limitations, not the possibilities. I look to others hoping that they would just tell me what I should to do. I am scared about what’s next and procrastinate on what needs to get done to move forward. I’m sure that I’m not alone on this journey. I need to listen to my heart. My head gets in the way many times. As one friend said to me, “you think too much.” This may be true. The answer must come from me. I am not the same person as I was 7-years ago, so it’s a poor expectation to return back to where I was. I have changed, I am changing, and I want to change. FINDING MY PLACE.

In order to find my place, I do have to open myself to what’s possible. I have to LET GO of what was. Finally, I have to take action. No more “maybe’s.” Commit. Do. Learn. 

Removing Barriers

Best experience ever… Let me explain myself. There is no question that having a selfie with George Couros (@gcouros)… the author of The Innovator’s Mindset was a highlight, but there is more to this professional learning experience. I was so stoked to see and meet George. I’ve read his book a few times and recently participated in #IMMOOC (Innovator’s Mindset Massive Open Online Course) Season 3. I am aligned to his message. I love the idea of having a school hashtag, using Twitter to make my professional learning visible, and doing what’s best to serve students to support their learning. I am all-around that like BACON. George was incredible to watch and listen to at the BCSSA Fall Conference. I love his energy, enthusiasm, and passion for innovation and student learning. My favourite memory of that day was him REMOVING BARRIERS.

Let’s start from the beginning… I’m a HUGE fan of George and Sarah Garr (@garr_s) from my PLN mentioned to me on Twitter that he was speaking in Vancouver this month at BCSSA. I could not miss this opportunity and contacted my EA from the Board Office to sign me up. I was so stoked. The night before the conference I realized that I did not have email confirmation to attend this conference. I could not find it anywhere… I was so bummed and wanted let George know via Twitter DM to postpone my selfie opportunity with him. Yes… no shame… I kinda cyber-stalked George via my #bcedchat colleague and friend Bryn Williams (@brynmw) that I was interested in getting a selfie with George (and Bryn too). They both agreed but now I was afraid that I might not be going.

Online registration was closed. My EA was non-responsive (as she should be because it was 10pm at night). And, I was reluctant to contact senior staff because the admin team were going to be team-building and learning together at this conference. I just wanted to give George the courtesy via Twitter (after all that subtle selfie cyberstalking) that I would not be there. I did not expect him to reply. I just wanted to ask for a selfie rain-cheque. Do you know what happened? George replied. I expressed my sadness and the possibility of not being registered. He asked about online registration, but I pretty much conceded at that point in time. He said that he would make a few calls to make this happen for ME.

I replied, “Are you serious?” I could not believe it. He asked if I was willing to register onsite. I said, “yes.” He then said that if I did not hear back from him later that night that I was in. Wow. Even the gesture was overwhelming. Woohoo. I was pretty satisfied at that time even though I was hoping not to hear back from him… but I did. He said, “You are good to go.” Whaaaatttt??? I was floored yet so excited. He replied to confirm. Wow. He did it. He removed a barrier to my professional learning. I was so wowed. George is the real-thing. This is an exemplar of practicing what you preach. As it turned out, I was registered for the next day and my EA corrected that via email that morning.

Up and ready… I caught the first ferry (aka. 6:20am, up at 4:30am), bussed it into Vancouver, and walked to the hotel. I was prepared with my story (aka. sequence of events) to clarify my registration for that morning. I started to tell my story at the registration desk but my name tag was given to me with a smile and that was it. Wow, it happened again!!! My registration was settled by the time I arrived at the hotel. I got there in time for breakfast and bumped into Bryn in the foyer. We got our selfie. I was looking forward to hearing George speak. As it turned out, I bumped into many friends at BCSSA. It’s nice to reconnect with kindred spirits. I also learned that George contacted one of these friends the night before who gave me the thumbs up. I felt so loved.

