#Beyond the Classroom

[harmonyhealinghub]

Embracing Indigenous History and Culture in Education: Going Beyond the Classroom

Shaina Tranquilino

October 2, 2023

As educators, we have a responsibility to provide inclusive and comprehensive education that celebrates diversity and promotes cultural understanding. When it comes to teaching Indigenous students about their history and culture, traditional classroom lessons often fall short of creating a holistic learning experience. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of incorporating land-based learning and connecting with the land as complementary methods to enhance Indigenous education.

1. Acknowledging the Limitations of Classroom Learning:

While classroom discussions, books, and videos can provide valuable insights into Indigenous history and culture, they cannot fully capture the depth of knowledge that is embedded within the land itself. Indigenous communities have rich histories intricately connected to the land which are essential for a comprehensive understanding of their culture. By relying solely on textbooks or lectures, we risk perpetuating stereotypes and missing out on vital aspects of Indigenous heritage.

2. The Significance of Land-Based Learning:

Land-based learning takes education beyond four walls by immersing students in nature and allowing them to engage firsthand with the environment that holds significant cultural meaning. This approach emphasizes an experiential learning process where Indigenous students can connect deeply with their ancestral territories through activities such as storytelling, plant identification, traditional crafts, or teachings from Elders. By fostering direct engagement with the land, students develop a profound sense of pride in their heritage while simultaneously gaining ecological awareness.

3. Visiting Reserves: Bridging Cultural Gaps:

To truly understand the complexities of Indigenous history and culture, it is essential for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to step outside their comfort zones and visit reserves or Indigenous communities themselves. These visits facilitate meaningful interactions between different cultures while dispelling misconceptions or biases that may exist due to historical narratives or media portrayals. Seeing firsthand how people live, hearing personal stories from community members, participating in ceremonies or celebrations all contribute to building empathy, respect, and a genuine appreciation for Indigenous cultures. By being on the land and away from city life, they will be able to connect to their spirituality, and that is where true healing takes place.

4. Connection to the Land: Strengthening Identity:

For many Indigenous peoples, the land is not just a physical space; it is intricately woven into their identity and spirituality. By fostering a relationship between students and the land through outdoor activities, such as planting gardens or participating in traditional practices like fishing, gathering medicinal plants, sweat lodges, dances, and going to ceremonies, educators can help strengthen Indigenous students' connection to their heritage. This sense of belonging and rootedness empowers them to embrace their cultural identities with pride while enhancing their overall well-being.

5. Collaborating with Elders and Knowledge Keepers:

Incorporating Indigenous knowledge keepers and Elders into the educational process is crucial for authentic learning experiences. Their wisdom provides invaluable insights into traditional practices, customs, languages, storytelling methods, and spiritual beliefs that cannot be learned from textbooks alone. Inviting these respected community members as guest speakers or organizing cultural workshops ensures that students receive firsthand information from those who have lived and experienced Indigenous history and culture.

While classroom education plays an essential role in teaching Indigenous history and culture, it must be supplemented by land-based learning experiences, reserve visits, and active connections with the land itself. These approaches allow Indigenous students to explore their roots authentically while fostering cross-cultural understanding among non-Indigenous students. By embracing these holistic educational practices, we bridge gaps of knowledge, promote empathy and respect, and pave the way towards a more inclusive society where Indigenous voices are truly heard and celebrated.

[bread-that-draws]

Flowey’s so funny and has me so fucked up like he’s a talking flower. He tries to kill you upon your first interaction. He is ten years old. He is damaged beyond repair. He’s a flower named Flowey. He’s become friends with every single character. He’s killed all of them countless times. He knows everything about everyone. He doesn’t care anymore. He takes care of his mom when she can’t take care of herself. He’s killed her before. He doesn’t care if you kill her. He thinks she’s trying to replace him. He just wants to be himself again. He wants to destroy everything. He hates you. You’re the only one who understands him. He wants his best friend back. He’s terrified of them. He believes in kill or be killed because he died by giving mercy to the wrong person. He believes himself to be the wrong person. He doesn’t understand when you show him that kindness he showed others, even when you know he could kill you for it. He’s tried every route. He asks you if you have anything better to do when you try to do the same. He’s a direct reflection of the player. He’s a fucking talking flower named flowey and his only voice line is by Ronald McDonald and his officially licensed plush does a little dance for you

[whosyourfavevoicedby-polls]

[celestial-sapphicss]

reblog and put in tags the prominent musical artists phases in your life

[barley-st-band]

hey does anyone know how we’re supposed to survive it all. asking for a friend

[fictional-birthdays]

Happy Birthday! (April 7th)

Lill (Pop'n Music)

Muramasa (Senran Kagura)

Mr. Ichijo (Pop’n Music)

Bogue Con-Vaart (Macross Δ)

Dragon Leader (Gintama)

Katsuo Mizuno (Prince of Tennis)

Siegrun Kohlschreiber (Majikoi!)