All of these barriers taken down in front of me. I’ve never experienced this before. Sounds strange, I know… but, it’s true. I have either persevered, avoided, or quit due to barriers. I never had anyone explicitly remove barriers for me. I didn’t even ask, but really hoped it would happen… and, it did. I was not disappointed. George’s opening keynote was AMAZING!!! His book is incredible, #IMMOOC was awesome, and seeing George LIVE was inspiring. I felt validated. He is a TRUTH TELLER. I loved how he used storytelling, personal experiences, professional experiences, videos, photos, and quotes to send a clear message to SERVE students, use technology, and create space for student learning. He even called me out during his keynote, “Where’s Dr. Christine Younghusband?” and referred to this story to use Twitter and make our professional learning visible.

THANK YOU GEORGE. This was a memorable day for many reasons. I am learning.

Bringing It Together

Week 11 – EDUC471D100 – November 17, 2017

Today was our LAST student-led Warm-Up Activity, WildCard Activity, Oral & Written Reading Reflection, Journal Reflection, and TBA Activity. Whew!!! We are approaching the end of the course. I was so impressed with the LAST student-led learning activities. The first one needed tables moved (and so we did) so that we can play charades/pictionary collaborative-competitive game. It was so engaging. Once again, the 3 core competencies in action and we were having FUN. Lots of laughs and students were so willing to participate and activate. The second student-led learning activity involved MATH.

Choose a number from 1 to 100, write it on a piece of paper, and the average of these numbers x 2/3 will be calculated. The number closest to this number wins a PRIZE!!! The learning intention from this activity was to think about other people’s thinking and decision making. I loved this facilitation, the discussion between students, and what’s possible. So simple and so engaging. The class ends with “2 truths & a lie” facilitated in small groups. You know the activity went well when the room got louder and louder.

I am proud of this class and how wonderful and diverse the student-led activities were. The oral presentations, written reading reflections, and class summaries were equally done well. My students were contributors to our course. Together we developed our core competencies, built our learning community, and strengthened our interconnectedness.

Journal Reflection Questions

Who is/was your champion? Why did you pick this person?

My mom. It feels good when you know when someone has your back. My mom has always had my best interests in mind and could always see my strengths, especially when I could not. She had a gentle approach, even though I may have wrote many papers during my masters program about my mom that were not so friendly. The more I get to know her as I get older, the more that I understand that she was doing the best that she could and her love for me was relentless… I just couldn’t see it. I am grateful for her unconditional support and encouragement. She never wants credit, but she rocks. I want to also say that members of my doctorate examining committee also exemplify qualities of my mom. I have friends and colleagues who also have my back. I feel very lucky.

Who was your favourite teacher? Why did you pick this person?

Dr. Geoff Madoc-Jones. What I love about Geoff is his authenticity, his willingness to be bold, and his deep care and love for students and their well-being to reach their potential. To some students, Geoff was perceived as an A-hole… which I could understand because he had a deep understanding of the subject matter and terrible bed-side manner at times that it would give someone a bad impression. Personally, I knew that it was only his public persona or guise. Truth, he only wanted to make a difference. And, he did. He made a HUGE difference in my life. He was instrumental in making me believe in myself and what I am able to do. He believed in me and encouraged me all of the way. He was part of my masters program on the Sunshine Coast and brought me into my doctoral program (twice, but that’s another story). His kind and gentle soul was appreciated.

Who was your least favourite teacher? Why did you pick this person?

Maybe my Math 100 professor… but I had no connection with him anyway. He was my least favourite teacher because he gave us his unpublished math book as the learning resource, he asked how many people took Calculus in Grade 12 and started at a point in the course I was nowhere near, and I recall this lengthy solution to a problem that ended in an answer of ZERO. This is not to mention that the class enrolment declined rapidly over time, but I did not pick up this social cue until after the fact. I was disengaged and confused. It was not a good experience or feeling. All I can say is, it could have been much better… which it was in the next semester with my other Math 100 professor.