Lovro Brofski (Assassination Classroom)

Izumi Nase (Kyoukai no Kanata)

Rumi Wakui (THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls)

Yasutora Sado (Bleach)

Pollon Takaoka (Anonymous;Code)

Misaki Shido (Love Live! School Idol Festival)

Shouji Higasa (Diamond no Ace)

Rasher (Animal Crossing)

Shinichirou Masu (Diamond no Ace)

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[hybridreviews]

ANIME DISCOVERY – Time of the Season Winter 2024 Wrap-Up

The season has.... well, it's coming to an end so let's review on what was good and what was.... well, not.

OK, I must admit. On a personal note, the first two months of 2024 have been awful. It’s mainly me going through a lot of unfortunate small things that keep happening, which put me in a depressing funk and I was just a sad, sad man throughout. Eventually, things got slightly less sucky. At least, financially wise for a minute. That and I’m thinking of some story ideas, maybe even a new original…

[61below]

I’m both a gifted kid and the kid that was kicked out of the gifted program for being a chaos gremlin* and then had multiple years of teachers Decide(tm) that I was being a troublemaker for kicks, and then have to listen to constant shit. Like one time we had a test on naming all the world’s seas. I actually fuckin studied for that one (because I love Categorization! You gotta be able to put everything in its box!) but partway through I realized the teacher just put everything as question 1) A. question 2) B. question 3) C. ‘Neat pattern!’ I thought, but I also didn’t trust her to start a pattern like that without twisting it up in the end to play Gotcha, so I answered them all based on the right name, not by knowing the alphabet. I finished before everyone else. She picked it up and in front of everyone (!) who were still working (!!!!) she said something like ‘I see you figured out what I was doing.’

Instead of, you know, acknowledging that I was doing what teachers are supposed to want: answering tests correctly.

Tldr, I got into a real dark place after years of that shit. Why keep putting effort into shit if it is only EVER going to get thrown back in my face? Thankfully by the time I got to 7th grade and started having one teacher per class instead of one teacher per day, I was able to have less exposure so they didn’t build up as much animosity. I didn’t graduate top ten, bc FUCK math, but I did finish 12th in my class, I did go on to a good college, and I did get a good job. But seriously, fuck every single one of those teachers who treated me like I was evil incarnate bc I couldn’t behave like everyone else.

* I didn’t get diagnosed autistic til I was 33. Now to be fair idk if my school ever did talk to my mom to encourage her to pursue a diagnosis back then, but this WAS the 90s in middle America and I WAS a girl, so it’s equally likely they didn’t even consider it.

[banannabethchase]

Oh hello monstrous wave of anxiety get the fuck out of here right fucking now.

[ljaesch]

Crunchyroll Begins Announcing Simulcasts for the Winter 2024 Anime Season

Crunchyroll has announced the following simulcasts for the Winter 2024 anime season: December 29, 2023: BURN THE WITCH #0.8 January 1, 2024: Fluffy Paradise January 3, 2024: Classroom of the Elite Season 3 (the anime will also have dubs in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and German that will air at a later date) Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki Season 2 (the…

[robotpussy]

i fucking hate it when people are like "this is why nobody likes black people" when we're just... being ourselves because it doesn't matter what you do as a black person, non-black people are still going to see black people the way that they do no amount of assimilation is going to change their view of black people

[vaugarde]

oh my god best wishes really went “yeah iris acts like shes above ash and others her age because she went through academic trauma was shunned by the other students who prioritized studying and maturity and iced her out because of her friendly and energetic personality and was unable to study because the curriculum was not structured for children with her learning style and got so depressed that she couldnt eat and would climb a tower and endanger herself just to try and feel closer to home. also she was away from home stripped of her only support system. also also this happened immediately after her best friend stopped talking to her after getting brutally defeated in battle.”

[cliveguy]

the turn off reblogs feature if literally the best thing tumblr has done in years

[tousakamis]

sigh. my mum is talking about how she recognises that both me and my little brother are mentally ill but she's apparently been "protecting us from labels how she wasn't" (because that's "all that society wants to give kids nowadays") and she wants us to just "get on with life and be who we are"