MY REFLECTION

Solace. We are unofficially done “the learning” and heading into Summative Assessment. In Weeks 12 and 13, students will be presenting their #EDUC471D100 Big Aha as an IGNITE presentation. Their journal reflections and summary of these personal reflections are also due in addition to a final paper or unit plan. All three summative assessments are THREE different opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned in this course. What brings me solace is the the full understanding of how this course was designed, assessed, and implemented. In Week 10, I was feeling uncertain and uneasy. With only 3 weeks left in the course, students started to feel uncertain and uneasy about how they were going to be evaluated. After that class I felt that my students wanted CERTAINTY with their final assessment, but does a “multiple-choice final exam” create certainty?

A long rant made short… no it does not. A multiple-choice final exam would have changed how the students learned the content, how I would have taught the content, and how students engaged during class time. It puts the locus on control ALL in my hands and personalization would have been impossible… developing the core competencies with student-led learning activities would have been non-existent… and, the concept of STUDENT CHOICE would only happen during the multiple-choice exam by choosing A, B, C, or D. Much of what we do in this class is “going META.” Meaning, we are learning as we are doing. We are experiencing what we are learning.  Students collaborated, composed, and selected the curricular competencies to be evaluated on. I wanted to put the locus on control into the students’ hands to empower them via student agency.

I think we get it. Bringing it together. I look forward to learning about what they have learned in the next few weeks. This is the LAST journal reflection journal on my part. I enjoy reflecting as my students reflect. I will be composing my final journal reflection at the end of the course. I will post some intermediate blog entries for Week 12, Week 13, and possibly Week 14 (extra) before I submit my “summative journal” for this course.

PS. I was inspired to get my EDUC471D100 Week 11 done ASAP because the Week 11 class summary was handed in ASAP. So, thank you Jessica for getting things done!!!

Coming To An End

WEEK 10 – EDUC471D100 – November 10, 2017

Unfortunately, today was a catch up day. We fell behind last class and postponed a couple of the student-led activities from last week to this week. It was a jammed packed day. We started off the day with a staring contest with prizes to be won. Then we embarked on another collaborative activity that emphasized creativity. Each group was given a deck of cards, elastics, and an objective… build the tallest structure. These collaborative-competitive activities are super engaging and emphasize the three core competencies of BC’s New Curriculum even though the objective of this activity (as seen in the picture) was looking for creativity. I loved how members of each team started looking at what others were doing. Another example of we are better working together than apart. It also reminds me of the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL)… see below. This activity demonstrates that (1) learning involves the consequences of one’s actions; (2) learning involves patience and time; and, (3) learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational. We did another student-led activity where students were required to memorize a list of unrelated words. We learn that the best way to remember these words was to embed these words into story or (4) learning is embedded in memory, history, and story. We spend time in this course reflecting and sense-making in group discussions and in journals where (5) learning requires exploration of one’s identity. We try to embed the FPPL into EDUC471D100 but I would love to connect to land and place more often in the learning experience, recognize the role of Indigenous knowledge, and learning involves generational roles and responsibilities. I am still learning and I appreciate that I have the opportunity to learn-by-doing in my class and with my class to see what’s possible. There is much work to be done but we are moving forward and making progress.

Journal Reflection Questions – Answered Above

What parts of the First Peoples Principles of Learning have your experienced in K-12, higher education, at home or in the workplace? Describe the experience.

What parts of the First Peoples Principles of Learning would you like to see in the K-12 learning experience? Why do you think this would be important?

MY REFLECTION

The course is coming to an end but with we are only at the beginning of indigenizing curriculum and embedding Indigenous Education into our learning experience. I am currently working on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) at UBC on Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education. I delved into it recently and I am humbled by the content, delivery, and amount of learning resources available. What I have learned is my pedagogy and education philosophy are aligned to what is being taught in this course. We need to try new ideas and collaborate with the Indigenous community and elders as our teachers. My biggest aha is, Land is Part of My Identity. This put together ideas of recognizing the territory and where one comes from because the land defines who that person is. I realize the importance of land. During EDUC454, I appreciated the land. After UBC MOOC, I respect the land. I wished that I had participated in this MOOC earlier, but I am grateful what I have learned so far and look forward to embedding, exploring, and experimenting with many of these ideas into my practice. As a result, I am modifying EDUC471D100 IGNITE presentation to be a STORY that has meaning and reflects their learning.